According to Abraham Heschel (“The Pious Man”, from MAN IS NOT ALONE), piety is living at the point of God’s presence. He says that the pious one is one who recognizes that God is constantly breaking into ordinary human circumstances. Scriptures to be read on the upcoming weekend describe some of these meeting points as a reminder to those in the pew who have lost or mislaid their understanding of life within God’s purview.
ACTS of the Apostles 16:16-34 tells two stories about freedom. The first tells of the slave-girl whom Paul frees from the demon of soothsaying; the second is about Paul & Silas & the Phillippian jailer. We note that neither freedom was the result of special actions, but rather depended upon God’s initiative. By the power of Christ, duty was turned into health and renewal of living as it should be. What duty holds us captive?
The concluding several verses of the REVELATION to St.John of Patmos, 22:12 onward, lift up the Presence of the Son in the Eternal City. The waiting is now done and the Eternal Heaven is here. God has broken into history and “anyone who wishes to take the water of life” is free to do so. The invitation is clearly into Holiness for the enslaved and the pious both. “Washing of the robes” is a command to make clean and sparkling even that which is faded and tawdry.
The Gospel–JOHN 17:20-26–continues the High Priestly prayer of Jesus at table in the Upper Room. He prays for his followers (including us) that they/we may be One with the Father. This One-ness indicates that there is no hierarchy among the Believers, for God continues to break into all of our human circumstances when we least expect it.
The experience of Christ changes our lives: as we look back, we recognize the constant inbreaking of Heavenly Love with situations which would otherwise seem impossible. Our dead-ends yield to a thoroughfare well-travelled by those who’ve gone before. Come quickly, Lord Jesus….
In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King
A few have come every Tuesday to meet with scripture lessons reserved for the upcoming weekend by the Revised Standard Lectionary; at horacebrownking.com
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