The vivid revelatory material of apocalypse

 The readings for Michael and all angels are filled with apocalyptic imagery of one sort or another that settles on the figure of the 'Son of Man'. We associate this interpretation of the Hebrew in terms of Christ and the human figure of Jesus. Yet, the reality of the wording is a reference to humanity formed in the image of God as Adam. We live with our expectations of humanity without acknowledging God's image within us and thus our ability to be as Christ to those around us.

We can see that within our own culture and the pervasive philosophy of the western world, our basic worldview is based on the dichotomy of what we believe to be life. Black and white, truth and falsehood, heroes and villains. Yet, life is not as black and white as such dichotomous thinking would have us understand. It is filled rather with the unusual such as quarks and strings, synchronicity and quantum leaps whilst still maintaining that the spiritual life is non-existent and angels such as Michael and others are figments of fertile imagination. For our era, dependant as it is on the rational focus, this may well seem to be correct and an explanation that angelic beings as primitive rationales for something that could be logically explained. How? Well perhaps like Mexican and South American indigenous peoples it may be the results of drug induced visions. Such visions have a high impact in the communities in which they are practised but this does not help our everyday understanding or how it might assist us in working out God's plan for us.

St Michael is not as cherubic as modernity conceives angels

Apocalyptic literature in the bible does somewhat reflect the mescaline induced visions and our interpretation of apocalypse does not really do justice to the meaning of the word. Both Daniel and Revelation are classed as apocalyptic writing that is revelatory writing, of deep existential and metaphysical truths of the day. These truths are often conveyed in language that is not conducive to rational interpretation but requires our right brain's intuitive and imaginary powers to be utilised. This is not something we are used to and so palm it of as being 'weird'. For our logical selves the weirdness is in the language that is both poetic and disturbing but describes fundamental political truths of the time. The question is does such language convey anything for us in our current circumstances, especially when we start using concepts such as angels, beings with fluffy wings and cherubic smiles? However, Michael is not seen as cherubic but heroic, not nice and cuddly but fierce and violent. So where to from here?

We can see similar political shenanigans within our own world. The same controversies, the same greed the same violence, the same ambitions, etc that are reflective of the human condition throughout our history. What Michael and the angels have for us is the same message that of God's continual work towards the salvation of those formed in his own image, those of Adam or humanity. Those who are able to display the reality of God into the world and become his messengers, angels, to those who are suffering. The work that our imaginative selves can undertake in a world of pragmatic depression to bring about communities of hope and care rather than despair. A day of angelology and fantasia that offers the hopes of God in our lives if we can allow ourselves to conceive of the impossibility underlying the rational reality we are told is the only reality.

Acting in faith rather than as a secular person

 In Luke's gospel the parable of the shrewd manager (Lk 16:1-9) seems to be a bit strange among the many strangenesses of the biblical story. Here is, what amounts to a corrupt manager, being commended for his corruptness by the owner and supposedly by Christ. In the passage following Christ then states quite plainly that one cannot serve two masters at the same time, in this case God and wealth (Lk. 16:13). So, what is going on here? Perhaps we need to expand our horizons somewhat when we look at this text, in much the same manner in which the rabbinical tradition expands the readings of the Hebrew scriptures. In this case with a bit of imagination and in depth look at everyone's actual motivations. We can perhaps wonder where this parable comes in terms of Christ's understanding of those very same scriptures as this is where he is, one has to presume, deriving his teachings from (the Hebraic law).

