Archive for the ‘Xenophobia’ Tag
READING THE BOOK OF JOB
PART VII
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Job 18:1-19:29
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As I have already written, I have no interest in analyzing the Book of Job line by line. One can read books in which others have done that. I own some volumes of that sort. No, I choose to focus on the proverbial forest and to examine a few trees along the way.
My lens as I write this series of posts is intensely personal. I know the feeling when the bottom falls out of one’s life. I report two such periods. I know the feeling of wishing that I were dead, for that would be easier than continuing to live. Fortunately, I also know the presence of consoling people at such times.
So, I recoil in disgust at air bags such as Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. They are also full of something else, which I leave to your imagination, O reader. This is a family-rated weblog, after all. Such pneumatic individuals should not only be slow to speak, but silent. If they cannot say anything helpful, they ought to say nothing.
Instead, such wind bags–in this case, Bildad the Shuhite–torment Job. They gloat. They insult him. They are rude to a suffering, innocent man. They blame the victim. And they do so in the name of God.
Job has a relationship with God, whom he correctly blames for the plight. This complex relationship leads Job to rely on God as his Kinsman-Redeemer/Avenger/Vindicator (19:25). This is not a prediction of the resurrection of Jesus, despite the Christian tradition of reading Job 19:25 at and near Easter. No, this is an expectation that God will defend Job’s rights. God is Job’s only candidate to fulfill this role because the other relatives are dead, and the alleged friends are gas bags. And, on that day, the alleged friends will, ironically, suffer the judgment they have predicted will befall Job.
False certainty is dangerous. It harms the falsely certain person, inflicts damage on that person’s victims, and drives people away from God. In my culture, many people–especially young people–are rejecting organized religion. They perceive it as an instrument of intolerance and oppression, as well as a mechanism of control. They are partially correct; antisemitism, racism, homophobia, sexism, nativism, xenophobia and other sins find theological cover in many sectors of organized religion. These properly morally outraged critics ought not to reject organized religion entirely. No, they should reject only the segments of organized religion that practice these sins.
An Episcopal priest I know has a wonderful way of speaking to people who claim not to believe in God. Father Dann asks them to describe the God in whom they do not believe. Invariably, they describe a version of God in which he does not believe either.
That priest also says that if being a Christian were not an option, he would be a Jobite: God is.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 28, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE SECOND DAY OF ADVENT, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF SAINT STEPHEN THE YOUNGER, DEFENDER OF ICONS
THE FEAST OF ALBERT GEORGE BUTZER, SR., U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF KAMEHAMEHA IV AND EMMA ROOKE, KING AND QUEEN OF HAWAI’I
THE FEAST OF JAMES MILLS THOBURN, ISABELLA THOBURN, AND CLARA SWAIN, U.S. METHODIST MISSIONARIES TO INDIA
THE FEAST OF JOSEPH HOFER AND MICHAEL HOFER, U.S. HUTTERITE CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS AND MARTYRS, 1918
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Above: View of Nazareth (1842), by David Roberts
Image in the Public Domain
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READING LUKE-ACTS, PART IX
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Luke 4:14-30
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Each of the Synoptic Gospels includes an account of the rejection of Jesus at Nazareth. The three accounts are not identical, especially regarding when the audiences rejected Jesus. In this post, I focus on the Lucan account.
The version in the Gospel of Luke portrays Jesus as possessing not only the Holy Spirit (a Lucan motif) but scribal literacy, as well. The Gospel of Luke portrays Jesus as being able to read and to navigate a scroll that lacked chapter and verse numbers, and to find the passages he had in mind. (That is impressive!) The Jesus of Luke 4:18-19 read Isaiah 61:1-2 then Isaiah 58:6. (That is even more impressive!) Scribal literacy required much advanced education. Many scholars of the New Testament have debated how realistic this depiction of Jesus is.
That is a valid question, but not one I feel qualified to address conclusively. I would not be surprised to learn that St. Luke possessed scribal literacy, though.
