Is time flat or cyclical?
Did time begin at a definite point and does it have a definite end?
Or is time a series of cycles? Should time be pictured as a revolving wheel?
How you answer these questions will define the perspective that you take toward eschatology. If you think of time as linear, then you believe that time had a beginning and it has an eventual end. If you think of time as cyclical, then the beginning is just a beginning.
Humans originally answered these questions by looking around them. They looked around and saw clear evidence that time was cyclical. The sun goes down, and comes back up. The rains of spring follow the snows of winter. The phases of the moon are predictably repetitive. That which is happening now, has happened before and will happen again.
So, it was easy for them to assume that time was a cycle - a series of infinite recurrences. Most people believed this way until a special group of people came along. The apocalyptic prophets. They were preachers with visions of the future. They spoke of doom and judgement, but also of restoration and justice.
Prophets of the Apocalypse were from many different faiths. Prognosticators arose when people began to see the world from a cosmic perspective. They looked to the stars and saw doom or hope. They saw deities manipulating the gears of time. They wondered what lay ahead for their children, their children's children. What machinations did these gods and stars have in mind?
The history of Jewish people is full of sadness and tragedy. After the Golden age of King Solomon, the kingdom of Israel was constantly harried by troubles: civil war, invasion, and enslavement. This sadness and the longing for a brighter future gave us the Prophets.
At first, the Prophets warned the Hebrew people that their behavior would get them in trouble. The prophet Amos gave up farming to preach and warn the nation of the consequences of their bad behavior - judgement day was coming. Nobody listened. So, he went back to farming. Judgement Day came. The Northern Israelite were conquered by the Assyrian Empire. The region was depopulated and carried off to exile in Nineveh.
Jeremiah warned the leaders of the Southern Kingdom. He wept and foretold their destruction. He pleaded with the leaders to not ally themselves with Egypt. They didn't listen. The Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar rolled in, sacked Jerusalem, and took the population back to Babylon. Jeremiah was left to mourn over the ruins of the city.
Exile brought a whole new kind of prophesying. The Jewish people received a heavy dose of Persian influence while in captivity. They learned about the ardent monotheism of Zoroaster. The prophet Daniel was trained in Chaldean astrology. They learned concepts like paradise, hell, and a savior coming in the
future. They incorporated these concepts into their faith. This caused
them to see the stories of their origins in totally different ways.
They Hebrew people were exposed to the creation myths. Zoroastrianism's version of creation is that God created the known world in seven steps. He also created humanity, at first as an original couple. This couple were plagued by an powerful evil character attempting to mess up all that the God character had created.
Sound familiar?
The Book of Genesis specifically locates the Garden of Eden in Babylon.
The Jewish exiles had to re-interpret scripture. The End had already come. Their nation- the promised land - was gone. Their temple was gone. They now had to understand their circumstances from beyond their borders. Now, the prophets spoke of a supreme God that was not just the ruler of the Jewish people, but of all people. And this God would use the mighty rulers to restore Israel and dole out judgement upon the oppressors of the Jewish people.
The Prophets did not use clear or explicit language. Far from it. Instead, they used bizarre word pictures and metaphors. Their writings are chock full of symbology and coded references. Some of the passages border on nonsensical.
The prophets now spoke about a future "End of Days" when God would put an end to all of the suffering and anguish that had befallen the oppressed. God would destroy the wicked and edify the wronged. Whoa to those who were on the wrong end of that continuum.
No longer was time a cycle (ashes to ashes, dust to dust). Time now had a definite beginning - God created the world in seven days. Time now had a definite end - the End of Days. Time was now linear.
The prophets became rabbis and the faith of the Jewish people continued to persist. The faith evolved under extraordinary circumstances. Through the many changes, they looked toward the future. They anticipated the arrival of the future savior - the Messiah. They looked forward to the End of Days and the restoration of the Promised Land. Next Year, in Jerusalem.
Apocalyptic prophets followed, certainly. Eventually, the End of Days found its way into the theology of Christians. Oppressed and struggling with Roman persecution, early Christian writers identified Jesus as the Messiah. Like, the Hebrew prophets, they knew that God was the God of all nations and that history was pointed toward an edification of the Oppressed at the End of Days.
The new Christian prophets wrote in a style similar to the apocalyptic exiles. They used symbology, coded references, and strange word pictures. They openly mimicked the Prophets of exile and linked their message with the message of their predecessors. For them, time was absolutely linear and the end was near. It was very near.
Their message is clear. Get ready. the End could occur at any moment. The Messiah will return. The earth will burn. The dead will rise. Horrors will spread throughout the Earth as God renders judgement upon the sinful and unjust. Get ready. It is going to happen very very soon.
Over two millenia after the Apocalyptic Christian prophets, we're still waiting. Why? How do Christians explain that delay?
4.30.2020
4.24.2020
Bunker Blog: 3. Apocalyptic Gravedancing
So far, we have looked at some reasonable worries about The End. We have also examined some completely unreasonable ways of thinking about The End. Now, we turn to something all together different -
One, When I say religion, I am going to be specifically referring to Christianity. This is a required by the limits of my own knowledge (all I know is Evangelical Christianity). This is also required since I think that much of the nonsense being pushed in the media about the current pandemic. I will try to do a post later with perspectives of other modern religions, but it will probably be worthless.
