Come Reason with God

The Struggle of Seeing and Hearing in a Colonised World

In a world shaped by colonial histories, many of us find ourselves caught in a strange paradox. We are surrounded by signs, systems, and narratives that seem to tell us who we are, yet, we struggle to truly see and hear what is before us. This disconnect between perception and reality is not accidental—it is the result of centuries of oppression, manipulation, and control.

The term subaltern has been used to describe people who are pushed to the margins of society, stripped of their voice and agency. They live in a world where their dignity is compromised, their stories ignored, and their bodies treated as expendable. This is the reality for many marginalized groups, whether in the Global South or within marginalized communities in the Global North. In our contemporary world, the coloniser still exerts influence—sometimes through overt power, and other times through subtler, more insidious forms of control.

For many, the coloniser's power is not only economic but also ideological. It teaches the oppressed to see the world through a lens that keeps them in a subordinate position. The subaltern is made to believe that their reality is what the system says it is, not what they know it to be. This internalized oppression, as theorists like Frantz Fanon and Gayatri Spivak have shown, is a powerful force. The subaltern is often too caught up in survival to question the narratives around them, and even if they do, the system has made it difficult to envision an alternative.

One of the most striking examples of this can be seen in the ways that the subaltern, whether black, brown, or poor, continue to support systems that work against their best interests. The political landscape is often shaped by populism, which convinces people—sometimes through fear, sometimes through false promises—that their interests align with those of the powerful. They support leaders who promise them safety, stability, or wealth, but who, in reality, perpetuate the same structures of inequality that keep them oppressed. Fanon warned of this dynamic in his work on the psychological effects of colonisation, showing how the oppressed can become complicit in their own subjugation.

The biblical story of Moses offers us an important lesson here. When God called Moses to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, He provided Moses with divine warnings and guidance. Moses, in turn, became the instrument through which God’s justice was realized (Exodus 9:1). For the Israelites, liberation was not just about freedom from physical chains, but also about reclaiming their humanity, their dignity, and their identity. In much the same way, the modern subaltern must learn to hear the call to freedom and liberation, even when it seems distant or unattainable. The journey of liberation requires not only breaking free from physical chains but also rejecting the internalised narratives that bind us.

The Bible also offers many reminders that justice is not just a matter of personal salvation, but a communal one. The teachings of Jesus, for example, emphasise the need to see with new eyes, to hear with new ears, and to respond with compassion and action. In Matt 25:31-46, Jesus speaks about the final judgment and the importance of caring for the marginalised: the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, and the imprisoned. His message is clear: true faith and justice are not about abstract beliefs but about real-world actions that recognize the humanity of others.

Yet, we live in a world where these messages are often drowned out by the noise of power. The subaltern’s struggle is not only external but internal. It is a battle to recognize their own humanity in a world that denies them that recognition. The subaltern has been taught to believe that they are less than human, and this falsehood is reinforced by systems that benefit from their exploitation.

For many, it is a constant struggle to see the truth of their situation. They are caught in a cycle of survival, trying to make it day by day in a world that offers them no rest. The power of the coloniser is so entrenched in the system that it can seem impossible to escape. And yet, the message of Moses and the teachings of Jesus remain: liberation is possible, but it requires a radical shift in consciousness. It requires rejecting the narratives that have been imposed upon us and embracing the truth of who we are—children of God, worthy of dignity and justice.

In this journey, we are not alone. Just as God provided Moses with the strength to lead the Israelites to freedom, He provides us with the tools we need to challenge the systems that oppress us. Through community, through solidarity, and through faith, we can begin to break the chains that bind us. But first, we must come reason with God—we must hear His call to justice, see the world as it truly is, and act in ways that reflect our true humanity.

The subaltern's struggle is not just their own—it is a struggle shared by all who are oppressed by systems of power. And in this struggle, the voice of God is clear: "Let my people go" (Ex 9:1). It is a call to liberation, a call to see and hear the truth, and a call to embrace the dignity of all people, no matter their race, their background, or their status.

As we reflect on this, we must ask ourselves: Are we willing to see the truth of our world? Are we willing to hear the call to justice and liberation? And, most importantly, are we willing to act, to challenge the systems that keep us in chains, and to create a world where all people can live in dignity and freedom? The answer to these questions will determine whether we, like Moses, are able to lead others to freedom—or whether we will remain complicit in a system that perpetuates injustice.

 

References

Fanon, Frantz. Black Skin, White Masks. Grove Press, 1967.

Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty. Can the Subaltern Speak? Cultural Studies. 1988.

Exodus 9:1, NIV.  

Matthew 25:31-46, NIV.