Matthew 22:4 - "Then he sent other slaves, saying, 'Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fattened calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready, come to the wedding banquet.'"
Come to the wedding banquet! Come celebrate with me the wedding of my son. This verse reminds me of the Eucharist, the Lord's Supper. Come, the table is ready. Both are invitations to share in the life of the Triune God. Invitations to take time and just be with Jesus. Celebrating our relationship with God.
As PC(USA) Presbyterians, we do not celebrate the Lord's Supper every week. Because of the brightness of most of the churches we've visited in CLE, we have been attending the 8:30 service at our church. It wasn't our first choice, we wanted to join a more diverse congregation. The consolation? Celebrating the Lord's Supper every week. It is glorious. Being able to look into our servers' eyes as we take the bread and the cup. It's truly a blessed moment for me each week.
What used to be an entire meal has been ritualized and limited to a bit of bread and some grape juice. Yet, it's still a foretaste of what Dr. King called "the Beloved Community," the kin-dom of God. That is why I like the fact that the master does not immediately give up on his wedding guests. He entices them with the oxen and the fattened calves. Food brings people in, right? I can see his thought process: If they won't come for me, maybe they'll come when they see the menu. God doesn't care why we come to him, only that we do. Just as the hungry mother doesn't care why we're handing her and her kids something to eat.
Of course, God and that mother would like more. God wants our hearts. That mother wants the dignity of fair housing and employment policies so she can feed her children without our help. There are as many reasons for being in worship or feeding hungry people as there are people doing it. We celebrate everyone who comes. Everyone. God's love turns no one away.
Now, there's an unspoken rule of worship that everyone must put on a "good face." Not all churches, but it's prevalent. What does this verse then have to offer those who are unable to put on a good face? Who just can't come in spite of our welcome and God's invitation? How can we make worship a place where people feel safe to come when they're at their worst? It's easy to come when we feel good; it's much harder when we feel sad, or like we've failed, or broken in some other way. If your church is this way, perhaps we can lead by example. When people ask how we are, answer honestly! By being vulnerable ourselves, we implicitly invite others to be vulnerable. Try it and see what happens. We have nothing to lose but our walls.
Can I participate in God's invitation and create an atmosphere of acceptance for all who come, no matter where they are in life? Do I have the courage to be vulnerable to another?
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
You're Invited!
Matthew 22:3 - "He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come."
Well, that is a drag! Who doesn't want to go to a wedding? Dancing, partying, community, joy. A wedding without guests does not sound like heaven. ... Yet, who was invited? The master's rich friends and business contacts. They have snubbed him.
In the parable, of course, the master is God, sending out his prophets to call those invited (chosen?) to communion with him. As Jesus made clear in the previous parable, the prophets weren't well-liked and so were not treated well. In this case, they're rebuffed in a similar way: no one invited wanted to come. It's important to remember that Jesus was a Jewish person talking to fellow Jews when he condemns them for not listening to the prophets, for their duplicity and their hypocrisy.
For Jesus, these very same chief priests and elders he is talking with are those who refused to come. But, you know what? We don't always come either. Very few of us are so attentive to Jesus' invitation and so intentional about following that we never hesitate. We count the cost first.
Like the chief priests and elders, we can say, "No." But, in my experience, Jesus has a way of becoming annoyingly present when we do! Just ask Jonah. Because Jesus wants to spend time with us, he wants to love us and through us love others, and he wants to work with us in building his kin-dom. It is we who are afraid of losing the security and comfort that we have carefully built. Although this parable makes it seem that Jesus only asks periodically, Jesus is always asking, constantly trying to get our attention. We need to tune our dials to his station.
In this season of Lent, maybe one thing we can repent is our resistance to him; our desire to go our own way; our desire to live secularly during the week, while going to church on Sunday.
I had a weekend that challenged my trust in Jesus' faithfulness. It's times like that when we learn the true condition of our spiritual life. The dark times teach us the true quality of our relationships with God, with ourselves, and with others. They teach us how much we need Jesus and where we are in need of repentance.
How would I characterize my relationships? How can I be more attentive to Jesus' voice calling me into communion? Do I need to repent not listening to his invitation?
Well, that is a drag! Who doesn't want to go to a wedding? Dancing, partying, community, joy. A wedding without guests does not sound like heaven. ... Yet, who was invited? The master's rich friends and business contacts. They have snubbed him.
In the parable, of course, the master is God, sending out his prophets to call those invited (chosen?) to communion with him. As Jesus made clear in the previous parable, the prophets weren't well-liked and so were not treated well. In this case, they're rebuffed in a similar way: no one invited wanted to come. It's important to remember that Jesus was a Jewish person talking to fellow Jews when he condemns them for not listening to the prophets, for their duplicity and their hypocrisy.
For Jesus, these very same chief priests and elders he is talking with are those who refused to come. But, you know what? We don't always come either. Very few of us are so attentive to Jesus' invitation and so intentional about following that we never hesitate. We count the cost first.
Like the chief priests and elders, we can say, "No." But, in my experience, Jesus has a way of becoming annoyingly present when we do! Just ask Jonah. Because Jesus wants to spend time with us, he wants to love us and through us love others, and he wants to work with us in building his kin-dom. It is we who are afraid of losing the security and comfort that we have carefully built. Although this parable makes it seem that Jesus only asks periodically, Jesus is always asking, constantly trying to get our attention. We need to tune our dials to his station.
In this season of Lent, maybe one thing we can repent is our resistance to him; our desire to go our own way; our desire to live secularly during the week, while going to church on Sunday.
I had a weekend that challenged my trust in Jesus' faithfulness. It's times like that when we learn the true condition of our spiritual life. The dark times teach us the true quality of our relationships with God, with ourselves, and with others. They teach us how much we need Jesus and where we are in need of repentance.
How would I characterize my relationships? How can I be more attentive to Jesus' voice calling me into communion? Do I need to repent not listening to his invitation?
Friday, February 23, 2018
Good Fruit
Matthew 21:43 - "Therefore, I tell you that the kin-dom of God will be taken away from you (plural) and given to people who will produce her fruits."
Ouch. Now all doubt about who Jesus was talking about has been removed. He is talking to the chief priests and elders, but also to us as well. The chief priests were heirs to the kin-dom and let that go to their heads so much, they convinced themselves they had all the answers ... for everyone. They began producing bad fruit or no fruit at all. Therefore, they were in danger of losing their inheritance.
This is because the inheritance was the result of the covenants God made with Abraham and all his offspring. A covenant differs from a promise in that a covenant requires specific actions from both parties. If either party fails to fulfill their obligations, the other party is free to ignore the covenant. The chief priests and the elders forgot or failed to fulfill their obligations to produce good fruit and instead began enjoying the perks of their office, to the detriment of their fellow Jewish people. Jesus tells them they're producing bad fruit - they are the tenants who killed the landlord's only son.
So are we, to the extent that we fail to produce the fruits of the kin-dom. Over this past weekend, the news was saturated with students from Stoneman Douglas High School pushing back against 45's egregious and heartless tweets and organizing walk outs and marches. They are energizing people to continue to push back against the NRA and Republican death-dealing agenda. I encourage us all to stand with these young adults in any way we can as they work to produce the fruit of God's kin-dom. We can find out when and where they are marching in our cities and try to be there in solidarity. We can send money if that is possible. We can pray, too. Although, that comes with a caveat that we must follow our prayer with action.
Also, we should push back against the constant narrative that all white mass shooters are mentally ill. Most mentally ill people, like most mentally healthy people, are not violent. Just because these shooters have such resentment and anger, does not mean they are clinically mentally ill. This is a slur against people experiencing such illness. Please push back against this word usage and narrative and call these people what they are - terrorists.
We are lucky here in America. We have a system of government that - theoretically - gives us all a voice. Jesus lived under the Roman occupation of Israel, so he did not confront Rome directly. We, however, can do so without consequences. In fact, we have a duty as citizens to hold our elected representatives accountable to us - not the NRA. Unfortunately, the Republicans have forgotten or just plain don't care about their duties to the American people and are worshiping at the altar of mammon, which the NRA bestows liberally. Yet, they are not sacrificing anything of theirs; they are sacrificing our children on that altar. How many more will it take for us to speak out more boldly? How many children dying is acceptable? How many children will we condemn to feeling unsafe at school? or worse, being shot?
All of us, no matter what age, deserve to feel safe in our schools, homes, offices, and outdoors. We won't achieve that perfectly, but we can and should do better. Let's not follow the example of the tenants, the chief priests or the elders. Instead, let us follow Jesus in producing good fruit.
Ouch. Now all doubt about who Jesus was talking about has been removed. He is talking to the chief priests and elders, but also to us as well. The chief priests were heirs to the kin-dom and let that go to their heads so much, they convinced themselves they had all the answers ... for everyone. They began producing bad fruit or no fruit at all. Therefore, they were in danger of losing their inheritance.
This is because the inheritance was the result of the covenants God made with Abraham and all his offspring. A covenant differs from a promise in that a covenant requires specific actions from both parties. If either party fails to fulfill their obligations, the other party is free to ignore the covenant. The chief priests and the elders forgot or failed to fulfill their obligations to produce good fruit and instead began enjoying the perks of their office, to the detriment of their fellow Jewish people. Jesus tells them they're producing bad fruit - they are the tenants who killed the landlord's only son.
So are we, to the extent that we fail to produce the fruits of the kin-dom. Over this past weekend, the news was saturated with students from Stoneman Douglas High School pushing back against 45's egregious and heartless tweets and organizing walk outs and marches. They are energizing people to continue to push back against the NRA and Republican death-dealing agenda. I encourage us all to stand with these young adults in any way we can as they work to produce the fruit of God's kin-dom. We can find out when and where they are marching in our cities and try to be there in solidarity. We can send money if that is possible. We can pray, too. Although, that comes with a caveat that we must follow our prayer with action.
Also, we should push back against the constant narrative that all white mass shooters are mentally ill. Most mentally ill people, like most mentally healthy people, are not violent. Just because these shooters have such resentment and anger, does not mean they are clinically mentally ill. This is a slur against people experiencing such illness. Please push back against this word usage and narrative and call these people what they are - terrorists.