The point of rejection in Luke 4:28 was Jesus citing divine blessings on Gentiles from the Hebrew Bible. What about this enraged the audience?
Interpretations vary:
- The rejection resulted from the villagers’ xenophobia and ethnocentrism.
- The rejection resulted from villagers resenting Jesus likening them to persecutors of old.
- The rejection resulted from Jesus’s refusal to provide his hometown with messianic blessings.
Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler, in The Jewish Annotated New Testament (2011), reject (1) and propose (3). They point out that Jews generally had positive relations with Gentiles and expected the redemption of righteous Gentiles (Zechariah 8:23). That may be so. However, I suppose that some Jews were ethnocentric and xenophobic. I am a citizen of the United States of America, a nation with a strong tradition of welcoming immigrants and another strong tradition of practicing xenophobia and Nativism. Jewish acceptance of righteous Gentiles (as elsewhere in the Gospel of Luke) need not rule out the ethnocentrism and xenophobia of certain Jews. Likewise, neither Judaism nor Christianity are legalistic religions when people practice them properly. Yet legalistic adherents, congregations, movements, and denominations of both religions exist.
The second interpretation on the list comes courtesy of Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke I-IX (1981), 538. That villagers resented Jesus likening them to persecutors of old may be accurate. Hearing negative comparisons rooted in the uncomfortable past angers people in the present day. In the United States of America, many White people continue to chafe against criticism of pro-slavery secessionists of 1861 while professing to reject race-based slavery, what Confederate Vice President Alexander Hamilton Stephens boasted in March 1861 was the “cornerstone” of the Confederacy.
The past is never dead. It’s not even past.
–William Faulkner
I also suggest that more than one motivation may have played out in the Lucan account.
Accepting the traditional Christian interpretation–xenophobia and ethnocentrism–need not lead one down the path of anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and ethnocentrism. Bigotry is a defense mechanism against dealing with one’s faults and failings anyway. Be honest with yourself, O reader. Do you not categorize some groups of people as being undesirable? If they were to receive extravagant grace, would you become enraged? Grace is scandalous; it does not discriminate.
Alternatively, how much of your identity is bound up with your ancestors? If you learn that they were total bastards, does that anger you and threaten your ego? If so, why? You are not your ancestors. Recall the previous post in this series. God should be the source of your identity. You are one of the apples of God’s eyes.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 25, 2021 COMMON ERA
CHRISTMAS DAY
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Above: Nahum
Image in the Public Domain
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READING NAHUM, PART IV
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Nahum 3:1-19
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I recommend reading the Book of Nahum aloud. Choose a translation or translations with fine literary quality, O reader. Why should the Bible not function as high literature, as well as scripture?
The vivid imagery of Nahum 3:1-19 is disturbing.
- It describes the massacre of civilians in Nineveh. The targeting of civilians in warfare should disturb anyone.
- The cultural lens of mysogyny in verse 13 (“Truly, the troops within you are women….”) would do more than raise eyebrows in more churches if the Revised Common Lectionary included Nahum 3:13. Without being a cultural reactionary and a mysogynist, I read such passages through the lens of historical analysis. A given text includes the words it includes, in a particular set of contexts. I interpret within those contexts. Ancient texts may not reflect contemporary sensibilities. I cannot change this reality.
I can and do read through ancient mysogyny and the explicit metaphors of sexual shaming. They exist throughout the Bible. I argue with those cultural assumptions, but I do not alter the texts to suit my sensibilities. I take greater umbrage to the slaughter of civilians. Nahum 1-3 tell us that God approved of the slaughter of civilians in Nineveh in 612 B.C.E. I accept that the texts tell me this, but I disagree with the texts.
Jennifer Wright Knust, a theology professor, a minister in the American Baptist Churches USA, and the author of Unprotected Texts: The Bible’s Surprising Contradictions about Sex and Desire (2011), made a cogent point during an interview with Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) Radio years ago. Knust spoke of perceiving an unfortunate tendency in some of her students. They affirmed ideas they would otherwise consider repugnant if they did not believe that the Bible supported these ideas.
