Scriptural Basis
Leviticus 19:1-2,15-18 (NRSV)
Matthew 22:34-46 (NRSV)
Blog Reflection
I once read the story of a woman. She was the wife of a man, and was very happy for many years. One night her husband was killed in a car accident. While she was at her husbands wake, she was greeted by a woman who was crying bitterly about the widow's husband. Over the course of their conversation, the widow learned that the woman who was so destroyed had been sleeping with her husband and expecting a child that she conceived from their relationship. In spite of the widow's grief, upon hearing this news, as confused and angry as she was, she chose to become best friends with the woman expecting a child. She was even present when the woman gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She helped the woman take care of the baby. She often baby sat while the mother worked. Later on, she drove the child to school on several occasions. The widow, the mother and the child were inseparable through out the child's life.
Over time, the relationship between the two women got deeper and in fact they fell in love. They bonded and became life long partners and raised the child right into adulthood. They later applied for a marriage license and they were turned down, because their State does not recognize same-sex relationships.
Eventually the daughter fell in love with a man who was a Catholic. He proposed and she accepted. However, when they went to the local Parish to arrange their wedding, they informed the Priest that the bride to be's parents were two mom's and she told him the story of her biological fathers death and the bond between the women. The Priest informed the Bride to be that she could indeed be married in the church, but she could not claim both of her mother's as her parents. She was crushed and then engaged couple decided to get married in a different church where the bride's two moms would not be excluded from the wedding ceremony and the proceedings.
While the daughter, her fiance and her two mom's were getting acquainted. Her fiance asked the two mom's what was it that made the widow over look the adulterous affair between her late husband and her wife that eventually led to their relationship. The widow answered: "It was because of love. We were told by God that we are to love God, our neighbor and ourselves. Rather than be angry and hate this wonderful woman, I decided it was a more important decision to love her. And love her I did and I definitely do."
I tell this story to illustrate what our Liturgy of the Word is about. We can argue all day about whether God is male or female. We can read all the theological treatises about the Immaculate Conception or whether the bread at Communion is really the Body and Blood of Christ because of transubstantiation, consubstantiation or whether it is just a symbol. While I love a good brain frying conversation about the deepest questions in the Christian religion, in the end they mean nothing if we cannot understand that the love of God, neighbor and ourselves is the core meaning of what it means to be called a Christian.
Paul said as much in his first letter to the Corinthians 13, but to illustrate what I said in the paragraph above I want to just use verses 1 to 3.
Over the past month we have seen what happens when corporate greed takes the place of loving our neighbor as ourselves. The many protesters in the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York and all over the country and the world, is a call to recognize that money out of control destroys real human lives. When the top 1% earns more than 10 middle class families combined, and keeps using their money to destroy the public funding for health care, consumer protections, public assistance, education, job creation and more, the lives of the 99% are affected in ways that cannot be completely understood.
When States like Arizona and Alabama pass immigration laws that punish "illegals" (and what a terrible word) by either profiling them or making it a crime for them to bath, there is no love of God, neighbor or self there. That is nothing more than selfishness and bias at work.
When Republican candidates for President campaign suggesting that dealing with LGBT people and keeping us from equal rights, is akin to delivering the slaves in the south, there is no love there. That is hate and "religion disguised as politics" (Frank Schaffer).
In his blog post: "So Why Did Jesus Refuse to Condemn Gay Folks?" Fr. Paul Bresnahan wrote:
Leviticus 19:1-2,15-18 (NRSV)
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.
You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the LORD.
You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
Matthew 22:34-46 (NRSV)
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "`You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: "What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David." He said to them, "How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying,
`The Lord said to my Lord,
"Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet"'?
If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?" No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.
Blog Reflection
I once read the story of a woman. She was the wife of a man, and was very happy for many years. One night her husband was killed in a car accident. While she was at her husbands wake, she was greeted by a woman who was crying bitterly about the widow's husband. Over the course of their conversation, the widow learned that the woman who was so destroyed had been sleeping with her husband and expecting a child that she conceived from their relationship. In spite of the widow's grief, upon hearing this news, as confused and angry as she was, she chose to become best friends with the woman expecting a child. She was even present when the woman gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She helped the woman take care of the baby. She often baby sat while the mother worked. Later on, she drove the child to school on several occasions. The widow, the mother and the child were inseparable through out the child's life.
Over time, the relationship between the two women got deeper and in fact they fell in love. They bonded and became life long partners and raised the child right into adulthood. They later applied for a marriage license and they were turned down, because their State does not recognize same-sex relationships.
