1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11), 22-30, 41-43
There are certain fundamentalist Christian groups that eagerly anticipate the rebuilding of Solomon's temple in Jerusalem. It's not that they want to see the Jewish sacrificial system reinstated; far from it. They simply believe--wrongly--that the building of the temple will somehow trigger the end times and the return of Christ, or at least that the physical existence of the temple is a necessary prerequisite for Christ's return. Such Christians seem to long for Armageddon, the final battle that they see occurring between the forces of good/God and the forces of evil/Satan. No longer a harmless fringe group, these people have access to the very highest offices in the land, including the Oval Office. Fortunately, the president and others around him have so far resisted the calls of the most radical of his supporters, at least on certain extreme matters, but who knows what will happen in the future? Solomon's temple was originally built to be the dwelling place of God, though the biblical account indicates that Solomon was too wise to imagine that God could be contained in such a structure. Nevertheless, the temple was an important symbol, an imposing monument to God's promise to dwell with the faithful. In the New Testament, Paul says that our bodies are the temple of God (1 Corinthians 6:19). 1 Peter says that the Christian community is a temple of living stones (1 Peter 2:5). But even the church as a whole cannot contain God, so the world, and ultimately the entire universe is the dwelling place of God (Psalm 24:1). A corollary of this principle is that God's presence in the world sanctifies it and makes it special. Human life is precious, and Christians should never be anxious to shed blood for any reason, much less to goad God into acting--as if God would respond to attempted human coercion.
For another discussion of this passage, click here.
All God-talk is anthropomorphic. It can help but be, since it is we humans (anthropoi in Greek) who are doing the talking. When we imagine God, we usually visualize a human form, engaged in some activity. Is God sitting on his throne? Is God standing to oversee the divine dominions? The psalmist suggests a somewhat different picture of God. God is down on hands and knees gazing at the righteous. God is cocking an ear to hear their cry. Only when God sees that evil is being done does God stand up and oppose (set his face against) evildoers. Too often people think that God isn't concerned about what goes on in the world, that they can get away with murder, sometimes literally. However, the psalmist says that God doesn't just glance casually at the planet, God gazes intently. Furthermore, God is specifically concerned about a particular group of people, called here the righteous or brokenhearted. These people are further described as servants of God. Lest all who have a notion that they are God's servants claim this verse as the promise of God's protection, even while engaged in clearly evil activities, they should remember that the "righteous" in the psalms are those who are poor and oppressed, not those who use their strength to terrorize or wreak havoc on others. The people who clamber the loudest about being God's servants are sometimes the greatest opponents of God, because their actions dishonor God and drive people away from God. As Christians, we must always side with those who are suffering unjustly because of the whims of the powerful, regardless of the supposed motivations of the latter.
I had foot surgery a few weeks ago, and the swelling in my foot has just now subsided enough that I'm able to wear shoes. After three weeks on crutches and an equal amount of time wearing a big plastic boot, I'm happy to be back in regular shoes once again. Today's reading from Ephesians contains a list of the armor of God that every Christian is supposed to wear. The martial language is unfortunate in today's climate, since so many Christians have abandoned Jesus' example of nonviolent resistance to evil. Nevertheless, we can still learn something from this passage, if we will remember to take it in the context of first century Christianity, which was a politically powerless socio-religious movement. My own medical situation caused me to pay particular attention to verse 15, "As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace." I like this translation from the NRSV, because it emphasizes the importance of preparation in an important endeavor. What might make a person ready to proclaim the gospel of peace? First, we have to have the spirit of peacemakers, not warmongers, and not even casual, uninterested observers. When we hear of conflicts occurring somewhere in the world, our strong predilection should be for a solution that avoids violence. The attitude that says that we should "bomb our enemies back to the Stone Age" is the very antithesis of Christianity. Second, we have to understand the world we live in, the people involved in the conflict and their histories, and the resources available to resolve the conflict. We can't rely on the news media for all our information, especially those that are owned by corporations with their own economic interests in play. We have to learn to read between the lines of news reports, to listen for what is not said, and to see through smokescreens to get at the kernel of the truth. Third, we have to be committed to the idea that peace in this world really is good news for everyone. It's true that war sometimes brings certain people and corporations obscene profits, and that fact is obscene it itself. War is always a tragedy, and if no one ever profited from a war, a lot fewer would be fought. Finally, we need to remember that the purpose of shoes is to help us travel from one place to another, in this case to announce the gospel of peace. We won't achieve peace by wishful thinking or even quiet reflection. We have to get up and move if we want to do our part to bring peace to the world. Maybe that means marching in a peace rally. Maybe it means speaking to students about the Christian position on war and peace. Maybe it means writing letters to the editor of your local newspaper standing up for peace and justice. Whatever it may mean for each individual, we also need to remember that peacemaking is a group effort. No one person can accomplish it alone, and we should support others who are championing the cause of peace in different ways than we are, for their struggle is our struggle, and the goal is simple: peace on earth.
For another discussion of this passage, click here.
Three Mexican fisherman were rescued this week after spending nine months adrift in the Pacific Ocean in a fishing boat that had run out of gas. Two of their colleagues, including the owner of the boat, died during the ordeal, but the surviving fishermen strongly denied rumors of cannibalism that began to circulate as a possible explanation for their survival. Cannibalism has long been a taboo in most of the world's cultures. Jesus' words about his disciples "eating his flesh" and "drinking his blood" were metaphorical, of course, but they were clearly intended to shock people. Although later opponents of Christianity occasionally accused them of literal cannibalism, this charge was not current when the Gospel of John was written. The shock that Jesus' words sent through his hearers with these words caused many to turn away and abandon him. His faithful twelve disciples remained with him, as did others, but the implication in John is that they were in the minority. Is there anything about the gospel message today that would cause people to turn away, and if so, do we really want to discourage people from becoming Christians? The answer to the first questions is that there are indeed often certain aspects of Christianity that repel people, but more often than not it is the hypocrisy and prejudice of individual Christians that turn people off. People tend to find Jesus himself quite compelling, even if Christians are not. Some versions of the Christian message, such as the health and wealth gospel, are a clear attraction for people today who desire material possessions, so more authentic forms of Christianity that talk about the sacrifice that often accompanies the Christian on his or her journey sometimes turns people away. Forms of Christianity that elevate nationalism to the chief virtue and put flag and cross on an equal basis attract many people as well, so more authentic forms of Christianity that ask critical questions about the role of governments, even the governments of those nations in which many Christians are citizens, often turn people away. Forms of Christianity that claim to have all the answers to the tough questions of life are attractive to many people, so more honest forms of Christianity, in which leaders acknowledge the limitations of their knowledge about God and God's will, sometimes turn people off. As progressive Christians, we are called to articulate and incarnate an honest, authentic form of Christianity. It will be attractive to many people, but we must be prepared for the idea that other will reject it for one reason or another. That's OK, as long as we continue to point people to the live and work of Jesus Christ, who alone has the words of eternal life.
For another discussion of this passage, click here.