We are lucky here in America. We have a system of government that - theoretically - gives us all a voice. Jesus lived under the Roman occupation of Israel, so he did not confront Rome directly. We, however, can do so without consequences. In fact, we have a duty as citizens to hold our elected representatives accountable to us - not the NRA. Unfortunately, the Republicans have forgotten or just plain don't care about their duties to the American people and are worshiping at the altar of mammon, which the NRA bestows liberally. Yet, they are not sacrificing anything of theirs; they are sacrificing our children on that altar. How many more will it take for us to speak out more boldly? How many children dying is acceptable? How many children will we condemn to feeling unsafe at school? or worse, being shot?
All of us, no matter what age, deserve to feel safe in our schools, homes, offices, and outdoors. We won't achieve that perfectly, but we can and should do better. Let's not follow the example of the tenants, the chief priests or the elders. Instead, let us follow Jesus in producing good fruit.
Rejected Stone
Matthew 21:42 - Jesus said to them, "Have you not read in the scriptures, 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the keystone. This comes from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes.'"
The stone that the builders rejected. Why would a builder reject a stone? Clearly, it would had a flaw of some sort; maybe a crack or a weak spot. Actual builders would be wise to reject such a stone because it could compromise the entire building. In Jesus' metaphor, the builders are the chief priests and the elders who have challenged and rejected Jesus. This rejected stone has become the keystone of the Church.
I hate to be the one to tell you this, but your Bible probably uses an incorrect translation. The words translated here as 'keystone' are actually 'head' and 'angle/corner.' Usually it is translated 'cornerstone,' which is not the head, but rather in the foundation; the stone the Church is built on. Peter is the stone on which Christ said he'd build his church. The keystone is either at the top of an arch or an entire building. It's job is to cement in place all the other stones of the building - holding it all together. The rejected stone is actually the most important stone. Jesus is that stone. As usual, it's a complete flipping of our ideas about masonry - and society.
Jesus was rejected by the chief priests and elders but did not reject them back. In fact, Jesus sees through our flaws and uses us anyway. Just like he made a very flawed Peter the cornerstone, all the other stones in Jesus' Church have been rejected by society; especially (in Jesus' day) people who were shepherds, mere fishermen, women, and people experiencing illness or disability. The chief priests, elders, and society in general all rejected such people. Today our society continues to reject people experiencing homelessness, poverty, disability, racism or oppression. But God does not reject anyone.
The House has passed a bill that updates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to put the onus of compliance on the person experiencing problems rather than on organizations to act proactively. Not that companies are that great with compliance; the ADA was passed in 1990 and my neighborhood is just now getting wheelchair accessible sidewalks.
"Under the bill, those wishing to sue businesses in Federal Court over an ADA public-accommodations violation must first deliver a written notice to that business detailing the illegal barrier to access and then give that business 60 days to come up with a plan to address the complaints and an additional 60 days to take action" (Washington Post) This means the affected person must wait 4 months to be able to sue, much less access the building. That is adding insult to injury and doesn't solve the problem they are trying to solve - lawyers who file suits for the money rather than gaining access for people.
Supporting people with disabilities is something many of us, me included, don't think about often. And I have a disability. However, we can confess and make our repentance meaningful by calling or writing our senators (calling is better) to ask them not to support such legislation. We can call our reps who voted for the bill and make our displeasure known. People experiencing disability have it hard enough without this theft of what power the ADA has give us.
PS - Did you know that Social Security Disability Income payments (payments for people who cannot work) are not enough to actually live on? While you're on the phone, you might mention this injustice to whoever you speak to.
The stone that the builders rejected. Why would a builder reject a stone? Clearly, it would had a flaw of some sort; maybe a crack or a weak spot. Actual builders would be wise to reject such a stone because it could compromise the entire building. In Jesus' metaphor, the builders are the chief priests and the elders who have challenged and rejected Jesus. This rejected stone has become the keystone of the Church.
I hate to be the one to tell you this, but your Bible probably uses an incorrect translation. The words translated here as 'keystone' are actually 'head' and 'angle/corner.' Usually it is translated 'cornerstone,' which is not the head, but rather in the foundation; the stone the Church is built on. Peter is the stone on which Christ said he'd build his church. The keystone is either at the top of an arch or an entire building. It's job is to cement in place all the other stones of the building - holding it all together. The rejected stone is actually the most important stone. Jesus is that stone. As usual, it's a complete flipping of our ideas about masonry - and society.
Jesus was rejected by the chief priests and elders but did not reject them back. In fact, Jesus sees through our flaws and uses us anyway. Just like he made a very flawed Peter the cornerstone, all the other stones in Jesus' Church have been rejected by society; especially (in Jesus' day) people who were shepherds, mere fishermen, women, and people experiencing illness or disability. The chief priests, elders, and society in general all rejected such people. Today our society continues to reject people experiencing homelessness, poverty, disability, racism or oppression. But God does not reject anyone.
The House has passed a bill that updates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to put the onus of compliance on the person experiencing problems rather than on organizations to act proactively. Not that companies are that great with compliance; the ADA was passed in 1990 and my neighborhood is just now getting wheelchair accessible sidewalks.
"Under the bill, those wishing to sue businesses in Federal Court over an ADA public-accommodations violation must first deliver a written notice to that business detailing the illegal barrier to access and then give that business 60 days to come up with a plan to address the complaints and an additional 60 days to take action" (Washington Post) This means the affected person must wait 4 months to be able to sue, much less access the building. That is adding insult to injury and doesn't solve the problem they are trying to solve - lawyers who file suits for the money rather than gaining access for people.
Supporting people with disabilities is something many of us, me included, don't think about often. And I have a disability. However, we can confess and make our repentance meaningful by calling or writing our senators (calling is better) to ask them not to support such legislation. We can call our reps who voted for the bill and make our displeasure known. People experiencing disability have it hard enough without this theft of what power the ADA has give us.
PS - Did you know that Social Security Disability Income payments (payments for people who cannot work) are not enough to actually live on? While you're on the phone, you might mention this injustice to whoever you speak to.
Heaven
Matthew 22:2 - "The kin-dom of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son."
Well, this parable is starting out promising! Love and joy. Well, maybe. Weddings at this time were arranged by the parents of the couple; it was a strategic decision designed to either keep land in the family or cement relations with another family. I don't know how often the couple had a say, although Rebecca certainly did.
Today, the ceremony and the banquet usually happen all on the same day. One exception is destination weddings, where there might be a longer celebration. In first-century Palestine, however, wedding celebrations could go on for a week, which is why it was possible for the wine to run out at the wedding in Cana. That's a lot of celebrating! Therefore, heaven will be like such a party. This amuses me because culturally, when we think of heaven in America, we think of angels and harps, not wine and dancing. Jesus says, no, heaven is like a wedding banquet, a celebration of community.
Heck, that's an aspect of heaven we can experience now. Many of us find this sense of community at church, but others, like myself, tend to experience it when we are serving. The Night Ministry, for example. Or being part of Greater Cleveland Congregations. Don't get me wrong, this has nothing to do with the church I'm attending; they're just not my community, yet.
Where is your community? Where do you feel most like you're in heaven?
Well, this parable is starting out promising! Love and joy. Well, maybe. Weddings at this time were arranged by the parents of the couple; it was a strategic decision designed to either keep land in the family or cement relations with another family. I don't know how often the couple had a say, although Rebecca certainly did.
Today, the ceremony and the banquet usually happen all on the same day. One exception is destination weddings, where there might be a longer celebration. In first-century Palestine, however, wedding celebrations could go on for a week, which is why it was possible for the wine to run out at the wedding in Cana. That's a lot of celebrating! Therefore, heaven will be like such a party. This amuses me because culturally, when we think of heaven in America, we think of angels and harps, not wine and dancing. Jesus says, no, heaven is like a wedding banquet, a celebration of community.
Heck, that's an aspect of heaven we can experience now. Many of us find this sense of community at church, but others, like myself, tend to experience it when we are serving. The Night Ministry, for example. Or being part of Greater Cleveland Congregations. Don't get me wrong, this has nothing to do with the church I'm attending; they're just not my community, yet.
Where is your community? Where do you feel most like you're in heaven?
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Stories
Matthew 22:1 - Once again, Jesus spoke to them in parables.
I had always supposed that the chief priests and elders left after being called out, but this verse uses 'them' without explanation, so maybe they stayed. In my imagination they did ... they need to hear the next parable.
I also wonder if Jesus' habit of talking in parables bothered people. Or did they enjoy the stories themselves? Did they enjoy puzzling out his point? I think they would have had a lot easier time of it than we do - simply because Jesus used everyday situations in his parables to make them easier to understand.
There's a lot of history between then and now and, although human nature doesn't seem to have changed much, social mores have. Not to mention the technology we have that would certainly blow the minds of first century Palestinians. Yet, we can still figure them out with a little elbow grease and imagination.
I also wonder whether Jesus made these stories up on the spot or did he take well-known stories and give them a twist ending? I haven't quite made up my mind which of these methods would be more effective. People loved them; they followed him everywhere to listen. Sure, they loved seeing the miracles and getting healed, but they stuck around for the stories. Possibly because those stories had everyday people like you and me as heroes. The shepherds who go looking for the one lost sheep. Or the tax-collectors and sex workers getting into heaven before the chief priests and elders.
Black Panther seems to be having a similar effect on African-American people. I've been enjoying witnessing their joy on Twitter and sometimes FaceBook. They share how it moved them to tears because almost the entire cast looked like them. White people may not be able to understand this, because we have this affirmation all. the. time. Black people in America do not. I especially appreciate that the villain was white and the other white character was in a supporting and somewhat comedic role. They were NOT the story.
Spoiler Alert: The graffiti on the walls in Wakanda in the final scene was a great touch; subtle, yet moving.
Black Panther is a story Jesus would have told. It's about many things and I could go on all day, but the one question every character in the movie has to answer is, "To whom or what are you loyal?" A good paraphrase - who will you serve? This is a topic Jesus talked about a lot.
Go see it if you can, even if you don't like superhero movies. It's worth the price of admission to enjoy something uniquely beautiful and touching.
I had always supposed that the chief priests and elders left after being called out, but this verse uses 'them' without explanation, so maybe they stayed. In my imagination they did ... they need to hear the next parable.
