When I was on Facebook, twitter, and tumblr I would share from time to time links to blogs and articles that I thought might interest my friends and followers. I still think it’s a good thing to share the thoughts of others.
So, here is a link to a blogpost by Rabbi Rachel Barenblat. I’ve followed her blog at the Velveteen Rabbi for a while. She is a kindred spirit whom I appreciate very much.
Please take a minute to read and reflect on her poem.
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Today, as I sat quietly, I remembered how I felt Sunday morning.
Emotions rose within me as I considered the injustice of the “ruling class.”
I held back tears as my I saw those who live privileged lives ignoring the pleas of
those that they consider “Other.” Especially, those who profess to have faith in God through Jesus Christ.
How can they just stand there and do nothing? Less than nothing!
They are complicit in moral crimes against their fellow travelers on this Third Rock from the Sun!
This morning I reflected on that a bit. I realized that my emotions, my tears were
not directed toward those who are the victims of injustice. They weren’t poured out
for the poor and the needy.
No.
My emotion was kindled by those who instigate the injustice. My tears shed because
of their unbelief and unfaithfulness.
How can people stand by and actually feel that they are justified in their injustice?
It’s truly quite easy. As long as I can feel good about ‘Me’ and ‘My’ accomplishments;
‘My faithfulness’ and ‘My exceptionalism,’ I can separate myself from those “Others” who
don’t quite match up to ‘Me.’
I’m reminded of a story in Brennan Manning’sbook, “Ruthless Trust: The Ragamuffin’s
Path to God.”
A couple was visiting New Orleans. As they walked around the French Quarter,
a woman, smiling, approached them and said that she could tell immediately that they were “saved.”
She continued, “Isn’t it wonderful? Don’t you just fell the Rapture is coming?” For the next several
Minutes the woman talked to them about growing tension in the Middle East that would
lead to the end of the world. At that time the ‘elect’ would be whisked away to heavenly
glory forever and ever.
Of course, this presupposes that there will by “Others” who will not be so fortunate.
How is it that this woman was apparently quite giddy about leaving most of humanity
behind while she and her like-minded friends would escape into the “Sweet By and By”?
And, I weep over her hardness of heart. Her uncaring attitude toward anyone and everyone
who doesn’t think and believe as she does.
Then, a couple other stories came to my mind.
In one, Jesus is standing on a hill looking over the city of Jerusalem.
His heart, breaking with overwhelming emotion he said,
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.
“Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!
“For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”
His lament was not for the victims of injustice. He shed no tears for the murdered prophets and those who were stoned to death.
No. His sorrow was directed at those who perpetrated the injustice…the murderers.
In another story, Jesus went to a village called Bethany. A few days earlier he had been informed that one of his dear friends was very ill. By the time he reached the village, his friend had died.
The text indicates that Jesus was aware of the condition of his friend, Lazarus. He was even aware that the man had died. When Jesus reached the village, Lazarus’ sisters came to him and said,
“If only You had been here, Lazarus would still be alive.”
Jesus looked and saw all of the mourners who had come to console the sisters over their loss.
Now, what’s interesting, is the writer made it very clear that Jesus knew what he was going to do. Jesus had even told his followers on the way that Lazarus had died. He told them that he was glad that he had not been there to heal Lazarus. It was better for them, “So that you may believe.”
Even with this foreknowledge, the text states that when Jesus saw the mourners, when he listened to the sisters as they knelt tearfully before him, the writer recorded these words…
“Jesus was troubled.”
The language that was used indicates that Jesus was “agitated; in great distress.” That his emotions were “stirred up.” This was followed by the shortest verse in the entire Bible,
“Jesus wept.”
The only record of Jesus shedding tears.
“Jesus wept.”
But, why? The mourners all thought it was because of Jesus’ great love for Lazarus. They thought that, like them, Jesus was moved with sorrow for the loss of his friend. For the loss of a brother.
That doesn’t make sense to me. Jesus knew what had happened and what he was going to do.
Why did he weep?
I think it was because of the unbelief of those gathered. Jesus had performed many miracles in and around Jerusalem. Many of these people were witnesses. For sure, the sisters were. Yet, they still did not believe.
They did not have faith.
