A saintly view

Daniel's dream sequence of the kingdoms in chapter 7.1-18 looks to both the past and the future for Daniel. The kingdoms although for us may be past still instil for us need to look carefully at how we approach the building of our own communities whether local or national or international. The consequences of building on pride, rage and war cannot build communities that are based in love which is the order of the day for Christians. Indeed the communities that Chris asks us to build are communities that are accepting and fulfilling rather than those filled with hate and violence. The violent character of the dream kingdoms in Daniel can be seen in the way we "play" in politics and in the relationships we have with others around the world.

So from the saints point of view what is the community or kingdom that needs to be built and how do we encompass that in our day to day lives without resorting to well worn tracks of violence and intimidation? Luke's gospel and Matthew's gospel both give us the same answer, although Luke also provides the contrast (Lk 6.20-31). The Beatitudes as they are often referred to are simple instructions for simple people. Just as we often do in all biblical interpretation these instructions are over interpreted. Christ when giving these to those that surround him whether on the plain or mountain side is not talking to well educated philosophising listeners. He is speaking to rude country folk and must be or rather should be interpreted in the light of this understanding. He would not have any high highfalutin  philosophy behind these words but rather simple instructions for simple people. This being the case then can we read these instructions as that without any need to go into "deeper" understanding.

Walking past the poor we hoard the grace of God given to us

If we wish to have a saintly view point then we need to live our lives by these rules, it is that simple. We seem to have a difficulty with this because they seem so negative. However, if we think about what each is saying we come to the realisation that all that is being talked about is a life that is lived without expectation. Yes, if we are hungry now at some point in our day we will have sufficient to keep us going as we rely on God's providence to maintain our lives. It may be a struggle, it may well mean that at times we have to forgo in order to ensure that we love those around us. Yet, if we hoard that which we have and only care for ourselves how can we believe in God''s love and grace for we who are full. This does not only apply to our food but also to our knowledge. We ride roughshod over those who we believe do not know as much as ourselves. In doing so we often go hungry as we do not have the ears to hear what is being offered to us in terms of food.

The writer to the Ephesians states quite clearly that we have been given our share in the heritage (Eph 1.11) and just as we have been given so we need to share with those around us. Only then do we begin to live as a true community of Christ and as Christ's body. In this way we become one with community of Saints that is a celebration of all who are part of the body. Yet, so often we sit back and say to ourselves that we are not hungry, we have joy, we have happiness but are unwilling or not wishing to include others as we begin to build the borders that prevent people from joining in the body of Christ. If we are to have a viewpoint that reflects the saints then we must start with inclusivity and not denial of the other. We must join together and not divide forming our own little havens of understanding that exclude others unless they see the world from our point of view.

The problem with wealth

Luke's gospel brings into sharp focus the issue of wealth and faith (Lk 18.18-25). In this question the rich person is overwhelmed by what must be given up to such an extent that he turns away from the path that is presented by Christ. In turning away the commentary from Christ is the difficulty of the rich engaging with the path of Christ. This passage has often been seen as being a derogatory base from which the rich should be castigated and shamed. However, there is something that is much more meaningful to be engaged with here and in the passages that have been read alongside this particular one today.

Is it aimed at the rich? Have we actually missed the target when we talk about this in terms of rich and poor? If we break this passage down into this binary I believe we have totally missed the mark. The generalisation that is being used here is and can be used today and is not aimed at the binary rich and poor. Rather it is a generalisation that is aimed at the attitude not the wealth or the lack of wealth. Note that the passage quite clearly states that the man turns away following the comment that he was rich. Richness or wealth per se is not the issue but rather the attitude that we hold when we have riches and wealth. For the man in the story the implication is that the hold of riches and wealth are greater than the hold of the path that Chris offers. This is the point of the story for us. There is no injunction against the ownership or pursuit of wealth. We are quite capable of undertaking this pursuit so long as we do not deflect our trajectory away from the pursuit of God's love in our lives.

