Crucified

John 13:37 - Peter said to Jesus, "Why can't I follow you now? I would give my life for you."

Fear makes us say strange things sometimes. Peter - and maybe the other disciples and followers - is scared of losing Jesus. How will they be able to carry on without him? What will happen to them? Jesus has been keeping them safe by refuting the rhetoric and logic-traps of the Pharisees. With Jesus gone, who will protect them?

It seems Peter, here at least, has finally accepted Jesus' death as inevitable, but is still not prepared for the way Jesus wants him to "give his life for him." Peter is thinking of dying, Jesus is thinking of living a life dedicated to the movement Jesus has started. He can give his life by dying, but who benefits from that? Jesus wants Peter, the others disciples, and us to give our lives by living for Christ; by loving others and advocating with those who have little power, as Jesus has consistently done. And for which he was tortured and killed by the Roman government.

Just as there are many ways we as Christians can betray Christ, there are many ways we can give our lives for Christ. Being a pastor, priest, or servant of the church is one way. Yet, service in the world is where many of us are called to serve. Jesus calls each of us to our own vocations of service. Maybe we've heard this call and are reluctant to follow for whatever reason. (I don't blame you; it's a scary thing to give over your life without knowing where you will end up.) It's okay to say no, to take our time. When we're ready, our invitation will still be good. Jesus never stops calling us, inviting us to follow.

On this day, as we remember the cruel crucifixion of Christ, let us also remember the ways we have not lived for him, the ways we ourselves have crucified him and continue to crucify him over and over again. Let us close our Lenten fasts and meditations by repenting of these actions, but also by reflecting on where Christ's crucifixion is leading us.

Christ, have mercy on us.

Betrayal

Mark 14:18 - And as they were eating (the Passover meal) at the table, Jesus said to them, "Truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me."

Ouch. Can you imagine being one of the disciples in this moment? They've been following him around for months, if not years, and he tells them one of them will betray him. We know they are surprised as they all excitedly ask, "Is it I?" Oddly, this episode goes no further. Instead, Jesus shares the bread and wine with them telling them, "This is my body ... this is my blood." The world's most surreal dinner.

Yet, as I was reading this account of the last supper, I was struck by how Holy Week often resembles our own Christian journey. They are joyous and excited about Jesus on Palm Sunday, waving palms fronds and shouting, "Hosannah!" Yet, shortly after, they end up betraying Jesus. In my tradition, we normally celebrate the Lord's Supper once a month. However, the church I've been going to has a service that celebrates it weekly. I imagine every one of us who attends that service and eats with Christ at the table (however you imagine his presence), inevitably ends up betraying him before the week is up.

It is so, so easy to betray Christ; walking by the person begging without acknowledging their presence, yelling at our spouses or kids, arguing on behalf of police rather than supporting their Black victims, wondering whether kids know anything about gun control, judging ourselves more harshly than is warranted, feeling no obligation to help those less fortunate. So, so many ways to betray Christ.

As Lent comes to a close, I am choosing to reflect on my "favorite" ways to betray Christ, most notably is being critical of others. Instead, I'd like to ask God for the grace of an open mind and heart toward those I may be challenged by for whatever reason. The grace to recognize Christ in everyone and everything; for that is how we love God, love our neighbor, and love ourselves.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Rejected

Mark 12:10-11 - "Haven't you read this scripture: The stone that the builders rejected has become the keystone; this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes."

This passage caps off Jesus' parable of the tenants of a vineyard continually abusing the slaves that come for the owner's share of the fruit. In the parable, the slaves represent the prophets God has sent to God's people, the tenants are those people, and the vineyard is Israel. Jesus uses this parable to speak against the Pharisees for not believing in him. It's also a commentary on how God works, on how God lifts up for service those whom we would reject: Moses with his lisp, Jacob - the younger son, David - the youngest son, Matthew - the tax collector, and all the unnamed and unnoticed women who were also disciples of Jesus. We cannot always understand the ways of God.

God works from a completely different playbook than ours. We admire beauty, success, perfection, ambition, wealth, law-abiding citizens and those who follow social mores. God, on the other hand, admires those whom our society has labeled 'lazy,' 'criminal,' 'unproductive,' 'fraud,' 'liar,' 'bad eggs,' 'unclean,' where these are defined according to human ideas rather than God's. God judges the heart rather than the outward appearance.

The Bible has always spoken forcefully for the rights of those oppressed by more powerful people. Jesus tells the Pharisees that the tax collectors and sex workers will get into the kingdom of God before they do. God continues to call us through the Bible to speak for and with the oppressed around us: Black people, who are still subject to injustice in many areas of life; disabled people; immigrants, who are being unjustly maligned and deported to dangerous places; people experiencing poverty or homelessness as a result of policies of our leaders; people who are chronically ill; LGBTQ people, especially trans women; those in prison due to unjust application of our laws in addition to unjust laws. There is so much injustice, it's overwhelming; it's hard to take it all in.

These are the keystones of God's Church. Pastors, elders, worship leaders are all important, but it's their job to support the keystones. If the Church or our community church are not supporting and advocating for those "the builders rejected," we have lost the road on which to follow Christ, because he's walking with them.

In this season of Lent, let us reconsider who we see as important in the life of our local church. Can we ask ourselves as a church whether we are an asset to our communities or a drain? What would need to happen for us to open our hearts, our minds and maybe even our doors to those who are struggling under systemic injustice?

Lord, have mercy on us.