I also wonder if Jesus' habit of talking in parables bothered people. Or did they enjoy the stories themselves? Did they enjoy puzzling out his point? I think they would have had a lot easier time of it than we do - simply because Jesus used everyday situations in his parables to make them easier to understand.
There's a lot of history between then and now and, although human nature doesn't seem to have changed much, social mores have. Not to mention the technology we have that would certainly blow the minds of first century Palestinians. Yet, we can still figure them out with a little elbow grease and imagination.
I also wonder whether Jesus made these stories up on the spot or did he take well-known stories and give them a twist ending? I haven't quite made up my mind which of these methods would be more effective. People loved them; they followed him everywhere to listen. Sure, they loved seeing the miracles and getting healed, but they stuck around for the stories. Possibly because those stories had everyday people like you and me as heroes. The shepherds who go looking for the one lost sheep. Or the tax-collectors and sex workers getting into heaven before the chief priests and elders.
Black Panther seems to be having a similar effect on African-American people. I've been enjoying witnessing their joy on Twitter and sometimes FaceBook. They share how it moved them to tears because almost the entire cast looked like them. White people may not be able to understand this, because we have this affirmation all. the. time. Black people in America do not. I especially appreciate that the villain was white and the other white character was in a supporting and somewhat comedic role. They were NOT the story.
Spoiler Alert: The graffiti on the walls in Wakanda in the final scene was a great touch; subtle, yet moving.
Black Panther is a story Jesus would have told. It's about many things and I could go on all day, but the one question every character in the movie has to answer is, "To whom or what are you loyal?" A good paraphrase - who will you serve? This is a topic Jesus talked about a lot.
Go see it if you can, even if you don't like superhero movies. It's worth the price of admission to enjoy something uniquely beautiful and touching.
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Afraid of the People
Matthew 21:45-6 - When the chief priests and elders heard his parables, they realized he was talking about them. They sought to arrest him, but were afraid of the people, because they held him to be a prophet.
Condemned by their own reaction in verse 41, the chief priests and elders are now angry at Jesus for calling them out on their behavior. Whether there was embarrassment, humiliation, or just plain bruised pride mixed in, they were not going to let this challenge to their authority go unmet.
Or were they?
They were afraid of the people. There were not enough of them to control the crowds, so they didn't want to start a riot. This is where Republican leaders seem to be right now. They're not afraid of the people, their constituents, they're afraid of their donors and Russia. You might think that last claim is extreme, but remember the Russians hacked the RNC emails as well and are still sitting on them. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that might have something to do with their behavior.
What a sad and sorry way to live though. Always being afraid of how others will react to your actions and having to moderate your behavior accordingly. It honestly sounds exhausting to me. They have become puppets. They have given their power to rich, white men in return for campaign donations. They have sold their souls, sold out their constituents, and are selling out our democracy in return for money, with a heaping dose of racism, sexism, ableism, classism, and heteronormativity thrown in.
Jesus came to free us from having to live this way. He came to free our thinking and to call us to integrity and love. Yet, we have Christians twisting his words to justify their theft of the treasury, we have Russian trolls spreading lies and Republican leaders repeating these lies as truth. Some of these people are Christians. I don't want to have anything to do with that kind of Christianity. Their cacophony of lies and the resulting chaos makes it harder for the rest of us to hear Jesus calling. Their policies are going to make it even more difficult for us to fight back because the economy will tank and people will not be able to risk losing their livelihoods by speaking out.
It's always hard to hear Jesus, but with all the distractions available to us and the noise of modern living, it's even more difficult. Jesus is still calling all of us, inviting us to a freedom from the noise and chatter. He invites us to walk with him and learn how to have integrity and love for all people. It's the difficult path, the narrow way, but it's the path with heart. It won't be fear-free, pain-free, or challenge-free. Having our perspective adjusted is change and we don't like change. Jesus does promise a more love-filled life; love of God, of ourselves, and our neighbors. We will learn to be in the world, but not of the world.
The choice is ours. Fear not, for Jesus is with us. Today, I choose integrity over comfort. What about you?
Condemned by their own reaction in verse 41, the chief priests and elders are now angry at Jesus for calling them out on their behavior. Whether there was embarrassment, humiliation, or just plain bruised pride mixed in, they were not going to let this challenge to their authority go unmet.
Or were they?
They were afraid of the people. There were not enough of them to control the crowds, so they didn't want to start a riot. This is where Republican leaders seem to be right now. They're not afraid of the people, their constituents, they're afraid of their donors and Russia. You might think that last claim is extreme, but remember the Russians hacked the RNC emails as well and are still sitting on them. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that might have something to do with their behavior.
What a sad and sorry way to live though. Always being afraid of how others will react to your actions and having to moderate your behavior accordingly. It honestly sounds exhausting to me. They have become puppets. They have given their power to rich, white men in return for campaign donations. They have sold their souls, sold out their constituents, and are selling out our democracy in return for money, with a heaping dose of racism, sexism, ableism, classism, and heteronormativity thrown in.
Jesus came to free us from having to live this way. He came to free our thinking and to call us to integrity and love. Yet, we have Christians twisting his words to justify their theft of the treasury, we have Russian trolls spreading lies and Republican leaders repeating these lies as truth. Some of these people are Christians. I don't want to have anything to do with that kind of Christianity. Their cacophony of lies and the resulting chaos makes it harder for the rest of us to hear Jesus calling. Their policies are going to make it even more difficult for us to fight back because the economy will tank and people will not be able to risk losing their livelihoods by speaking out.
It's always hard to hear Jesus, but with all the distractions available to us and the noise of modern living, it's even more difficult. Jesus is still calling all of us, inviting us to a freedom from the noise and chatter. He invites us to walk with him and learn how to have integrity and love for all people. It's the difficult path, the narrow way, but it's the path with heart. It won't be fear-free, pain-free, or challenge-free. Having our perspective adjusted is change and we don't like change. Jesus does promise a more love-filled life; love of God, of ourselves, and our neighbors. We will learn to be in the world, but not of the world.
The choice is ours. Fear not, for Jesus is with us. Today, I choose integrity over comfort. What about you?
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Stumbling Block
Matthew 21:44 - "The one who falls on this stone will be broken in pieces, and it will crush anyone on whom it falls."
How to interpret this passage? Either the stone is on the ground (can be stumbled upon) or high on a wall/roof (can fall). It cannot be in both places. Well, keep in mind, Jesus is still building his building, the Church. Jesus is gathering living stones to build his church. Living stones to build a living church.
Yet, whether we consider the Church built or not, there are thousands of Christian denomination making up the Church. All of these people profess the same Lord, yet we all have different ideas about what it means to serve him. Perhaps we, too, are stumbling on this stone. I don't think that having different beliefs and practices is necessarily a bad thing. There are some communities whose beliefs do cause harm to their followers, but I'm not here to name names though. Diversity in worship and thought can lead to discussion and struggling with the Scriptures, which is what we all should do anyway. It can, but, sometimes, it just leads to one group writing off another group due to their beliefs or practices.
I confess, I am guilty of this on a regular basis - thinking I know best how to serve Christ and what to believe. This isn't a helpful attitude when dealing with others who believe or act differently. So, today, rather than dismiss another's opinion, I'll try to open a dialogue instead - even if only in my sanctified imagination. I will strive to understand rather than condemn. There is already too much condemnation floating around out there.
Will you join me?
Friday, February 16, 2018
Grace
Matthew 21:41 - They answered, "He will painfully destroy those wicked people, and lease the vineyard to other farmers who will give him his fruit in due season."
I can feel the sense of injustice coming from the chief priests and elders here. Yet, Jesus is telling this parable against them. What a great example of how easy it is for us to see what others are doing "wrong," to point fingers. It is so much harder to look at our own wrong actions, partially because we know that it would mean we'd have to change in some way. Yet that is just what Christians are called to do; not only to push back against the harmful actions taken by others, but also to push back against armful actions and attitudes we ourselves take.
Jesus is constantly nudging all of us to get out of our comfort zones and do the things we don't want to do. We're always free to say, "No," but in my experience, no comes with consequences. It's hard to say no to Jesus for long. He is nudging the chief priests and elders here in the same way. They clearly side with the landlord. Although, to be honest, I don't know how I would feel if my son died. Yet, when God, the landlord in the story, gave up his own son, he did no such thing. Perhaps the chief priests and elders are so focused on the law, they have missed understanding the forgiving nature of God. The only person who died was Judas Iscariot, and that was by his own hand because he, too, could not imagine such grace.
It's hard for us to understand that kind of grace, although, it is extended to all of us. It is difficult to comprehend such complete forgiveness; forgiving someone so completely and continuing to offer our love to someone who has harmed us. I'm much more liable to write them off entirely and that's a dangerous habit. The chief priests and the elders are ready to write the farmers off. Assuming there are no extenuating circumstances for their behavior, they would have condemned them all to a painful death without hearing them out. Maybe because it was only a story or maybe they're only supposing.
Either way, my point still stands. Too many black people are killed by the police before their side of the story is heard. Too many people are marginalized and ignored; oppressed by being treated as a stereotype rather than a living, breathing human being. Too many people focus on the letter of the law rather than the spirit. Too many people are happy to see the Dreamers leave, believing that their problems will then be solved. Too many people are quick to argue it is too soon to talk about gun control after every school shooting; condemning children and parents to fear, worry, and grief they should not have to live with. Too many people are quick to denounce others.
Jesus calls us to listen instead. Of course, it goes without saying that we do not have to take abuse from another. It's a valid choice but not a requirement. We are free to exit the conversation when it becomes obvious our partner is not arguing in good faith. With that caveat, we are called to listen to that person we were about to write off. It is so hard for me to listen sometimes, especially if I disagree with the person. Listening does not require that we change our minds, but it does require an open heart. We all need God's love; listening is extending God's love.
Today, I confess that I have been quick to write others off. Today, with the help of God's grace, I choose to listen to others instead.
I can feel the sense of injustice coming from the chief priests and elders here. Yet, Jesus is telling this parable against them. What a great example of how easy it is for us to see what others are doing "wrong," to point fingers. It is so much harder to look at our own wrong actions, partially because we know that it would mean we'd have to change in some way. Yet that is just what Christians are called to do; not only to push back against the harmful actions taken by others, but also to push back against armful actions and attitudes we ourselves take.
