MOURNING THE DEATH OF INNOCENCE, ROBBED CHILDHOODS, STOLEN FUTURES, DESTROYED FAITH AND CRIMES AGAINST BOTH GOD AND HUMANITY
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Sunday BibleTalk: October 28th, 2018
Sunday BibleTalk with Sunday Video Chat!
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Greetings, SBT Readers:
To "see" in a spiritual sense, means to see that which is hidden, to see below the surface and beyond externals, to read "between the lines" and to take in a kaleidoscope of perspectives to arrive at Truth -- whatever that is. To see as a Christian means to see with eyes of faith, moving beyond "conventional seeing" (or the way everyone else sees) so that we can see with the eyes of Christ. This is no small accomplishment. From the time we are very young, we learn to see differences, judging others according to arbitrary standards based on societal norms. But scripture reminds us over and over again that God does not see the way humans see, and that God's ways are not our ways, Take for example, 1 Sam 16:7:
"But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart";
or else consider Is 55:8-9:
“'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord."
We tend to see things in black and white, missing the in-between shades. We look at others and immediately assess whether they are friend or foe, a threat or an ally, whether they can raise us up or drag us down. If they are dressed well and come with impressive credentials, we tend to respect them; if they are scruffy and occupy a low position in society, we might not give them the time of day. We like those who are most like ourselves ("our people") and turn away from those who are seemingly different -- or else treat them as novelties and oddities in much the same way as the conquistadors displayed indigenous peoples from the New World in the courts of Europe. We also see things from our vantage point, from the perspective of what will be most convenient to us.
God does not see this way.
How, then, do we cultivate Divine seeing? Again, scripture tells us that God sees with compassion and through the lens of justice. A sure test to see whether our vision is in alignment with God's is to look at the Gospel Jesus and to note how he interacts with the poor and downtrodden of his time, reaching out beyond gender, occupation, nationality and religion to embrace those in need of his care. Today, as I write, there is a caravan of roughly 5,000 Hondurans and Guatemalans trying to escape poverty and oppression to reach the United States.
Are they the enemy? Should we treat them as criminals? Are they a threat to our values and way of life? What is the humane and just response?
Or, again, take the chilling disappearance of
Washington Post
journalist, Jamal Khashoggi. He walked into the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul and never walked out.
Does the Truth matter" Does his presumed murder matter? Or should we "move on" because we want to avoid economic fallout with Saudi Arabia?
Do we want to see as God sees, or is it more convenient to retain our own myopia? That is a question that each of us must answer.
Many Blessings!
Elizabeth
PS
Please note that my video reflection,
Sunday Chat
(see below),
is an imperfect production, entirely unscripted and therefore prone to some "rough spots" in terms of clarity and expression! There's no time for "re-takes"!
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SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man replied, "Master, I want to see." Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you." Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.
MK 10:46-52
It is Bartimaeus' cloak that first captures my attention -- or, to be more precise, the fact that the blind man cast it aside to approach Jesus. This cloak served as shelter (Bartimaeus may have slept on it), as prayer shawl (he most likely didn't own a traditonal
tallit
) and as begging cloth (he possibly spread it across his legs to catch the coins from passersby); and, possibly, as "security blanket" though that, of course, is a modern concept! The cloak, then, was multi-functional and was Bartimaeus' means of survival. It protected him from bitter winds, identified him as a pauper and was probably one of his few possessions. Unlike the Rich Man whom we encountered in Mk 10:17-31, however, Bartimaeus was ready to abandon his "treasure" in order to meet Jesus.
Though the presence of large crowd made it unlikely that he would ever get back his cloak or even the coins that he may have wrapped in it, he left it behind! In contrast to the disciples who were preoccupied with their status in Jesus' kingdom (Mk 10: 35-45), he seemed to understand Jesus' Messianic role, calling him,
"Son of David,"
a title indicating both his royal lineage and his mission. In fact, it is upon hearing this cry that Jesus stopped and told his followers to bring the blind man to him. Mark tells us that the man "sprang up," indicating an immediate response, the conviction that "now" was the moment he had been waiting for. And so it was.
"What do you want me to do for you?" asked Jesus. "Master, I want to see!"
(Mk 10:51).
I am also struck by Jesus' words to Bartimaeus:
"Go your way; your faith has saved you."
Again, in contrast to the Twelve, Bartimaeus stood out as a man of faith, refusing to be silent when he heard that Jesus was approaching. He knew what he wanted and believed that Jesus could heal him. Upon receiving his sight, "his way" was to follow Jesus. He not only received the gift of physical sight but also the gift of spiritual sight --something the Twelve lacked. This made it impossible for him to return to his former way of life-- after all that he had experienced, how could he possibly go back to the dust and grime of the road side or to dependency on others? His days of begging were over.
The healing of Bartimaeus is both a miracle story and a story of faith. It invites us to consider what "begging cloth" we must leave behind if we are to follow Jesus; it also prompts us to reflect on what is the "one thing" we need to ask for if we are to be made whole. James and John asked for positions of glory -- would we do the same? Or, like Bartimaeus, would we boldly ask to be healed from all that blocks our spiritual sight and limits our ability to follow The Way?
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
- Is there anything to which you cling that gets in the way of your spiritual progress?
- Are you aware of any "blind spots" in your life? What will it take for you to see more clearly?
- How can you move beyond "conventional faith" to follow Jesus more radically?
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