Best definition of Woke I ever heard

[kimbutgar]

I’m visiting my Mother in Law in very hot Arizona now and she showed me this today that was written by one of her Lutheran church members.

This is a great one to push back against those repuke fake christians. I am not including the name of the author but I’m sure she would be ok with me passing it on…

The good word of the day is woke

I heard this term over and over and I didn’t know what it meant. It has been thrown around for the last six months, most often with an expression of distaste. It often is a call of “culture wars". What was so terrible? Woke - do you know what this means? Maybe you are as confused as I was.

I thought woke was a new term. I was wrong.

It goes back at least to the ancient Jewish prophets like Amos, Jeremiah who spoke against mistreatment of the common people by the government and temple. Their message was woke: “open your eyes and ears, repent and start treating others with compassion and justice!” Sound familiar? Yes, this was Jesus’ message too. It was beyond any politics.



The Cambridge Dictionary says woke is: be aware, especially of social problems such as racism and inequality. The Merriam-Webster definition is: aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues, especially issues of racial and social injustice. African American history was also familiar with woke in its music and lore during slavery, longing to be free from oppression. It was rich in the Bible’s stories and lament.



Why do some want to twist this meaning and hurl it against others?



So, if someone says we are woke, it’s something to celebrate! As Jesus’ disciples we are called to follow the hard path of compassion and personal sacrifice for the welfare of others and our planet. Woke applauds the courage to wake up and come to oneself, as the parable tells us the Prodigal Son did. It opposes any grab for money or power over others. It is part of our spiritual heritage. Being Jesus’ people is nothing to be ashamed of. I think this church could even be called Woke in its faithful compassion for people in need, people seeking a safe home, children hungry and much, much more. And we know how to celebrate!

This woman is a true Christian and I love how she defined Woke.