Jesus is constantly nudging all of us to get out of our comfort zones and do the things we don't want to do. We're always free to say, "No," but in my experience, no comes with consequences. It's hard to say no to Jesus for long. He is nudging the chief priests and elders here in the same way. They clearly side with the landlord. Although, to be honest, I don't know how I would feel if my son died. Yet, when God, the landlord in the story, gave up his own son, he did no such thing. Perhaps the chief priests and elders are so focused on the law, they have missed understanding the forgiving nature of God. The only person who died was Judas Iscariot, and that was by his own hand because he, too, could not imagine such grace.
It's hard for us to understand that kind of grace, although, it is extended to all of us. It is difficult to comprehend such complete forgiveness; forgiving someone so completely and continuing to offer our love to someone who has harmed us. I'm much more liable to write them off entirely and that's a dangerous habit. The chief priests and the elders are ready to write the farmers off. Assuming there are no extenuating circumstances for their behavior, they would have condemned them all to a painful death without hearing them out. Maybe because it was only a story or maybe they're only supposing.
Either way, my point still stands. Too many black people are killed by the police before their side of the story is heard. Too many people are marginalized and ignored; oppressed by being treated as a stereotype rather than a living, breathing human being. Too many people focus on the letter of the law rather than the spirit. Too many people are happy to see the Dreamers leave, believing that their problems will then be solved. Too many people are quick to argue it is too soon to talk about gun control after every school shooting; condemning children and parents to fear, worry, and grief they should not have to live with. Too many people are quick to denounce others.
Jesus calls us to listen instead. Of course, it goes without saying that we do not have to take abuse from another. It's a valid choice but not a requirement. We are free to exit the conversation when it becomes obvious our partner is not arguing in good faith. With that caveat, we are called to listen to that person we were about to write off. It is so hard for me to listen sometimes, especially if I disagree with the person. Listening does not require that we change our minds, but it does require an open heart. We all need God's love; listening is extending God's love.
Today, I confess that I have been quick to write others off. Today, with the help of God's grace, I choose to listen to others instead.
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Guns
Matthew 21:40 - "When, therefore, the landlord comes, what do you think he will do to those farmers?"
Jesus stops his parable short, because he wants to see what the chief priests and elders are thinking. He wants to know how they would handle such a situation. It is an interesting psychological question. Yet, before we look at their answer, I'd like to think about those farmers. Usually, when someone does something as far out of the norm as they did, white, American men go straight to "crazy" or "mental illness" as an explanation - only if they are white though. Otherwise, it's terrorism.
So, excluding mental illness, what are other possible reasons, not excuses, for their behavior? A grudge, perhaps they were mistreated somehow, perhaps the slaves demanded more than the agreed upon amount of fruit or mistreated them in some way, perhaps the vineyard did not yield enough for the farmers to live on after the landlord took his share. It took me less than five minutes to come up with these ideas. Surely we can do better as a society.
There was a school shooting in Parkland, Florida yesterday. It was the 18th school shooting in the US since January 1. All the Republicans seem to be able to say about that is 1> "thoughts and prayers," which does diddly for the grieving families and friends or for other children at risk, and 2> "mental illness," which paints all mentally ill people as violent and untrustworthy. Having a mental illness is hard enough without this added slur. Of course, the person is excused with mental illness only if they are white. All non-white people are "terrorists."
It is so heartbreaking to see so many families go through this unnecessarily. It's heartbreaking and frustrating to see our senators and representatives do nothing because they misread the second amendment or because they want to protect their NRA donations. I feel so powerless and helpless every time this happens. The people who actually have power to change this, won't. Such refusals are spineless and disgraceful and we should keep pushing them to act.
Yet, it's easy to point fingers in these situations. It's much harder to look at ourselves and ask, "What have I done?" It's easy to think we are powerless because we feel powerless. But .. feelings are not facts. We do have power when we join together. Chances are, there is an organization in your area that is already working on solving this problem. If your heart tells you to contact them, now is a good time. It's Lent, a time for confession and repentance. Working to make the world a better place is a good penance for our previous inaction.
I need to repent too. I used to call my own Republican Senator (Portman), but he's pretty hopeless - a true believer. I have stopped calling and writing because it feels hopeless. For today, I will again begin calling and writing and letting him now how I feel on this issue. Then, I will find a group working on gun control either in Cleveland, the state of Ohio, or the US and see how I can help them. Finally, I will write to editors of newspapers and urge them to push back against the narrative that white shooters are "mentally ill" and non-white shooters are "terrorists."
What about you?
Jesus stops his parable short, because he wants to see what the chief priests and elders are thinking. He wants to know how they would handle such a situation. It is an interesting psychological question. Yet, before we look at their answer, I'd like to think about those farmers. Usually, when someone does something as far out of the norm as they did, white, American men go straight to "crazy" or "mental illness" as an explanation - only if they are white though. Otherwise, it's terrorism.
So, excluding mental illness, what are other possible reasons, not excuses, for their behavior? A grudge, perhaps they were mistreated somehow, perhaps the slaves demanded more than the agreed upon amount of fruit or mistreated them in some way, perhaps the vineyard did not yield enough for the farmers to live on after the landlord took his share. It took me less than five minutes to come up with these ideas. Surely we can do better as a society.
There was a school shooting in Parkland, Florida yesterday. It was the 18th school shooting in the US since January 1. All the Republicans seem to be able to say about that is 1> "thoughts and prayers," which does diddly for the grieving families and friends or for other children at risk, and 2> "mental illness," which paints all mentally ill people as violent and untrustworthy. Having a mental illness is hard enough without this added slur. Of course, the person is excused with mental illness only if they are white. All non-white people are "terrorists."
It is so heartbreaking to see so many families go through this unnecessarily. It's heartbreaking and frustrating to see our senators and representatives do nothing because they misread the second amendment or because they want to protect their NRA donations. I feel so powerless and helpless every time this happens. The people who actually have power to change this, won't. Such refusals are spineless and disgraceful and we should keep pushing them to act.
Yet, it's easy to point fingers in these situations. It's much harder to look at ourselves and ask, "What have I done?" It's easy to think we are powerless because we feel powerless. But .. feelings are not facts. We do have power when we join together. Chances are, there is an organization in your area that is already working on solving this problem. If your heart tells you to contact them, now is a good time. It's Lent, a time for confession and repentance. Working to make the world a better place is a good penance for our previous inaction.
I need to repent too. I used to call my own Republican Senator (Portman), but he's pretty hopeless - a true believer. I have stopped calling and writing because it feels hopeless. For today, I will again begin calling and writing and letting him now how I feel on this issue. Then, I will find a group working on gun control either in Cleveland, the state of Ohio, or the US and see how I can help them. Finally, I will write to editors of newspapers and urge them to push back against the narrative that white shooters are "mentally ill" and non-white shooters are "terrorists."
What about you?
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Ashes
Matthew 21:39 - "So the farmers seized the son, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him."
The farmers leasing the vineyard have carried out their plan to take over the land. I wonder whether Jesus' audience was surprised at this twist in the retelling of prophetic history? Did any of them aside from the disciples know that he was referring to himself? They would have been scandalized as that would have been blasphemy to them. I wonder if any of them moved away in order to dissociate themselves from him in case God sent a lightning bolt in his direction?
The chief priests and elders were probably unsure what to make of this twist. They felt that they, at least, were blameless under the Law. Yet, there is more than one way to kill. It's relatively easy for most of us to refrain from physically killing someone, but what about their spirits, their minds, and/or their futures? This reminds me of Father Michael Pfleger's assertion that killing black children's futures by making sure they do not get a first-class education is abortion. Even if we've not participated directly in such actions, white people benefit from such treatment of black people.
Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of forty days of fasting and repentance for Christians (excluding Sundays). The ashes represent our repentance and mourning for our sins. One thing white people need to repent is our participation and/or our benefiting from racism against black people. Against all non-white people really; we just seem to have a special hatred of black people. Perhaps because they remind us of our sin.
Yet, repentance requires more of us than simply saying "I'm sorry." If we do nothing else, if we do nothing to change the situation, we really haven't begun to repent. One concrete action we can take is educating ourselves of the history of racism in the US. Three books that have had a huge impact on me: Michelle Alexander's "The New Jim Crow," Debbie Irving's "Waking Up White," and Richard Rothstein's "The Color of Law." There are lots of ways outside of books to educate ourselves, but whatever you do, please do not ask a black person to explain it to you unless you know them well. It is not their job to educate us, It's ours.
A bonus! Reading these books has also given me insight into understanding the arguments and position of our Republican leaders. I still disagree, but I am more understanding. If I had what I consider to be a good education and I am just now finding these things out at 53, how can I assume they know these things? Especially when they don't really want to know them. Their actions stem from fear that they won't have enough, or that they aren't good enough to compete on a level playing field with black people, or that they'll lose the privilege they have. Even as we follow Jesus' commandments to try to love and pray for our enemies, we should absolutely push back against their draconian ideas and laws. Learning to love and understand them is another concrete step we can take toward repentance.
That is what I need to repent: thinking of them in the same manner that they think about others. It's very hard to wrap my mind around the idea that Jesus loves them every bit as much as he loves you or me.
"You are dust, and to dust you shall return." Amen
The farmers leasing the vineyard have carried out their plan to take over the land. I wonder whether Jesus' audience was surprised at this twist in the retelling of prophetic history? Did any of them aside from the disciples know that he was referring to himself? They would have been scandalized as that would have been blasphemy to them. I wonder if any of them moved away in order to dissociate themselves from him in case God sent a lightning bolt in his direction?
The chief priests and elders were probably unsure what to make of this twist. They felt that they, at least, were blameless under the Law. Yet, there is more than one way to kill. It's relatively easy for most of us to refrain from physically killing someone, but what about their spirits, their minds, and/or their futures? This reminds me of Father Michael Pfleger's assertion that killing black children's futures by making sure they do not get a first-class education is abortion. Even if we've not participated directly in such actions, white people benefit from such treatment of black people.
Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of forty days of fasting and repentance for Christians (excluding Sundays). The ashes represent our repentance and mourning for our sins. One thing white people need to repent is our participation and/or our benefiting from racism against black people. Against all non-white people really; we just seem to have a special hatred of black people. Perhaps because they remind us of our sin.