High regard for scripture is fine, abstractly. It can be fine in application. High regard for scripture can, however, easily turn into a slippery slope toward disobeying the Golden Rule. Consider the long and shameful historical record of parts of the Church quoting the Bible to bolster slavery, racism, racial segregation, economic exploitation, mysogyny, nativism, xenophobia, and homophobia, O reader. Sadly, much of this remains in the present tense. Many devout Christians justify the unjustifiable partially out of high regard for scripture.
Sometimes the faithful response is to argue against a text. Does this passage violate the Golden Rule? If so, how should one, the Church, whatever–interpret this passage?
The Book of Nahum concludes on an ironic note. “Nahum” means “comfort” or “consolation.” Yet there is nobody to console Nineveh (3:7). 3:19 offers no pity:
There is no healing for your hurt,
and your wound is fatal.
All who hear this news of you
clap their hands over you;
For who has not suffered
under your endless malice?”
—The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.
Thank you, O reader, for joining me on this journey through the Book of Nahum. I invite you to continue with me as I move along to my next destination, the Book of Habakkuk.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 5, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT DOROTHEUS OF TYRE, BISHOP OF TYRE, AND MARTYR, CIRCA 362
THE FEAST OF BLISS WIANT, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER, MISSIONARY, MUSICIAN, MUSIC EDUCATOR, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR, ARRANGER, AND HARMONIZER; AND HIS WIFE, MILDRED ARTZ WIANT, U.S. METHODIST MISSIONARY, MUSICIAN, MUSIC EDUCATOR, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF INI KOPURIA, FOUNDER OF THE MELANESIAN BROTHERHOOD
THE FEAST OF MAURICE BLONDEL, FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLIC PHILOSOPHER AND FORERUNNER OF THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL
THE FEAST OF ORLANDO GIBBONS, ANGLICAN ORGANIST AND COMPOSER; THE “ENGLISH PALESTRINA”
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THE QUEST FOR FALSE SIGNIFICANCE IS A FORM OF IDOLATRY.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, “Master, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in; or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison, and come to see you?” “In solemn truth I tell you,” the King will answer them, “that inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these, my brothers, you had done it unto me.”
–Matthew 25:37-40, Helen Barrett Montgomery, the Centenary Translation of the New Testament (1924)
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And lo, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.
–Luke 13:30, Helen Barrett Montgomery, the Centenary Translation of the New Testament (1924)
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The ethics and morals of Jesus of Nazareth shape my ethics and morals. I am a professing Christian, after all.
The increase in political extremism defined by hatred, xenophobia, nativism, and conspiracy theories concerns me deeply. This is a global problem. As one hears in this video clip, the “quest for significance” is one of the “pillars of radicalization.”
We are dealing with idolatry. Sin, in Augustinian terms, is disordered love. God deserves the most love. Many people, activities, ideas, et cetera, deserve lesser amounts of love. Others deserve no love. To love that which one should not love or to love someone or something more than one ought to do is to deny some love to God. One bears the image of God. One is, therefore, worthy of much love. In fact, Judaism and Christianity teach that one has a moral obligation to love others as one loves oneself, assuming that one loves oneself as one should (Leviticus 19:18; Tobit 4:15; Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 31:15; Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31). After all, the other human beings also bear the image of God. Judaism and Christianity also teach people to love God fully, and link love of God and love of other people (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Matthew 22:36-40). Therefore, true significance comes from loving God fully and loving God, as God is present in human beings, especially the “least of these.”
Two stories from 1 Maccabees pertain to my theme.
In 1 Maccabees 5:55-64, two Hasmonean military commanders named Zechariah and Azariah sought to make a name for themselves. They succeeded; they caused military defeat and won ignominy to define their names. However, in 1 Maccabees 6:42-47, Eleazar Avaran acted selflessly, in defense of his oppressed people and the Law of Moses. He died and won an honored name from his people. Those who sought honor earned disgrace. He who sacrificed himself gained honor.
