Scriptural Basis
2 Corinthians 4:1-12 (NRSV)
Blog Reflection
There are many things I do not like about The Message Bible. It really lacks inclusive language at times, and it is quite anti-semitic.
So to any of my Jewish sisters and brothers, I ask your pardon today. I in no way condone anti-semitism.
Sometimes the way The Message Bible reads certain things in particular ways is very helpful for our reflection. Today is just such an occasion.
Again consider 2 Corinthians 4: 1-12 The Message Bible.
I think there is a lot in this reading that speaks to what is going on in the world right now. The union protests all over the country. The horrible violence in Lybia. President Obama's decision to tell his DOJ not to challenge DOMA in court. And, the reactions, stances and statements made by the pro's and con's of these and other issues of our time.
There are many good things happening as a result of the events that are taking place. Among them is what The Message Bible says: "We refuse to wear masks and play games." The masks of who will most benefit from union workers loosing their bargaining rights have come off. It is very clear that corporate interests are at work and are determined to destroy the middle class. They claim to not be about playing games, but oh how they love to deceive people ignorant about the facts, so that they do not fully understand what is at stake.
News commentators like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh's audiences continue to use these and other events like it, to further damage the reputation of President Obama, LGBT people and middle class Americans just trying to make a decent living so they can stay in their homes, have health insurance, put their children through school. Governor's like Chris Christy, Scott Walker, and many others clearly have a plan. That plan is not to benefit those on the margins of society.
I also think that this scripture speaks quite eloquently to Christians who would prefer to turn their backs on these working class people and make a defense for conservatives, just because "the think they know their Bible."
Lest I forget, this reading from 2 Corinthians is also a reminder to LGBT people about the importance of not wearing masks over our sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression. But to live it openly before God, others and ourselves.
Ex-gay groups are spiritually abusive and use religion to abuse LGBT individuals, by suggesting that unless they change something that God so beautifully created, God will damn them. Nothing could be further from the truth than the nonsense contained in that lie.
This reading invites us to be very careful about who we make as an "other" when we read: "If our Message is obscure to anyone, it's not because we're holding back in any way. No, it's because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and refuse to give it serious attention." Unfortunately, a lot of Christians like Paul enjoy looking at others who are not sharing their opinions and making an "other" out of them. If someone does not understand the Bible as a literal "Weapon of Mass Destruction" and thinks that being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and/or queer is a good and holy thing, then we are the liberal "other" that must be defeated.
Our reading is a reminder as to whom has given the gift of salvation and to whom and for whom we must be engaged in the work of reconciliation and healing.
St. Louis Marie de Montfort once said: "I will love my God who lives in my neighbor."
I think Paul is giving us a view into his weakness, and giving us some very important issues to think on here.
We often think that our work of justice and equality for all marginalized persons is only about those people.
Sure it is about trying to get marriage equality. It is about the union workers keeping their collective bargaining rights that they worked so hard to gain. There have been some outrageous laws passed recently about women's health care and reproductive rights. The people on the bottom and struggling just to live a quality life are definitely important pieces in what we are working on and for.
The most important reason we are engaged in our works for justice, inclusion and equality is because we are serving and loving our God, who is in our neighbors. God is present in our neighbors who are LGBT and wanting the opportunity to marry the person that they love so much. God is right there fighting for the opportunity to bargain for better wages and benefits in our neighbors who are being so grossly abused by politicians and corporate bullies. God is looking to be loved in our neighbor in the woman who is desperately poor, but has been raped and does not know what to do for the child in her womb, but cannot find adequate affordable health care to make the right decision for herself and the little one she carries.
In Jesus Christ, our God has shed God's Light of justice for every child of God. No child of God is so unimportant to God, that God wants to be ignored by those who would rather use the Bible to bash and walk by without caring. God does not wish to be targeted by street evangelists looking to "save us" only to turn us into right wing watch dogs, so to hate LGBT people and others who are not exactly like them.