Authority

Mark 11:33 - So they answered him, "We do not know." And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

The Pharisees, chief priests, and elders have just asked Jesus who told him he could do these things, presumably overturning the tables of the currency exchange money-changers and driving the merchants off. Yet, in response, he tells them, if you answer my question, I'll answer yours. They presumably agree because he then asks them about John's baptism. Was it from God or people?

Their response shows Jesus, and us, that their hearts are not open to being taught; they are not humble. They say, "We do not know," thus abdicating any authority they had. They equivocate because they are afraid of Jesus' response if they say from God, as well as the response from the crowd if they say John's baptism was of human origin. Their fear leads them to "stay neutral."

Yet, staying neutral is the same as saying, "I want the status quo." To be neutral in the face of injustice is to side with that injustice - no matter how much one might say otherwise. Our actions show the thoughts of our hearts and the response of the Pharisees, the chief priests, and the elders shows that they are more in league with the Romans, with power, than they are with YHWH. As such, they have abdicated their authority.

We're seeing a lot of such abdication in America today. Rather than stand up against the NRA, Rick Santorum has suggested children learn CPR in response to the rise in shootings on school campuses. Even if we generously think he meant first aid, what can anyone but a surgeon do for a gunshot wound? Especially from an assault rifle, which is designed to kill by doing a lot of damage. People in elementary, junior, or high school are traumatized during a school shooting. They are not trained soldiers, regardless of the way they are treated by some leaders. Suggesting they risk their lives further to perform CPR on their friends is both heartless and an abdication of the authority we give senators and congresspeople when we elect them; the authority to enact legislation that will keep people safe.

I'm sure we can all think of other examples, but let's focus on ourselves. Have we abdicated our own authority in the face of pressure? Where does our authority come from? As Christians, it comes from God; as citizens, it comes from the Constitution. As citizens, we have the authority to contact our representatives, to protest, to get involved in our community and how it's run, to vote, to run for office even. How are we using that authority? Are we using it to speak on behalf of those who are being ignored? Are we in contact with our congresspeople, mayor, city councilperson? Have we ever written a letter to the White House?

We are being asked daily to pick our side: justice or injustice. If we remain silent or if we say, "I don't know," we are choosing injustice. Jesus calls us daily to take a stand against oppressors, to side with those who are oppressed in our actions as well as our words.

It is still Lent; do we need to repent our abdication of authority? If so, how can we best make amends?

Lord, have mercy on us.

Den of Thieves

Taking a break from Matthew for Holy Week:
Mark 11:17 - And he taught them, saying, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be a house of prayer?' But you have made it into a den of thieves."

A den of thieves ... Jesus has just gone into the temple in Jerusalem and turned over the tables of the money-changers, driving them and the dove-sellers out of the temple. Why were there money-changers in the temple? Only special coins were allowed in the temple; no coins of Caesar were allowed. The money-changers were there to change the coins of worshipers into temple coins - at a healthy profit to themselves. Think of them as the 1st century equivalent of currency exchanges and check cashing places.

What about the dove-sellers? They are in the temple to sell doves acceptable to sacrifice to the people who could not afford anything bigger to sacrifice. Of course the dove-sellers exploited the poor just as much as the currency exchanges money-changers. Keep in mind this all took place inside the temple. It would as if we had an ATM in our narthex.

Jesus wasn't okay with such exploitation. We should not be okay with it either. Jesus came to set free those who were oppressed, and who is more oppressed today than those who are working jobs that don't pay enough to live on? Or people who are on welfare and food stamps because they cannot find a job, not because they don't want to work, but because no one will hire them? These same people are then demonized as lazy, moochers, takers, frauds; especially if they are Black or Latino/a. We tend to pile oppression on oppression.

Our leaders are working successfully to roll back regulations put in place after the Great Recession. These regulations were designed to keep the big banks from tanking the economy again. And they are itching to go at it. We have yet to fully recover from the last time and these thieves that Jesus is talking about are prowling. It will be the poor and unemployed - who have not fully gained all they lost - who will feel the brunt of this deregulation.

This is on us because we never held these people accountable for tanking the economy. Many of them should have gone to jail for their actions. Instead, we bailed them out and left everyone else to fend for themselves. Somehow, I don't think Jesus would approve today any more than he did in the first century. In fact, if he came back today, I think he'd head straight to Wall Street and overturn their tables and chase them out. Then he might free people from prisons who are there unjustly. I think he'd have a talk with Congress - especially the Evangelical Christians in Congress about how they have twisted Jesus' message to suit their own ends.

I say this as someone who in some ways is privileged to not have lost as much as others did, as someone who has benefited in the past from such regulations, and who unwittingly and indirectly participated in this scheme to keep people who are poor from getting power. It's still Lent, and in the spirit of repentance, let me suggest that we consider - if we can - moving our money from banks to community credit unions or savings and loans. These institutions put money back into the community rather than funneling it into Wall Street. They are more restricted in their actions.

Lord, have mercy.

Speaking Up

Matthew 22:18 - But Jesus, realizing their malicious intent, said, "Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?"

Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? No beating around the bush here. Jesus just flat out calls these people on their actions. I wonder how he felt as he listened to their question? Was he angry? frustrated? or was he sad? for them as well as for those they might harm? Did he feel love for them in that moment, even as he called them hypocrites?

I was playing around with the stresses of this question, wondering what word Jesus stressed. WHY are you testing me? Why are YOU testing me? Why are you TESTING me? Why are you testing ME? They all convey a different meaning, a different attitude toward the Pharisean disciples and the Herodians. In particular, stressing the YOU, gives me an idea I hadn't thought of before. Why are YOU testing me? In other words, why are these particular people here now asking him this question? Because they were asked to by the Pharisees. Did they personally have anything against Jesus? or were they Pharisean puppets?