It is not wealth but our attitude that is the issue

The prophet Joel puts this into perspective (Joel 2.23 ff) reminding us that creation belongs to God. Everything that comes to us comes to us through the grace of God and not through our own efforts. Yes, we have a hand in our own survival but God gives us the opportunity to further our own needs and desires so long as we remain cognisant of the other. In coming to understand our response to God we need to constantly remind ourselves of the requirement to do what God has asked of us. There is no harm in being wealthy so long as we put that wealth to the benefit of those around us and not to rely on it for our own gain. God gives to us what we require in our daily lives. Whilst it is good to have the support of those around us it is even better to be supported by the presence of God in our lives (2 Tim 4.17).

Our weakness is that we see wealth as the crutch that allows us to live the way we want to irrespective of the other. Once we begin this act of selfishness we become like the man who turned away. It is the sacrifice that needs to be made the sacrifice of everything that we hold dear whether it be time, money or service that makes following Christ so difficult for us. We are totally unprepared to undertake that sacrifice. It is easy for us to state that it is an SEP (Someone Else's Problem) which we can ignore. In ignoring our responsibilities we ultimately have to live with the consequences. The delivery of God's gospel is our responsibility if we have accepted Christ's presence and guidance in our lives. This is what it means to become a living sacrifice. We begin  not with ourselves but with the other, not with our wealth but with the other. Once we have enabled the community of God to come together in worship and praise by opening ourselves up to the other wealth and riches have no meaning. Let us accept our responsibility and give totally of our wealth (Service, finance, time, etc).

Written on our hearts

Over the last week there has been an enormous kickback within the Anglican Church of Australia to the pronouncement of the Archbishop of Sydney's address to their Synod, telling Anglicans who did not agree with his theology to remove themselves from the Anglican Church. In moving forward in our own ministry we need to look at what we ourselves proclaim and if we act in a similar prejudicial manner. In Jeremiah God is most direct and states "I shall be their God" just after suggesting that his laws will be written in their hearts (Jer. 31.33).This suggests to me that the laws of God are etched upon our hearts and not on a piece of paper. What does this mean in the reality of life and all of our prejudices?

The tales that Christ tells are tales of persistence and humbleness of heart (Lk 18.1-14). Tales that remind us of the two things that we require as we follow Christ in the world. Persistence because so often we will be disillusioned by the things that are happening around us. Things that will bring our faith journey into disrepute or vilify our stance on those that are marginalised in society. If we are strong in our love for God and for the body that is Christ in the world we will persist in all things that give life and love to those who are seeking sustenance and shelter. We are prone to wander from the path and to drop out not in a good way but because we have become so shell shocked by the society around us that we give up. Yet, God has inscribed his love on our hearts. A love that as we know passes all understanding. We so easily give in and say it is not worth it, we cannot continue and yet with time centred on God and in prayer we are able to persevere into the future that is made by God's continual presence.

We are so often lulled by our sense of superiority in our learning, interpretation and sense of knowledge that we forget that Christ taught with simplicity even though he had a greater knowledge than we can ever posses. In the practice of our faith we need to become as humble as the proverbial servant. Not the humbleness of the door mat but the humbleness of heart that allows us to be open to the other. This is the true understanding of the Gospel of love to be able to open oneself up to the least in the world and bring them into God's love through our action. It is totally irresponsible of us to think that we know what is in accordance with God's word or love as a n individual, as a community and as people who proclaim to be part of the body of Christ. We do not. We begin to turn away by responding to our own needs and our own perceived greatness. In the end we are devoured by our own prejudices.