In somewhat of a reverse analogy this parable can be seen as about letting go in terms of our thoughts and how we think about God and secular life. Too often we are caught up in the dilemma of when to let go of what we think and when to take on new thoughts about God and our lives of faith. We have a propensity towards two different ways of thinking when it comes to our faith journey. The first is to be adamant on our own knowledge of God and place that as the defining agenda for a faith lived life. This can be seen in the attitudes of those who would determine how we "must" read the bible, irrespective of denomination or church, this sort of attitude is found. There is here a failure to release our thinking or rather our hold on what we have been taught and consider what God wants us to learn. Perhaps in the greater scheme of things we can think of this as being the attitude of the greater Australian Anglican church. Thus, they resort to the thinking that has driven Anglicansism and its governance structures over the historic period in confronting circumstances. The second is the understanding that the religious life or rather the faith life is irrelevant and has no hold on us in the modern saeculum. This inevitably leads to a denial of those things which lead us into the spiritual dimensions of our lives as these are no longer relevant for modern society. These failures are taken up in the Hebrew scriptures when they discuss the relevance of the sabbath in terms of the land and those who have become bound through debt slavery in Leviticus which could be the source of Christ's unusual line of thought in this Lukan parable.

A fresh start means a letting go of our perspective

If we take a look at the parable it gives us a marvellous insight into the stewards thinking in terms of his retirement. We do not have to think about the probable corrupt practices going on but rather on the understanding in the stewards mind as to what comes after. In some respects the man is saying to himself I must look to God to look after me in my old age because I am not going to be able to continue in my current post. In doing so I will also assist my letting go, by opening possibilities in my later life, so that I am cared for within the community. I am not going to hang on to my previous understandings, I am willing to let go and open myself to new possibilities. A vacating or freeing of what was once bound up in a continuation of the way forward. This kenosis is what is being praised and  this, in a manner of speaking, also speaks to the later passage with regards not serving two masters. This happens if we cling to what we think or know regarding our faith without giving up our aspirations in terms of our secular age. We are torn between the two and most likely will turn away from the path of faith, as so many have done, choosing to go with the lure of wealth or power whilst paying lip service to God's law. The law of love that suggests to us that we must care for those less able than ourselves both financially and spiritually. The steward frees himself, if you will, and allows God to take a hand in his forward journey.

In believing ourselves to be following God's commandments and hanging on to what we interpret as God speaking to us from the scriptures we open ourselves up to hypocrisy and condemnation. As we aggrandise our lives whilst scheming in a political and sinful manner to such an extent that we neglect love of neighbour and eventually on the slippery slope we fail to love God with all our hearts. This is due to our failure to let go of our own thinking and manner to allow God into the space of freedom and release that comes with beginning anew. It is only when we die that we can gain new life, it is only when we release ourselves from the bondage of our own thoughts that we attain the peace that comes with God's love.

Small sins overlooked

  We really do not understand the concept of sin per se in today's world. We bandy the word about but without any true meaning behind it and I also suppose with little understanding of what it means to sin or be a sinner. This means that we use sin as a cast off word rather than a word with reality in its meaning. There are a number of understandings of what sin is, all of which are very dependent on the culture and the religious belief people have been brought up in. At the end of the day for most sin is a moral wrong doing either against God or against some other authority that is sublime. This then bends us towards understanding that sin is something that we have a choice over rather than something that is thrust upon us from outside ourselves. This in turn tells us of our own need to make decisions that are in alignment with the moral code of God which is seen in the love of God and the love of neighbour. If we understand this then we can understand where in our lives sin exists but also that redemption lies with Christ.

In understanding our failures we begin to rejoice over our redemption even when those failures were small as shown in the parables at the start of Luke chapter 15 (1-10). This rejoicing is emphasised and taken further in the parable of the prodigal son later in the chapter. The main point for us is that we cannot overlook what appears at first glance to be small and inconsequential. We cast aspersions of sin  when we speak about major incidents like murder and theft often overlooking our own minor misdemeanours that we do not go looking for. The parables in Luke 15 other than the prodigal are all about minor things, a single sheep and a single coin. How well do we know our own proclivities that we can point to those things that we believe to be so minor as to stay lost? Perhaps what I am trying to point out is that we neglect and overlook many things that we believe to be minor but are actual causes of our continual sin. Reminding us that our sin is that which is not in keeping with the law of love. I think that if we were to deeply delve into our own actions over say the last week we could easily come up with circumstances where we were not loving towards God or our neighbour.