The Word of God that was in Christ came to show the Light of God's unconditional and all-inclusive love on all who have been stigmatized and supposed to be seen as worthless. In God's eyes, no child lying on the street in the bitter cold because a gay teens parents threw him out when he came out, is just street trash. No girl who has just been told to get out by her "pro-life" father because she is now pregnant and doesn't know what to do, or where to go, is so unimportant to God, that she should just be called a whore and brushed aside.
When Christians marginalize and stigmatize people, create environments of oppression and hate towards any person, we Christians are becoming that "other" that Paul describes. We preach our Jesus who is suppose to save people's souls. But oh, "Don't tell me I gotta accept an LGBT person."
I could list many other individuals stigmatized by Christians. But, I think my readers will get the picture.
How is God calling us to participate in the ministry of reconciliation and healing today? When we think of those things that move us to concern for people, what is it that we hear God telling us about ourselves? How do we harbor prejudice towards other people who don't fit our status quo of what we think the Bible means? How might God be calling us to conversion of heart?
We have an opportunity to join those struggling for peace and solidarity by our prayers, actions, concerns and even our opposing opinions. The important thing is to remember to "love our God who lives in my neighbor." How are we loving our God who lives in our neighbor? Even when it is so difficult to not only love our God in our neighbor, but also in ourselves.
Prayers
2 Corinthians 4:1-12 (NRSV)
Therefore, since it is by God's mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God's word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake. For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Blog Reflection
There are many things I do not like about The Message Bible. It really lacks inclusive language at times, and it is quite anti-semitic.
So to any of my Jewish sisters and brothers, I ask your pardon today. I in no way condone anti-semitism.
Sometimes the way The Message Bible reads certain things in particular ways is very helpful for our reflection. Today is just such an occasion.
Again consider 2 Corinthians 4: 1-12 The Message Bible.
1-2Since God has so generously let us in on what he is doing, we're not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into occasional hard times. We refuse to wear masks and play games. We don't maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don't twist God's Word to suit ourselves. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God.
3-4If our Message is obscure to anyone, it's not because we're holding back in any way. No, it's because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and refuse to give it serious attention. All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of darkness. They think he can give them what they want, and that they won't have to bother believing a Truth they can't see. They're stone-blind to the dayspring brightness of the Message that shines with Christ, who gives us the best picture of God we'll ever get.
5-6Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we're proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started when God said, "Light up the darkness!" and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.
7-12If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That's to prevent anyone from confusing God's incomparable power with us. As it is, there's not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we're not much to look at. We've been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we're not demoralized; we're not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we've been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn't left our side; we've been thrown down, but we haven't broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus' sake, which makes Jesus' life all the more evident in us. While we're going through the worst, you're getting in on the best!
I think there is a lot in this reading that speaks to what is going on in the world right now. The union protests all over the country. The horrible violence in Lybia. President Obama's decision to tell his DOJ not to challenge DOMA in court. And, the reactions, stances and statements made by the pro's and con's of these and other issues of our time.
There are many good things happening as a result of the events that are taking place. Among them is what The Message Bible says: "We refuse to wear masks and play games." The masks of who will most benefit from union workers loosing their bargaining rights have come off. It is very clear that corporate interests are at work and are determined to destroy the middle class. They claim to not be about playing games, but oh how they love to deceive people ignorant about the facts, so that they do not fully understand what is at stake.
News commentators like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh's audiences continue to use these and other events like it, to further damage the reputation of President Obama, LGBT people and middle class Americans just trying to make a decent living so they can stay in their homes, have health insurance, put their children through school. Governor's like Chris Christy, Scott Walker, and many others clearly have a plan. That plan is not to benefit those on the margins of society.
I also think that this scripture speaks quite eloquently to Christians who would prefer to turn their backs on these working class people and make a defense for conservatives, just because "the think they know their Bible."
Lest I forget, this reading from 2 Corinthians is also a reminder to LGBT people about the importance of not wearing masks over our sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression. But to live it openly before God, others and ourselves.