Yet, repentance requires more of us than simply saying "I'm sorry." If we do nothing else, if we do nothing to change the situation, we really haven't begun to repent. One concrete action we can take is educating ourselves of the history of racism in the US. Three books that have had a huge impact on me: Michelle Alexander's "The New Jim Crow," Debbie Irving's "Waking Up White," and Richard Rothstein's "The Color of Law." There are lots of ways outside of books to educate ourselves, but whatever you do, please do not ask a black person to explain it to you unless you know them well. It is not their job to educate us, It's ours.
A bonus! Reading these books has also given me insight into understanding the arguments and position of our Republican leaders. I still disagree, but I am more understanding. If I had what I consider to be a good education and I am just now finding these things out at 53, how can I assume they know these things? Especially when they don't really want to know them. Their actions stem from fear that they won't have enough, or that they aren't good enough to compete on a level playing field with black people, or that they'll lose the privilege they have. Even as we follow Jesus' commandments to try to love and pray for our enemies, we should absolutely push back against their draconian ideas and laws. Learning to love and understand them is another concrete step we can take toward repentance.
That is what I need to repent: thinking of them in the same manner that they think about others. It's very hard to wrap my mind around the idea that Jesus loves them every bit as much as he loves you or me.
"You are dust, and to dust you shall return." Amen
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Farmers Gone Wild
Matthew 21:37-8 - "Finally the landlord sent his son, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But when the farmers saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.'"
Even more shocking behavior from the farmers. Somehow, they convinced themselves that they'd be able to take the inheritance by killing the heir; as if they are next in line. Or, more likely, they thought they'd be able to defend the vineyard against the might of the landlord and (possibly) the Roman troops. This behavior makes no sense, which is by design. It's meant to be a mirror for the behavior of the chief priests and elders. Everyone has probably figured out by now that the point of the parable, except the final twist here. The son.
If the landlord represents God; the farmers, the chief priests and elders; and the slaves, the prophets, then who does the son represent? We know it's Jesus, but do the chief priests and elders know? Probably; Jesus has simultaneously told them that he knows they want to kill him and that he's the son of God. They receive the message, but only a few verses further on.
I want to focus, though on the farmers' behavior here. They seem to have lost all sense of their relationship to the landlord and their duties under their agreement with him. They're now in it for themselves and damn the consequences. There's no indication in the story that they have been mistreated in any way. In fact, they have been given several chances to do the right thing. This landlord has a lot of patience with them. They are the equivalent of our current Republican "leaders," who, in the name of their God - money - have forsaken their duty to take care of those who need help. They never really felt they had such a duty. Their behavior isn't new - it's just out in the open. Just like the farmers, they think they can do what they want with our money without having to pay any consequences. So far, they are correct - they have had very few consequences.
Their latest is to try to drastically cut programs that serve their fellow Americans experiencing hard times in order to pay for their $1.5 trillion tax cut to rich people and corporations. They propose to cut Medicare - a program that all workers, including undocumented workers, pay into. Therefore, any cuts are in actuality theft. They are ignoring their duties to their fellow citizens in favor of screwing over Americans experiencing hard times. This is unconstitutional; the preamble to the constitution talks about "establish[ing] justice." This is not justice.
In addition, they have begun calling DACA recipients "criminals," even though they are law abiding people; brought here as children by their parents. Until 45 killed the program they were here legally. This is important to remember when Republicans say they want to help. They don't - there wasn't a peep from them when the program was cancelled. Let's not let them get away with such duplicitous reframing.
Martin Niemoller wrote a famous poem which begins, "First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out -- because I was not a socialist." Most of us know how the poem ends. The sooner we begin to speak out and keep it up, the easier it will be to stop the rapacious behavior of the Republican "leaders." The time has come - if not past - to choose sides: will you stand with the landlord? or with the rebellious farmers?
I choose to side with mercy and love; I choose to side with Jesus.
Even more shocking behavior from the farmers. Somehow, they convinced themselves that they'd be able to take the inheritance by killing the heir; as if they are next in line. Or, more likely, they thought they'd be able to defend the vineyard against the might of the landlord and (possibly) the Roman troops. This behavior makes no sense, which is by design. It's meant to be a mirror for the behavior of the chief priests and elders. Everyone has probably figured out by now that the point of the parable, except the final twist here. The son.
If the landlord represents God; the farmers, the chief priests and elders; and the slaves, the prophets, then who does the son represent? We know it's Jesus, but do the chief priests and elders know? Probably; Jesus has simultaneously told them that he knows they want to kill him and that he's the son of God. They receive the message, but only a few verses further on.
I want to focus, though on the farmers' behavior here. They seem to have lost all sense of their relationship to the landlord and their duties under their agreement with him. They're now in it for themselves and damn the consequences. There's no indication in the story that they have been mistreated in any way. In fact, they have been given several chances to do the right thing. This landlord has a lot of patience with them. They are the equivalent of our current Republican "leaders," who, in the name of their God - money - have forsaken their duty to take care of those who need help. They never really felt they had such a duty. Their behavior isn't new - it's just out in the open. Just like the farmers, they think they can do what they want with our money without having to pay any consequences. So far, they are correct - they have had very few consequences.
Their latest is to try to drastically cut programs that serve their fellow Americans experiencing hard times in order to pay for their $1.5 trillion tax cut to rich people and corporations. They propose to cut Medicare - a program that all workers, including undocumented workers, pay into. Therefore, any cuts are in actuality theft. They are ignoring their duties to their fellow citizens in favor of screwing over Americans experiencing hard times. This is unconstitutional; the preamble to the constitution talks about "establish[ing] justice." This is not justice.
In addition, they have begun calling DACA recipients "criminals," even though they are law abiding people; brought here as children by their parents. Until 45 killed the program they were here legally. This is important to remember when Republicans say they want to help. They don't - there wasn't a peep from them when the program was cancelled. Let's not let them get away with such duplicitous reframing.
Martin Niemoller wrote a famous poem which begins, "First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out -- because I was not a socialist." Most of us know how the poem ends. The sooner we begin to speak out and keep it up, the easier it will be to stop the rapacious behavior of the Republican "leaders." The time has come - if not past - to choose sides: will you stand with the landlord? or with the rebellious farmers?
I choose to side with mercy and love; I choose to side with Jesus.
Monday, February 12, 2018
Prophets
Matthew 21:35-6 - "The farmers took the slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first time, and they did the same to them."
I guess the farmers really did feel as though their territory was being invaded. Jesus is describing an extreme reaction. I'm not sure how common a story this would have been. Taken strictly as a story, this is shocking behavior. Yet, most of Jesus' audience would have had in mind Isaiah 5:1-7, wherein Israel is the vineyard and God is the landlord. In this metaphor, then, the slaves are the prophets God sent to bring Israel back from their wild ways.
Viewed this way, the story makes more sense. Very few people wanted to hear the prophets in their day. They were God's negs; no one likes to be negged. They generally only had bad things to say about the rulers and the priests. They were correct, but they were downers. We still sometimes think of them as downers. As a consequence, they were not treated well by Israel's rulers. Jesus is accusing the chief priests and elders of the same behavior in rejecting John's ministry of baptism. They are the children of their fathers.
What about us? Do we listen to our prophets? Or do we ignore them or worse? Who are our modern-day prophets? Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was killed for his prophecy. Al Gore has been ridiculed, even though he was correct about climate change. Rev. Dr. William Barber II is reviving the Poor People's Campaign of Dr. King. Alicia Garza is lifting up the sacred humanity of black lives as the found of the Black Lives Matter movement. Will we listen to them and their brothers and sisters as they share their experiences and speak for God? Or will we continue to kill them literally or figuratively?
I guess the farmers really did feel as though their territory was being invaded. Jesus is describing an extreme reaction. I'm not sure how common a story this would have been. Taken strictly as a story, this is shocking behavior. Yet, most of Jesus' audience would have had in mind Isaiah 5:1-7, wherein Israel is the vineyard and God is the landlord. In this metaphor, then, the slaves are the prophets God sent to bring Israel back from their wild ways.
Viewed this way, the story makes more sense. Very few people wanted to hear the prophets in their day. They were God's negs; no one likes to be negged. They generally only had bad things to say about the rulers and the priests. They were correct, but they were downers. We still sometimes think of them as downers. As a consequence, they were not treated well by Israel's rulers. Jesus is accusing the chief priests and elders of the same behavior in rejecting John's ministry of baptism. They are the children of their fathers.
What about us? Do we listen to our prophets? Or do we ignore them or worse? Who are our modern-day prophets? Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was killed for his prophecy. Al Gore has been ridiculed, even though he was correct about climate change. Rev. Dr. William Barber II is reviving the Poor People's Campaign of Dr. King. Alicia Garza is lifting up the sacred humanity of black lives as the found of the Black Lives Matter movement. Will we listen to them and their brothers and sisters as they share their experiences and speak for God? Or will we continue to kill them literally or figuratively?
Sunday, February 11, 2018
Harvest
Matthew 21:35 - "When harvest time came, the landowner sent two slaves to take his share of the fruit."
Harvest time. The fruit the slaves take is the rent the farmers pay. The rest of the harvest is theirs as income. In thinking about this story, it occurs to me that having an absentee landlord is like having an absentee boss. One learns to run things a certain way in such a situation and it can feel weird having the boss back. I once worked for a company that consisted of me and my boss. He had to take trips for weeks at a time. When he came back, it felt as if he was encroaching on my territory, as if he was in my space. I wonder if these tenants felt the same way?
I wonder if we sometimes feel that way about God or Jesus or the Spirit? I do, sometimes. Sometimes I think my life would be immeasurably easier without always thinking about the right thing to do, without knowing what I know about history, especially racial history in the US. We sometimes want to keep Jesus and God and the Spirit at arms' length, limit their influence over our lives to an hour or two on Sunday mornings. We hesitate to give the rest of the week, the rest of our lives to God. Then when Jesus or the Spirit pops up, we are surprised. Maybe we even feel as though our space is being invaded. We feel inconvenienced.