What is the sin and who the sinner?

The saying is that the little things trip you up and for the most part it is the same in our faith journey. It is those things that we overlook that trip us up. Our attitudes, our reliance on our own thinking, our reliance on tradition, etc. all of these things eventually highlight our own hypocrisies and our lack of love for those around us. We become protective of our 'territory' and would rather our neighbours leave us alone so that we do not have to share what we perceive to be our wisdom. In doing so we neglect the basics of our faith journey and act out of ignorance (1 Tim. 1:13b) rather than out of faith and knowledge. Our ignorance appears to be related to our own self understanding of what it means to live a life of faith. More often than not we impose on others the meaning and relevance of scripture that we are happy with even if it moves away from the bedrock of love. We cannot see the irregularity and disjunction between our own perceptions and those that highlight God's love. Irrespective of where we sit on the spectrum from ultra conservative to ultra liberal.

Perhaps the words from Jeremiah are more apt than we would think "For my people are foolish, they do not know me" (Jer. 4:22). People do not want to understand the scriptures or to be led in the way of love rather they prefer what they are told what scripture says even if the words are words against love. Whilst it is sometimes difficult for people to gather around the scriptures in the fashion of the old style bible study it is even more difficult to come to terms with scriptural passages if there is not real means of debate or reading at a local level. The common complaints are often along the lines of "I do not agree with x, y and z's comments so won't continue to go" or else "it is to high faluting and I am immediately lost, so what is the point". Perhaps, also there seems to be little enthusiasm to delve into aspects of scripture in an academic way and in any case the minister tells us all about it in the Sunday sermon. I understand that because often in the past it has come down to a liking or a disliking of a person leading a group that has turned people away or else it has been "shoved" down the throat in an unacceptable manner. This is where our centrality in Christ comes into play and if we forget this we unintentionally sin automatically turning from God who is justly angered by our neglect.

Solid foundations take commitment

 Foundational experiences ensure that we have something to build on for the remainder of our lives. If we undertake the building of foundations we need to ensure that we are preparing the way for our building in an accurate and stable manner. If we begin something and then stop because we are ill prepared for the consequences of our actions then we create our own challenges (Lk. 14.28-29). In the same manner we begin our faith journey at baptism or when we begin our intentional faith journey and need to ensure that the foundations and the journey ahead are understood or else we will find the challenge too much. This is often to be seen that when we begin something and run out of 'puff' halfway through unable to continue the process.

In Jeremiah, the Lord takes Jeremiah to the potter to give him this understanding (Jer. 18.1-11). Like the potter, we begin moulding ourselves into what we perceive as being that which is required. Yet, if we fail to be guided in our understanding of the process by others, and by God, then we produce goods that are damaged. It is often as a result of our underestimating the costs of what we are about to or are doing. For us as Christians we are asked to take up the cross and as we do so we commit ourselves to that undertaking. However, unless our underpinning and foundations are strong we will ultimately fail and turn away from Christ and from God. It is not an easy thing to do but one that can be done easily when we have placed the foundations down. So often, when we begin something we ultimately rush and suddenly find that we are failing or the foundations being laid are not the foundations that God is seeking but those that others have laid. Often it is because we are building on things that have been done before without realising that they ultimately failed as a result of sloppy beginnings or others desires.

First the foundations but even then we may give up and fail to form the vessel of God

We are slaves to what we put down as a our foundation. Just as Paul lays the foundation for Onesimus to live free in Christ so to we must lay our foundations in Christ. We can not be lazy in how we lay our own foundations. Unfortunately, we tend to leave our foundations when we are quite young and never return to complete the building becoming like the man who stopped and walked away (Lk. 14.28-29). It is only when we find that in later years that we have missed out on something that we return to the forgotten projects. In doing so though we have to go through the pain of picking up our crosses the ones that have been gathering dust and weight over the years. We have to re-educate ourselves in terms of the building practices that we once had, we have to start once more.