I could quote or mention a plethora of Biblical verses and passages about the folly of seeking false significance. The Bible has so many of them because of the constancy of human nature. I could quote or mention more verses and passages, but to do so would be triply redundant.
Simply, true human significance comes from God, compared to whom we are all insignificant. That significance comes from bearing the image of God. The sooner more of us accept that truth, the better off the rest of us will be. The social, societal, economic, and political costs of the quest for false significance to extremely high.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 24, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT MATTHIAS THE APOSTLE, MARTYR
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Above: Za’atri Refugee Camp for Syrian Refugees, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, July 18, 2013
Image in the Public Domain
Image Source = United States Department of State
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalm 126
Philippians 4:4-9
John 6:25-35
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All we have comes from God. The Biblical ethic of mutuality begins here. It continues by teaching that we are all responsible to and for each other. We, therefore, have no right to exploit or victimize anyone.
These texts take us–you, O reader, and me–into the realm of collective responsibility. That gets us into laws, policies, and politics. Deuteronomy 26 points to immigrants and refugees, in particular. Nativism and xenophobia are not proper Biblical values, but they are staples of many laws and policies (especially immigration laws and policies) and much political activity. This constitutes a violation of the Golden Rule.
Philippians 4 offers wonderful communal advice. Christian toleration (not of evil, of course) should be a defining characteristic of faith community and society. People ought to fill their minds with that which is noble, good, and pure.
Repaying God for all the blessings God has bestowed is impossible. God does not command repayment, fortunately. A faithful response is in order, though. Gratitude is part of that faithful response. One may properly express that gratitude in more than one way. Words and thoughts of “thank you” are appropriate. Participation in corporate worship, when possible and when responsible, according to public health concerns, is crucial, also. Keeping divine commandments is a mandated expression of love for God in both Testaments. And both Testaments teach that love for God and love for our fellow human beings are intertwined.
So, how grateful are we, collectively and individually? And how many types of people are we willing to love in the name of God? Furthermore, how politically controversial will living according to the Golden Rule be?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 3, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANSKAR AND RIMBERT, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOPS OF HAMBURG-BREMEN
THE FEAST OF ADELAIDE ANNE PROCTER, ENGLISH POET AND FEMINIST
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALFRED DELP, GERMAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1945
THE FEAST OF JEMIMA THOMPSON LUKE, ENGLISH CONGREGATIONALIST HYMN WRITER; AND JAMES EDMESTON, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAMUEL DAVIES, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2021/02/03/devotion-for-thanksgiving-day-u-s-a-year-d-humes/
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Above: Icon of Christ Pantocrator
Scan by Kenneth Randolph Taylor
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Jeremiah 33:14-16
Psalm 100
Hebrews 13:1-16, 20-21
John 17:1-26
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How can people live in faith community? Certain details vary according to when and where a given faith community lives, as well as who comprises it. However, Hebrews 13 provides essential guidance for how to live the John 17,
that they will all be one,
just as Jesus and YHWH are one. I choose not to copy or paraphrase all of Hebrews 13:1-16, 20-21. I encourage you, O reader, to study that text instead.
I do have some comments, though. The instructions are representative, not comprehensive. They boil down to this summary: Honor the image of God in one another. This is the essence of compassion, which begins by getting outside of oneself.
The Church has a bad name in many quarters. A certain bumper sticker reads,
JESUS, SAVE ME FROM YOUR FOLLOWERS.
Many non-Christians think of Christians as being non-judgmental. To be honest, many Christians associate Christianity with right-wing politics, Nativism, xenophobia, fascism, nationalism, and discredited conspiracy theories. To be honest, many self-identifying Christians embrace at least one of the following: right-wing politics, Nativism, xenophobia, fascism, nationalism, and discredited conspiracy theories. One may even think of Falangism, which is Christian fascism, as in Francisco Franco’s Spain. The contemporary fascist movement in the United States of America does come wrapped in the American flag and the Christian cross. Many of the Church’s wounds are self-inflicted injuries. The proper Christian response to these criticisms is to avoid defensiveness and to live the faith as Jesus taught it.