Jesus is inconvenient. He doesn't charge rent; he just asks us to follow him on his way. He enjoys our company. But we recoil when we realize that it's the way of the cross. We're concerned we might be arrested, we might be injured, we might be ridiculed, we might have to give up something we love, we might have to change the way we see the world. We might have to change ourselves. Jesus assures us he'll be with us, but we don't always believe this, do we? We have a hard time trusting Jesus. We have to constantly work at it. Make no mistake, it is hard to trust Jesus. We like going our own way because it's safe; we know the outcome. Trusting the Spirit is scary, because we don't know how things will turn out or where we will end up. It's like jumping into the unknown without a safety harness.
Are you ready? Trick question, we will never be ready! Let's jump anyway.
What am I holding back from God? Why? What would following Jesus look like for me? What keeps me from following, even when I want to?
Harvest time. The fruit the slaves take is the rent the farmers pay. The rest of the harvest is theirs as income. In thinking about this story, it occurs to me that having an absentee landlord is like having an absentee boss. One learns to run things a certain way in such a situation and it can feel weird having the boss back. I once worked for a company that consisted of me and my boss. He had to take trips for weeks at a time. When he came back, it felt as if he was encroaching on my territory, as if he was in my space. I wonder if these tenants felt the same way?
I wonder if we sometimes feel that way about God or Jesus or the Spirit? I do, sometimes. Sometimes I think my life would be immeasurably easier without always thinking about the right thing to do, without knowing what I know about history, especially racial history in the US. We sometimes want to keep Jesus and God and the Spirit at arms' length, limit their influence over our lives to an hour or two on Sunday mornings. We hesitate to give the rest of the week, the rest of our lives to God. Then when Jesus or the Spirit pops up, we are surprised. Maybe we even feel as though our space is being invaded. We feel inconvenienced.
Jesus is inconvenient. He doesn't charge rent; he just asks us to follow him on his way. He enjoys our company. But we recoil when we realize that it's the way of the cross. We're concerned we might be arrested, we might be injured, we might be ridiculed, we might have to give up something we love, we might have to change the way we see the world. We might have to change ourselves. Jesus assures us he'll be with us, but we don't always believe this, do we? We have a hard time trusting Jesus. We have to constantly work at it. Make no mistake, it is hard to trust Jesus. We like going our own way because it's safe; we know the outcome. Trusting the Spirit is scary, because we don't know how things will turn out or where we will end up. It's like jumping into the unknown without a safety harness.
Are you ready? Trick question, we will never be ready! Let's jump anyway.
What am I holding back from God? Why? What would following Jesus look like for me? What keeps me from following, even when I want to?
Friday, February 9, 2018
Loving Care
Matthew 21:33 - "Listen to another parable; there was a man who owned a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to farmers and went away on a journey."
Darn. I wanted to see the reaction of the chief priests and the elders to the other parable. Perhaps Jesus can see from the looks on their faces that they are not on board. I picture them scowling threateningly at Jesus.
That parable was self-evident; this one needs extra information. At least, it will be more meaningful to know that in Isaiah 5:1-7, God tells Isaiah how much care God put into the vineyard Israel. Jesus knew this. His audience knew this. Jesus will tell the rest of this parable and everyone will have that story in the back of their minds.
So should we. In Isa 5:1-7, God tells Isaiah to remind Israel how much care he put into them. Much like the beginning of today's parable, God describes the choice vines he planted, the fertile soil, a wall built to protect the vineyard, and a wine press for making great wine. God gave it the best of everything and still the vineyard yielded wild grapes. Wild grapes are no good for making wine. Then God tells Israel, through Isaiah, that he will no longer tend the vine and will let the vineyard grow wild. He will not maintain the protective wall so that all who pass by can pluck the grapes. All this because it was growing wild grapes rather than good grapes.
Clearly, God is disappointed that even with all she's done for Israel, and us, they still go astray; chasing after other gods: escapism, shopping, possessions, a bigger house, gluttony, greed, respect of the world, power, self-indulgence. There are so many other gods to put in God's place, so many ways to yield wild grapes.
How do I respond to God's care? Are my grapes good, wild, or a mixture of both?
Darn. I wanted to see the reaction of the chief priests and the elders to the other parable. Perhaps Jesus can see from the looks on their faces that they are not on board. I picture them scowling threateningly at Jesus.
That parable was self-evident; this one needs extra information. At least, it will be more meaningful to know that in Isaiah 5:1-7, God tells Isaiah how much care God put into the vineyard Israel. Jesus knew this. His audience knew this. Jesus will tell the rest of this parable and everyone will have that story in the back of their minds.
So should we. In Isa 5:1-7, God tells Isaiah to remind Israel how much care he put into them. Much like the beginning of today's parable, God describes the choice vines he planted, the fertile soil, a wall built to protect the vineyard, and a wine press for making great wine. God gave it the best of everything and still the vineyard yielded wild grapes. Wild grapes are no good for making wine. Then God tells Israel, through Isaiah, that he will no longer tend the vine and will let the vineyard grow wild. He will not maintain the protective wall so that all who pass by can pluck the grapes. All this because it was growing wild grapes rather than good grapes.
Clearly, God is disappointed that even with all she's done for Israel, and us, they still go astray; chasing after other gods: escapism, shopping, possessions, a bigger house, gluttony, greed, respect of the world, power, self-indulgence. There are so many other gods to put in God's place, so many ways to yield wild grapes.
How do I respond to God's care? Are my grapes good, wild, or a mixture of both?
Thursday, February 8, 2018
Pride
Matthew 21:32 - For John came to you (plural) in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him. The tax collectors and sex workers believed him. Even after seeing this, you did not repent and believe him.
The sex workers and tax collectors, the "filth" of their society believed John. It doesn't take much brain power to figure out why the chief priests and the elders chose not to go along. Who want to hang around those guys?
Jesus did. Here he explicitly condemns the chief priests and the elders for their pride in refusing to follow John - and Jesus - because of the company they kept. Remember, Jesus had a reputation for being "a glutton and a drunkard" (Matthew 11:19). The religion of the chief priests and elders was all about appearances rather than substance. They wanted to be seen doing the 'right' things so they could condemn others for being less than their brand of perfect.
Jesus condemns this attitude in them and in us. We have - many of us - been raised in an atmosphere of such pride, even if it was never explicitly stated. Our society, including us, has a tendency to think about people experiencing homelessness, poverty, abuse, or prison as somehow deserving of it. We often think of disabled people this way, too. The fact that such people are usually African-American and that their situation was created by government policies at all levels is inconvenient, so we choose not to look at it. Usually, this attitude comes along with a heaping helping of disdain, considering such people lazy, moochers, thieves, or frauds.
Our current Republican leaders are exemplifying this right now in regard to DACA. They refuse to pass a clean bill to let these people stay here and work toward citizenship and they claim the Dreamers are criminals for being here illegally. Outside of the fact that being here illegally is a misdemeanor - like running a red light or a stop sign, they were brought here as children and had no choice. They know no other culture or home. President Obama tried to help them out with little Republican assistance. Until 45 cancelled their status, they were here legally.
They were here legally. When the program was cancelled there was no mechanism put in its place and they are being deported to places they have no knowledge of - and sometimes killed when they get there. This is racist and despicable. The Republicans, by consistently using 800,000 people as political bargaining chips, are about to create 800,000 American refugees with no moral qualms whatsoever. This is what comes from thinking that we are so much better than others. This is the attitude that Jesus condemns in this verse. The chief priests' and the elders' (and the Republicans') pride will keep them from going into heaven until every single one of their victims has gone in ahead of them. Ours, too.
This pronouncement probably surprised the disciples and other onlookers, because the chief priests and the elders were looked up to and respected just as were many of the men who have been called out on their sexual harassments and general misogyny. It is difficult for us as human beings to go from respecting someone to acknowledging that they didn't deserve it. This is partially due to our tribal nature, which is another expression of pride. Our pride is what keeps us - any of us - from seeing reality and accepting the truth.
It's easy to think that we should have learned by now, but this isn't something that can be taught like math. Each person has to learn the lessons of maturity for ourselves. It takes a great deal of courage, honesty, and self-reflection to admit when we're wrong. Such an admission makes us vulnerable to ridicule. Yet, it saves us from causing further harm to ourselves and others. It makes us stronger, more mature, more centered people - just as Jesus challenges us to be.
How do I deal with being wrong? Do I have the courage to admit it? Do I practice self-reflection? If so, how often? If not, why not start now?
The sex workers and tax collectors, the "filth" of their society believed John. It doesn't take much brain power to figure out why the chief priests and the elders chose not to go along. Who want to hang around those guys?
Jesus did. Here he explicitly condemns the chief priests and the elders for their pride in refusing to follow John - and Jesus - because of the company they kept. Remember, Jesus had a reputation for being "a glutton and a drunkard" (Matthew 11:19). The religion of the chief priests and elders was all about appearances rather than substance. They wanted to be seen doing the 'right' things so they could condemn others for being less than their brand of perfect.
Jesus condemns this attitude in them and in us. We have - many of us - been raised in an atmosphere of such pride, even if it was never explicitly stated. Our society, including us, has a tendency to think about people experiencing homelessness, poverty, abuse, or prison as somehow deserving of it. We often think of disabled people this way, too. The fact that such people are usually African-American and that their situation was created by government policies at all levels is inconvenient, so we choose not to look at it. Usually, this attitude comes along with a heaping helping of disdain, considering such people lazy, moochers, thieves, or frauds.
Our current Republican leaders are exemplifying this right now in regard to DACA. They refuse to pass a clean bill to let these people stay here and work toward citizenship and they claim the Dreamers are criminals for being here illegally. Outside of the fact that being here illegally is a misdemeanor - like running a red light or a stop sign, they were brought here as children and had no choice. They know no other culture or home. President Obama tried to help them out with little Republican assistance. Until 45 cancelled their status, they were here legally.
They were here legally. When the program was cancelled there was no mechanism put in its place and they are being deported to places they have no knowledge of - and sometimes killed when they get there. This is racist and despicable. The Republicans, by consistently using 800,000 people as political bargaining chips, are about to create 800,000 American refugees with no moral qualms whatsoever. This is what comes from thinking that we are so much better than others. This is the attitude that Jesus condemns in this verse. The chief priests' and the elders' (and the Republicans') pride will keep them from going into heaven until every single one of their victims has gone in ahead of them. Ours, too.