Once again like the potter we have to throw the clay on the wheel and begin to reform our lives in Christ. Once again we have to have the perseverance to finish what we have started. Once again we find ourselves tempted to move away from the start of something great and move towards our own deaths. The disappointments we seem to gather around us weigh us down and the project of building becomes a drag and a chore that is dull. Yet, Christ is there for us even in the despair of our realisation that we seem not to progress. It is in these times that we must re-evaluate our progress with our foundations. Return to our base in scripture and in reason and in our tradition to find the way forward to build a lasting structure within our lives that harbours Christ's Spirit and allows us to grow into what Christ and God plans for us. Make the mix to sloppy and the jar will not form, make it to stiff and the jar will not form. The consistency of our effort and the material we use must be filled with Christ's love so that we can form the vessel that Christ wants.

The trap of self worth

 In life we often can achieve the our goals through hard work and believe that we have arrived when we our considered by others to have a certain amount of knowledge. However, sometimes and quite often in a faith setting, our knowledge becomes a hindrance and is often not conducive to a happy and sustainable community. In life we are often honored for our knowledge and we allow this honour to become part of our expectations in all of life's settings not just in the situation in which our knowledge is recognised. In Luke, Christ warns against this type of behaviour using the illustration of a banquet (Lk. 14.7-14).

We can see this happening in all walks of life as people position themselves into places so that they can achieve power, authority and often at the end of the day notoriety. It is difficult for us not to promote ourselves within an economy that values those who are deemed to be 'expert'. (I am always reminded of the old definition of an expert which goes something like this. X = an unknown quantity, Spurt = water under pressure, a drip = an unknown quantity of water, hence expert = a drip under pressure). Of course in any discourse that involves the subject matter that is the provenance of the 'expert' it is the purpose of the person to have their knowledge acknowledged and thus their view predominate. In academic discourse this is part of the rough and tumble of academia and is carried out through conferences and forums that the various 'experts' attend.  In everyday life such behaviour tends to lead to cliques, clubs and politics. We can see where that leads to as there is a tendency for those groups to use hierarchical power, the 'expert' at the top, as a means to stop conversation and deny the voice of the other.

Do we consider ourselves as being 'experts' in relationships?

In the faith setting this sort of self proclamation becomes an issue as there is a tendency to once again form us vs them cliques. This can be clearly seen in an over exaggerated form in the issues in Northern Ireland regarding Protestant and Catholic. In this over exaggerated case the situation devolved into violence in much the same way that the extreme fundamentalist does in any religious setting. In the parochial setting the result may not be as vicious, in terms of physical violence, but is just as bad in terms of relational violence. We often do not appreciate the violence that is generated as quite often the group as a whole ignores the issue and bows down to a laissez faire attitude that gives permission for the situation to continue without resolution. Once a 'power base' has been established by the group or individual then this is used to exploit the situation and impose the view of the group/individual on the others within the community.

In many parishes there are Catering groups or Opportunity Shops that are valued as they often bring in a large proportion of the income for the Parish. These groups tend to attract those who have a tendency for this self promotional style of behaviour. The 'expert' is often the person who has been around in the group as a leader for an extended period of time and when attempts are made to curtail or align the group to the new direction a community is taking then umbrage, chaos and upset occurs. Thus, breaking up the communal relationships that have ignored the growing situation as being normal and coming to understand that it is the community that has been 'bullied' into conformance as a result of their reliance on one group or another. This is accepted and normal behaviour in many groups within modern society.  Yet, Christ offers us another and alternate way of behaviour that does not rely on our self proclamation of expertise and need for power / authority to lord it over others in however small a manner and in however 'irreplaceable' we believe it to be.

We are each of us called into ministry by God at our baptism. It is God who calls us into the place where we may have some 'expertise' but it is also God who guides and directs us in that ministry. God is the host who will elevate us into a more prominent position in the light of our peers but it is also God who may decide not to promote us despite what we believe or think of ourselves. Our self recognition as an 'expert' and therefore the right to be heard or even for our viewpoint to be the prevailing viewpoint, has to be one that is counter intuitive to our desires. Our behaviours should reflect a viewpoint that believes "Despite my belief of my own self worth, there are others who may be of more consequence than me."  Only when we realise that our own opinions of ourselves do not matter within the community will we begin to recognise that it is our relationships of mutual understanding and love that are of more importance.