We need to be as persistent and as humble as a person showing stock

Both the negatives from the forgoing are particularly relevant when we are faced with change. It does not matter what the change may be, whether in our lives or in our faith journey or even in the community. Our own tendency is to gravitate towards the negative. It is very hard to maintain the positivity of God's presence in our lives when we are surrounded by apparent failure. In 2 Timothy the author deliberately holds up the example of his own persecution and retention of a life based in Christ to enable Timothy in his work (2 Tim 3.10-17). If we hold to God's love we will be persecuted, if we hold to God's writing on our hearts then others will become jealous and seek to undermine. No matter who we are we belong to God first and foremost as members of the body of Christ. This means that we are humble enough to open our hearts and lives to those who are marginalised not solely to those who believe as we do; we are persistent in our proclamation of love no matter what the circumstances so that we can overcome the reluctance of others to see the truth of love in action. God's love is not based on how we perceive the human body or its sexuality only on how God perceives each individual created in God's image.

The True Gospel

In 2 Timothy the author makes reference to keeping strictly to the "true Gospel" (2 Tim 2.15). Earlier in the chapter, indeed in verse 14, the author states ""stop disputing about mere words". In dedicating ourselves as a sacrifice to God we are making a statement of faith that is filled with gratitude. A statement that can be so easily overwhelmed by our own perspectives and how we interpret words written to us through the ages. Perhaps one of the greatest mistakes that we make is looking to our scriptures and venerating them to the extent that we say that they are the Gospel. In doing this we immediately begin to wrangle about meaning and for some it becomes an issue between the absoluteness of the written word as being the Gospel as opposed to the Gospel that Christ proclaimed.

The simplest way of putting this is that the Gospel of Christ is based on the word and concept of love. This is the basis of all our faith journeys and is what sets us apart from all those who do not believe. No matter what we do and no matter what we think we need to understand that if we are proclaiming lives based on the Gospel then we are proclaiming lives based on love. This is difficult for us as we are more often then not only concerned for ourselves and not for the other. In proclaiming the "True Gospel" we need to ensure that everything we do is based on love. It is not based on what scripture says or does not say because with all works touched by humankind there is an opening for interpretation. Interpretation by humankind is based on the non-understanding of the presence of God, as we cannot fully know God. Just think a moment about the reaction of the ten lepers (Lk 17.11-19). In this scene we see the return of one to give thanks, one who is other, to give thanks to God for God's presence in his life. So one in ten only see the truth in the moment, not everyone. We must strive towards understanding and not misinterpret for our own privilege. The scriptures are not the true Gospel but signposts to the true Gospel.

During the Synod charge this year Archbishop Kay spoke of the enduring basis of the Gospel of Love and how the new mission plan of the diocese is built around this sense of love in Christ Jesus. It is not about how we interpret ourselves but how we build on the love that has been freely given to us. We commit ourselves to live as Christ in the world shining our lights by setting an example of peace, love and hope. Archbishop Kay referred to the Arch's (Archbishop Emeritus Tutu) words regarding what Anglicans do - We meet. This is a profound understanding of our role in faith; to bring together people in community by meeting and sharing the story of God's unfailing love and sacrifice for ourselves. This is our role, our sacrifice for the people who surround us, to meet with them and bring them into the love of God through our welcoming and sacrificial love of them irrespective of their views of us. Jeremiah's message to the exiles (Jer. 29.4-7) is one of being community in the midst of exile, bringing God's light to those who are not or do not know God's presence in their lives.

Do we actually shine as God's light in our community?

Only when we fully understand that the True Gospel that is spoken about in Timothy is a gospel based not on interpretation but on the action of love in our lives will we begin to understand our role as the light of Christ in the world. We too often hide ourselves away and consider only ourselves when we share with others. It is our calling to bring before the people of the world the love that is present in God. It is our goal as Anglicans to live in the community and to meet so that we can share with others the love of God. It is not our calling to meet to bicker but rather to meet and listen not only to those around us but also to God. In listening to God we can then input into our discussion God's love and understanding seeking a way forward in the light of Christ. It is not about denying a response to a plea but rather listening to the plea and responding with God's love.