Perhaps Jesus is asking them to look at their own motives for being there and for their participation in this charade. Maybe calling them out in this way is what love looks like in this situation. Yes, it seems harsh that he called them hypocrites, yet, that is what they were in that moment. Sometimes the truth hurts, which is why denial is such a catchword. However, speaking the truth in love is sometimes necessary.

There's a fine line between that and criticizing. I'm not always sure where that line is. It sometimes causes problems. Yet, in many different situations, it seems to be my lot in life to be tasked with speaking up. I hate it, which is probably why I'm called to do it. I spent a big chunk of my life not speaking up for myself; believing the lies I was told. It takes great courage to stick our necks out. The students of Marjory Stone Douglas High have such courage and many are supporting them in different ways.

So, I want to lift up the fact that Black people have been speaking up and protesting gun violence for years, decades even. Why have we not listened to THEM? We are all hypocrites in our own way. Yet, in this season of Lent, we can rectify that. We can repent of our silence - or our vocal opposition to Black voices - and make amends by joining with Black people in their struggles to be heard. Learning more about and supporting Black Lives Matter or the Southern Poverty Law Center are good places to start. We can listen, we can believe them, and we can walk with them in their fight for justice. It's long past time.

Who is Jesus asking you to speak up for? Will you be able to do it? What would you need?

Taxes

Matthew 22:17 - "Tell us, then, what you think; is it proper or right to pay taxes to the emperor?"

No one likes to pay taxes, especially when, as now, most of that money will go to lining the pockets of rich people. It was no different then. Jewish people had to pay both the temple tax and taxes to the emperor. Then and now, the taxes are exorbitant for those who were poor. Tax resistance is one way to protest absurdly high tax rates. It seems this group of Pharisean disciples and Herodians wanted to catch Jesus saying something against paying taxes to Caesar in order to stay on the good side of his own disciples. Once he did, the evidence could be used against him.

This is manipulation in action. Get someone to say something incriminating, take a bribe, or have sex with a sex-worker conveniently provided for them, and they are trapped. This is how the Pharisees and Herodians thought. It is how Cambridge Analytica works today. I'll go out on a limb and say Republican leaders and Fox News think this way, too.

It is not how Jesus thinks. As they have just said while buttering him up, he is partial to on one. Just because they were cynical about it, doesn't mean they weren't speaking truth. Everyone is special to him, everyone matters; even Caesar! Jesus was street-smart; he knows what's happening here. He has already avoided several of their traps and he'll avoid this one as well. Not just for his own sake, but also for the sake of his followers. He knows that when he is arrested and killed, their lives will be in danger. He has been preparing them for this eventuality.

Republican leaders and Cambridge Analytica had and have no such qualms. They revel in bigotry, misogyny, racism, sexism, ableism and heteronormativity. They have manipulated many of our fellow Americans into believing that their fear of the social changes of the last 50 years are real and ought to be addressed. First, and always before anyone else's concerns. These actions are leading America and the world into scary territory for all of us, not just those they would persecute.

The first step in fighting manipulation is to recognize it for what it is. Only when we see the true problem, can we address it in any meaningful way. It's hard to think people we've trusted would use our own fears and worries against us. Yet, that is what Republican leaders have done and will continue to do, blaspheming God in the process by claiming all they do is in her name. Modern-day Herodians.

In this season of Lent, let us repent of our own actions that may have enabled or even encouraged such behavior. Let us repent and make amends.

Lord, have mercy.

Manipulation

Matthew 22:16 - So [the Pharisees] sent their disciples, along with the Herodians to him, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are honest, and teach the way of God in truth, and show deference to no one; for you don't regard people with partiality."

Who were the Herodians? They were a group of Jewish people who supported the policies of Herod as well as Hellenistic culture. They were non-Messianic and so had two points of contention with Jesus. This verse, then, describes a group of people opposed to Jesus' teachings coming to him and starting their conversation by calling him "Teacher." Do you think they were able to keep the sarcasm out of their voices?

I joke, but it's funny because it's true. They were merely buttering Jesus up in the hopes that he would relax his guard. They believed none of this and Jesus knew it. There is a word for this behavior - manipulation. Sometimes, as here, it is easy to spot, but other times it is more difficult. We let our desires, hopes, fears, or regard for the other person cloud our vision and we become a victim. Sometimes, we're just fooled but other times, we might lose much more than our "face." This is how scam artists work; they count on people not reporting the crime, because no one wants to admit to themselves or any one else that they have been foolish. This is also how televangelists work.

We have all been taken in at one time or another, so we can easily imagine how it feels. But, have we ourselves participated in such behavior? Most of us have, usually when we're too young to know better. Some of us never stop, for a myriad of reasons. It's hard to spot in ourselves; maybe harder than spotting it when others do it. Yet, manipulation is devious; no one wins when manipulation is the strategy.

We often want to give people a second chance, especially if we like them or think they can help us in some way. I think this is what is happening with our Republican leaders; they were duped and now they cannot seem to figure out how to escape the consequences and save face. It's not possible to do both. Whether they admit it to themselves or not, they have already lost face. They thought they could control the uncontrollable and now they, too are stuck. While we should absolutely call them out for their behavior and hold them accountable, we should maybe try to empathize as well.