“Jesus wept.”
The only two times where it was recorded that Jesus wept or lamented there were people who lacked lacked faith or who were faithless.
He did not lament the prophets.
He did not weep for Lazarus.
So, I weep. Not for those trying to escape death by journeying a thousand miles to seek refuge at our border.
Nor, do I weep for the millions of people who may find their health care plans eliminated.
I don’t shed tears for those trapped in addictions or who struggle with the fact that their own brain is their worst enemy.
My tears…my lament…are offered for those in power, for those who aren’t trapped in systems that dehumanize and degrade them.
I weep for those who can make a difference.
Yet, choose not to.
As I sat in silence this morning I saw an image of the president of the U.S.
standing in the rain praising a ruling by a judge in Texas that states that the
Affordable Care Act, the so-called “Obama Care,” is unconstitutional.
My mind showed me the many people, conservatives, who have spent the
last several years trying undo this simple act to help people who desperately need
the help. I asked Why? Why do these people work so hard in order to hurt others?
As my thoughts took wing, I looked down on the people lined up at our borders.
Why are the institutions that we have created trying so hard to hurt others?
I saw the poor in other countries with no clean water or consistent food source.
Why are those governments not helping their own people? They only heap up riches
and power for themselves.
I considered the so-called religious of our culture. What are they doing? After all, aren’t
they all followers of Jesus?
Who was this Jesus? “Behold, the Kingdom of God is near!” he said.
Yeah?
Where?
Because, I’m not seein’ it.
I’m not seein’ it at all.
“How long, O Lord?”
People have said this simple prayer for thousands of years.
“How long, O Lord?”
Will You wait?
Will You allow injustice?
Until You uphold the widow? The orphan? The stranger?
“How long, O Lord?”
Our governments are corrupt. Our leaders care only about their own power and prestige.
They abuse those that they have been called on to serve.
“How long, O Lord?”
The institutions that are established suffer from rot. They care only about surviving.
They care not a whit for those that put their trust in them.
“How long, O Lord?”
The systems that prevail over all things are altogether corrupt.
Racism, sexism, corporations…all tools of the powerful against Everyone Else.
“How long, O Lord?”
Atheists trust in knowledge and humanity’s ability to grow. They trust in the wind.
Progressive Christians trust in humanity’s ability to usher in the Kingdom of God.
How many centuries ago was this proven to be folly?
Evangelicals. Well, they are just dangerous. They hide behind their faux faith and
Like the Pharisees of old, “do not enter the Kingdom and prevent others from doing so.
Rome is altogether corrupt. Self-seeking old men who crave honor, prestige, and power.
Yet, they have castrated themselves and are now impotent.
Orthodox seek God in Spirit and Truth. Yet, they do nothing for anyone outside of their
own cloisters and cathedrals.
“How long, O Lord?”
Martin hoped that the arc of history would bend toward justice.
I don’t see it.
“How long, O Lord?”
Here is an excerpt from a book by Brian Zahnd. Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God. I have not read the book. Zahnd did share one chapter that I have read. It follows on what I shared here yesterday and today. The God I follow is not the judgemental, hateful god of fundamentalist evangelicals, (fundagelicals for short). The God I have committed to follow is One Whose name is Love. Period.
“Insisting that Abraham Joshua Heschel, Anne Frank, Albert Einstein, and all other Jews are condemned to hell is an arrogant and malevolent doctrine that is responsible for the creation of countless atheists. I am sympathetic with the atheist who cannot believe in a god who is so petty and cruel that he defends his so-called honor by torturing billions of souls for eternity. I don’t believe in that god either. But I’m no atheist. I believe in the God who is the Father of Jesus and who relates to sinners in the very same way that Jesus did. I believe in the God revealed in Christ, the heaven-sent Savior who harrows hell to rescue sinners…sinners like me.”
Here is a link to Zahnd’s post, “Hell…and How to Get There”.
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The following poem was written by Fr.Daniel Berrigan (born May 9, 1921- died April 30, 2016).
Advent Credo
It is not true that creation and the human family are doomed to destruction and loss—
This is true: For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life;
It is not true that we must accept inhumanity and discrimination, hunger and poverty, death and destruction—
This is true: I have come that they may have life, and that abundantly.