Also, we will also take a look at secular perspectives later. I am knee deep in some Heidegger right now. Once I figure out what the hell he was writing about, I will check back in.
If you follow evangelical friends on social media, you may have come across a few biblical posts with dire warnings from the Bible. The COVID-19 pandemic has sent people diving for their bibles and looking for passages to explain our current crisis. Even Kourtney Kardashian chimed in with a reminder from 2 Chronicles -pay attention children.
In addition to crazy posts on social media, I have seen Bible verses quoted on news sites' comment sections, blog posts, and even in spots for government feedback. Now, let's just take a minute and think of the type of person that decides to go on to a website and start copying and pasting Bible verses in the comment section. Yeah.
So, what has people so worked up?
Let me tell you, those scriptures definitely affected the picture of the world that we saw. The coloration was darker, more foreboding, and full of potential destruction! We would see evidence of the world hurtling toward destruction. The fabric of society was falling apart. The forces of Satan were conspiring against the Church of Christ and evil ran amok in the halls of power. Arrayed against us were principalities and demonic influences in high places.
In my last post, I mentioned how some people are drawn to conspiracies. Their minds translate the mysterious and the unknown in a way that stitches together different pieces of data and forms a picture that can only be understood via a particular key or code. Of course, the church provided this cypher. Bibles in hand, we sorted through the signs and wonders all around.
Now, remember, this was our perspective when there was no pandemic! When stuff actually happens, we would get really crazy. During the days after September 11th, I was a young minister in training. The members at my church were concerned and prayerful. Their questions centered around End Times and assurances of personal salvation. Some people who were "saved" previous to those events, got "saved" all over again, just in case.
The point is, people have been primed. For years, some of us have heard constant exhortations to looks for "signs of the times". We should prepare ourselves for judgement of almighty God upon this Earth and the people therein.
This is not just grave dancing. This is the hope that we have been taught to maintain. The hope is rooted in the idea that Jesus will return and will not only bring judgement and devastation, but also rewards for the faithful.
Where did these strange ideas come from? What is the source for this perspective on the world? Well, some of it comes from the Bible, for sure. However, the Bible has been jammed into a perspective and that perspective is extremely important in understanding the mindset of our apocalyptic friends.
I will try to trace some history in the next post.
RELIGION
Two asides:One, When I say religion, I am going to be specifically referring to Christianity. This is a required by the limits of my own knowledge (all I know is Evangelical Christianity). This is also required since I think that much of the nonsense being pushed in the media about the current pandemic. I will try to do a post later with perspectives of other modern religions, but it will probably be worthless.
Also, we will also take a look at secular perspectives later. I am knee deep in some Heidegger right now. Once I figure out what the hell he was writing about, I will check back in.
Social Media Chicken Littles
If you follow evangelical friends on social media, you may have come across a few biblical posts with dire warnings from the Bible. The COVID-19 pandemic has sent people diving for their bibles and looking for passages to explain our current crisis. Even Kourtney Kardashian chimed in with a reminder from 2 Chronicles -pay attention children.
In addition to crazy posts on social media, I have seen Bible verses quoted on news sites' comment sections, blog posts, and even in spots for government feedback. Now, let's just take a minute and think of the type of person that decides to go on to a website and start copying and pasting Bible verses in the comment section. Yeah.
So, what has people so worked up?
Signs and Wonders
Many of us grew up inundated with this mentality. We gathered in churches multiple times a week and a preacher would tell us to interpret the signs all around us. He would tells us look out upon the world through the filter of scripture.Let me tell you, those scriptures definitely affected the picture of the world that we saw. The coloration was darker, more foreboding, and full of potential destruction! We would see evidence of the world hurtling toward destruction. The fabric of society was falling apart. The forces of Satan were conspiring against the Church of Christ and evil ran amok in the halls of power. Arrayed against us were principalities and demonic influences in high places.
In my last post, I mentioned how some people are drawn to conspiracies. Their minds translate the mysterious and the unknown in a way that stitches together different pieces of data and forms a picture that can only be understood via a particular key or code. Of course, the church provided this cypher. Bibles in hand, we sorted through the signs and wonders all around.
Now, remember, this was our perspective when there was no pandemic! When stuff actually happens, we would get really crazy. During the days after September 11th, I was a young minister in training. The members at my church were concerned and prayerful. Their questions centered around End Times and assurances of personal salvation. Some people who were "saved" previous to those events, got "saved" all over again, just in case.
The point is, people have been primed. For years, some of us have heard constant exhortations to looks for "signs of the times". We should prepare ourselves for judgement of almighty God upon this Earth and the people therein.
Gravedancing
You may have noticed that it is not all doom and gloom from your fundamentalist friends and neighbors. They may seem quite excited for the End. In the midst of warnings about pale riders and brimstone storms, they may remind everybody about the glory of things to come.This is not just grave dancing. This is the hope that we have been taught to maintain. The hope is rooted in the idea that Jesus will return and will not only bring judgement and devastation, but also rewards for the faithful.
Where did these strange ideas come from? What is the source for this perspective on the world? Well, some of it comes from the Bible, for sure. However, the Bible has been jammed into a perspective and that perspective is extremely important in understanding the mindset of our apocalyptic friends.
I will try to trace some history in the next post.
