This is http://www.essayz.com/a9712031.htm Previous-Essay <== This-Essay ==> Following-Essay Click HERE on this line to find essays via Your-Key-Words. {Most frequent wordstarts of each essay will be put here.} ========================================================== %LIBERATE OPPRESSED CONTROLLED HEAL DISEASED SICK 971203 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." Luke 4: 18 & 19 This text raises a few questions. 1. Who are the poor? People with little political and/or economic power who might rebel against people with much political and/or economic power? 2. What is the good news that is to be preached? That things are going to change, maybe reversed? To whose pleasure? What will bring about the changes? Will the change be evolutionary or revolutionary? Led by whom? 3. Who is "He" and in what "Spirit" has "He" sent whoever claims the meaning of the text? By what "power" has the "anointing" come to "Be"? How is "He" related to the powers of the politically and/or economically powerful leaders? Is there a conflict between them? 4. Who are the "captives"? From what are the "captives" to be "released"? What or who has held them "captive"? Are they "prisoners" who have been charged with particular crimes? If so, what have been their "crimes" and why should they be "released" now? Have they rebelled against collusive games of mutual self-deception which are maintained by powerful people? 5. Who are the "blind" ones? What have they been unable to see? How did they become unable to see? Are the "blind" ones participants in collusions which have imprisoned them? Do they want to see? Do others want them to be able to see clearly what they have not been able to see? 6. Who are those who are "oppressed"? From what are they to be "liberated"? Who or what has "oppressed" them? What "liberties" are they to have, enjoy and have a right to? At whose expense are they to be "liberated"? 7. What is "The Acceptable Year of the Lord"? What or whom is to be "accepted" at this new time which has not be accepted/acceptable before? Has that which is to be "accepted" been previously "rejected"? If so, by whom and for what reasons"? What changes are suggested by the new kind of "acceptance"? What is to be renewed by this new kind of "acceptance"? 8. Who has any right to presume to answer big questions such as these? Who has any right to object to answers being given to big questions such as these? (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy) ==========================================================