Jesus has done this with the Pharisees, and he'll do this with this group as well. He'll show them love, teach them the way, and give them the choice to follow or not. He's teaching us, too. Showing us what it looks like to be wise as a serpent and innocent as doves. Showing us what manipulation looks like and how to deal with it when we see it. Showing us what not to do.

As it is still Lent, I am going to think about my own efforts at manipulation - they weren't always successful, and if necessary and possible, make amends. No one wins when the strategy is manipulation.

Love, Mercy, and Hope

Matthew 22:15 - Then the Pharisees went and plotted together in order that they might entrap Jesus' in his word.

Love and mercy ... the Pharisees are so busy protecting what they have, there's no room for love or mercy in their hearts. The fear they must be feeling! The elders of the synagogue answered to the Romans. If Jesus' revolution gets out of hand, they will be responsible. They desperately want to keep the peace, but with Jesus around, that task is difficult. The Pharisees are also afraid of the people, which is why they need to plot in secrecy rather than just arresting Jesus.

There are many in the US who are stoking the fears of others, encouraging them to blame "those people" for those fears. I suppose they think it gives their own fears legitimacy. The NRA is among the stokers of fear. In fact, their entire business model is to create fear so people will buy more guns to keep themselves safe. Which, ironically, makes us all less safe. It's a downward spiral that is very hard to get off once a person has jumped on. So, they, too need our prayers; living in this kind of fear and anxiety is hard.

I'll tell you what I fear; I fear that those responsible for keeping our democracy a democracy are abdicating that responsibility in favor of lining their own pockets. Or, is it because Russia and/or Cambridge Analytica has something on them? Either way, they are the Pharisees desperately seeking a way to keep the peace, to discredit Mueller and his investigation, to paint those who disagree as troublemakers. Their desperation shows in their eyes; they seem to know they're expected to do something, but they don't seem to know what to do. They, too, are acting out of fear. It is so disheartening to watch, I have to take breaks from the news. I'm guessing we all do.

So, my desire today is to be motivated not by fear, but rather by hope. Jurgan Moltmann points out that Christian hope is always in the future. We cannot see the way to get there from where we are now. Otherwise, it wouldn't be hope, would it? The path is hidden, yet with the eyes of love and mercy, our next steps become clear. Faith is following those steps, even though we cannot see where they lead. Christian hope, is bigger than just reclaiming one country - it entails a new heaven and a new earth. A more peaceful place where everything is being made new, where there is no more mourning or weeping, and where Jesus will wipe the tears from our eyes.

Jesus constantly reminds us the path to this place of peace can only be seen when we love God, love our neighbors, and love ourselves to the best of our ability. Love and mercy are vital; love and mercy for ourselves and others. It is Lent, a time for repentance. Today, I choose to repent my lack of hope. When I feel hopeless, I become fearful, anxious and withdrawn, which helps no one. Today, I choose to act in accord with God's hope.

Love and Mercy II

Matthew 22:14 - "For many are called, but few are chosen."

Well, on the surface, this does not hold out much hope, does it? There are some brands of Presbyterianism that believe in double predestination: that some are destined for heaven no matter what and others are destined for hell no matter what. I do not subscribe to this point of view, but this verse would seem to back it up. Truly, this is a difficult verse to think about.

I have been analyzing this parable verse by verse, more or less ignoring the parable as a whole. Yet, if we think back to the man who had no robe, and we think about the robe as symbolizing love and mercy, then we need to ask, "Who lacked love and mercy that this man had no appropriate attire?" His wailing and gnashing of teeth may not have been due to his own lack of love and mercy, but the lack of such in society in general. Many are in this boat. Many were invited to the banquet, but not all were chosen.

Chosen by whom? I have said that love and mercy are the key, yet our life circumstances are affected by much more than our own attitudes. Black people in America today have been affected negatively by the attitudes of white people and continue to be oppressed in many ways. It is not their lack of love and mercy that has affected them, but rather the lack of love and mercy on the part of white people in power. What if it is not God who is doing the choosing, but us? Elsewhere, Jesus has said that the kin-dom of heaven is near. If we believe that we are called to work toward that kin-dom, then our actions can cause others to miss it.

That is a deep burden. I myself can easily recall times when I have not been loving or merciful. In truth, I had no love or mercy to give then. There was too much pain; it overwhelmed me. That was a living hell caused by my own actions as well as the actions of others. Hurt people hurt people. People who are hurting inside do not always act in loving ways. It's hard to have empathy when one's pain is so overwhelming and it seems no one understands. In such a situation, we want to protect ourselves from further harm, so we keep people at a distance and close our hearts. Sadly, this includes God.

Yet, Jesus calls us to (eventually) love and forgive those people who have hurt us. This doesn't mean we have to be with them - that might be dangerous. No, he calls us to understanding and empathy. To get there we must start with our own healing. We will not be able to forgive until we are able to begin healing. There is no time limit, which is good because in some cases this healing can take decades. Yet, Jesus promises it will be worth it. We'll get to a place of peace, a heaven of sorts. A place more peaceful than where we may be now. If we look around at all the hurt and anger that people are harboring, we can see that few are willing to do such work; a testament to its difficulty.

What about you and me? Will we, like the invitee without a wedding robe, go through life without love or mercy? or will we be able to open our hearts to the healing that comes from Jesus' love for us?

Come to the table. All is ready.

Love and Mercy

Matthew 22:13 - "Then the king said to his servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.'"

