When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on that December evening in 1955, she was tired. Not tired after a day’s work; “tired of giving in.” When she chose to take a stand against injustice, she didn’t harm anyone or burn the bus; she simply said no, this is not right, and refused to move. In the aftermath, she experienced sacrifice and hardship, but her quiet defiance was a powerful act that sparked a much bigger boycott during the civil rights movement and led to the segregation ordinance being abolished.

Keeping her seat on a bus was a powerful act. How easy is it to forget the quietness of a truly powerful and defining moment? How often do we, instead, associate power with the loudest voice in the room? How many times do we allow the wealthy and the famous to perpetuate injustice and oppression?

What struck me when I watched the SATS panel discussion with Reverend Doctor Dennis Edwards was his humble yet unflappable wisdom. The focus was his recent book—called “Might from the Margins: The Gospel’s Power to Turn the Tables on Injustice”—and the discussion covered everything from examples of Jesus’s anger at injustice to Edwards’s opinion of the Black Panther movie. He calmly shared his views, experience, and advice in a way that reflected wisdom and love.

Although I could never claim to fully understand the oppression and the weariness Parks and Edwards describe, as a white woman in South Africa, I am part of a minority group and get frustrated with the oppression of conservative patriarchism and the lack of freedom that is a direct result of our high levels of violent crime.

It is wearying to live in a world where the one who shouts the loudest gets their way; where there’s constant competition for resources; where each-person-for-themself is the name of the game. Where minorities are pushed aside.

Another thing I admired about Edwards’s answers to the panel’s questions was how he kept pointing to Jesus as the ultimate example. Jesus showed us another way—the way. Jesus was a marginalized leader, but think about how he demonstrated his power: He kind of … didn’t. At least, not in the way the world understands power.

He didn’t gather followers through a military campaign, keeping company with the famous, accumulating wealth, or oppressing his enemies. Instead, he challenged the status quo by patiently teaching, serving others, and leading by example. He demonstrated love, sacrifice, prayer, and humility.

He did speak up against injustice, but it’s how he did it that we should study:

  • When accused of breaking the law when he healed a man’s withered hand on the Sabbath, Jesus was angry with the Pharisees for placing such little value on the wellness of the man. Even though they were looking for ways to entrap Jesus, he healed the man anyway. (Mark 3:1–6)
  • Jesus was indignant and rebuked the disciples when they tried to prevent the children from approaching him. (Mark 10:13–14)
  • Even when the teachers of the law complained about him dining with sinners, Jesus wasn’t reactive; he quietly provoked thought. (Luke 5:29–32)

Remembering how Jesus changed the world will help us to better approach the things in our present world that still need to change. We need to show our worldly powers that there’s another way—the best way: Jesus.

After all, “[t]he weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” (2 Cor 10:3–4 NIV)