We of the Church can learn much from our critics. Some of them may know the ethics and morals of Jesus better than many of us do. The Holy Spirit may be speaking to the Church through some of the Church’s critics.
Christ is the King of the Universe. Many of his subjects on Earth are not in the Church. Likewise, many of the members of the Church are not Christ’s subjects. The Gospel of Mark teaches that many who think they are insiders are really outsiders, and vice versa. That lesson functions simultaneously as warning and comfort.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
FEBRUARY 3, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANSKAR AND RIMBERT, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOPS OF HAMBURG-BREMEN
THE FEAST OF ADELAIDE ANNE PROCTER, ENGLISH POET AND FEMINIST
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALFRED DELP, GERMAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1945
THE FEAST OF JEMIMA THOMPSON LUKE, ENGLISH CONGREGATIONALIST HYMN WRITER; AND JAMES EDMESTON, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAMUEL DAVIES, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2021/02/03/devotion-for-christ-the-king-sunday-year-d-humes/
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Above: The Last Judgment, by Fra Angelico
Image in the Public Domain
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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Genesis 19:1-26 or Ruth 3
Psalm 142
Revelation 20:11-15
John 14:15-31
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NSFW Alert: “Feet” in Ruth 3 are not feet. No, they are genitals. The Hebrew Bible contains euphemisms. In the case of Ruth 3, we have a scene that is unfit for inclusion in a book of Bible stories for children.
The Reverend Jennifer Wright Knust offers this analysis of the Book of Ruth:
To the writer of Ruth, family can consist of an older woman and her beloved immigrant daughter-in-law, women can easily raise children on their own, and men can be seduced if it serves the interests of women.
—Unprotected Texts: The Bible’s Surprising Contractions About Sex and Desire (2011), 33
Speaking or writing of interpretations you may have read or heard, O reader, I turn to Genesis 19. Open an unabridged concordance of the Bible and look for “Sodom.” Then read every verse listed. You will find that the dominant criticism of the people of Sodom was that they were arrogant and inhospitable. The willingness to commit gang rape against angels, men, and women seems inhospitable to me.
The author of Psalm 142 described the current human reality. That author descried Christ’s reality in John 14:15-31. Christ was about to die terribly. Yet that same Christ was victorious in Revelation 20.
The standard of judgment in Revelation 20:14 may scandalize many Protestants allergic to any hint of works-based righteousness:
…and every one was judged according to the way in which he had lived.
—The Jerusalem Bible (1966)
This is not a new standard in the Bible. It exists in the Hebrew Bible. Matthew 25:31-46 its people over the head, so to speak, with this standard. The Letter of James keeps hitting people over the head with it for five chapters. Deeds reveal creeds. The standard of divine judgment in Revelation 20:14 makes sense to me.
So, what do I believe? What are my creeds? What are your creeds, really? I refer not to theological abstractions, but to lived faith. Theological abstractions matter, too. (I am not a Pietist.) Yet lived faith matters more. Do we live according to the love of God? God seems to approve of doing that. Do we hate? God seems to disapprove of doing that.
As St. Paul the Apostle insisted, faith and works are a package deal. The definition of faith in the Letter of James differs from the Pauline definition. Faith in James is intellectual. Therefore, joining faith with works is essential, for faith without works is dead. In Pauline theology, however, faith includes works. If one understands all this, one scotches any allegation that the Letter of James contradicts Pauline epistles.
Deeds reveal creeds. If we value one another, we will act accordingly. If we recognize immigrants as people who bear the image of God, we will resist the temptation of xenophobia, et cetera. Knowing how to act properly on our creeds may prove challenging sometimes. Practical consideration may complicate matters. Political actions may or may not be the most effective methods to pursue.
