Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not arrest him?” The police answered, “Never has anyone spoken like this!” Then the Pharisees replied, “Surely you have not been deceived too, have you? Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law—they are accursed.” Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, “Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?” They replied, “Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.” Then each of them went home . . .
John 7: 45-52 (NRSV)
Challenging society’s norms and customs; pointing out inconsistencies; advocating for the underdog and the misunderstood … doesn’t look very promising now either – if I am wanting to consume, succeed, earn, achieve. Our culture, like Nicodemus’s, is very good at those chilling put-downs:
“Surely you don’t believe that, too?”
“This crowd, which is uneducated – they haven’t read the latest research.”
“No business person worth her salt would support that!”
Surely you are not also from that backwater, are you?
“Look into it and you will see what history has proved time and again.”
Where does my culture – academia, social media, television, extended family – silence me?