The Calming of the Storm - Matthew 8:23-26
Jesus gets onto a boat, the disciples follow him, and a storm blows up, rocking the boat. The disciples freak out and Jesus chides them for their lack of faith. Then he stills the winds and sea, manifesting his divinity, and addressing their concern.
There are a few things here to ponder. First, let's note a few dynamics. The disciples follow Jesus, and sudden trouble ensues. This seems to be a pattern replayed over and over again, anytime a person or group sets out to follow Jesus, whether that be the discovery of Jesus himself, or discovery that there is yet another way in which we need to follow him, but have yet to do so. There is something about the world, and ourselves, that resists our authentic following of Jesus. We needn't be surprised when it happens. In fact, we should, when we make a decision to follow Jesus, expect resistance, trouble, etc., and steel ourselves for it.
Jesus chides the disciples for their lack of faith, their being overwhelmed by fear. His criticism is sincere. After all, he's going to voluntarily suffer death for our salvation, so what's a little rough water compared to that? Also, this criticism, addressed to us, is even more poignant, because we have the advantage of living after Jesus has risen from the dead, so we know that whatever we suffer will end in death, while we will emerge from death transformed in glory. Seriously, what could possibly make us fear? But we do fear, don't we. However, as true as it is that we ought not to be afraid, Jesus doesn't scoff at us, call us cowards, and then leave us to our terror. No, he then moves to soothe our fears. You can see this calming of the storm as either an interior or exterior reality. Perhaps he calms the storm that rages within, our emotional imbalance, our irrational terror. Or perhaps, at some times, he actually resolves the situation about which we were being so fearful. Either way, Christ our true God does not abandon us in our fear when we call out to him, whether we should have been trusting or not. And I say it's better to call out to him in fear than to sit paralyzed and useless, or allow our fear to push us into sin.
The bottom line is that we so often allow fear to guide us into doing things we know we shouldn't do, and quite often don't even want to do. The only remedy is to act contrary to that fear, and intentionally act against fear by acting in love, doing the honest thing, and refusing to obscure truth, even though it will cost us to do so. We can all find ways to do this daily at home, in the workplace, in society, and in our political actions. There are also particular things we can do in church, according to our role or state in life.
The Boat
Now, let's look at the boat. The boat has ever been a symbol for the church. In fact, the area of the church in which most of the people gather is called the nave, which means 'boat.' The disciples, who would become at some point apostles, can be seen to represent all of us, but certainly represent the clergy, especially bishops, in a particular way. The storms of the world rail against our ecclesiastical boat, and can be quite loud and scary, but we need to remember that Christ is in our midst! He is and ever shall be!
Lashing out In Fear Against the Church
How often do we, pushed by this or that false 'need' to have this or do that, or submit to the twisted passions of our fallen flesh, become so fearful that we actually deny the millennia-spanning Tradition of our own Church? We can't abide the fact that some teachings are difficult, so we vilify those who teach this Holy Tradition, pointing out that they are sinners, as though that makes them different from ourselves, somehow. We declare our bishops, successors in leadership to the apostles and anointed guardians of the deposit of faith, citing the fact that they sin, incapable of leadership, as though the Holy Spirit was taken by surprise at their sinfulness and just wouldn't be able to work around that. We judge ourselves better equipped to judge what is authentic Christianity based on, what, it just feels more righter? All of us, laity, clergy, and religious, exhibit this particular kind of fear.
