Jesus was a great story-teller and people loved to listen as He taught through parables. People understood the message of the parables because these stories dealt with ordinary, day-to-day experiences that they were all familiar with. But they loved these stories for another reason as well. Most of the time these stories disturbed the comfortable and comforted the disturbed. The parables would seem to point to an obvious conclusion and then shock the listener with an unexpected ending, by continually challenging conventional wisdom.
But there is a trap which lies in our modern tendency to be too literal. We can miss the imaginative aspects of these parables and apply a strict formula to them in our interpretation. The parable in today's gospel is particularly interesting as it is itself capable of being turned upside-down and inside-out. It seems to be a parable about the need to pray constantly and never lose heart. It gives the picture of two people - an unjust judge who had neither fear of God nor respect for people, and a widow who came to him time and time again looking for justice.
To say that our petitions are answered because of our nagging God into action rather than because His is a true concern for justice just doesn't seem right. Perhaps we should see the widow as the God-like figure who persistently pursues injustice, denouncing it until justice is achieved. If this is the God in whose image we are made, then we too should tirelessly pursue justice even if it is against more powerful forces than we can muster.
Hearing the parable in this way we can hear the widow’s voice differently. Now she is speaking for those in our society who are not heard despite their just and desperate need. Her plight calls to mind those who are deprived of justice in our own society. Will the voices of the poor and powerless be outshouted by individuals and special interest groups who have more financial or voting power? Will the voices of the poor, minorities, refugees, immigrants, and homeless be heard by those running for office, or those casting votes? Will the cries of those suffering from oppression and war be heard? Will the victims of gun violence in our streets, schools and campuses find justice? Will our voices mirror hers?
Like the widow, our God is persistent in His love for us. He wears us down by persistently pursuing us and constantly nagging us. God is constantly trying to break down our defenses, challenging us to a true conversion of heart. All He asks from us is everything that we are.
There is a lot that we, as Catholics, can and should do in our pursuit of justice. But this demands prayer, imagination, vision and total commitment. Above all, it requires persistence.