Wailing and gnashing of teeth. This punishment on the surface of things seems harsh. Yet, this is exactly what happens to peoples of colors in this country, especially Black people. Among white people, there is a myth that Black people are lazy and naturally criminals. Black people commit crimes at the same rates as white people, yet they are consistently sentenced to prison more often and for longer periods. This is not only because they are Black, but also because Black people don't always assimilate to "white culture," such as it is.

We have a similar situation in this parable: a man comes to a wedding without a suitable robe, without assimilating. As a consequence, he is sentenced to the outer darkness. This brings up a lot of questions. If the king is God, then where is the outer darkness? Does this punishment really fit the crime? What does 'outer darkness' mean? Who, then does this man represent? It cannot be the rulers and elites of society as they weren't allowed in after their refusal to come. Finally, this action does not seem like the action of a loving and just God.

If the king isn't God, then the metaphor of a wedding banquet loses its punch. So, then, what does this wedding robe represent? I suggest it stands for an attitude of love and mercy. These last couple of verses we've looked at describe 21st century America well; there is a faction of our population that thrives on scrutinizing every little thing about their "opponents," trying to make themselves look good. The white people I started this essay discussing are among those people. This scrutiny especially hits peoples of colors. There is no love or mercy in this attitude. Therefore, I suggest that they themselves are already in the outer darkness.

Consider the biggest proponent of this scrutiny of others - Fox News. If that corporation is not an example of wailing and gnashing of teeth, I don't know what is. Can you imagine living like that? It must be so difficult to always be on the lookout for things others have done and to always be having to look behind you; to always be angry and yelling at others who have done you no wrong. They are at the banquet and cannot enjoy it; they have their reward.

What about our attitude? Can we say with certainty that we are innocent of such behavior? Where do we show love and mercy? What do we wail and gnash our teeth about? Is it worth the anger and damage it causes? Can I show love and mercy to those who insist on wailing and gnashing their teeth? Again, these are difficult and challenging questions. Jesus is calling us to remember that God is not in this wailing and gnashing of teeth, but rather is embodied in our loving and merciful actions.

The banquet is ready. Are we ready to enjoy it?

Barriers

Matthew 22:12 - "And the king said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without wearing a wedding robe?' And the man was speechless."

Since I already briefly addressed the fraughtness of clothing and hairstyles, let's look at barriers. For many of us there are barriers to getting in, barriers to staying in, and barriers to success, to moving forward. These barriers can be physical, such as a building not having wheelchair access, or whose wheelchair access is poorly done; or financial, such as going to college or joining country clubs; or classist, such as getting in to ivy league schools; or cultural, such as assuming everyone will assimilate to "American culture."

The barriers in this parable are cultural, classist, and financial. The king unrealistically expects the man he invited on the spur of the moment to have access to a robe suitable for a royal wedding. If you have ever wondered why the rules of formal dining seem so detailed, I'll tell you. It's so that those who know the rules can look down on those who don't. The man doesn't answer possibly because he doesn't even know what he did wrong? He was invited to a wedding, prodded even. And now the king is questioning his attire? He must have been very confused. The word translated as "was speechless" actually means was muzzled or was silenced. The king was humiliating him; perhaps he was silenced by shame.

In America, we pride ourselves on being exceptional (not true) and self-made individualists (also not true). There is a segment of our society that would love to blame all sick people for their illness, which would 'coincidentally' let them off the hook for helping. These same people blame Black people when white police officers shoot them, usually for some made up offense. It is the same with poverty, homelessness, LGBTQ people, and disabled people. The same group of people loves to blame those who are not straight, white, heterosexual, and/or able-bodied for their own situation. I have been reading enough disability twitter to know that I was very lucky in seminary. When I called McCormick with my issue, I was told unequivocally that of course they would help. Nor did they disbelieve me. I didn't need a doctor's note either. They simply took care of it. I understand now that that is rare in the academic world. Even with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

There seems to be an distinct lack of empathy among us. I'm not sure when it began, but it's been there a while. I stopped watching sit-coms when it became obvious to me that they were mostly about people snarking at other people for laughs. Society seems to have followed suit with snarkiness. Of course, the sit-coms are only a symptom, not the disease. I mean, almost half of the people who voted in 2016, voted for 45, who admitted he was racist, homophobic, anti-immigration, misogynistic, stupid, and ableist. How did it happen that we have so many Americans who do not care about others as long as they think they themselves will be fine? Has it always been that way and I never noticed? 

A better question, though, is how to address it. It always starts with us and our own attitudes. Am I empathetic to everyone? or are there some people I have deemed unworthy? Am I able to see the hurt I have caused? Can I have empathy for those I have hurt? for those who have hurt me? for those people who seem to lack empathy for anyone? Am I able to have empathy and still speak up with those who have been marginalized? These are hard questions to answer. They ask a lot of us. They ask us to look closely at how we think about people and what we expect from others.

Jesus offers us this challenge when he says we have already committed adultery by looking at another with lust. This is because our thoughts and words come from our hearts. If our hearts are full of jealousy and blame, our thoughts will work to justify those feelings; sometimes by blaming others. Jesus' challenge to us is to continually work on empathizing with others, even as we push back against their harmful actions and words. If Jesus loves us no matter what, and we want to follow Jesus, then we must work toward loving others no matter what. Since we are still in Lent, I admit, I have work to do in this area. Even if we never speak our poisonous thoughts aloud, they come out in our actions and our attitudes.

If left unexamined, our thoughts can become barriers to loving others as ourselves - the definition of empathy. These thoughts then become words and deeds that harm or even kill. Let's work instead on understanding others as best we can, knowing Jesus will help us if we ask.