4.16.2020
Bunker Blog: 2. It is all a big conspiracy
There are plenty of perfectly reasonable things to fear. Essentially, human beings are already way out on a flimsy limb. Of course, we also have a saw and we are furiously attempting to cut that very limb.
With all the things that a person could reasonably worry about, you'd think that would be enough. But, instead, we have decided to just make a bunch of things up to shroud the future in an even murkier fog.
Have you heard?
People in Europe are literally burning down cell towers because they believe that advanced fifth generation (5G) cellular communications are causing COVID-19.
Why would people believe this garbage?
I'll give you three reasons, though the subject is complex. The reasons that I grabbed here will help us understand the more religious aspects - how the religious ideas develop and are accepted
It is difficult for people with proportionality bias to fathom that the September 11th attacks were perpetrated by several dudes with box cutters and delusions. It is much more satisfying to see it as an "inside job", conjured by powerful and mysterious villains.
Even in small things we can experience proportionality bias. You are playing a board game, you need to roll a seven. You pick up the set of dice and gently blow on them, then use both hands to aggressively shake the dice. You toss the dice with a flair of the hand. When they stop rattling, voila: A seven!
Now did exhaling on a set of dice cause the seven? Did anything else you did change the outcome? No. The fact is that seven has a higher likelihood of occurring than any other number. But, we are not satisfied with dumb luck. We need the meaningful result to be caused by an equally meaningful cause.
Some people experience a natural occurrence, experience its reality, and move on. Others have need to see the reason for the occurrence and the meaning of the occurrence. They read intention and purpose into things that may or may not require such interpretation.
Now, this is a handy skill when dealing with people. Those who do not have intentionality bias can tend to be duped or misread social situations. To read into another person's intentions or motivations is a vital social skill for most people.
However, this bias can also cause us to completely misunderstand situations. For instance, I was in Grand Rapids last year, walking down a busy street. Some dude was walking toward me, staring at his phone. Collision. Apologies exchanged and on we went. But, I knew what was really going on. Within seconds of clearing the crash scene, I reached in my pocket. My wallet was still there. I've seen enough movies. I would not be victimized by a light fingered thief and his meet cute.
Did I read that situation correctly?
What about the person on TV news thanking god for the fact that the tornado had destroyed every house in their neighborhood but one - theirs?
"The twister blew apart my neighbors house, hopped up and over mine, and slammed apart my other neighbors house! Praise the Lord!"
You're cleaning out a closet. You move an old box and out falls a photograph. You pick it up and see the picture of a deceased relative. Suddenly, you realize what day it is. It is that same relative's birthday. Coincidence?
Intentionality Bias may help us understand social situations, but they are a pretty bad way to understand a mechanical phenomenon. The tree that fell in the woods, just after you passed by probably wasn't being held up by a guardian angel. The phone call from a person who you were just thinking about was going to happen despite what you were thinking about. The white trails behind the jets far overhead have more to do with water vapors than the Deep State trying to sprinkle coronavirus on you.
If I gave you a series of numbers, your brain can find the pattern and predict what would happen if the series continues. 1331 1331 1331 1331 1331 ... You definitely can anticipate what will come next.
Our ancestors used this ability to anticipate the actions of predators and prey. They could avoid dangerous situations and discover advantageous opportunities. This constant search for patterns can also work against us. If you give the brain's pattern searching engine just a bit of a nudge, then an operatic masterpiece can turn into a song about how green chalk tastes like hippies:
Our pattern searching makes us really bad at some simple mathematics. If I flip a coin twenty times, and the coin lands tails twenty times in a row, the twenty first coin flip is just as likely heads as it is tails. All the coin flips were 50/50. Whatever happened before has no bearing on the coin flip result. But, gamblers often bet on a "streak" and will bet that the pattern will continue. They are just as likely to see that heads is "due" and will bet the opposite of the pattern.
It is all dumb. It is still 50/50. Nothing is more or less likely to happen.
When you combine pattern searching with proportionality bias and intentionality bias, you can quickly get an overheated brain. Take that same brain and unleash it on a newspaper. It will come up with all kinds of disproportions, intentions, and patterns.
On days that Garfield eats lasagna, a homicide occurs. Coincidence?
Or, what if you have been told all your life that the End is near. What if you had been told that when you see certain things start to happen, then you could be assured that you were living in the final days of the human race. All of a sudden, the things that you see happening in the world everyday seem less random, and more significant. They seem more ominous.
What if the events of the world were caused by powerful forces and comprehensible only for those with the secret knowledge?
I've got to admit, that is an appealing way to look at the world.
A common 20th century adage is less appealing: "Life is just one damned thing after another."
The pattern-seeking, proportion and intention biased mind is more satisfied with a story about cosmic forces manipulating the events of our lives. We prefer this to one damned thing after another. So, the story - complex and unlikely as it is - pulls us in. It changes our perspective. It gives us something to believe in.
Unreasonable
With all the things that a person could reasonably worry about, you'd think that would be enough. But, instead, we have decided to just make a bunch of things up to shroud the future in an even murkier fog.
Have you heard?