Eventually the daughter fell in love with a man who was a Catholic. He proposed and she accepted. However, when they went to the local Parish to arrange their wedding, they informed the Priest that the bride to be's parents were two mom's and she told him the story of her biological fathers death and the bond between the women. The Priest informed the Bride to be that she could indeed be married in the church, but she could not claim both of her mother's as her parents. She was crushed and then engaged couple decided to get married in a different church where the bride's two moms would not be excluded from the wedding ceremony and the proceedings.
While the daughter, her fiance and her two mom's were getting acquainted. Her fiance asked the two mom's what was it that made the widow over look the adulterous affair between her late husband and her wife that eventually led to their relationship. The widow answered: "It was because of love. We were told by God that we are to love God, our neighbor and ourselves. Rather than be angry and hate this wonderful woman, I decided it was a more important decision to love her. And love her I did and I definitely do."
I tell this story to illustrate what our Liturgy of the Word is about. We can argue all day about whether God is male or female. We can read all the theological treatises about the Immaculate Conception or whether the bread at Communion is really the Body and Blood of Christ because of transubstantiation, consubstantiation or whether it is just a symbol. While I love a good brain frying conversation about the deepest questions in the Christian religion, in the end they mean nothing if we cannot understand that the love of God, neighbor and ourselves is the core meaning of what it means to be called a Christian.
Paul said as much in his first letter to the Corinthians 13, but to illustrate what I said in the paragraph above I want to just use verses 1 to 3.
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Over the past month we have seen what happens when corporate greed takes the place of loving our neighbor as ourselves. The many protesters in the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York and all over the country and the world, is a call to recognize that money out of control destroys real human lives. When the top 1% earns more than 10 middle class families combined, and keeps using their money to destroy the public funding for health care, consumer protections, public assistance, education, job creation and more, the lives of the 99% are affected in ways that cannot be completely understood.
When States like Arizona and Alabama pass immigration laws that punish "illegals" (and what a terrible word) by either profiling them or making it a crime for them to bath, there is no love of God, neighbor or self there. That is nothing more than selfishness and bias at work.
When Republican candidates for President campaign suggesting that dealing with LGBT people and keeping us from equal rights, is akin to delivering the slaves in the south, there is no love there. That is hate and "religion disguised as politics" (Frank Schaffer).
In his blog post: "So Why Did Jesus Refuse to Condemn Gay Folks?" Fr. Paul Bresnahan wrote:
Jesus insisted the we “Love one another” too. He didn’t just make that up because that was his opinion. No indeed! He selected one half of one verse from an obscure place in the book of Leviticus of all books to make his summary proclamation. “You shall love your neighbor as you do yourself. (Leviticus 19:18b)
With all the laws in Leviticus, why would Jesus pick this one. He could have chosen a whole host of other laws to condemn a whole host of people. Not Jesus! Instead he chose that one tiny law that has made all the difference then and continues to do so now.Jesus was confronted by tiresome biblical literalists then as many of us still are. Somehow there were always Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, and Doctors of the Law all conspiring to find a pretext to have Jesus done away with. They always seem to want to catch him in his words. I can sympathize with Jesus here.The same literalists keep showing up. And there always seems to be a note of judgmentalism among this crowd. They always want to find a good reason to condemn people.
Fr. Paul is correct. When Jesus was confronted by the Biblical literalists of his time, he did not begin with a long list of "do not's." Jesus did not call for a new Bible to be written either. He went back to the very heart of the Jewish Religion and said that the most important thing is to love God, neighbor and self.
Fr. Paul concluded his post with:
Jesus is a marvel. He knew that the most difficult thing is also the most simple. Love God, Love your neighbor. Love yourself.All three of these great loves are a marvel of challenge to a spirit that is fully alive to God.
So now I put this to you. Are you ready to love God? If you think you are, you may also have to love your neighbor, and that will include folks you may find difficult to love. Who said following Jesus was going to be easy. His first followers had to give their very lives for folks who were difficult to love.Ultimately you will also need to love yourself. You will need to abound in forgiveness for yourself and everyone else. If you think you’re up to it, then you may follow Jesus.If you don’t feel you are up to it, you may still follow Jesus. When you find yourself unable to love, Jesus will remain constant, immovable, and always standing on the cross, extending his loving arms, so that everyone may come within his saving embrace.
That famous song: "All We Need is Love" seems to be full of truth. When we are confronted with such an idea, we might want to remind ourselves of where have we heard that before?
Prayers
Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 25, Book of Common Prayer, page 235).
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within reach of your saving embrace. So clothe us in yoru Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, page 101).
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.(Book of Common Prayer, page 833).
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