Smothering the Light of Truth in Fear
There are also times when we obscure a painful truth, or flinch from reporting something that needs reporting, for fear of negative reprisal. How often do we not confront the raging priest or arrogant deacon who is acting in a way not befitting the office and dignity with which he has been entrusted? How often do we not contradict that teacher, sister, brother, or clergyman who is clearly speaking out against Christian doctrine or charity? Not to let our clergy and bishops off the hook. How many times have they, fearing reprisal or criticism, hidden the truth of sins, their own and each other? This is a profound lack of faith displayed by the very people who are supposed to guard and transmit the deposit of faith. That they sin would not be scandalous; they are men, and all men sin. Although there will always be foolish and immature people who will judge others because they take the easy road of dwelling on the speck in their brother's eye, rather than dealing with the plank in their own, most of us realize that we have to live by our request that God 'forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass.' We could forgive even pedophile priests who confess their sin, instead of hiding it and moving about like a wolf in sheep's clothing. Sure we would want them put in a penitentiary, to protect our children, but this would also strengthen what should be their resolve to repent, to do penance, since it is for this that the place is by name designed. And bishops who criminally try to shield their criminal clergy from justice? No more heinous scandal could be devised than this, I think. We can deal with the revelation that sin has occurred. But to address the actions of bishops who shield their clergy from justice, hiding the truth and avoiding the consequences...we should return to the practice of the early church in dealing with such traitors...'let them be deposed.' They can work or beg for a living for the rest of their lives, or live sequestered away in a monastic enclosure, deprived of clerical dignity and repenting of their sins. These hideous actions, way more than the individual sins of individual priests, are what provoke fear and doubt in the people, making it well nigh impossible for us to trust them again, were it not for the grace for faith given by God. But that faith has to have something concrete upon which to reestablish itself.
Restoring Trust
New guidelines have been published for years, at least in the United States, for dealing with allegations of the abuse of minors by clergy, and this is good. However, since there was never a time when abuse and cover-up were sanctioned by church law, this new law is nowhere near enough. An annual day should be established for bishops, by themselves, to do public penance, fasting in sackcloth and ashes, for the ways in which they have done violence to the very faith they are supposed to guard, and just as all bishops benefit from the trust given their office, all of them bear the burden to repent for the acts that erode that trust. Such a day of public penance, repeated year after year, marked with heartfelt speeches and open letters, would go a long way toward demonstrating sincerity, and toward pressing awareness deep into the psyche of bishops that they cannot lead while being dishonest. Apologies don't fix things by themselves, but they aren't meaningless, either, especially toward those who sincerely express them.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Which Shepherd Do We Follow?
Fourth Sunday of Easter 2012
First Reading - Acts 4:81-12
Regarding Jesus: "There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved."
Pretty strong words, and not so popular in our milieu of cultural diversity, but for all the COEXIST bumper stickers out there, it needs to be said that whatever merits there may be in other religious traditions, Christians must affirm that there is no salvation through anyone else (other than Jesus). This is a sine-qua-non of Christianity; otherwise the book, which gives us the definitive portrait of the early church, would not have Peter saying this.
A common mistake made by Christians, however, is that this means that nobody who isn't Christian, by which they mean Catholic or Orthodox or 'tolerant Christian' or 'fundamentalist Christian...nobody who isn't in whatever group I count as Christian will be saved. Let's stick with Catholics, since I'm most theologically well versed there. There is a Catholic teaching that there is "no salvation outside the church." Many people used to say that this meant that if one weren’t Catholic, one wouldn't make it into heaven. But that's way to easy. In fact, the teaching means something more like, "Insofar as anyone is saved, it is through the mystery that is the church, which is fully subsistent in the Roman Catholic church," meaning that all who are saved are saved by some radical participation in the Roman Catholic church, whether or not they came to that conscious realization or not. The Orthodox Christian teaching is similar, except that the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church is the Orthodox church, and insofar as anyone is saved, it is through a participation in the Orthodox Church, of which all who are saved will ultimately be members, even if that is not evident today. Only fundamentalists insist that you absolutely must be a member of this or that denomination of Christianity in order to be saved.
But this is still way to easy. The real challenge here is to examine ourselves, and ask the question, "By what other means am I trying to be saved?" Am I trying to be saved by wealth, power, a fabulous lifestyle, a political party, being American, [insert favorite false savior here], or do I really believe that salvation comes ONLY through Jesus Christ our true God? Have I bought into the notion that I must have perfect health, the correct weight or BMI, be free of the need for medicine, or use the right age-defying face cream to experience Shalom? We are tempted constantly to place our trust and hope in something other than Jesus, and it is vital that we examine ourselves to see where we have fallen to this temptation, so that we can repent and thus approach the true fountain of immortality, the true Savior, the only real Salvation.