- COVID-19 is caused by 5G cell communications
- COVID-19 is a bioweapon that was developed by the Chinese government for the purpose of population control
- COVID-19 is a bioweapon that was developed in a Chinese lab secretly funded by US virologists
- COVID-19 was developed by the deep state and spread via aircraft contrails to destabilize the current US administration
- COVID-19 is a glorified flu bug that the media is sensationalizing to make the president look bad
People in Europe are literally burning down cell towers because they believe that advanced fifth generation (5G) cellular communications are causing COVID-19.
Why would people believe this garbage?
I'll give you three reasons, though the subject is complex. The reasons that I grabbed here will help us understand the more religious aspects - how the religious ideas develop and are accepted
1. Proportionality Bias
To put it succinctly, proportionality bias is the innate belief that big events must be caused equally big events. Something that changed history must have been caused by something historically significant.It is difficult for people with proportionality bias to fathom that the September 11th attacks were perpetrated by several dudes with box cutters and delusions. It is much more satisfying to see it as an "inside job", conjured by powerful and mysterious villains.
Even in small things we can experience proportionality bias. You are playing a board game, you need to roll a seven. You pick up the set of dice and gently blow on them, then use both hands to aggressively shake the dice. You toss the dice with a flair of the hand. When they stop rattling, voila: A seven!
Now did exhaling on a set of dice cause the seven? Did anything else you did change the outcome? No. The fact is that seven has a higher likelihood of occurring than any other number. But, we are not satisfied with dumb luck. We need the meaningful result to be caused by an equally meaningful cause.
2. Intentionality Bias
Everything that happens, happens for a reason. There are no accidents. Intentionality Bias is the human tendency to read into acts that are seemingly random.Some people experience a natural occurrence, experience its reality, and move on. Others have need to see the reason for the occurrence and the meaning of the occurrence. They read intention and purpose into things that may or may not require such interpretation.
Now, this is a handy skill when dealing with people. Those who do not have intentionality bias can tend to be duped or misread social situations. To read into another person's intentions or motivations is a vital social skill for most people.
However, this bias can also cause us to completely misunderstand situations. For instance, I was in Grand Rapids last year, walking down a busy street. Some dude was walking toward me, staring at his phone. Collision. Apologies exchanged and on we went. But, I knew what was really going on. Within seconds of clearing the crash scene, I reached in my pocket. My wallet was still there. I've seen enough movies. I would not be victimized by a light fingered thief and his meet cute.
Did I read that situation correctly?
What about the person on TV news thanking god for the fact that the tornado had destroyed every house in their neighborhood but one - theirs?
"The twister blew apart my neighbors house, hopped up and over mine, and slammed apart my other neighbors house! Praise the Lord!"
You're cleaning out a closet. You move an old box and out falls a photograph. You pick it up and see the picture of a deceased relative. Suddenly, you realize what day it is. It is that same relative's birthday. Coincidence?
Intentionality Bias may help us understand social situations, but they are a pretty bad way to understand a mechanical phenomenon. The tree that fell in the woods, just after you passed by probably wasn't being held up by a guardian angel. The phone call from a person who you were just thinking about was going to happen despite what you were thinking about. The white trails behind the jets far overhead have more to do with water vapors than the Deep State trying to sprinkle coronavirus on you.
3. Pattern Searching
Your brain is always working hard to make sense of all the stimulus around you. That sounds like a good thing and it is. Your brain is able to recognize patterns in the data that it is always collecting and then use those patterns to predict things to come.If I gave you a series of numbers, your brain can find the pattern and predict what would happen if the series continues. 1331 1331 1331 1331 1331 ... You definitely can anticipate what will come next.
Our ancestors used this ability to anticipate the actions of predators and prey. They could avoid dangerous situations and discover advantageous opportunities. This constant search for patterns can also work against us. If you give the brain's pattern searching engine just a bit of a nudge, then an operatic masterpiece can turn into a song about how green chalk tastes like hippies:
Our pattern searching makes us really bad at some simple mathematics. If I flip a coin twenty times, and the coin lands tails twenty times in a row, the twenty first coin flip is just as likely heads as it is tails. All the coin flips were 50/50. Whatever happened before has no bearing on the coin flip result. But, gamblers often bet on a "streak" and will bet that the pattern will continue. They are just as likely to see that heads is "due" and will bet the opposite of the pattern.
It is all dumb. It is still 50/50. Nothing is more or less likely to happen.
When you combine pattern searching with proportionality bias and intentionality bias, you can quickly get an overheated brain. Take that same brain and unleash it on a newspaper. It will come up with all kinds of disproportions, intentions, and patterns.
On days that Garfield eats lasagna, a homicide occurs. Coincidence?
Or, what if you have been told all your life that the End is near. What if you had been told that when you see certain things start to happen, then you could be assured that you were living in the final days of the human race. All of a sudden, the things that you see happening in the world everyday seem less random, and more significant. They seem more ominous.
What if the events of the world were caused by powerful forces and comprehensible only for those with the secret knowledge?
I've got to admit, that is an appealing way to look at the world.
A common 20th century adage is less appealing: "Life is just one damned thing after another."
The pattern-seeking, proportion and intention biased mind is more satisfied with a story about cosmic forces manipulating the events of our lives. We prefer this to one damned thing after another. So, the story - complex and unlikely as it is - pulls us in. It changes our perspective. It gives us something to believe in.