Gratitude and duty

In the Lukan parables today we are taught about faith, duty and gratitude (Lk 17.5-10). The basis of these as the writer to Timothy states is love within a Christian community (1 Tim 1.5). However, when things go badly for us or when we perceive things going badly for us we tend to move away from our faith, our duty and our gratitude. It is in times of trouble that we should be delving deeper into these three things and understanding that at the base is our grounding in God's love.

It is this move away that is clearly demonstrated in the poetry of Lamentations (Lam 1). The sense of desolation that comes from our abandonment of God and our own faith journey. If the writer of Timothy is correct then we need to understand that love is the basis upon which everything else depends. Our own instability is a result of our misunderstanding the way of love as it is displayed within our own journey in faith and its call towards our duty and the gratitude we should feel in the presence of God's grace when we are at the lowest ebb. In looking at our own selves we need to be sure that we are standing on the ground of love as we form and continue in community - the community of God and the body of Christ.

Only by faith can we be truly grateful and undertake the burdens of duty

Our faith drives us when it is based on love to form community. In forming community we bind ourselves in love to fulfil our duty towards the maintenance of that community by giving with a generous heart all of our selves in thought word and deed. We often believe that it is beholden on others to maintain the community rather than ourselves. We lack means to commit towards any particular programme or effort that the community makes in love towards others. We believe that our contribution is of no consequence and therefore we do not give as much as God gives to us hoarding the benefits and not seeing the worth of maintaining the body. We are given everything by God for which we need to show our gratitude but we are also bound by our duty to God to show love. If this is the case then we need to offer not only ourselves but everything that we have to God's glory in gratitude to God's gifts to us. Our faith allows us to ensure that we follow Christ in love and portray God's presence with gratitude in our hearts.

The Church is not property but the hearts and minds of people. To ensure that we give everything we need in worship we need to ensure that we are able to worship. If we cannot give ourselves in sacrifice then we have not understood the enormous wealth of grace that has been given to us and we risk lamenting the loss of God's presence in  our hearts. It is not for us to make the excuses that we do in order to ameliorate our guilt. We do not need guilt to be thankful for God's mercies and grace in our lives, if we have the totality of love in our hearts then we can give everything to God's purposes in our lives. We do not need the excuse of golf, bridge or any other activity to refrain from giving our service, our love and our all to God's presence in the community. Only when we truly love will we be able to give of ourselves, our lives and our time to God's, this is what is asked of us not by an organisation but by God's presence in our hearts. We give in faith to the glory of God with a grateful heart and acknowledgement of our duty to God's community.

Heaven on Earth

Michael and all the angels battling to save humanity in the apocalyptic visions of John (Rev 12.7-) reminds us perhaps of recent films regarding the fate of the Earth and the Avengers. Perhaps each is an allegory of the other in some respects. In this allegorical vision what is the fight about and how does it concern us in the present day?

There have been an extraordinary number of interpretations of this particular book from the scriptures. Most find it so hard to understand that it is impossible while others treat it perhaps as a magic mushroom journey experienced by John on Crete. What if we can draw something that is beneficial for us today from the whole book? It is really far fetched and does as I have mentioned reflect shades of the Marvel universe. Yet, the general thrust is about the new Jerusalem, Heaven here on earth, the essentials of goodness surpassing the horrors of evil. So, if that is the case we need to delve into some rather obvious and deliberate definitions that apply for our world today. Things like "heaven" seem to be important to understand if we wish to bring heaven to earth or at least a semblance of heaven in the new Jerusalem. Do we still cling to a belief in heaven being somewhere up there or is there some other alternative vision that we can conceive of when we talk about heaven in this context? (What do we mean by heaven and how that connects with things like the creed are perhaps beyond this particular blog).