Second Reading - 1 John 3:1-2
"The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him."
You know, you would think that being children of God might get us more respect. After all, our Father is the one who created all that is, who gives every good gift, and a little gratitude and respect would not be inappropriate. But, we are children of God in the person of Christ, and look what they did to him. They didn't believe that he is who he is. So how can they believe we are who we are? A better question might be, “How much do we believe we are who we are?” See, we are God's children now, not in some distant future, but now. We have been shown what this means by the one natural Son of God. We have been brought into that same relationship, not by nature, but by grace, the free gift of adoption through Christ. So, if Christ is able to trample death by death, crushing evil through the means of being crushed by evil, then we can and must do this, as well. It doesn't matter, right now, if they get it; what matters is that we get it, and get about the work of living it out. How are you going to put your faith in the love the Father has bestowed on us in making us his children? How are you going to lay down your life for the sake of the world today? Those are the better questions.
Gospel - John 10:11-18
I AM the Good Shepherd.
Lots of things going on in these five words. First of all, they are one of several I AM statements, by which Jesus is identified with the Lord, God of Israel. The Greek words, "Ego eimi," mean I AM. This is a translation of the Hebrew word YHWH, also known as the tetragrammaton (four letters) and Name of God, which God gave to Moses as his identification. The word has many dimensions of meaning, but essentially it can be translated as "I AM." The Good Shepherd refers to a passage from Ezekiel, where the Lord says that he himself will shepherd his people, being THE good shepherd, as opposed to those bad shepherds who were victimizing the people and leading them astray.
This passage should raise the question for us, "Which shepherd are we following?" Do we really know the voice of The Good Shepherd, or have we turned aside to follow the shepherds that speak with a different voice, but who say things that we would prefer to hear. Here's a great way to tell...would the shepherd you are following lay down his or her life for you? Oftentimes there are those who stand up to lead people in a direction they would prefer to go, and as long as things are going well, they stick with you, champion your cause, stand up for your 'rights.' But they are leading because it benefits them right then and there to lead. None of these will put his life or even livelihood on the line when it comes to standing up for the truth, which is oftentimes the same as laying down his life for the flock, because it is more important to steer the flock in the right direction than it is to please them with how they are being led, or what they are being told. It's easy to jump in front of a group of people who are headed in a certain direction, and say, "Hey, I'll lead you. Let's go!” and then continue along the path they were walking anyway. Often times, this 'leader' then goes in the direction he thinks the sheep want to go, but ends up leading them a ruin they might not have reached on their own. Much more difficult is to jump in front of a group and say, "Hey, I'll lead you. Let's go!" and then steer them along the right path, away from their current direction, toward the safety of the sheepfold, where they can find true rest, true peace, and genuine care that begets true wellbeing.
So, which shepherd will you follow, the one who just makes you feel good about the way you are currently wandering, or the One Good Shepherd who will lead you toward the goal that fulfills your heart's deepest desire, the purpose for which you have been made?
First Reading - Acts 4:81-12
Regarding Jesus: "There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved."
Pretty strong words, and not so popular in our milieu of cultural diversity, but for all the COEXIST bumper stickers out there, it needs to be said that whatever merits there may be in other religious traditions, Christians must affirm that there is no salvation through anyone else (other than Jesus). This is a sine-qua-non of Christianity; otherwise the book, which gives us the definitive portrait of the early church, would not have Peter saying this.
A common mistake made by Christians, however, is that this means that nobody who isn't Christian, by which they mean Catholic or Orthodox or 'tolerant Christian' or 'fundamentalist Christian...nobody who isn't in whatever group I count as Christian will be saved. Let's stick with Catholics, since I'm most theologically well versed there. There is a Catholic teaching that there is "no salvation outside the church." Many people used to say that this meant that if one weren’t Catholic, one wouldn't make it into heaven. But that's way to easy. In fact, the teaching means something more like, "Insofar as anyone is saved, it is through the mystery that is the church, which is fully subsistent in the Roman Catholic church," meaning that all who are saved are saved by some radical participation in the Roman Catholic church, whether or not they came to that conscious realization or not. The Orthodox Christian teaching is similar, except that the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church is the Orthodox church, and insofar as anyone is saved, it is through a participation in the Orthodox Church, of which all who are saved will ultimately be members, even if that is not evident today. Only fundamentalists insist that you absolutely must be a member of this or that denomination of Christianity in order to be saved.