By grace, may we–collectively and individually–act properly, so that our deeds may reveal our creeds, to the glory of God and for the benefit of our fellow human beings.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 28, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALBERT THE GREAT AND HIS PUPIL, SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS, ROMAN CATHOLIC THEOLOGIANS
THE FEAST OF DANIEL J. SIMUNDSON, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER AND BIBLICAL SCHOLAR
THE FEAST OF HENRY AUGUSTINE COLLINS, ANGLICAN THEN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF JOSEPH BARNBY, ANGLICAN CHURCH MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF SOMERSET CORRY LOWRY, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
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Adapted from this post:
https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2021/01/28/devotion-for-proper-24-year-d-humes/
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Above: Jerusalem at the Time of Nehemiah
Image in the Public Domain
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READING 2 KINGS 22-25, 1 ESDRAS, 2 CHRONICLES 34-36, EZRA, AND NEHEMIAH
PART XX
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Nehemiah 13:1-31
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There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her;
she shall not be overthrown;
God shall help her at the break of day.
The nations make much ado, and the kingdoms are shaken;
God has spoken, and the earth shall melt away.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
–Psalm 46:5-8, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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This chapter contains separate elements. I will write about each one in order.
13:1-3, pertaining to the ban against intermarrying with Ammonites, contains allusions to Deuteronomy 23:3-5 and Numbers 22-24. One may also look forward to Ezra 9-10. Perhaps one mistakes such an order for xenophobia. Yet, if one reads the Hebrew Bible and notices how after intermarriage with Gentiles (with their own gods) led to national idolatry. Then perhaps one will understand the reason for the ban.
The events of 13:4-9 predated those of 13:1-3. (Consistent chronology is not the organizing principle in Nehemiah.) Housing trouble-maker Tobiah (from the readings for the previous post in this series) in the Temple was a terrible idea. Evicting Tobiah and purifying the rooms was necessary and proper.
Restoring the distribution of the means of supporting the Levites was also crucial.
The Sabbath is a day of essential rest. The Sabbath is an indication of freedom. The Sabbath is a gift.
Old, bad habits are difficult to break. Human beings are creatures of habit. May we nurture good habits.
Literally, the Book of Nehemiah ends with 13:31. However, given that consistent chronology is not the organizing principle of Nehemiah, we will proceed chronologically to 9:38-10:39.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
AUGUST 11, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT GREGORY THAUMATURGUS, ROMAN CATHOLIC OF NEOCAESAREA; AND ALEXANDER OF COMONA, “THE CHARCOAL BURNER,” ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR, 252, AND BISHOP OF COMANA, PONTUS
THE FEAST OF SAINT EQUITIUS OF VALERIA, BENEDICTINE ABBOT AND FOUNDER OF MONASTERIES
THE FEAST OF MATTHIAS LOY, U.S. LUTHERAN MINISTER, EDUCATOR, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR’ AND CONRAD HERMANN LOUIS SCHUETTE, GERMAN-AMERICAN LUTHERAN MINISTER, EDUCATOR, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT MAURICE TORNAY, SWISS ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, MISSIONARY TO TIBET, AND MARTYR, 1949
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Above: Cain after Abel’s Murder
Image in the Public Domain
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A CALL FOR MUTUALITY IN SOCIETIES AND POLITICS
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“Am I my brother’s guardian?”
–Cain, to YHWH, in Genesis 4:9, The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
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Principles matter. One of these vital principles is the high value of human life.
Wishful thinking will imperil, not save, us from Coronavirus/COVID-19. All of us–from average citizens to world leaders–must act for the common good. Necessary and proper actions may be more than inconvenient; they may involve sacrifice. Good choices are scarce at best and absent at worst these days. Given bad options, individuals, families, communities, leaders, societies, et cetera, need to act according to the least bad options in a woefully imperfect world. Perhaps, then, we will not make a bad situation worse, and may improve it, in time.
I lower the boom, rhetorically, on all irresponsible people. These include politicians who contradict medical and public health experts who are following the data. Governments must not, for example, ease restrictions prematurely. To do so would make a bad situation worse. These irresponsible people also include individuals who disregard social distancing rules and have “Coronavirus parties,” for example. Other irresponsible people include college and university presidents and chancellors who permit students back on campus prematurely.
