Dear Friends,
Law’s not looking so great these days. Not that I can remember a time when it did, but when forces that claim law and order are in fact the leading proponents of conspiracies, support extra-judicial killings, and maligns justice seekers, it’s easy to wonder about the value of the law. And besides, how much do most of us really know about the law when it comes down to the details?
I’ve been thinking a lot about the finer points of Biblical commandments and expectations lately, because my wife and I are reading Rachel Held Evan’s “A Year Of Biblical Womanhood” together. Her premise: live by the precise commands and expectations set out for women in the Bible - which turn out to be significantly different from what she was taught growing up and which, when taken to logical extremes, result in some hilarious antics. It’s also a curious project because, as Christians, we don’t talk a lot about the law. Instead, we talk about Commandments - or, as say in Godly Play, Best Ways (you can watch Kathryn Lord’s presentation of the Ten Best Ways here).
This weeks lectionary is heavy on law and commandments, from God’s explanation of how to keep the Passover to Jesus’s description of how to deal with “offenders” within a community to Paul’s extension of the Greatest Commandment in his letter to the Romans. But here’s the thing about all of those laws and commandments - they each come down to community.
In setting out the expectations for keeping the Passover, God is establishing a ritual that reminds a community of their origins. In Jesus’s passage on dealing with offenders, he treats transgression lightly - to be addressed in private, with increased accountability as necessary, but with the ultimate conclusion that in dealing with each other, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” And, of course, Romans is a letter of outreach, calling on the community to Love One Another - that is all that it takes to fulfill the law. As for man’s laws - or what “Caesar” makes of them - we know full well how immensely those fail us every day. In the words of Barbara Brown Taylor,
Jesus was not brought down by atheism and anarchy. He was brought down by law and order allied with religion, which is always a deadly mix. Beware those who claim to know the mind of God and are prepared to use force, if necessary, to make others conform. Beware those who cannot tell God’s will from their own. Temple police are always a bad sign. When chaplains start wearing guns and hanging out at the sheriff’s office, watch out. Someone is about to have no king but Caesar.
As Christians, we largely hold that evolutions in the law nullify older laws - it’s why we don’t keep the Laws of Leviticus, but it’s worth recognizing that the law, tradition, and community are all in conversation and evolution in remarkable ways -
In examining tradition and ritual, my talented friend Dane Kuttler developed “The Social Justice Warrior’s Guide to the High Holy Days” (and other related texts), which reframes Jewish tradition within the context of current social struggles. You can find out more on Facebook, as well.
Many of my favorite songs - the ones I sing with youth and family ministry programs, but that also regularly pop into my head - are directly drawn from scripture with a modern twist. One of the most popular with my childhood congregation, likely brought back from youth gatherings by me and my friends during our early teens, is Romans 16:19 -
Living in the midst of a pandemic is forcing all of us to rethink tradition and community, with powerful outcomes for children’s ministry. I’ve been so impressed by the hard work experienced formation leaders have been sharing on their websites and social media, including several of you! For a big picture view, I’d recommend Living Church on Sunday School’s new pandemic stylings.
As my own congregation begins finding limited ways to gather again and I find myself with a little more energy, I hope there will be some exciting new content coming from my house as well - ideally without too much kitten interference. I’m also cooking up some fun for the Feast of St. Francis that will include my furry friends, so stay tuned and don’t forget to share -
Keep looking for what’s next in the midst of the right now. I’ll be there, too -
A. Bird