It is pertinent for us, especially for those who think that they know more than others or think because they have been doing something forever, to stop and listen to others in the community.  This can not be a single event in the life of a community but an ongoing understanding of ourselves as a community. In doing so we begin to heal the rifts that our behaviours have caused and begin to listen to God's direction of our ministry and not our own self imposed authority.  But remember as soon as we start to think "I was right all along." and vindicate  a position we have held in our own situations, we fall into the same trap. We are not called to elevate ourselves for the honour and glory which is fleeting but we are to await God's blessing and call for a more lasting satisfaction and blessing on the community as a whole.

Answering God's call

 In the last few weeks there has been a number of passages from the Hebrew Testament that show the beginning of ministry through the eyes of the prophets. In the latest reading we see Jeremiah's call by God (Jer. 1.4-10). We know that such a call has an effect on the lives of those called but also we understand from the material in the scriptures that such a call however powerful, is not without its obstacles. During Jeremiah's time as a prophet he was more likely to be prophesying from prison or in close captivity than not. A total surrendering of himself to God and yet, even he, at the end refuses to listen to God and ends his days in exile. What is it about listening and following God that leads us to obstruct or turn from God's voice?

The writer to the Hebrew's suggests that it is our propensity to turn towards those illicit things that the human heart fails to turn from, that is the cause of our unyielding obstruction of God's call for justice (Heb. 12.15-17). We seek to better ourselves within the confines of the community in which we serve. We do this by suggesting to ourselves that what we do is for the greater good and for the purposes of God. There are rules and regulations that we need to follow or else we are not good members of the group. The leaders are learned and are able to interpret what God wants and what is best for all. There is a certain tangibility about the desires and plans that are placed before us so that we are forever chasing after the eternal fires of Sinai (Heb. 12.18). We are unable to place ourselves outside this tangible sphere to seek after those things which are above are daily desires and wants. If we have a plan or a way to move that involves a strict rule then we are more likely to follow that then we are God's mutable Spirit. Laws and rules are easy to define and are even easier to comply with and so make the society in which we live 'better'. Yes, such things are required but the question eventually arises "who interprets the law and for whose benefit?".

Who are the judges of today? Are they the old of yesterday?

In the reading from Luke, Christ offers an example of going beyond the stated laws so that there is a definite improvement to the community (Lk. 13.10-17). God's purpose is to bring healing and integration to a community not division, even if such healing and integration brings about the appearance of negativity. Such negativity is often as a result of our own minimalist understanding of interpretation. We are narrow in how we see things as this is our coping mechanism. God on the other hand is insistent on a more open view such that it encompasses all not just a few. More often than not we interpret our responsibilities to the narrowest extent, rather than broadening our point of view. We can point to a number of our deepest theological debates to see this. How does our human sexuality in all of its rainbow perspectives debilitate our ability to worship and surrender to God? The only thing is how our perverseness may harm the other rather than bring them into life and God's presence. How does our gender disable our ability to minister in God's name, such that we have to bow to an other in obeisance rather than cooperate in love? This is perhaps a fear of loss of power or authority rather than a community revealing God's love.

We need to remind ourselves that we follow a call by God not by other humans. The Hebrew's writer once again writes with insight when they say that what is of God is unshakeable whilst human desires will wander with their eyes so that we once again put obstacles in the way of God's reign (Heb. 12.28). In looking at how we go about undertaking God's will and answering the call upon our lives we actually need to throw out the rule book that our forefathers have created to follow. Just as the Israelites needed to be reminded time and time again, it is not how we interpret God's law but how God wants us to behave and act. Our responsibility is to God not to the structures that we and the generations that have gone before have interpreted as being God's way. God's action is encompassing not confining, is for all not for some, is life giving not death dealing, is free not expensive. Our views and our attitudes need to see beyond blame and power to find balance and forgiveness. We need to come from a totally different perspective rather than from the one that has been generationally produced as the law.