4.14.2020
Bunker Blog: 1. Reasonable Ways to Die
There are a lot of justifications for thinking apocalyptically - to believe that the world is ending. Some justifications are entirely reasonable. Others are most certainly unreasonable. And then, there are those justifications that are down right religious.
A whole generation of Americans grew up learning about the advantages of fallout shelters. US propaganda taught families how to hide during times of atomic war. Bert the Turtle taught kids how to "Duck and Cover" when the bombs were inbound.
That was then, and this is now. The great political leaders of our time have taken advantage of the opportunity presented by the end of the Cold War to actually make the Earth a more dangerous place. We are now closer than ever to committing mutual suicide via nuclear weapons. It would take one small mistake or one monumental misunderstanding to decimate the human population and could alter the face of the earth.
The Doomsday Clock is now measured in seconds.
There almost 14000 nuclear weapons across the world. Nine or ten countries now have nuclear weapons. Two of these hate each other enough to use them (India and Pakistan). One country - China - is just beginning to stockpile and has aggressive ambitions for their region. The old nuclear club members are, of course, the US and Russia. These old hands have a tendency to accidentally go boom (Russia) and sometimes forget where they left their nukes (US has lost at least six).
Oh, and lets not forget: North Korea controls 20-30 nukes.
Nuclear Apocalypse is just one of the perfectly reasonable things to worry about. History has shown that threats to humanity can come from all sorts of different things and are reasonable to consider.
Disease. We are currently in the midst of a pandemic that we will overcome. This disease is a naturally occurring instance of a virus jumping species. It will be difficult to overcome, but it is survivable. What happens, though, when the big one gets loose? What if it is not natural? What happens when some man-made horror show gets loose and we find ourselves smack in the middle The Stand?
Climate change. Scientist refer to this brief geological era in which we find ourselves as the "Anthropocene Epoch". They say this because we are living in a time where human beings are the most important change agents affecting the climate and the health of the Earth. Unfortunately, we're kind of dirty and gross and we have somehow managed to give our planet one hell of a fever.
Ecology. Even if we don't manage to boil the oceans, the mismanagement of our environment could kill us. Rampant, poorly planned exploitation of the Earth's resources are already destroying economies and cultures across the world. Doubling down on this madness will continue to tilt things toward destruction. We are already in the midst of mass extinction event that could took us down with it.
Natural Disaster. The universe may just get sick of us. There is all kinds of ways that nature can kill us. Super volcanoes, solar flares, asteroid impact, magnetic polar flip, geomagnetic disturbances... There is plenty to worry about.
There are plenty of things that could end the world, without making things up.
Next time: making things up
The Reasonable
There are good reasons to believe that the end is nigh. I mean, look around.A whole generation of Americans grew up learning about the advantages of fallout shelters. US propaganda taught families how to hide during times of atomic war. Bert the Turtle taught kids how to "Duck and Cover" when the bombs were inbound.
That was then, and this is now. The great political leaders of our time have taken advantage of the opportunity presented by the end of the Cold War to actually make the Earth a more dangerous place. We are now closer than ever to committing mutual suicide via nuclear weapons. It would take one small mistake or one monumental misunderstanding to decimate the human population and could alter the face of the earth.
The Doomsday Clock is now measured in seconds.
There almost 14000 nuclear weapons across the world. Nine or ten countries now have nuclear weapons. Two of these hate each other enough to use them (India and Pakistan). One country - China - is just beginning to stockpile and has aggressive ambitions for their region. The old nuclear club members are, of course, the US and Russia. These old hands have a tendency to accidentally go boom (Russia) and sometimes forget where they left their nukes (US has lost at least six).
Oh, and lets not forget: North Korea controls 20-30 nukes.
Nuclear Apocalypse is just one of the perfectly reasonable things to worry about. History has shown that threats to humanity can come from all sorts of different things and are reasonable to consider.
Disease. We are currently in the midst of a pandemic that we will overcome. This disease is a naturally occurring instance of a virus jumping species. It will be difficult to overcome, but it is survivable. What happens, though, when the big one gets loose? What if it is not natural? What happens when some man-made horror show gets loose and we find ourselves smack in the middle The Stand?
Climate change. Scientist refer to this brief geological era in which we find ourselves as the "Anthropocene Epoch". They say this because we are living in a time where human beings are the most important change agents affecting the climate and the health of the Earth. Unfortunately, we're kind of dirty and gross and we have somehow managed to give our planet one hell of a fever.
Ecology. Even if we don't manage to boil the oceans, the mismanagement of our environment could kill us. Rampant, poorly planned exploitation of the Earth's resources are already destroying economies and cultures across the world. Doubling down on this madness will continue to tilt things toward destruction. We are already in the midst of mass extinction event that could took us down with it.
Natural Disaster. The universe may just get sick of us. There is all kinds of ways that nature can kill us. Super volcanoes, solar flares, asteroid impact, magnetic polar flip, geomagnetic disturbances... There is plenty to worry about.
There are plenty of things that could end the world, without making things up.
Next time: making things up
4.12.2020
Bunker Blog: Notes from Underground
4.12.2020 Somewhere in Michigan, USA
The virus has continued to spread.
I am underground, waiting for whatever comes next.
It has been 10 days since my last human contact.
Who knows what is happening above me, in the world.
