I have been meditating in this quote from Walter Brueggemann’s The Prophetic Imagination:
Hope, on one hand, is an absurdity too embarrassing to speak about, for it flies in the face of all those claims we have been told are facts. Hope is the refusal to accept the reading of reality which is the majority opinion; and one does that only at great political and existential risk. On the other hand, hope is subversive, for it limits the grandiose pretension of the present, daring to announce that the present to which we have all made commitments is now called into question.
I’ve been trying to build a sort of lexicon for the times. One of my heroes has been Seamus Heaney, who somehow became a sort of poetic voice for Northern Ireland throughout the Troubles. You don’t find polemics against Protestants in his work but rather a deep interest in what it means to be Irish, what it means to come from a home that has both an Irish name and an English name. It is clear that the sort of fire and brimstone language of excoriation is not impressing anybody on the right, and also turning away bystanders. So it seems that we need to dig deep and find a more substantive language but also a fresh language. We need to identify cliches that are like liberal Christian taglines. We need to voice liberal shop talk. If we are to be good writers we need to show and not tell. Or at least. That’s the challenge I’ve given to myself.
"Everyone thinks I expect them to love everybody, just because I love everybody," Jesus said. "But I am literally the only being in all the world that can love everybody--that's my thing. Anyone else who tries to love everybody usually ends up loving nobody. What people don't realize is, if even just once you truly, sincerely love someone--as if their soul were your own--that in itself is a blessing upon the world. It really only takes one. Do you understand?"
Practicing non-duality is difficult. We are so tempted to see things as “us and them, black and white, right and wrong, good and bad” rather than accepting everything as just what IS. We are playing God when we judge.
Well, I have to be honest. Politics is everywhere, affects everything. Aristotle said that. Jesus did not ignore politics. His death on the cross was political, the gospels make that clear. A couple years back Russell Moore published an AP essay talking about a classmate's being confronted by an angry group at a Baptist church after preaching on the Beatitudes. They demanded to know where the preacher got all the woke stuff about the poor and the merciful and humble. Maybe they should seen these words were in red print in their bibles. The preacher said these were Jesus' word. Their response: we don't need that Jesus or words like that. Next time find other ones.
Sure we are all sheep as well as goats. Redeemed as well as sinners.
When we see and hear what is being launched around us since Jan. 20, to avoid, to skirt around, is not the way of the kingdom and Gospel.
We don't have to hold up names but we can join the great parade of martyrs, witnesses, from the very beginning.
Remember what Pastor Niemoller said, finally they came for me. Where was I all the time before. Bonhoeffer witnessed likewise.
As did numerous holy women and men in the church calendar.
Endorse candidates from the pulpit? Never. Proclaim Jesus' words, good news always.
(PS A very good fiend and priest was nearly driven out of her parish for simply preaching on the parables and healings in one of the lectionary years. She persisted.) As we must those of us called and ordained to shepherd both sheep and goats.
Bonhoeffer was clear - he did what he had to do, but he put himself under God's judgment, and did not expect that God would judge him kindly.
Jesus' death on the cross blew politics out of the water. I think that's clear. Jesus did not fight the unjust political systems of his day. He let them kill him.
I have been meditating in this quote from Walter Brueggemann’s The Prophetic Imagination:
Hope, on one hand, is an absurdity too embarrassing to speak about, for it flies in the face of all those claims we have been told are facts. Hope is the refusal to accept the reading of reality which is the majority opinion; and one does that only at great political and existential risk. On the other hand, hope is subversive, for it limits the grandiose pretension of the present, daring to announce that the present to which we have all made commitments is now called into question.
love this.
I’ve been trying to build a sort of lexicon for the times. One of my heroes has been Seamus Heaney, who somehow became a sort of poetic voice for Northern Ireland throughout the Troubles. You don’t find polemics against Protestants in his work but rather a deep interest in what it means to be Irish, what it means to come from a home that has both an Irish name and an English name. It is clear that the sort of fire and brimstone language of excoriation is not impressing anybody on the right, and also turning away bystanders. So it seems that we need to dig deep and find a more substantive language but also a fresh language. We need to identify cliches that are like liberal Christian taglines. We need to voice liberal shop talk. If we are to be good writers we need to show and not tell. Or at least. That’s the challenge I’ve given to myself.
I'm really glad you've taken up that challenge!
I find the work of getting past 'liberal Christian taglines' to be very laborious, indeed. I think we're all in need of your voice.
"Everyone thinks I expect them to love everybody, just because I love everybody," Jesus said. "But I am literally the only being in all the world that can love everybody--that's my thing. Anyone else who tries to love everybody usually ends up loving nobody. What people don't realize is, if even just once you truly, sincerely love someone--as if their soul were your own--that in itself is a blessing upon the world. It really only takes one. Do you understand?"
Amen.
Our job is to believe that Jesus love us, no matter what.
And he loves everyone else the same.
Appreciate this post and your insights. Such challenging times we live in…I’ve been pondering how theology shapes us…this piece is helpful.
thank you!
Practicing non-duality is difficult. We are so tempted to see things as “us and them, black and white, right and wrong, good and bad” rather than accepting everything as just what IS. We are playing God when we judge.
I agree.
I think the hardest thing Jesus calls us to is to love those who hate us. And I think we have to try and do that.
Well, I have to be honest. Politics is everywhere, affects everything. Aristotle said that. Jesus did not ignore politics. His death on the cross was political, the gospels make that clear. A couple years back Russell Moore published an AP essay talking about a classmate's being confronted by an angry group at a Baptist church after preaching on the Beatitudes. They demanded to know where the preacher got all the woke stuff about the poor and the merciful and humble. Maybe they should seen these words were in red print in their bibles. The preacher said these were Jesus' word. Their response: we don't need that Jesus or words like that. Next time find other ones.
Sure we are all sheep as well as goats. Redeemed as well as sinners.
When we see and hear what is being launched around us since Jan. 20, to avoid, to skirt around, is not the way of the kingdom and Gospel.
We don't have to hold up names but we can join the great parade of martyrs, witnesses, from the very beginning.
Remember what Pastor Niemoller said, finally they came for me. Where was I all the time before. Bonhoeffer witnessed likewise.
As did numerous holy women and men in the church calendar.
Endorse candidates from the pulpit? Never. Proclaim Jesus' words, good news always.
(PS A very good fiend and priest was nearly driven out of her parish for simply preaching on the parables and healings in one of the lectionary years. She persisted.) As we must those of us called and ordained to shepherd both sheep and goats.
I think we need to be very careful with this.
Bonhoeffer was clear - he did what he had to do, but he put himself under God's judgment, and did not expect that God would judge him kindly.
Jesus' death on the cross blew politics out of the water. I think that's clear. Jesus did not fight the unjust political systems of his day. He let them kill him.
And then he rose from the dead.