I understand the desire to return to life as it was. That, however, is a form of wishful thinking. Reality is harsh; we cannot return to life as it was. Even after this pandemic has ended, we will not return to life as it was. Whenever that time will arrive, may it find us–as individuals, families, communities, leaders, societies, et cetera–better than we were before the pandemic started. May we think more about our responsibilities to and for each other, and how much we depend on each other and on God. May we have a stronger sense that, when we keep any segment of the population “in its place,” we harm the whole. May we be faster to eschew all bigotry, especially racism, xenophobia, and nativism, and to realize that we, as people, have more in common than not. May we adjust our economies in ways that are necessary and proper to adapt to the new reality and to decrease poverty. And may we, collectively, hold leaders and ourselves to a higher standard relative to the common good and replace those we ought to replace.
We all belong to God and each other, after all.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 25, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
THE FEAST OF SAINT DISMAS, PENITENT BANDIT
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Adapted from this post:
https://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2020/03/25/perilous-times/
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Above: King Manasseh
Image in the Public Domain
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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2 Chronicles 33:1-13 or Joshua 20
Psalm 81
Ephesians 5:1-20
Luke 6:17-26
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Ephesians 4:25 (from the previous post in this series) provides essential context for all these readings, not just Ephesians 5:1-20.
Then have done with falsehood and speak the truth to each other, for we belong to one another as parts of one body.
–Ephesians 4:25, The Revised English Bible (1989)
All of us can change and need grace. Even the most wicked person can revere course. Those who commit crimes unwittingly (see Joshua 20) differ from those who do so purposefully. Mercy does not negate all consequences for actions, but mercy is present, fortunately. All of us ought to be at home in the light of God and to act accordingly, as Ephesians 5:1-20 details. Alas, not all of us are at home in that light, hence the woes following the Beatitudes in Luke 6.
I live in a topsy-turvy society glorifies the targets of Lukan woes and further afflicts–sometimes even criminalizes–the targets of Lukan Beatitudes. I live in a society in which the advice from Ephesians 5:1-20 is sorely needed. I read these verses and think,
So much for the most of the Internet and much of television, radio, and social media!
I do not pretend, however, that a golden age ever existed. No, I know better than that. We have degenerated in many ways, though, compared to previous times. We have also improved in other ways. All in all, we remain well below the high standard God has established.
How does one properly live into his or divine calling in a politically divided and dangerous time, when even objective reality is a topic for political dispute? Racist, nativisitic, and xenophobic and politically expedient conspiracy theories about Coronavirus/COVID-19 continue to thrive. Some members of the United States Congress continue to dismiss the threat this pandemic poses. How does one properly live into one’s divine calling in such a context? I do not know. Each person has a limit of how much poison one can consume before spiritual toxicity takes its toll? Is dropping out the best strategy? Perhaps not, but it does entail less unpleasantness and strife.
May we listen to and follow God’s call to us, both individually and collectively. May we function as agents of individual and collective healing, justice, and reconciliation. We do, after all, belong to one another as parts of one body.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 20, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SEBASTIAN CASTELLIO, PROPHET OF RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
THE FEAST OF CHRISTOPHER WORDSWORTH, HYMN WRITER AND ANGLICAN BISHOP OF LINCOLN
THE FEAST OF ELLEN GATES STARR, U.S. EPISCOPALIAN THEN ROMAN CATHOLIC SOCIAL ACTIVIST AND REFORMER
THE FEAST OF SAINT MARIA JOSEFA SANCHO DE GUERRA, FOUNDRESS OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE SERVANTS OF JESUS
THE FEAST OF SAMUEL RODIGAST, GERMAN LUTHERAN ACADEMIC AND HYMN WRITER
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Adapted from this post:
https://adventchristmasepiphany.wordpress.com/2020/03/20/devotion-for-the-seventh-sunday-after-the-epiphany-year-c-humes/
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https://ordinarytimedevotions.wordpress.com/2020/03/20/devotion-for-proper-5-year-c-humes/
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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