Actually, I am underground. I am in my basement office, bored. I actually haven't seen any friends, in person, in over a week. It's called isolation and we are using isolation to combat a deadly virus. I am writing this on Easter Sunday and the United States is still grappling with an outbreak of COVID-19. This is life in quarantine.
But, it is actually not so bad! I've got my family. We go for hikes, play board games, watch movies. You know what? It is actually quite nice! As strange as it is to say, I have sort of enjoyed this whole experience so far.
I am one of the lucky ones.
People in health care are struggling to keep up with an outbreak that preys on the lungs and kills indiscriminately. They are forced to give help to people without the resources they need and they are fearful about their capabilities. That fear is real.
First responders all over the world go to emergencies, fearful of what horrors they may breathing while rendering aid. That fear is real.
People are frightened all over this planet, praying for the pandemic to end, hoping that they and their loved ones will survive. That fear is real.
There are a lot of people who are scared of something all together different: the Apocalypse. Is that fear real? Is there reason to believe that this current crisis will bring the world, as we know it, to a halt?
While I'm quarantined for the next few weeks, I will be trying to sketch out some of the ideas behind this belief. Mostly, I will be focusing on Christian ideas of End Times, but we will also touch on futurology and some secular beliefs about the fate of our species.
I think that we will find that there is something within our human condition that is weirdly drawn to doomsday scenarios. When that draw is combined with religious fervor and spiritual schematics, it can be an intoxicating poison.
I should say that there are genuine existential threats to the world. There are wrongs that we should be actively trying to right. There are messes of our own creation that we need to clean up. There are problems in this world that can end it.
The question is, how can we think about these things with sober clarity, instead of paranoid hysteria? I think the best answer is to get our history straight, which I will be trying to do, with your help.
So, where is this world headed? What do people believe and project about the End of the World?
I hope you can spare some of your isolation time to explore this topic with me.
BUNKER BLOG 1 Reasonable
BUNKER BLOG 2 - Unreasonable
BUNKER BLOG 3 - Religious
The virus has continued to spread.
I am underground, waiting for whatever comes next.
It has been 10 days since my last human contact.
Who knows what is happening above me, in the world.
Actually, I am underground. I am in my basement office, bored. I actually haven't seen any friends, in person, in over a week. It's called isolation and we are using isolation to combat a deadly virus. I am writing this on Easter Sunday and the United States is still grappling with an outbreak of COVID-19. This is life in quarantine.
But, it is actually not so bad! I've got my family. We go for hikes, play board games, watch movies. You know what? It is actually quite nice! As strange as it is to say, I have sort of enjoyed this whole experience so far.
I am one of the lucky ones.
People in health care are struggling to keep up with an outbreak that preys on the lungs and kills indiscriminately. They are forced to give help to people without the resources they need and they are fearful about their capabilities. That fear is real.
First responders all over the world go to emergencies, fearful of what horrors they may breathing while rendering aid. That fear is real.
People are frightened all over this planet, praying for the pandemic to end, hoping that they and their loved ones will survive. That fear is real.
There are a lot of people who are scared of something all together different: the Apocalypse. Is that fear real? Is there reason to believe that this current crisis will bring the world, as we know it, to a halt?
While I'm quarantined for the next few weeks, I will be trying to sketch out some of the ideas behind this belief. Mostly, I will be focusing on Christian ideas of End Times, but we will also touch on futurology and some secular beliefs about the fate of our species.
I think that we will find that there is something within our human condition that is weirdly drawn to doomsday scenarios. When that draw is combined with religious fervor and spiritual schematics, it can be an intoxicating poison.
I should say that there are genuine existential threats to the world. There are wrongs that we should be actively trying to right. There are messes of our own creation that we need to clean up. There are problems in this world that can end it.
The question is, how can we think about these things with sober clarity, instead of paranoid hysteria? I think the best answer is to get our history straight, which I will be trying to do, with your help.
So, where is this world headed? What do people believe and project about the End of the World?
I hope you can spare some of your isolation time to explore this topic with me.
BUNKER BLOG 1 Reasonable
BUNKER BLOG 2 - Unreasonable
BUNKER BLOG 3 - Religious
Resurrection Day
On this Easter Sunday, I am reading portions of JR Daniel Kirk's wonderful and exhaustive A Man Attested by God. The book is a scholarly argument for the emphasis put on the humanity of Jesus by the writers of the Synoptic gospels.
Resurrection is usually a celebration of the divinity of Jesus: The conquering god, resplendent in power, tramples death itself. Messiah Jesus is revealed to the world as Almighty God. Divinity is proven. Alleluia!
That is not the story of Scripture. The story of Resurrection, is a story about the Son of Man. It is the story of a man who appeared so divine that Mary Magdelene mistook him for a gardener! He said "Hi" to the women that came to perform burial and told them to stop grabbing his feet.
The resurrected Jesus walked with a few disciples on the Road to Emmaus. They ticked him off so much that he insulted them and lectured them. He was hungry enough to be talked into a meal. They didn't even realize that it was him until he blessed the meal and broke the bread. When he appeared to them later in Luke 24, he challenged them to touch him. He ordered them to see his flesh and blood, his hands and feet.
He was also still hungry. He ate some fish.
Here was a celebration of Immanuel - God is with us. He is with us so much that he is one of us. God had become so human that he died. God had become so human that even in conquering death, he had the dirty hands of a gardener and the famished stomach of a weary traveler.
