Christian Ethical Response: Solidarity with the weak and vulnerable in society.

Vulnerable groups are the groups which would be vulnerable under any circumstances.
People are considered vulnerable, for various different reasons. The following list identifies
individuals or groups who are potentially considered at risk: ethnicity, disability, migrants,
age and sexuality. Furthermore, weak and vulnerable in the present society are women,
children, orphan, LGBT, poor people, differently abled person, nature etc.
Living in such context, as a Christian we are all under the obligations of showing our full
concern and solidarity to the weak and vulnerable in society because God hears the outcry of
the oppressed and we are the instruments of channelling the message of distress to God by
conforming and perpetuating as a supplication.
How do we stand in stand in solidarity with the weak and vulnerable in our society?
Following are some of the steps to be follow by the Christian to stand in solidarity with the
weak and vulnerable in our society.
Solidarity: Acceptance, Empathy and understanding human group.

One of the most vital way to stand in solidarity with the weak and vulnerable people in the
society is to accept them as they are and to treat them as equal with them. Without accepting
them as someone being equal to them a person cannot have empathy and understanding for
the weak and vulnerable people in the society. People will communicate most frequently with
the people geographically, closest to them, closest to their own status, frequently with people
in their own unit. We can have full solidarity or start the first step of solidarity for the weak
and vulnerable by accepting as someone equal to us. Thus having empathy and understanding
their context by including or associating with a group of people with understanding their
status quo is another vital step of solidarity for the weak and vulnerable.

Solidarity: Voice of the voiceless and listening to the voices of those in margins in
reflecting the context.
The task of Christian communication is to engender and empower the many, diverse voices
of our people. It is to allow the speaking of tongues in many different languages; it is to
facilitate dialogue for communication and solidarity. Christian communication needs to
acknowledge the reality that many languages are spoken in the world, the recognition of
difference is quite crucial to refashioning, that is founded with respect to all cultures and
people of the world.
To listen to the voices of people on the margins who are struggling for survival and are
fighting against the states oppressive regime, we take up the protest movement. This
movement shows how a consolidated voice of subaltern classes can effectively challenge and
survive the onslaught of globalisation. This movement challenged Christians to think whether
we are part of destruction of life or part of saving life. The movements or struggle we have
for the voice of the marginalised and vulnerable can be done through media and public
broadcasting system.
Solidarity: Identifying with them
The incarnation of Jesus Christ clearly depicts that Jesus identify himself with the weak and
vulnerable in the society. Jesus was incarnated in a humble manner by being born in the form
of human. Jesus Christ identified himself with the poor and powerless of the earth and united
with them when he carried out his ministry on earth. Jesus ministry with the weak and poor
vividly portrays that he stand with the weak and the vulnerable people. Jesus ministry was
mainly about standing with the sinner, weak and vulnerable people by healing them, working
with them, dining with them etc. as a disciples of Jesus, we have been called to stand in
solidarity with the weak and vulnerable people, for we are the new humanity in Jesus Christ.
Therefore we have the responsibilities to stand in solidarity and promote solidarity in our
family, church, society etc.

Solidarity: Advocacy for justice and peace

Peace is lost when injustice, poverty and disease-as well as armed conflict, violence, and war-
inflict wounds on the bodies and souls of human beings and on society and on earth. To
pursue peace we must prevent and eliminate personal, structural and media violence,
including violence against people because of race, gender, caste and sexual orientations,
culture or religion. In a continent of hunger, exclusion and destruction, prophetic vocation
begins with a deeper engagement with the groaning of the victims.
Solidarity: Communication and people’s power.
People should have the right to speak for themselves because that is the only way to create
community. Power perpetuates itself by guaranteeing survival and security in the realm of
order. One of its chief weapons is communication. Seeking freedom for the oppressed,
communication can play either a humanizing or dehumanizing role. To liberate the oppressed
is to speak out for the rights of the weak and vulnerable people by employing diferent types
and form of communication. The outcry of the oppressed is God’s call for communication
that liberates and creates community.
Theological Reflection
Role of the church: Solidarity with the weak and vulnerable in society
Jesus not easy teaches Christians to respond to the needs and hurts of their neighbours.
However it is not easy to know how to respond to a neighbour. Yet there is a need for each
individual in the community of faith to adopt the role of Good Samaritan. Christian who is
called to serve the “the least of these” have an obligation to serve all the weak and vulnerable
in the society. Christian churches should take an active role to reduce discrimination and
subordination for the weak and vulnerable people.
The church as a body of Christ consists of men and women created as a responsible person to
glorify God and do God’s will. The church should be a place where partnership and sharing
should be emphasized. The partnership in ministry has become something like taboo for
many churches and this traditional mindset, attitudes and ideologies must be discarded
because it is no longer valid today. As Christ vividly portrays in his mission on earth by
loving and embracing the weak and vulnerable people in the society in his healing ministry,
preaching ministry etc, the church as a true imitators of Christ should transform the suffering
around the church.