Come to the table. All is ready.

Come as You Are

Matthew 22:11 - "But coming in to see the guests, the king saw a man there who had not put on a wedding robe."

The king invited people off the street. Why would he expect them to have access to a wedding robe appropriate for a royal wedding on the spur of the moment? Some of these people were likely homeless or poor. Who benefits from the correct definitions of appropriate clothing in this parable? in 21st century America? How do they benefit?

Manners and clothing can be fraught subjects; especially when it comes to social occasions or work places. That's because those rules are set by people who want an excuse to look down on others, ie rich, white people. Let's start with weddings. I wore black to my wedding because I had a nice, black dress and had no time to go shopping for anything fancier. You might gasp at that. How would you react if a woman who had been living with her fiance for a while wore white to her wedding? Would you disapprove? If you google appropriate wedding attire, it's all white dresses. Even for women guests they show only women in dresses - no nice pants. Why? For the male gaze maybe? In addition, there are very few Black women. Take my advice and don't google inappropriate wedding attire.

What about work? Let's look at the matter of appropriate hair for work. Google it and you will see a bunch of white women in nice hairstyles. As if men instinctively know what suitable hairstyles are. Or they assume men will simply wear short hair? Now, google inappropriate hairstyles for work. You will see mostly Black women in all sorts of nice hairstyles; completely acceptable styles for work. Why is this? Why do we police Black women's hairstyles and give white women a pass? I am currently reading an interesting book called "The Algorithms of Oppression," about the ways search engines mirror the racism and sexism of our society at large. I'm not sure how I found it but I know why I checked it out.

In my neighborhood there is an awesome sausage company, Ray's Sausage. Google that and you will see on the right side of your screen a picture of a house with crime scene tape in front of it. There was indeed a crime there; eleven crimes in fact. The house, which was torn down in late 2012, was next door to the sausage company.  Yet 5 years later, the picture remains the main picture for the sausage company, which had nothing to do with the crimes. Their business suffered as a result. Do you think that image would still be there if Ray's was owned by a white person or if it was located in a white neighborhood?

I wrote to google a while back, explained the situation, and requested they fix it, but never got a response. Yet, it's clear that their algorithms have inherent bias. They mirror the biases of the people (mostly white men) who wrote them. Unfortunately, they are seen by many people as an unbiased source of factual information. I read that many people think that the results on the first page of a search - any search engine - are more trustworthy than those on later pages. Do not be fooled. This is not true as you can see from our googling. Unfortunately and predictably, it's Black people and other people of color who suffer the most.

What do google algorithms have to do with first century Palestinian wedding clothes? Why would the king expect people off the street to have wedding robes appropriate for a royal wedding? Unconscious (or conscious) bias toward the people in power - in our case, rich, white men - to the detriment of all others. This is not a desirable trait in a ruler or in God. Or even pastors. Some pastors use "appropriate clothing" to minimize those with no power, usually women. God does no such thing. He invites us where we are, as we are - no matter how our hair looks or what we are wearing.

Come as you are. The table is ready.

Good and Bad

Matthew 22:10 - "Those slaves went into the streets and gathered all whom they found, the good and the bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests."

Not only does God call everyone, but she also makes no distinction between good and bad. Everyone is invited. But what are our criteria for 'good' and 'bad.'? Does someone who runs a red light or speeds down the expressway count as 'bad?' How bad does one have to be to be considered 'bad?' Does it matter whether the person is a woman? Black person? Mexican? disabled? on welfare or SSDI? LGBTQ?

Or flip the question - what does it take to be considered 'good?' Can someone run a red light and still make the cut? Or does the person have to be better than, say, we are? more generous with their time, talents, and treasure? Does it matter whether the person is a woman? Black person? Mexican? disabled? on welfare or SSDI? LGBTQ?

Do these questions make you feel uncomfortable? They do me, because that's not the best way to think about people. Focusing on one trait without seeing the entirety of the person is harmful, especially if that trait is one we don't like or share. For example, focusing on someone's sexuality or whether or not they've had an abortion. We are all mixtures of good and bad. Labeling ourselves or others puts people in a box. Once we do that, we no longer need to be curious about them. We can commune with or ignore them accordingly.

This tendency is especially pernicious in politics in America. We are a divided nation and have been since the Civil War - actually, since our beginning. In fact, some white people are still fighting the Civil War; still trying to keep "those people" from enjoying the dignity, pleasures, wealth, and power we enjoy. We do this using various labels, but those labels are only a flimsy cover for our racism, sexism, misogyny, ableism, genderism, heteronormativity. By labeling ourselves as 'good' and others as somehow 'bad,' we not only dehumanize ourselves, we dehumanize everyone. Once we dehumanize others by reducing their complexity as people to one 'defining trait,' it becomes easier to refuse them the rights that we enjoy.

Jesus calls everyone to the banquet without distinction. He uses the terms 'good' and 'bad' so his audience, including us, can understand his point, but none of us is all good or all bad. When Jesus looks at us, he sees all that we are: lazy, procrastinator, felon, criminal, gracious, loving, illegal, joyful, critical, hurt. And he invites us to the banquet. He loves us. He loves you.

Come to the table. All is prepared.

All are Invited

Matthew 22:9 - "Go therefore into the main streets and invite as many people as you find to the wedding banquet.'"