Like much of the Gospels, the Resurrection story presents no insecurity about Christ's divinity. It goes out of its way to be a human story. A wild and crazy story, but still a human story. In this human story we can find ourselves. Its a story about injustice and corruption. It is a story about tragedy and death. It is a story about the grief of those who loved someone who has died. It is a story about reunification. It is a story about confusion and shame when a tomb is found empty.
There is plenty of theologizing occurring on this Resurrection Day. But today, I'm reading the story as it is and letting it wash over me. I am not looking for truth. I am looking for myself.
Resurrection is usually a celebration of the divinity of Jesus: The conquering god, resplendent in power, tramples death itself. Messiah Jesus is revealed to the world as Almighty God. Divinity is proven. Alleluia!
That is not the story of Scripture. The story of Resurrection, is a story about the Son of Man. It is the story of a man who appeared so divine that Mary Magdelene mistook him for a gardener! He said "Hi" to the women that came to perform burial and told them to stop grabbing his feet.
The resurrected Jesus walked with a few disciples on the Road to Emmaus. They ticked him off so much that he insulted them and lectured them. He was hungry enough to be talked into a meal. They didn't even realize that it was him until he blessed the meal and broke the bread. When he appeared to them later in Luke 24, he challenged them to touch him. He ordered them to see his flesh and blood, his hands and feet.
He was also still hungry. He ate some fish.
Here was a celebration of Immanuel - God is with us. He is with us so much that he is one of us. God had become so human that he died. God had become so human that even in conquering death, he had the dirty hands of a gardener and the famished stomach of a weary traveler.
Like much of the Gospels, the Resurrection story presents no insecurity about Christ's divinity. It goes out of its way to be a human story. A wild and crazy story, but still a human story. In this human story we can find ourselves. Its a story about injustice and corruption. It is a story about tragedy and death. It is a story about the grief of those who loved someone who has died. It is a story about reunification. It is a story about confusion and shame when a tomb is found empty.
There is plenty of theologizing occurring on this Resurrection Day. But today, I'm reading the story as it is and letting it wash over me. I am not looking for truth. I am looking for myself.
We do not need to engage in a free-ranging investigation to seek out and construct who and what God truly is, and who and what man truly is, but only to read the truth about both where it resides, namely, in the fullness of their togetherness, their covenant which proclaims itself in Jesus Christ.
- Karl Barth
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| credit: https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/ |
4.10.2020
Jeremiah 5.1 Ideological Annexation
Jeremiah's Temple Sermon
Chapters 7 and 8 bring us Jeremiah's Temple Sermon. He stands in the gates of the temple and commits treason.
The monarchy had managed to co opt the theology of the Temple. The predominant teaching at that time was that the great Covenant was unconditional. God would love the people of Judah, no matter what. It did not matter what they did. It did not matter how unfaithful the people were. God was unchanging in his dedication to them.
Does this sound familiar? Of course it does. Such preaching is common today: it does not matter what you do, God loves you.
On its face, there is really no problem with this theology, this teaching. Doesn't it portray a loving, dedicated deity? Yes, but love and dedication should never be a precursor to predatory behavior or self destruction - Jeremiah accuses the people of both.
Love and Peace? Great! But beware the one gathering crowds with these words while holding a gun.
Chapters 7 and 8 bring us Jeremiah's Temple Sermon. He stands in the gates of the temple and commits treason.
The monarchy had managed to co opt the theology of the Temple. The predominant teaching at that time was that the great Covenant was unconditional. God would love the people of Judah, no matter what. It did not matter what they did. It did not matter how unfaithful the people were. God was unchanging in his dedication to them.
Does this sound familiar? Of course it does. Such preaching is common today: it does not matter what you do, God loves you.
On its face, there is really no problem with this theology, this teaching. Doesn't it portray a loving, dedicated deity? Yes, but love and dedication should never be a precursor to predatory behavior or self destruction - Jeremiah accuses the people of both.
Love and Peace? Great! But beware the one gathering crowds with these words while holding a gun.
4.16.2015
Jeremiah 4.3 Think About It
When the people get duped, it is not only the fault of their leaders. It is also the fault iof the people.
Communication is a reciprocal responsibility. If I tell you something, it is important that I speak clearly and present information responsibly. However, it is also the hearers responsibilty to understand and responsibly evaluate.
This is especially true of propoganda. Everyday, we are inundated with messages from leaders - political leaders, social leaders, and religious leaders. We need to understand what they are communicating both explicitly and implicitly. It is our responsibility to think critically in evaluating what they are saying or trying to say.
The people of Judah failed at this. Sure, the political leaders failed to communicate the correct information. Their society's leaders had disengaged the nation from its ethical moorings. And the religious leaders completely blew it in. But the people - the hearers - were in part responsible to evaluate the messages they were recieving.
Jeremiah is clear. There are no innocents. They chose not to hear the message of the prophets of God, and instead closed their ears. However, when the false prophets preached, they were willing listeners.
Jeremiah indicts everybody - "from the least to the greatest." Children and parents, young and old, leaders and listeners, everybody is culpable. Jeremiah accuses them all of buying into what Brueggemann calls an unprincipled economic system - the economics of greed.
