“Servant”

We, the Red Pill Brethren, reclaim the word “servant.”

 It speaks to what we aim to do – serve others. It evokes the wisdom of Wu Li – Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water – and Jesus, kneeling to wash his disciples’ feet. Dasa, Obadiah, Abdullah … so many religions name and respect the one who serves.

Some will want to argue that it brings to mind fundamentalism, or colonialism, or any number of other isms. “It is below my dignity,” others might think. Some, who would accept being called a volunteer, will recoil at being called a servant.

That is, perhaps, another benefit. It works as a filter. If the word servant is a deal-breaker for them, then they probably wouldn’t be happy with the type of work we want to do.

Would you wash a homeless man’s feet?

We Brethren joke about a tiny clip in the (horrible) movie From Dusk Til Dawn.

Seth: So what are you, Jacob? A faithless preacher? Or a mean M*** F*** servant of God?
Jacob: I’m a mean, mhm mhm servant of God.

Then they go off to slay vampires.

 But in our own way, we want to slay vampires, too. And frankly, they’re a lot scarier than toothy undeads. Hunger, shame, sex-trafficking, poverty, destruction of neighborhoods … they’re pretty big adversaries.

 But we’re mean mhm mhm servants of God.

The servants of the Most Gracious are those who walk on the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, reply with (words of) peace. – The Quran, 25:63.

For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves. – Luke 22:27

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!” Isaiah 6:8