Pray Continually And Never Lose Heart

Fr Dexter Brereton, CSSpI.

This week, the Word of God introduces us to a story about a widow and an unjust judge, who, the story says, “had neither fear of God nor respect for man.” She comes regularly, demanding justice from him against her enemy, and eventually, tired by all her complaining and all her entreaties, he gives in saying I may have neither fear of God nor respect for man but since she keeps pestering me, I must give this widow her just rights, or she will persist in coming and worry me to death.” St Luke says to the reader that this is a lesson on the need to ‘pray continually and never lose heart.’

There are two different ways we can read this story. The first is by looking carefully at the actions of the judge. As if to say, in this story, the judge, unjust as he is, gives justice, therefore, how much more will the heavenly Father, who is justice itself, give justice. The second way is to arrive at the teaching by looking closely, at the actions of the widow. She fights continually and persistently and eventually brings about justice for herself against her enemy.

This week, I will follow the story through the footsteps of the widow. She reminds me of one of my ‘she-roes’ in the faith. I got to know Clarita about 20 years ago when I started working with her community. With her own little boy along with other little kids in the area, she started a small preschool. I watched over time as she steadfastly pursued her dream. Publicizing her project, raising funds, even at one time ‘squatting’ on the church premises. Eventually, one day out of the blue, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago started a system of pre-schools all over the country and she found steady employment. I could only imagine how tough it must have been in the years before. The ‘wisdom’ in her story is that nothing precious comes without opposition. Life itself, along with the rest of the unbelieving world must have seemed to her like the ‘unjust judge’ who had neither fear of God nor respect for man. She heroically fought for her dream, kept hope alive, and kept coming to us saying ‘give me justice against my enemy’ and eventually, “life” had to give in.

One of my favourite calypsoes comes from Dr. Leroy Calliste, popularly known as the Black Stalin. He sang a calypso with the refrain

Black man got to keep on jammin’
For black man to get a little sumptin’
Make up you mind to work ten times harder,
To get something because of your colour
Black man got to keep on jammin’
For Black man to get a little sumptin’
People rob you,
Humiliate you,
Turn round and whip you
And then they free you,
Black man got to keep on jammin’
For Black man to get a little sumptin’
So when you hear you get a little sumptin’
With a hawk-eye friends look they marking,
Because you done know already,
Black man don’ get nothing easy

If we can escape the tendency to take the Calypso literally, we can appreciate that it is a parable in song not just about Black people but every West Indian, especially persons of Colour. This is all of us, engaged in the long struggle, our basic rights, the recognition of our human dignity, and fair participation in the marketplace of the world. To stand quietly and demand one’s rights is the most dogged form of resistance. The widow in the story stood as the symbol for anyone socially vulnerable and disadvantaged. Yet, the widow emerges with heroic (or ‘she-roic’ status) since in spite of her smallness and vulnerability, she never ever gives up the conviction that she deserves more, or that she is worthy of justice. I think of all the women that I know, who face the ‘unjust judge’ in one form or the other, for example, a physically abusive spouse. Many have had the guts to demand their rights, to seek to leave situations of oppression if sometimes they have had to pay with their lives.

Lord, we thank you for all the widows among us, who have self-respect and self-regard enough to keep seeking justice, to pursue even the unjust judge. We celebrate their courage and tenacity and the many times they manage to get justice after a long struggle.