It is not true that violence and hatred should have the last word, and that war and destruction rule forever—
This is true: Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, his name shall be called wonderful councilor, mighty God, the Everlasting, the Prince of peace.
It is not true that we are simply victims of the powers of evil who seek to rule the world—
This is true: To me is given authority in heaven and on earth, and lo I am with you, even until the end of the world.
It is not true that we have to wait for those who are specially gifted, who are the prophets of the Church before we can be peacemakers—
This is true: I will pour out my spirit on all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions and your old men shall have dreams.
It is not true that our hopes for liberation of humankind, of justice, of human dignity of peace are not meant for this earth and for this history—
This is true: The hour comes, and it is now, that the true worshipers shall worship God in spirit and in truth.
So let us enter Advent in hope, even hope against hope. Let us see visions of love and peace and justice. Let us affirm with humility, with joy, with faith, with courage: Jesus Christ—the life of the world.
*All emphases are mine.
From Testimony: The Word Made Flesh, by Daniel Berrigan, S.J. Orbis Books, 2004.
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I have read the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus many, many times. And, I have never seen the similarities it holds with Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” It is a fairly common trope, though. There’s “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” whose heart grew three sizes. And, of course, “It’s a Wonderful Life” where George Bailey has an “Ah ha!” moment. Besides the obvious change of direction that they had, there seems to be another connection between these. In all of them there were relationships with others that were both amended and the cause of that amendment. I’m not gonna do all of the heavy lifting for you. Take a minute and think about it. Zacchaeus and the people that he had wronged; The Grinch and joy of all those Whos in Whoville; George and his family and friends. And, of course, Scrooge and Tiny Tim. None of these individuals could be separated from others. No matter how much they tried or wanted to be. Sorry, Paul Simon, no one can be an Island. Gee…I guess you do learn something new every day!
YOU LEFT ME!
How Dare You Do That To Me!
You didn’t say ‘Goodbye’!
You didn’t even leave a note on the bedside table!
Don’t all of the years we spent together mean anything to you?!?
We laughed and we loved.
We travelled together. We slept together.
I thought that we would be together ALWAYS!!!
You Promised That You Would Never Leave Me!
And Now!
Now, You just died and left me alone!
I wrote this as I was thinking about a friend of mine who lost a loved one. Could part of our mourning process involve resolving anger that we may have toward that person? They did, after all, leave us alone without warning.
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Recently, I’ve begun to reevaluate what I’m doing with this blog thing. What I considered thought provoking proved to be less than sparkly. Some of the more poetic ‘ditties’ have garnered a slightly better response. Overall, I’m discouraged.
But, Hey! That’s never stopped me from forging ahead. So, it won’t now. Maybe.
Anyway, I have decided that the coverage of religious things from a scholarly point of view is not a happening thing. That will slowly fall away.
However…
When religious issues cloud common decency, I may need to write something.
Ok, religious issues ALWAYS cloud common decency. And, most of the time common sense as well. I promise to try to be selective about which issues I choose to wrangle.
Today is one of those days.
Pew Research did a survey that asked how people in the U.S. feel about admitting refugees to this country. Politically, the results were predictable. Twenty-six percent of Republicans think that the U.S. bears a responsibility to admit foreign refugees. Dems; 74%.
No surprise.
The Pew people also asked the question to various folks based on religious/non-religious affiliation.
This is the response that I want to focus on.
White Evangelical Protestants responded in lockstep with the Republican Party. Twenty-six percent of these respondents said that the U.S. has no responsibility to offer help to refugees. Another way to view it, 68% of Bible-believing, Hallelujah-ing, self-proclaimed followers of Jesus Christ Almighty say that refugees from foreign countries shall have NO succor here!
None! Nada! Nyet!
While I am disheartened by this, I am not surprised. In the late 1970’s, early 1980’s, White evangelicals climbed into the Republican bed when Jerry Falwell, Sr. decided that the government could, and should, legislate morality. And they’ve been rolling around under the sheets ever since. So, the fact that the poll results are pretty much identical between the two demographics is predictable.