This is more like God, right? She just invites everyone willy-nilly. This is both comforting and disquieting. I don't know where I heard this but it strikes me as true: we will all be very surprised when we get to heaven. We'll be looking around and meet someone we despise or whose theology isn't compatible with ours. "Wait," we'll say. "They made it in?" I think the idea that everyone gets in - or even that everyone is invited - disturbs our sense of fairness. Yet our sense of fairness requires that all others things are equal.

And they are decidedly not. It's hard, I think, for white people to see this. Many of us have situated our lives such that we don't have to see it; consciously or otherwise. Many of us graduate high school and never learn anything again. Even our high school education heavily privileges the stories of white people; the stories of the native peoples or slaves or Black people are marginalized or erased altogether. They continue to be marginalized by white media and white people in general. Most of us never question what we were taught. We were taught not to question or think critically, in fact.

I grew up and lived in places where I was likely to see more Hispanic, Latinx, and Native American people than Black people. It's not that there were no Black people; there just weren't that many. I remember visiting Washington, DC for the first time; seeing so many Black people was surprising. I had the same feeling as when I first went to Japan; slightly discomfited because it was so different. Yet, in both cases, it didn't take long to get used to it. It was no big deal really.

So, I don't understand the hatred many white people have for "those people." I guess living in Japan really opened my mind to the beauties of other cultures. Yet, I met a lot of white people in Japan who constantly criticized the way they do things. These people were never happy. I, on the other hand, was happy there. I loved learning about Japan. I suspect those who weren't happy, didn't and don't appreciate "those people" here.

There's this weird desire white people have that everyone else assimilate to our culture. This will come up in a few verses (stay tuned!). But, why? Why should other people have to give up their identities, the things that helped shape them and are integral to their understanding of themselves just to assuage the feelings of some white people who might be uncomfortable in their presence? Why should they have to worry about the feelings of someone they don't know and are likely never to meet? That to me is absurd. No one in Japan asked me to assimilate. Of course, I'm like a chameleon anyway; by the time I left I had picked up the habit of bowing to people - even on the phone.

I get it; it can be disquieting at first to be surrounded by people so different. It can feel good to put all our fear and anger (still talking about white people here) onto Black people or Muslims for the terrorist attacks of 9/11. But those attitudes don't keep us safe. Nor do they help anyone. We may feel safe when our walls are up or our hearts are stone, but we're probably less safe that way; more vulnerable to propaganda.

What those attacks taught us is not that we're suddenly unsafe, but that we're not paying attention to what our government does and has been doing around the world and here at home in our name. It's not always pretty. But we don't teach these things in high school because some white teenager might be upset knowing their country isn't perfect. It doesn't matter that we marginalize and erase anyone who's not white, cis, straight, male, physically healthy, and Christian, preferably Protestant. Their feelings are not important. Our society is built on the idea that white men are the only people who matter.

Yet, God doesn't make these distinctions. He goes out into the main streets of the town and invites as many people as can be found to the wedding banquet. The God who created us wants to be with us forever. Why do we make distinctions where he does not? We are all invited - always and forever.

 Come to the table. All is ready.

Heaven or Hell

Matthew 22:8 - "Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those who were invited did not deserve to come.'"

This is the thing a lot of people, including me, miss about God. He doesn't stop inviting us. It's always an invitation rather than a command performance. We are always free to say no. We're not free, however, to injure, maim, or kill God's messengers without consequence. I'll be honest, I don't believe in an actual hell we go to after we die if we've been that bad. We are not perfect; none of us. If there is such a place we go after we die, most of us would end up there. To me, that is not the act of a loving God. God may have left those who murdered her slaves out of this wedding banquet, but rest assured, God will invite them again in the future. God keeps hoping our hearts will change. God has faith in us.

Then what is hell if not somewhere we go in the afterlife? Heaven and hell are here and now. We as individuals, communities, and nations can create hells for ourselves or others. We do it every time we hang on tight to our resentments and grievances. We do it when we create or believe lies about others not like us. We do it when we refuse to be generous or to think well of those less fortunate, and when we support policies that will do much more harm than they will do good. These things build up within us and become solidified. Our hearts become stone, keeping the rest of the world out.

Such attitudes are a sad waste of our lives. Jealousy, envy, covetousness, and greed all lead to this place if left unchecked. They lead to actions that can make the lives of those around us a living hell, too. Rarely do our actions affect no one else. The selfishness and the hatred of the kings' invited guests in this parable affected the king, they spoiled his banquet, snubbed him.

Yet, just as we have created this stone heart, we can soften it as well. It requires recognizing our own sinfulness, our own greed, our own pride. So few are willing to go on this path. Even the king in this parable does not go on this path.

Our question then is, how do we change? How do we let go of our resentments and grievances? How can we learn to see God and Jesus in the people around us, no matter their skin color or culture? How can we become curious about others around us who are different in some way? By asking God for a heart that sees her in everyone and everything. Be careful, though. God will give us many opportunities for practice when we pray such a prayer. It will be uncomfortable and maybe a  little humbling. ... And it will be worth it, eventually. We'll find that all the energy we spent on being angry and nursing our grievances is now available for loving actions toward ourselves and others. God is inviting you on the "path with heart" as Carlos Santayana wrote. Let's walk it together.

Come to the table. All is ready.

Holy Wrath

Matthew 22:7 - "The king became enraged. He sent his soldiers and destroyed those murderers and burned their city."

For some reason, this passage makes me think of Greenwood, OK; otherwise known as Black Wall Street. The Tulsa was prosperous, beautiful, and unapologetically Black. The hatred of local white people was such that on May 31, 1921, they attacked the residents and killed 300 people. They torched the town and burned it to the ground, leaving 9,000 people homeless and jobless. It was the worst terrorist attack on American soil in the 20th century.