Ex-gay groups are spiritually abusive and use religion to abuse LGBT individuals, by suggesting that unless they change something that God so beautifully created, God will damn them. Nothing could be further from the truth than the nonsense contained in that lie.
This reading invites us to be very careful about who we make as an "other" when we read: "If our Message is obscure to anyone, it's not because we're holding back in any way. No, it's because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and refuse to give it serious attention." Unfortunately, a lot of Christians like Paul enjoy looking at others who are not sharing their opinions and making an "other" out of them. If someone does not understand the Bible as a literal "Weapon of Mass Destruction" and thinks that being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and/or queer is a good and holy thing, then we are the liberal "other" that must be defeated.
Our reading is a reminder as to whom has given the gift of salvation and to whom and for whom we must be engaged in the work of reconciliation and healing.
St. Louis Marie de Montfort once said: "I will love my God who lives in my neighbor."
I think Paul is giving us a view into his weakness, and giving us some very important issues to think on here.
We often think that our work of justice and equality for all marginalized persons is only about those people.
Sure it is about trying to get marriage equality. It is about the union workers keeping their collective bargaining rights that they worked so hard to gain. There have been some outrageous laws passed recently about women's health care and reproductive rights. The people on the bottom and struggling just to live a quality life are definitely important pieces in what we are working on and for.
The most important reason we are engaged in our works for justice, inclusion and equality is because we are serving and loving our God, who is in our neighbors. God is present in our neighbors who are LGBT and wanting the opportunity to marry the person that they love so much. God is right there fighting for the opportunity to bargain for better wages and benefits in our neighbors who are being so grossly abused by politicians and corporate bullies. God is looking to be loved in our neighbor in the woman who is desperately poor, but has been raped and does not know what to do for the child in her womb, but cannot find adequate affordable health care to make the right decision for herself and the little one she carries.
In Jesus Christ, our God has shed God's Light of justice for every child of God. No child of God is so unimportant to God, that God wants to be ignored by those who would rather use the Bible to bash and walk by without caring. God does not wish to be targeted by street evangelists looking to "save us" only to turn us into right wing watch dogs, so to hate LGBT people and others who are not exactly like them.
The Word of God that was in Christ came to show the Light of God's unconditional and all-inclusive love on all who have been stigmatized and supposed to be seen as worthless. In God's eyes, no child lying on the street in the bitter cold because a gay teens parents threw him out when he came out, is just street trash. No girl who has just been told to get out by her "pro-life" father because she is now pregnant and doesn't know what to do, or where to go, is so unimportant to God, that she should just be called a whore and brushed aside.
When Christians marginalize and stigmatize people, create environments of oppression and hate towards any person, we Christians are becoming that "other" that Paul describes. We preach our Jesus who is suppose to save people's souls. But oh, "Don't tell me I gotta accept an LGBT person."
I could list many other individuals stigmatized by Christians. But, I think my readers will get the picture.
How is God calling us to participate in the ministry of reconciliation and healing today? When we think of those things that move us to concern for people, what is it that we hear God telling us about ourselves? How do we harbor prejudice towards other people who don't fit our status quo of what we think the Bible means? How might God be calling us to conversion of heart?
We have an opportunity to join those struggling for peace and solidarity by our prayers, actions, concerns and even our opposing opinions. The important thing is to remember to "love our God who lives in my neighbor." How are we loving our God who lives in our neighbor? Even when it is so difficult to not only love our God in our neighbor, but also in ourselves.
Prayers
O Lord, you have taught us that without love whatever we do is worth nothing; Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts your greatest gift, which is love, the true bond of peace and of all virtue, without which whoever lives is accounted dead before you. Grant this for the sake of your only Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for the Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany, Book of Common Prayer, page 216).
God, of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth; deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for our Enemies, Book of Common Prayer, page 816).
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. (Prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, Book of Common Prayer, page 833).
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