Many people, (and when I say many, I mean MANY), have tried to analyze this. The question; Why do so many people who claim to follow Jesus Christ, friend to the outcast, turn their backs on outcasts? How can people who hold up their sacred text as inerrant and infallible suddenly forget about the hundreds of references to caring for widows, orphans, and foreigners?
I’m not going to rehash what these people conclude. You can Google it yourselves.
What I want to do is look at this from a slightly different angle.
White evangelicals in the U.S. feel that this country was founded on some non-existent ‘Judeo-Christian ideal. From the Puritans’ “City on a Hill” to the founding fathers’ so-called Christian bias, the U.S. is God’s country! It belongs to White Jesus come hell or high water! Just ask pseudo-historian David Barton. On second thought, don’t ask him. He’s a lying moron. But, you get the picture.
With that foundational belief it’s entirely understandable that White evangelicals would want to do whatever they possibly can to keep the country ‘pure.’ Can’t have any of those Muslim infidels dirtying up the pool now, can we. Oh, and those brown people from south of the border? No, no! Unclean! Put bells on them to warn everyone that their ‘uncleanness’ is coming. Ewwww!
I can understand this. People in general want to protect themselves and their loved ones from perceived threats. It’s human nature. Quarantine the people with measles. I get it.
But, what can we learn from their sacred text about this? Is there something written that can shed some light on what Jesus, himself, might think?
I think that there is.
In the Gospel according to Mark there is a passage that gets little attention except for those who want to keep wayward children in check. The passage is in chapter 7. I’m providing a link rather than inserting the entire passage. Mark 7:1-15.
To set the stage, Jesus’ disciples were having a quick bite to eat. They apparently just picked up food and started scarfing it. Jewish tradition, however, required that people take time to ceremonially wash their hands and the utensils before eating. The Pharisees and other religious folks were appalled. “Whoa, whoa, whoa!!! Jesus, what are your disciples doing?!?! Why, they’re breaking our taboo! They are putting unclean food into their mouths! Oh, the shame!”
Jesus took this opportunity to teach an important lesson.
First, he called out their hypocrisy. “Oh, yeah! Y’all want to call this out? This is simply a tradition that has been handed down by people. What about how you flaunt what Moses actually handed to us from God Almighty? You have taught people to break the Law of Moses when it comes to honoring their parents. Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)—then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother.”
I want to focus on that word, “Corban.” It is a carry-over word from the Hebrew Scripture. In its simplest form it refers to an offering or gift made to God. However, as time moved forward, the idea began to develop that Corban could be claimed over anything that represented a sacrifice. In this way a person could be called Corban. They would then, for all practical purposes, be dedicated to God. Their lives would move from the secular to the sectarian. Other objects, including money, could also be Corban. This would exclude the item from ANY secular use. It was wholly dedicated to God. So, when the Pharisees taught that money that could be used for the secular purpose of helping parents was declared Corban, that money became unusable for that help. It went into the Temple coffers, period, end of discussion.
Jesus in effect told them that they were guilty of transgressing the Law of Moses by insisting that their own man-made traditions took precedence over that Law.
In a similar way, the tradition of washing had been elevated to a binding activity. The Pharisees taught that anything that was eaten by unwashed hands from unwashed bowls actually made the person who ate “unwashed,” or unclean.
To you, White evangelicals…
It’s nice the way that you set aside the commandment of God for your own hypocritical traditions. You say, “This land was given to us by God. It is Corban! How can we offer it to these ‘others’?
Yet the commandment of God is clear. “Care for those who are lost and hurting. Love them as you love yourself. Is this not the greatest commandment after love of God?”
Pull your heads out of your collective backsides and see the Light! What you call ‘Corban’ causes destruction and death!
Is this how your god behaves? It’s no wonder people are walking, no, running from your pews!
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This story is pretty much the same as one I posted a few years ago when I experienced the Spiritual Exercises for the first time. I edited some things to better suit what I experienced now and added some comments to the end of it.
Entering, we greeted those already gathered. “Shalom! Baruch hashem Adonai!” “Peace! Bless the name of the Lord!” Unpacking our donkeys, we noticed that there were a lot of people already present. It seems that the whole clan had answered Caesar’s demand that we return for this census. Joseph helped Mary up to the living quarters while I got fodder for the donkeys. As I turned to climb the stairs I saw Joseph gesturing angrily.