This pronouncement probably surprised the disciples and other onlookers, because the chief priests and the elders were looked up to and respected just as were many of the men who have been called out on their sexual harassments and general misogyny. It is difficult for us as human beings to go from respecting someone to acknowledging that they didn't deserve it. This is partially due to our tribal nature, which is another expression of pride. Our pride is what keeps us - any of us - from seeing reality and accepting the truth.
It's easy to think that we should have learned by now, but this isn't something that can be taught like math. Each person has to learn the lessons of maturity for ourselves. It takes a great deal of courage, honesty, and self-reflection to admit when we're wrong. Such an admission makes us vulnerable to ridicule. Yet, it saves us from causing further harm to ourselves and others. It makes us stronger, more mature, more centered people - just as Jesus challenges us to be.
How do I deal with being wrong? Do I have the courage to admit it? Do I practice self-reflection? If so, how often? If not, why not start now?
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Sex workers
As promised, a short essay on why crapping on prostitutes is a problem. But, first, let's use the updated term sex workers to give them dignity and remove the stain that prostitution carries with. Second first, some background. In Rome, both during the Republic and the Empire, slaves -men and women- could be raped at any time at the whim of the master. Like using a sex worker, marriage was a contract. It was between the fathers of the man and woman and was entered into only to increase honor, cement an alliance, and/or having heirs. If love blossomed, great! Honor was more important though. Once an elite woman had three children, she was freed from having to have any more, freed from sex if she wanted. Thus, men turned to slaves or women of lower status on the streets. It was not fun to be a woman in the Roman Republic or Empire.
Of course, only the rich had slaves. The poorer men had to make do as they could. Sometimes that was with the temple prostitutes. This is the prostitution Paul talks about in his letters. It's not so much prostitution as we think of it as visiting the temple prostitutes. Such sex was considered sacred to some gods. Paul's directive to not be/use prostitutes is very counter-cultural to gentiles in the Empire.
So why is crapping on sex workers such a problem. Lots of reasons, but I'll go over a few basics. First, outside of religion, there is nothing immoral about sex work. (I would argue inside as well, but that's another thing altogether.) As long as everyone involved - including any spouses - is a consenting adult, there is no harm done. What people do with each other really isn't our business. (I wish more Christians would take this view.) In fact, sex work is legal in Nevada, where it has the advantage of being regulated. This reduces the chances of spreading disease and of having one's wallet stolen. I don't know how well they're paid so I can't say they earn enough to live on. However, high class call girls can earn enough to live on. Some women freely choose to be sex workers and enjoy it. Again, as long as everyone consents, it's fine.
Yet, not everyone consents. Many sex workers have been enslaved, kidnapped, or otherwise coerced into it. Sometimes, even children. Men who use such women or children perpetuate the oppression that keeps them enslaved and trapped. I would argue this includes pornography. Why would we want to look down on such people? There is no reason to kick them while they're down. Regardless of what the male authors of the Bible had to say about it, it is very possible that sex workers in Jesus' time were in the same situation.
Thirdly, some women are driven to sex work because they need money fast and can find no other work or have no other skills. Again, this is immoral because we can afford as a country to make sure everyone is taken care of, if we would stop giving all our money to rich people. The shame is on us, not on the women in question. In addition, addiction or homelessness can be reasons that people choose this. Addicts might choose so for drug money; homeless people, in exchange for a night's shelter. Yes, this really happens; it's called survival sex. These are people who would not otherwise choose such a life and who are facing choices many of us are privileged not to ever have to even think about. Why crap on them?
This doesn't even begin to take into account the attitudes toward African-American, Latinx, or other people of color who work in the sex industry. White people tend to reserve our harshest judgment for those who are unlike us because it's a quick and dirty way to make us feel superior. Only, it doesn't work and it doesn't last.
Finally, it's a problem because no one looks down on the men who are using sex workers. It's almost a rite of passage - especially in movies. "Boys will be boys" - this attitude has caused damage second only to the damage of racism in the United States. It's pernicious and it relegates all women and girls to second-class citizens who don't deserve anything but what men decide to give to them. Crapping on sex workers only perpetuates this ideology as well as the systemic oppression that put many women there and keeps them stuck.
Again, Jesus probably wasn't crapping on sex workers or tax collectors. He was more likely talking with the chief priests and elders using terms they would understand. However, we can do better. Let's all try to remember that most people who commit crimes are driven to it out of necessity rather than as an expression of who they are.
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Second Son
Matthew 21:31 - Which of the two did the will of their father? They (chief priests and elders) said, "The first one." Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you that tax collectors and prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you."
Jesus has just told them that they are the second son, that they rate lower than the "filth" of their society - the tax collectors and prostitutes. Crapping on prostitutes has its own problems, which I might go into tomorrow. For now, let's focus on Jesus' point. He has called out the chief priests and elders of the temple as being lower than what they considered to be the lowest of the low. Ouch. Definitely a difficult thing to hear for them and for the disciples and other listeners. These people were thought to be the pinnacle of society, the cream of the crop and Jesus tells them they ain't shit. (sorry) Just so we're clear, he's talking to anyone else in the audience to whom it might apply as well. Just mouthing the words without changing our heart gets us nowhere. Jesus is challenging them and us to change our hearts.
Drastically. The kingdom of God completely inverts the structures of Roman society - and our own. It is the tax collectors and sinners who will inherit the kingdom first. He's telling the chief priests and the elders the same thing he told the rich, young man, although for a different reason. The rich man didn't want to give up his riches. Thus, they came between him and God. The chief priests and elders don't want to give up their power and it gets in between them and God. No doubt there were some in Jesus' audience with the same problem. The same problem afflicts our current Republican leaders - they, too, are addicted to money and power.
We all have things, though, that we tend to put above Christ in our lives. If not today, then tomorrow perhaps. No one is immune. The chief priests, elders, and Republican leaders are the second son. They say the right thing and don't follow through. Or they don't even bother with such duplicity and straight up act wickedly. They have no desire to change or learn. They don't have ears to hear. Do you?
What do I tend to put before God in my life? Why? What would happen if I did it differently next time?
Jesus has just told them that they are the second son, that they rate lower than the "filth" of their society - the tax collectors and prostitutes. Crapping on prostitutes has its own problems, which I might go into tomorrow. For now, let's focus on Jesus' point. He has called out the chief priests and elders of the temple as being lower than what they considered to be the lowest of the low. Ouch. Definitely a difficult thing to hear for them and for the disciples and other listeners. These people were thought to be the pinnacle of society, the cream of the crop and Jesus tells them they ain't shit. (sorry) Just so we're clear, he's talking to anyone else in the audience to whom it might apply as well. Just mouthing the words without changing our heart gets us nowhere. Jesus is challenging them and us to change our hearts.
Drastically. The kingdom of God completely inverts the structures of Roman society - and our own. It is the tax collectors and sinners who will inherit the kingdom first. He's telling the chief priests and the elders the same thing he told the rich, young man, although for a different reason. The rich man didn't want to give up his riches. Thus, they came between him and God. The chief priests and elders don't want to give up their power and it gets in between them and God. No doubt there were some in Jesus' audience with the same problem. The same problem afflicts our current Republican leaders - they, too, are addicted to money and power.
We all have things, though, that we tend to put above Christ in our lives. If not today, then tomorrow perhaps. No one is immune. The chief priests, elders, and Republican leaders are the second son. They say the right thing and don't follow through. Or they don't even bother with such duplicity and straight up act wickedly. They have no desire to change or learn. They don't have ears to hear. Do you?
What do I tend to put before God in my life? Why? What would happen if I did it differently next time?
Monday, February 5, 2018
Integrity
Matthew 21:30 - The father went to the other son and said the same. He answered, "I'm going, sir," but he didn't go.
Continuing our parable from Friday, we see the other son doing exactly the opposite of the first son: He says yes and then doesn't do as promised. I'm going out on a limb to say that we all have experienced people such as this and have even been this person. Some of us remain this person. The person whose word cannot be trusted and so people stop trusting them, stop asking them for favors, stop expecting any follow through. Such a person isn't quite mature enough to follow through on their word.
It reminds me of Senator McCain - all talk and no action. He talks a good game, but always, always, always votes along with the Republicans. His words are hollow. Such actions lead to a breakdown of trust between the promise-giver and the promise-receiver. Friday we looked at repentance; today we see an example of action that requires such repentance, a breach that needs repairing. The trust between the father and son has been broken.
Such trust is what keeps the United States running. Yet, we're seeing a break-down of trust in, and an attack on the integrity of, our institutions. It's hard to know how to deal with one untrustworthy person, let alone a government and its representatives sowing distrust. Consider this your reminder that this administration is NOT normal. NONE of this is normal or healthy. Our Republican congresspeople and senators are NOT acting with integrity. They are breaking the trust that is so essential to our life in this country. Please don't let yourself get used to this as the new normal.
But they kept their promises you might be saying. This is true and brings me to an important point about integrity. WHAT one promises is important to this equation. Keeping a promise is only a sign of integrity if the promise itself leads to healing and flourishing of people. Keeping your promise to cut taxes by favoring corporations over people, by making corporation tax cut permanent while letting the people's tax cut expire in a few years, and by quietly changing the amount of withholding to make it seem as if we're getting more money is not acting with integrity. There is no virtue in keeping a promise that does not lead to the flourishing of human lives.
Republican leaders are pretending to be something they're not - with Fox News to back them up, It is just as disgusting and repulsive as Justin Timberlake appropriating Prince or Dodge appropriating Dr. King's legacy to sell cars. So, our question is still, "How do we keep them accountable?" How can we act with integrity in this situation? As George Orwell wrote, "in a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
Do I act with integrity in my relationships? Do I have courage to tell the truth? Where can I do better? Do I need to repent? How to respond to untrustworthy people in love?
Continuing our parable from Friday, we see the other son doing exactly the opposite of the first son: He says yes and then doesn't do as promised. I'm going out on a limb to say that we all have experienced people such as this and have even been this person. Some of us remain this person. The person whose word cannot be trusted and so people stop trusting them, stop asking them for favors, stop expecting any follow through. Such a person isn't quite mature enough to follow through on their word.
It reminds me of Senator McCain - all talk and no action. He talks a good game, but always, always, always votes along with the Republicans. His words are hollow. Such actions lead to a breakdown of trust between the promise-giver and the promise-receiver. Friday we looked at repentance; today we see an example of action that requires such repentance, a breach that needs repairing. The trust between the father and son has been broken.