But this is still way to easy. The real challenge here is to examine ourselves, and ask the question, "By what other means am I trying to be saved?" Am I trying to be saved by wealth, power, a fabulous lifestyle, a political party, being American, [insert favorite false savior here], or do I really believe that salvation comes ONLY through Jesus Christ our true God? Have I bought into the notion that I must have perfect health, the correct weight or BMI, be free of the need for medicine, or use the right age-defying face cream to experience Shalom? We are tempted constantly to place our trust and hope in something other than Jesus, and it is vital that we examine ourselves to see where we have fallen to this temptation, so that we can repent and thus approach the true fountain of immortality, the true Savior, the only real Salvation.
Second Reading - 1 John 3:1-2
"The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him."
You know, you would think that being children of God might get us more respect. After all, our Father is the one who created all that is, who gives every good gift, and a little gratitude and respect would not be inappropriate. But, we are children of God in the person of Christ, and look what they did to him. They didn't believe that he is who he is. So how can they believe we are who we are? A better question might be, “How much do we believe we are who we are?” See, we are God's children now, not in some distant future, but now. We have been shown what this means by the one natural Son of God. We have been brought into that same relationship, not by nature, but by grace, the free gift of adoption through Christ. So, if Christ is able to trample death by death, crushing evil through the means of being crushed by evil, then we can and must do this, as well. It doesn't matter, right now, if they get it; what matters is that we get it, and get about the work of living it out. How are you going to put your faith in the love the Father has bestowed on us in making us his children? How are you going to lay down your life for the sake of the world today? Those are the better questions.
Gospel - John 10:11-18
I AM the Good Shepherd.
Lots of things going on in these five words. First of all, they are one of several I AM statements, by which Jesus is identified with the Lord, God of Israel. The Greek words, "Ego eimi," mean I AM. This is a translation of the Hebrew word YHWH, also known as the tetragrammaton (four letters) and Name of God, which God gave to Moses as his identification. The word has many dimensions of meaning, but essentially it can be translated as "I AM." The Good Shepherd refers to a passage from Ezekiel, where the Lord says that he himself will shepherd his people, being THE good shepherd, as opposed to those bad shepherds who were victimizing the people and leading them astray.
This passage should raise the question for us, "Which shepherd are we following?" Do we really know the voice of The Good Shepherd, or have we turned aside to follow the shepherds that speak with a different voice, but who say things that we would prefer to hear. Here's a great way to tell...would the shepherd you are following lay down his or her life for you? Oftentimes there are those who stand up to lead people in a direction they would prefer to go, and as long as things are going well, they stick with you, champion your cause, stand up for your 'rights.' But they are leading because it benefits them right then and there to lead. None of these will put his life or even livelihood on the line when it comes to standing up for the truth, which is oftentimes the same as laying down his life for the flock, because it is more important to steer the flock in the right direction than it is to please them with how they are being led, or what they are being told. It's easy to jump in front of a group of people who are headed in a certain direction, and say, "Hey, I'll lead you. Let's go!” and then continue along the path they were walking anyway. Often times, this 'leader' then goes in the direction he thinks the sheep want to go, but ends up leading them a ruin they might not have reached on their own. Much more difficult is to jump in front of a group and say, "Hey, I'll lead you. Let's go!" and then steer them along the right path, away from their current direction, toward the safety of the sheepfold, where they can find true rest, true peace, and genuine care that begets true wellbeing.
So, which shepherd will you follow, the one who just makes you feel good about the way you are currently wandering, or the One Good Shepherd who will lead you toward the goal that fulfills your heart's deepest desire, the purpose for which you have been made?
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