“No guest room?! My wife is going to give birth at any moment! You must make room for her and the child!”
“No, we cannot. There are too many people. We cannot have one room given to her alone.”
“Wait,” one of Joseph’s aunts said. “We can fix a place for her down below. There is plenty of fresh straw. And, we can put blankets down to help make her more comfortable.”
Mary, being young and new to the family looked at Joseph and nodded. She was already suspect, being pregnant already. She did not want to give the family any more reason to look down on her.
Evening came. Mary was having contractions every few minutes. One of Joseph’s aunts acted as midwife. They made Mary as comfortable as possible.
Joseph was upstairs with the rest of the family. He was pacing the floor. One cousin scolded him, “Sit down and relax! Everything will be fine. This is not the first child ever born!”
But, everyone knew that many first pregnancies did not end well. Especially, when the mother was as young as Mary. In addition, both Joseph and Mary were anxious about the child. That strange man that had appeared nine months ago had said some very strange things about this child. As the birth drew near, the young parents wondered what kind of creature this was that was about to enter their world.
It seemed as though Mary had been laboring for hours. A final push, and the child arrived! With a cry, the child took his first breath. The midwife lifted the child and tied off the umbilicus.
“It’s a boy!”
Joseph gave a sigh of relief. The others began to pour bowls of wine and a party celebrating the birth of a first-born son began. They sang and danced and drank. When Mary was cleaned up and the child wrapped in clean cloths, Joseph was summoned to come down. He looked compassionately at Mary. She was so strong and brave…no longer a child. Joseph reached into the feeding trough in which his newborn son had been laid. He picked him up and lifted him toward heaven.
“My son, Yeshua!”
A little later I looked up and saw a small group of people entering the house. By the staves that they were carrying I could tell that they were shepherds.
“Who let this rabble in?” I thought. Shepherds were not usually welcome among respectable people. They walked over to where the child lay sleeping.
“We were out in the field tending the sheep. Suddenly, there was a great light in the sky! We feared that something was going to take our sheep and harm us! Then, we heard a voice saying that a child had been born…here…in Bethlehem. The voice said that this child is the Messiah who we have been waiting for!”
Another shepherd spoke up saying, “Then there was a great host praising God! They gave God glory and said that peace was to reign between God and those whom God favors!”
We poured bowls of wine for the shepherds and continued to celebrate throughout the night.
However, Mary had a puzzled look on her face. She said nothing!
As I reflected on this story, I wondered what my takeaway from it would be. Ignatius had encouraged us to see what ‘spiritual benefit’ there was. Yeah, there was the miracle of birth. But, that had been done for millenia. There was the worry and waiting. Again, not new. Even the shepherds showing up wasn’t that all unusual. Just some run-of-the-mill guys showing up to pay respects to the new parents.
Then, I realized something. This WAS my takeaway. What makes this so special is that it’s not all that special!
Ok, ok…I hear y’all whispering out there. I can see the looks on your faces. “What do you mean, not special?! This was Jesus’ birth! That makes it not only special, but unique.”
Yeah, I get it. But, let’s take a moment to think about it.
Yahweh, the God of god’s desired to show love to the world. God wanted to break down barriers and establish ‘table fellowship’ with us. What better way to do that than to join with us so that we can join with God?
This story reveals that the Son of God is just like one of us. Shoot! He IS one of us! He didn’t come down from some lofty mountain like some hero of old. He didn’t appear out of a cloud or flame. He didn’t come walking up out of the sea.
He was born from a woman…just like us. He had a family that loved him…just like us. He grew up in a specific culture in a a specific place and time.
I thank God for this! We have a Savior who, in every respect, is just like us. This Jesus had the same experiences that we have. He had the same wants and needs. He knew what it was like to be loved and accepted. And, he knew what it was like to be hated and rejected.
And, it all began with a simple birth, just like ours.
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I don’t celebrate the day when a lost person accidentally stumbled upon a land that was inhabited by others.
I don’t celebrate the genocide that this misguided person began.
I will stand in solidarity with those whose land and lives were stolen.
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