Blessing or Curse

Matthew 23:31 – “Thus, you yourselves witness that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.”

Like father, like son. That phrase captures an idea that has been around since the beginning of humanity. Who a person’s father is can tell a great deal about who that person is. So, in the Bible, there is an honor to being a son of David or a son of Abraham as well as the distinction between sons of God and sons of the devil. In yesterday’s verse the scribes and Pharisees called those who murdered the prophets their fathers, thus aligning themselves with such behavior.

Yet, is the phrase “like father, like son” true? I imagine there would be more truth then – there being fewer opportunities to deviate much from the surrounding culture and survive. The harshness of the place they lived meant that people needed each other. Everyone focused on surviving and when people are thus reduced, there is little freedom as we know it to pursue one’s personal desires or a career as we do.

Which is one reason poverty is so pernicious. Survival is the focus. Peter had a conversation with a neighbor about how individual and systemic racism shaped and continues to shape Cleveland and its suburbs. Our neighbor’s comment was, “We’re just trying to survive.” And our neighborhood, Mt. Pleasant, is a witness to that struggle. There are many plots of grass where homes once stood, abandoned houses on every street, tires, and assorted trash. Yet, it is also beautiful, cheered up by trees lining the streets, flower gardens, and plastic lawn ornaments.

So, when Peter heard about a residential sustainability program for our neighborhood, we knew we had to participate. We attended the first meeting last night. I was encouraged when the chair of the committee began talking about opportunity, an opportunity to work together rather than waiting for the city to fix our problems. The first goal is to get the word out and encourage people like our neighbor, who may be losing hope. Of course, the problem is much bigger than just our neighborhood, so, eventually, the goal is to support advocacy to address the systemic racism that created the situation here and in other areas around the city. We want to challenge those who are the children of their racist parents.

This is what Jesus is doing by speaking out against the scribes and the Pharisees, exposing to everyone how their actions have hurt rather than benefited the children of Israel. The scribes and the Pharisees are not a blessing to their community, they are a curse. Their attempts to maintain the status quo echo the behavior of Republicans and white supremacists to keep ‘white’ people on top at the expense of all others. That is opposite of the Beloved Community that Jesus, Dr. King, and many of us continue to work toward.

Peter and I want to be a blessing to our community. What about you? Are you a child of your father? A blessing to your neighborhood?