Destruction of community destroys the presence of God

The simplest explanation may be the best as we take a look at the phantasmagorical writings of Daniel (7.9-14) and Revelation. In these works the talk is about kingdoms and empires because that is what is known in the context. if we were perhaps to substitute Governments for these in the current era we would come closer to the points that are being made. Once we have authority, especially authority that displays sovereign power, we begin to understand the draw that such authority has to those that are corrupt in soul and body. Once such power is gained we begin to imagine and use our authority in ways that are detrimental to the majority as we attempt to uphold our own power. To realise this we just need to read the political reality in the books of Samuel (see Halbertal and Holmes' book). So what stands before such sovereign power and authority but the presence of heaven as suggested in the book of revelation. It is Michael and all the saints and angels that form the bulwark that fights for justice and peace. The understanding here is the closeness this group has formed with God and God's presence in their lives to form a community that brings God's presence to Earth.

Heaven is found in the presence of God. This being the case then perhaps heaven is found within the community of God that expresses God's love to those who are part of that community. We confirm our presence in Christ as we celebrate God's presence in ourselves only when we express God's love. The moment we begin to do those things that are detrimental to the formation of community, by concentrating on our own selfish needs, we deny the reality of God. Just as Michael and All the angels fight for the community of God so must we join in that fight by ensuring that we form community, a community that is based in God. Only when we are truly members of the body of Christ, contributing to our fullest extent do we begin to find God's presence in reality and heaven on earth. Just as Christ found community in the poorest of the world so we find community in those who are outcast from society. It is only when we begin to dialogue with the least in society will we begin to realise our own centredness in Christ's presence and so show God's love in the world.

Influence and hope for the future

One of the many things that the period of the enlightenment did was to raise up the idea of the individual. Cogito ergo sum in the words of Descartes, I think therefore I am, placed the individual above all else and has been a Western phenomena since then. Luke's gospel appears to back this claim with the rich man praising the efforts of his steward in looking after his own needs (Lk 16.1-9). The steward goes out of his way to falsify things in a manner that would aid his uncertain future to the detriment of the rich man. Is this really what we are being asked to do for ourselves, to go out of our way to commit fraud and enable our own days of retirement, or is there something here that such a simple reading misses?

I am fairly certain that the perpetuation of fraud is not what is being condoned here. In this passage it is not the act that is of importance it is the community that is being formed. Due to the persistence of the Descartian model we, perhaps, automatically read these passages as being promoters of self. This is understandable because we have been instilled within a cultural bias that leads us to move the individual above all others. We do this often in medicine as well as within our work place situations. The move is towards the building up and extending the viability of the self over a long period of time. Often when we come close to the top of our sphere of influence it is about retention of our power and authority. This often leads to mistrust and division as we try to compete for the perceived benefits of being at the top. This is, however, an extremely Western orientated view or as some might say a colonialist point of view.

Stewardship begins by fostering community

Looking at cultural norms which are considered to be foreign, and indeed ripe for colonisation by Western ideals, we find a very different outlook. Here in Australia, Indigenous groups are linked not by the power of the individual but rather by relationship and kinship; in America there is an inter-relational understanding of people and the land / natural waters, such inter-relationality is taken to include personhood for rivers as is also seen in New Zealand. In Africa, of course, there is an understanding of Ubuntu. In highlighting these cultures we begin to see the cultural norm of the Middle Eastern "indigenous" cultures at the time o Roman (Western) colonisation. It is a village perspective that sees as in Australian Indigenous culture, "One community, many eyes". Thus, it is a perspective that does not see from the individuals view point but rather from a community viewpoint.

In this we actually find meaning in the parable that Christ tells. It is not about individual survival against the odds. It is rather about the gathering of community around ourselves so that we can support each other in times of hardship. It is not about self but rather about the garnering of community around oneself. If it was solely about self it would have a dark undertone and no real approval. It would be about gaining self esteem and ensuring that I became rich not that others would gain. If we truly believe in Christ's presence then we must also believe in the community of Christ and God that is found in the body of Christ. Irrespective of how we garner that support, so long as it does not create dissonance within our own communities than we must pursue this as far as possible. Did the steward cheat the rich man, in one sense yes he did but in the end he actually created a more stable relationship with the rich man as the rich man did with his customers.