In the several weeks since the murder of George Floyd, many of us have renewed an emphasis on personal worth. #BlackLivesMatter has called us to search our own prejudices and assumptions, some of which are against what we profess in our spirit-journey. Lessons read this weekend may well lead us deeper into our own worth as well as that of other living beings who share our planet.
The story from Genesis (21:1-21) needs to be heard: it deals with racism from long ago, yet which seems current. Ishmael, whose name means “God hears”, and his mother Hagar–who was Egyptian–were put out of the camp by jealous Sarai, who feared for her specialness as Abram’s wife. The refugees went out into the desert with only a skin of water and a bit of bread, and soon were about to be overcome by the heat. Ishmael was left in a bit of shade to die; but his crying was heard by God, who opened the mother’s eyes to a spring of water. Happy ending? Traditionally Ishmael fathered the Arab people, and the racism continues. Even so, God evidently saw Ishmael’s life as important to save despite the enmity of his ancestors/descendants.
Paul’s writing to the Romans, 6: 1-11, announces Grace to people who were buried by their “Sin”–brokenness from God and God’s ways–and who thus denied their worth. One of the most insidious heresies is that “God can’t fix me, I’m too bad”. “But if we died with (into) Christ, we (can) believe that we will also live with him.” What was impossible in the old understanding is now very real as we see ourselves and others through the eyes of Christ. Harold E. Masback III reminds us in FEASTING on the WORD that “God has already intervened to break the dynamic of self-centeredness and recenter the self back to God-centeredness”. (A 3:161) “So also you must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” And others, too?
Matthew 10:24-39 is full of Good Stuff. The verse which jumped out at me was the 29th: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.” Evidently #SparrowLivesMatter! I read this teaching as affirming even the most insignificant of lives as bearing worth. Francis of Assisi is supposed to have venerated even the most simple beings–brother mosquito?–as worthy bearers of life, and thus splinters of God. The message seems increasingly clear, especially in recent days, that all life is sacred and should be protected at all cost!
An OLD story tells of the Rev. Dr. Hiram standing at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter can’t seem to find him in the computer. “But I’ve preached thousands of times, usually to full houses.” “Hmmm…mm” “My prayers have been regular, and I’ve comforted hundreds at their last breaths.” “Mmm…uh-huh…” “My street ministry has caused many to change their lives…” “Say, are you the Dr. Hiram who always fed bread-crumbs to the sparrows in the park?” “Yes…that’s me.” “Well, C’MON IN!! The Lord of the Sparrows wants to thank you personally!”
In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King
My encounter with scriptural passages assigned to the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com
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