The coming of the ordinary jubilee in 2025 is a great opportunity to ‘immanentize eschaton’. It is an opportunity to live the dangerous memory of Jesus. We in Goa do need to access the dangerous memory of Jesus as theologized by German catholic theologian Johann Baptist Metz. While opening us to the dangerous memory of Jesus , we have to remain cautious of being misled by the pseudo-messianism of all shades and color.
The dangerous memory of Jesus is a testament of love. It is memoria passionis , mortis, et ressurectionis Jesu Christi. The dangerous memory of Jesus joins past, present and the coming future. It is therapeutic and we as followers of Christ in Goa have the opportunity to bring the past of Goa, Goans and future to come to the therapeutic effects this dangerous memory.
The dangerous memory does not forget the present. It enables us to see our present with eyes of faith and hope in God’s reign in the coming days. Maybe this is why , we have to look at Goan present which appears to have exiled Goans in Goa itself and remember Jesus. The Kind of development that we have embraced seems to have alienated us from our lands that we have inherited from past generations of Goans.
Goan land resources have steadily become precious economic resource and is sold to the highest bidders by all and sundry in Goa. This itself is complicated with the reigning politics also handing our water, land and other resources to vested interest and is fast converting Goa into a coal hub which has no real benefit to Goans. The present has dislocated all Goans and the development thrusted on Goa seems to move ahead living most Goans behind.
Besides, Goa like in the past appears to not able to economically sustains all its sons and daughters and hence we can see out migrations occurring from Goa as it occurred in the past. Like the past out migrations were sometimes unjustifiably and exaggeratingly tied to the claims of some religious persecution as their reason, in the discourse that emerged about them painting the migrating Goans of those days as victims, we do have also todays catholics migrators also claiming victimhood of the present post-colonial rulers and Goan society. The truth about this pain, loss and memory lies somewhere in the middle in both cases. Hence, we need to dangerous memory of Jesus to offer us hope , therapy and ability to forgive.
The anticipatory remembering of the victory of Jesus can liberate us from the burden of the past, the present and the future. The colonial disruptions of the past have its pain and memory and we are all afflicted differently by it. It is often actively used by the powers that be to divide peace loving and deeply bonded Goans.
The memory of the cross and its victory does enable Christians to face the totalitarian as well an linear conception of the future by the rightwing. Such a totalitarian and linearized future is future in the singular and seems to cancel the future of the Christians as well as other Goans. Goa that is offered as raw material to the vested interest to accumulate wealth seems to paint a future in the singular that closes or cancel Goa and Goan-ness. Hence, Christians of Goa, who have always engaged with the socio-political and economic life of Goa have the challenge and ethical imperative to continue and join in solidarity with every Goan standing for Goa and Goans. It is in this context , the dangerous memory of Jesus can offer power to ‘ immanentize eschaton’ or true freedom.
Therefore, we as Catholics in Goa cannot do theology as well as live our faith with our backs towards Goa. We have to theologize as well as live our faith sensitively and compassionately facing the hopes and fears of every Goan. For a Christian the future of Goa is linked with their faith anticipating harmony, peace love , prosperity for Goans of all walks of life in the power of the memory of Jesus Christ. This future that we envision is the future in the plural. It a future that belongs to all Goans. This is perhaps the fruit of theologizing with our face facing Goa.
We may have experienced that several of our own brothers and sisters in Goa persuaded by rightwing nationalism seem to have turned their back to Goa to face India. We do have to turn our back to Goa to face India. We can face both India and Goa with our face and not with out back we do not need a dorsal look but require a frontal way of facing ourselves as Goans and Indians. There is no need to cover our Face. Goa had not been polluted by its past and hence do not need civilizing lessons of the rightwing.
The challenge to face India as well as Goa can be made fruitful through the dangerous memory of Jesus for the Goan Christians. Goa and Goan-ness is being plundered and is used as a kingdom to immanentize wealth for a minority. This plunder of Goa and Goan-ness have to be brought to a halt. It is in this context that we as Goans have the challenge to save Goa , Goan-ness and Goans for a future that is fast closing on us.