Such trust is what keeps the United States running. Yet, we're seeing a break-down of trust in, and an attack on the integrity of, our institutions. It's hard to know how to deal with one untrustworthy person, let alone a government and its representatives sowing distrust. Consider this your reminder that this administration is NOT normal. NONE of this is normal or healthy. Our Republican congresspeople and senators are NOT acting with integrity. They are breaking the trust that is so essential to our life in this country. Please don't let yourself get used to this as the new normal.
But they kept their promises you might be saying. This is true and brings me to an important point about integrity. WHAT one promises is important to this equation. Keeping a promise is only a sign of integrity if the promise itself leads to healing and flourishing of people. Keeping your promise to cut taxes by favoring corporations over people, by making corporation tax cut permanent while letting the people's tax cut expire in a few years, and by quietly changing the amount of withholding to make it seem as if we're getting more money is not acting with integrity. There is no virtue in keeping a promise that does not lead to the flourishing of human lives.
Republican leaders are pretending to be something they're not - with Fox News to back them up, It is just as disgusting and repulsive as Justin Timberlake appropriating Prince or Dodge appropriating Dr. King's legacy to sell cars. So, our question is still, "How do we keep them accountable?" How can we act with integrity in this situation? As George Orwell wrote, "in a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
Do I act with integrity in my relationships? Do I have courage to tell the truth? Where can I do better? Do I need to repent? How to respond to untrustworthy people in love?
Friday, February 2, 2018
Repentance
Matthew 21:28-9 - "What do you think? A man had two sons. He came to the older son and said, "Son, go and work in the vineyard today." The son said, "No, I don't want to." But later he repented and went.
Jesus is still speaking to the chief priests and the elders. Remembering this will help us make sense of this parable later. It is a parable, which we can tell by the beginning question. We know the man is well-off enough to own a vineyard, although probably not rich. If he were rich, he would have had slaves to work in the vineyard. Rich sons don't do that kind of work. That's what slaves are for.
At any rate, the son says no. I giggle a bit here because my parents would not take this from any of us kids. Not only would we have been punished, but we still would have had to do the thing requested. There is no indication here that the man was angry. The son, however, has a change of heart. He thinks things over and decides he really ought to go. He feels guilty, maybe a little bad that he let his father down, so he acknowledges his duty and goes and works in the vineyard.
I want to talk about repentance here. Although it is described in two actions - repent and work - they are really two sides of the same repentance coin. It does no one any good to feel bad or guilty and do nothing to correct the situation. Saying, "I'm sorry" without changing your behavior or making an attempt to fix the relationship, is usually not sufficient. That is a recipe for wallowing in guilty self-pity.
Sometimes, however, it's not possible to fix the relationship for one reason or another. What then? Do we still have to take action? Yes. This is the time to get creative. Say the person who you wronged loved/s dogs. A way to make amends might be volunteer at a dog shelter or even write a check. Both are creative actions that demonstrate true repentance. This is an area where the Roman Catholic church does well: confession. After the petitioner has confessed, there is usually some penance involved. Hopefully, the penance relates directly to the wrongdoing in question. Protestants do not have this. We have communal confession and time for silent confession during worship. But any remedial action we take is entirely on our own. I think we often forget that such remedial action is necessary. The other day I wrote about cancelling the votes of legislators who cheated to win. That would be a great remedial action. When you or I or anyone hurts another person, we not only need to know better, we need to begin doing better.
Do I stop at saying, "I'm sorry?" or do I work to correct my mistakes? Is there anyone I need to make amends to today? If so, how can I do so lovingly and creatively?
Jesus is still speaking to the chief priests and the elders. Remembering this will help us make sense of this parable later. It is a parable, which we can tell by the beginning question. We know the man is well-off enough to own a vineyard, although probably not rich. If he were rich, he would have had slaves to work in the vineyard. Rich sons don't do that kind of work. That's what slaves are for.
At any rate, the son says no. I giggle a bit here because my parents would not take this from any of us kids. Not only would we have been punished, but we still would have had to do the thing requested. There is no indication here that the man was angry. The son, however, has a change of heart. He thinks things over and decides he really ought to go. He feels guilty, maybe a little bad that he let his father down, so he acknowledges his duty and goes and works in the vineyard.
I want to talk about repentance here. Although it is described in two actions - repent and work - they are really two sides of the same repentance coin. It does no one any good to feel bad or guilty and do nothing to correct the situation. Saying, "I'm sorry" without changing your behavior or making an attempt to fix the relationship, is usually not sufficient. That is a recipe for wallowing in guilty self-pity.
Sometimes, however, it's not possible to fix the relationship for one reason or another. What then? Do we still have to take action? Yes. This is the time to get creative. Say the person who you wronged loved/s dogs. A way to make amends might be volunteer at a dog shelter or even write a check. Both are creative actions that demonstrate true repentance. This is an area where the Roman Catholic church does well: confession. After the petitioner has confessed, there is usually some penance involved. Hopefully, the penance relates directly to the wrongdoing in question. Protestants do not have this. We have communal confession and time for silent confession during worship. But any remedial action we take is entirely on our own. I think we often forget that such remedial action is necessary. The other day I wrote about cancelling the votes of legislators who cheated to win. That would be a great remedial action. When you or I or anyone hurts another person, we not only need to know better, we need to begin doing better.
Do I stop at saying, "I'm sorry?" or do I work to correct my mistakes? Is there anyone I need to make amends to today? If so, how can I do so lovingly and creatively?
Thursday, February 1, 2018
Bad Faith
Matthew 21:27 - So they answered him, "We do not know." Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."
Have you ever heard the term "arguing in bad faith?" It's a phrase used to describe people who are not willing to have a discussion, but merely distract, repeat themselves, lie, make up "alternative facts," substitute sinister sounding terms like "chain migration" for the proper term ("family reunification"), or "can't remember" ever meeting the Russian ambassador. They do not listen, they interrupt, and they tend to be very passionate. Jesus described them as having ears but not hearing. Talking to such people is like talking to a brick wall.
Jesus is facing this same situation. The chief priests and the elders are not interested in having a good faith discussion. If they were, they would have answered Jesus' question. They are only interested in trapping Jesus into saying something they can use against him; another sign of someone arguing in bad faith. Jesus isn't have any of their bullsh*t. He's not going to play their game by their rules. The chief priests and the elders are trying to wiggle themselves out of their predicament by not taking a stand one way or the other. They imagine staying silent will keep them out of trouble with their Roman masters and with the people. It's like Paul Ryan steadfastly refusing to comment on 45 - the elephant in the room. In both cases, silence is complicity.
But what about you and me? Do we always argue in good faith? Do we know what it looks like? It's so easy to get sucked in to someone else's views and react rather than respond. Since I am often guilty of this, I'm compiling for myself - and you if you need it - some tips for having a good faith discussion.
First tip - listen to the other person with respect. I am often so busy trying to form my argument or so impatient with how the person is wrong, I miss what they are saying - not the word part but underneath the words. Listening is a good skill to have. If I'm not sure I understood, I'll ask. That's tip number 2. It's no sense talking past each other. Number three is to have facts and sources. It's tempting to talk about things that "feel true," yet that just adds confusion. The corollary to this is be honest about what you know and open to learning. You don't have to agree with your partner, but being honest will further the conversation rather than derail it. Tip 4 - call out the bullsh*t if any. Jesus does this gently and firmly. We can learn this as well. I really wish our news media would do this more often and more firmly. Number 5, search for common ground: areas in which you agree and can provide a jumping off point. It will add to the good will of the discussion. Finally, if and when it becomes obvious that your partner is not arguing in good faith, Jesus gives us permission in this story to stop participating. We don't need to convince everyone - sometimes it's better to agree to disagree.
Do you have ears but cannot hear or eyes but cannot see? Are you willing to pray for your hearing and sight to be restored? Are you willing to give others the benefit of the doubt? to walk away when it's clear they don't deserve it?
Have you ever heard the term "arguing in bad faith?" It's a phrase used to describe people who are not willing to have a discussion, but merely distract, repeat themselves, lie, make up "alternative facts," substitute sinister sounding terms like "chain migration" for the proper term ("family reunification"), or "can't remember" ever meeting the Russian ambassador. They do not listen, they interrupt, and they tend to be very passionate. Jesus described them as having ears but not hearing. Talking to such people is like talking to a brick wall.
Jesus is facing this same situation. The chief priests and the elders are not interested in having a good faith discussion. If they were, they would have answered Jesus' question. They are only interested in trapping Jesus into saying something they can use against him; another sign of someone arguing in bad faith. Jesus isn't have any of their bullsh*t. He's not going to play their game by their rules. The chief priests and the elders are trying to wiggle themselves out of their predicament by not taking a stand one way or the other. They imagine staying silent will keep them out of trouble with their Roman masters and with the people. It's like Paul Ryan steadfastly refusing to comment on 45 - the elephant in the room. In both cases, silence is complicity.
But what about you and me? Do we always argue in good faith? Do we know what it looks like? It's so easy to get sucked in to someone else's views and react rather than respond. Since I am often guilty of this, I'm compiling for myself - and you if you need it - some tips for having a good faith discussion.
First tip - listen to the other person with respect. I am often so busy trying to form my argument or so impatient with how the person is wrong, I miss what they are saying - not the word part but underneath the words. Listening is a good skill to have. If I'm not sure I understood, I'll ask. That's tip number 2. It's no sense talking past each other. Number three is to have facts and sources. It's tempting to talk about things that "feel true," yet that just adds confusion. The corollary to this is be honest about what you know and open to learning. You don't have to agree with your partner, but being honest will further the conversation rather than derail it. Tip 4 - call out the bullsh*t if any. Jesus does this gently and firmly. We can learn this as well. I really wish our news media would do this more often and more firmly. Number 5, search for common ground: areas in which you agree and can provide a jumping off point. It will add to the good will of the discussion. Finally, if and when it becomes obvious that your partner is not arguing in good faith, Jesus gives us permission in this story to stop participating. We don't need to convince everyone - sometimes it's better to agree to disagree.
Do you have ears but cannot hear or eyes but cannot see? Are you willing to pray for your hearing and sight to be restored? Are you willing to give others the benefit of the doubt? to walk away when it's clear they don't deserve it?
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