Disruption for justice

 Last week I spoke about the disruptive influence of God in terms of Derrida's deconstruction. This week we see that disruption occurring in a more specific way despite this being a Gospel of love. Luke's Gospel has an enormous disruptive feel in the current reading as Christ tells us he does not come to bring peace but disruption of existing relationships (Lk. 12.49-).  A disruption that tears the  relationships of families and communities; an unexpected dissonance from a God of love, peace and harmony.

Yet, when we engage with the lament from God over his vineyard in Isaiah (5.1-7) we should begin to understand where this disruption occurs in our lives. That is with the presumption that we are truly living the Christian way. All that God is seeking is justice but finds instead bloodshed (Isaiah 5.7). Justice is a concept that is so elusive for the human that the judiciary and philosophers struggle to pin it down as it escapes in the blink of an eye.  It comes as a disruptive moment in our lives as we seek to do justice.  The historical list of those who have managed this elusive concept are pillars of faith and have journeyed with this concept throughout their lives. Some are outlined in the letter to the Hebrews and finalised  by basically saying the list goes on forever (Heb 11.32).  If we consider our own heroes of the faith or standouts within the faith journey of the modern era we can think of Bishop Trevor Huddlestone, The Arch. more commonly known as Desmond Tutu, Sister Theresa and Rev. Michael Lapsley all who have struggled with this elusive concept as they have journeyed in faith.

Only when we start to understand their passion for a loving God and the elusive pursuit of justice can we begin to understand the disruption, in this word, that this should cause for ourselves.  Yet, we ponder and struggle to overcome our own pet hurts that blind us to the greater call on our lives. We confine ourselves to the irritation of a misleading line in a hymn rather than the actuality of injustice in Palestine.  We concentrate on the tangibility of a border forbidding the undesirables from coming and restricting their access while neglecting our responsibilities as well as the injustices occurring in our name.  It is the tangibility of a border or a hymn that calls us rather than the intangible concept of justice calling from the borders of our sovereignty.  Only when we can overcome our own wants and wishes so as to focus on the greater will we begin to work the will of God's call on us.

Desperation in the face of injustice

The claim on us as we make our way on the journey of faith is not in the past but in the present.  In seeking justice we will disrupt our families and our communities as we stir up the complacency of governments and communities.  The Anglican and faith community live by what is known as Lex orandi, lex credendi, or what we say is what we believe.  If this is the case than it is the call for justice that must be lived out by our daily lives.  This is a greater call than a single focus on Jew, Muslim or sexuality.  Our call is to live acknowledging all as children of God and ignoring the difference that they bring into our lives.  Justice calls to all of us, irrespective of creed, culture or sexuality.  It inspires us to live lives of acceptance that do not dwell on images of the past but build images of the future with hope.  Justice continually calls from the margins of our society not from those living in affluence.  The pursuit of justice calls us into the fray of the dispossessed, the camps and those struggling to survive.  It does not call us to close our hearts and our borders; it does not call us to close our eyes or think only of the past.

If we are to live as faith filled Christians, however small we deem ourselves, we will be at the forefront of disruption as we open the hearts of those closed by comfort and complacency.  Mother Theresa was not a showman or a tele evangelist but a person of large faith and heart who saw injustice and worked towards justice.  For all his flamboyance Archbishop Tutu worked at the coalface of injustice to bring the injustices of apartheid into the light of God's love, not for fame but to honour the call and pursuit of justice that God calls all of faith to. In our comfort and our own lives lived within a society that is consumed by pettiness we are called into the disruptive tear that those who suffer from injustice create as justice calls.  We have seen the blood that flows as a result of injustice in the lives of the abused, are we ready to answer with the salve of love and respond to the call of justice in the world.