Commonly known as the "Tulsa Race Riots, it was nothing of the sort. It was an organized assault on Black people who dared become prosperous and who dared to enjoy the kind of life white people had. Now, the king in Jesus' parable had good reason to be angry. It's one thing to be rebuffed, but killing his messengers was going too far. The white people of Tulsa, on the other hand, had zero provocation. The residents of Greenwood had done nothing wrong. Nevertheless, the hatred described in the parable was unleashed by white people onto innocent Black people. Calling it a race riot further demeans and diminishes the Black people's lives that were lost or ruined. Calling it a race riot implies they, too, were at fault. Calling it a race riot white-washes the actions of the perpetrators. Let's call it what it was: a terrorist attack.

This hatred of Black people continues to this day and white people have been emboldened by 45 to show their hatred in public. Yet, white officers torturing and killing Black people with impunity is nothing new. Black students being treated harsher than white students in school is nothing new. Black people being punished harsher than white people by the criminal justice system in America is nothing new. Black children being victimized by gun violence is nothing new. Black people have been speaking out about these things for decades. Their words have been falling on deaf ears. Yet, when white students speak out, we support them immediately and without question.

Well, we do need to question. We need to question why we didn't listen to Black people tell their stories. We need to question why we didn't believe them. We need to question whether we thought (or think!) they somehow deserve harsher treatment. We need to question whether we think Black people are "lazy," "welfare frauds," "criminals," or "thugs." Such ideas and the hatred they engender is neither holy nor justified. God absolutely does not condone such thoughts about or treatment of her Black children.

We absolutely should stand with the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school and march with them if we can. But we ALSO must repent of ignoring or even disbelieving the experiences of Black people. They have been crying out for far longer than school shootings have even existed.

Isn't it time we listened and supported them, too?

Mistreatment and Death

Matthew 22:6 - "The rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them."

Here's the problem with only doing a verse at a time. I didn't look ahead and now this verse is an orphan. Some of those invited were merely unconcerned, but others were more violent in their reaction. The word translated 'mistreated' can range from insult to mockery to assault. Luke uses it to describe how Jesus was treated by the Roman guards. It wouldn't be going to far to say they were tortured before they were killed, if we were to think about these slaves as human, which they did not.

When I read this passage I immediately thought of Dr. King. I also thought of Bree Newsome. I learned recently that when she climbed that flagpole to take the traitor flag down, the Sheriff ordered his men to tase her. Immediately recognizing that it would hill her, her partner, James Tyson grabbed the pole and told the deputies they would have to kill him too. Yes, he is white. No, they did not tase her.

Racism and the unaccountable hatred of Black people have never gone away. It breaks my heart that those who speak up and speak out become targets themselves. WTF is wrong with us that we cannot see that everyone is better off when all have enough and when all are treated with respect and dignity? Some of us have so twisted Jesus' invitation to mean the exact opposite of what is written. Or, worse, they "spiritualize" it. AND they individualize Jesus' message completely forgetting, if they ever knew, that Jesus was talking with and to communities. Claiming, as some do, that Jesus will approve of guns, capitalism, or Republicanism as currently practiced, is a lie straight from the pit of hell. A small group of senators and congresspeople are letting 45 get away with his corruption and that of his family, slowly taking away the social safety net that many rely on in order to give that money to the rich, and treating the concerns of their constituents, especially women and peoples of color, as irrelevant. If they could get away with killing more of us, they wouldn't hesitate to do so.

And in this season of Lent, I need to repent of my former ignorance of these hatreds, as well as delaying action when I did learn about them. As penance, I am working against the death-dealing policies of the Republicans and for the life-giving policies of Jesus - setting the prisoner free, feeding the hungry, slaking the thirst of the thirsty, taking care of the orphan and widow, binding up the wounds of those who are hurt, and working against the injustice of the laws this administration has been enacting. I have joined the Ohio Poor People's Campaign and will be working with them to end the injustices being perpetrated on my white sisters and Black brothers and sisters. Won't you join me?

Come to the table. All is ready.

Self-Care

Matthew 22:5 - "But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm and another to his business."

Unconcerned. The word translated "made light of" is unconcerned. The guests thought their work was more important than their friend. They have snubbed him for the second time; more deeply. I would have been both angry and humiliated. That is a hard blow to suffer.

Yet, again, do we also not do the same in our spiritual lives? Do we not make our own concerns for food, money, work, and entertainment more important than God's concerns of justice, love and mercy? Some of us are so busy there aren't enough hours in the day for our own concerns, let alone those of God. I was in a job interview yesterday and the interviewer asked how I practice self-care. You might think this verse is a long way from self-care, but I think not. When we consistently prioritize country, money, work, our own desires, and entertainment over God's concerns, we are serving our concerns rather than God. When we're so busy we have no time for God, no time to celebrate a friend's wedding, we're not practicing good physical, emotional, or spiritual self-care. That is the definition of idolatry.

I'm not including people who are merely trying to survive in this category. In fact, that is where God's concern is and where our concern as Christians should be: with those who are in need of healthcare, housing, food, jobs, justice, or even a little understanding.

In this season of Lent, this may be something we need to repent, always putting God off until later. Although God is continually inviting us to the banquet, we can say no when we want to. Sometimes it's necessary. Our question should always be whether we're focusing on our own concerns or God's concerns and why?

Come to the table. All is ready.