Have I ever considered myself a culpable participant in my society's economics? If I am part of a society's indictment, am I also a part of the judgement? The citizens of Judah certainly were.
This is especially true of propoganda. Everyday, we are inundated with messages from leaders - political leaders, social leaders, and religious leaders. We need to understand what they are communicating both explicitly and implicitly. It is our responsibility to think critically in evaluating what they are saying or trying to say.
The people of Judah failed at this. Sure, the political leaders failed to communicate the correct information. Their society's leaders had disengaged the nation from its ethical moorings. And the religious leaders completely blew it in. But the people - the hearers - were in part responsible to evaluate the messages they were recieving.
Jeremiah is clear. There are no innocents. They chose not to hear the message of the prophets of God, and instead closed their ears. However, when the false prophets preached, they were willing listeners.
Jeremiah indicts everybody - "from the least to the greatest." Children and parents, young and old, leaders and listeners, everybody is culpable. Jeremiah accuses them all of buying into what Brueggemann calls an unprincipled economic system - the economics of greed.
Have I ever considered myself a culpable participant in my society's economics? If I am part of a society's indictment, am I also a part of the judgement? The citizens of Judah certainly were.
4.15.2015
Jeremiah 4.2 Mutiny
The rain made things colder and even more miserable than they already were. It fell from the gray sky into the brown of the mud and soup that the Lieutenant's map said was a road. The rain was getting the Lieutenant's map wetter and less legible, but he stared at it nonetheless. No matter, his hands were shaking so much he couldn't have read a perfectly dry map.
We looked at the trembling young lieutenant. Then, we looked at eachother. His hands weren't shaking from the cold.
As we stood at the fork in the mud, voices could be heard amidst the wind and the rain. The enemy was somewhere out there in the forest.
"We can't stay here, Lieutenant" I ventured.
Sarge glared at me and growled, "Nobody asked your opinion."
The lieutenant started to put away his map. "We'll k-k-keep heading south."
I couldn't believe it. We had been cut off for over three days. First, we lost touch with the rest of the battalion and then we got completely lost. Then foolowed a pathetic repetition of errors. Every place we bumbled into, there were enemies. Shooting ensued, one or two men would be left behind as we ran for our lives. Then, we would do it all over again.
"Before we head off," the Lieutenant ordered, "let's give the radio a shot."
"The radio doesn't work, sir" Sarge offered.
"Well," the lieutenant responded, "maybe we are in range now."
"Sir, the radio was plugged full of holes in that last scrap we got into. It's useless."
The lieutenant was completely overmatched. It was his first command and he had bungled every part of it. Men were dead or captured because of decisions that he had made. Only half of us were left.
"Sir," I pleaded, "if we keep heading south, we're screwed for sure. There's a whole enemy division out there. We've seen them and heard them."
"We are heading south," the Lieutenant chortled. "I realized we got a little lost, but by now the major and the rest of the battalion must have made it to the rendezvous point."
"Are you crazy?" I blurted out. "Do you really think the major wants you to march through an entire enemy division? What the hell is the point? You're going to get us all killed!"
"That's enough!" Sarge suddenly roared. He stepped between me and the lieutenant. "You will do as you are told. Get your ass moving! That goes for the rest of you. Move out!"
I stood firm. I was tired of marching in the exact wrong direction. I had enough of following a leader who was clueless. I had been pleading for days that we had strayed too far west. We needed to head east. He was leading us in the wrong direction and now was the time to make a stand against this maddening waste.
Sarge moved menacingly toward me. I looked to my squad mates. They looked back at me, uncertain. They all knew I was right. This bumbling idiot was going to lead us right to our graves.
"C'mon, guys. We're heading the wrong way! This - "
I didn't even see Sarge swing. One moment I was on my feet, then I was on the ground with a bleeding lip. Sarge threw in a kick to the ribs, for good measure.
I lay on the ground for few moments. After a while I lifted my head. My vision was momentarily blurred. When it cleared, I saw the men had turned their backs to me and were walking in line. They were headed south. Mine was a mutiny of one.
I rolled over on to my back and lay in the mud for a while. I touched my busted lip and wiped the rain off my face.
Slowly, I got my legs back under me. I picked up my rifle and my pack. The company was out of sight by this time, somewhere south in the darkening forest. I hurried to catch them. I rounded a bend, and saw them no more than 100 yds ahead just a hidden machine gun nest opened up. Half the men fell in seconds, the rest dove for cover. The woods exploded as into motion as several hundred enemy soldiers poured out to complete the ambush.
My first extinct was to run toward the massacre, but then I stopped. There was nothing I could do. They were all dead or dying.
Horror paralyzed me. They were fools following a fool, but they were still countrymen and friends. And now they were gone. Even as I saw enemy soldiers pointing and gesturing toward me, I stood motionless. The enemy soldiers ran toward me, screaming. Even I understood their language, I wouldn't comprehended anything. My ears were filled with a strange ringing. It drown everything else out.
I dumbly looked down at the rifle in my right hand. I dropped it to the mud below. It was useless. It was all useless.
We looked at the trembling young lieutenant. Then, we looked at eachother. His hands weren't shaking from the cold.
As we stood at the fork in the mud, voices could be heard amidst the wind and the rain. The enemy was somewhere out there in the forest.
"We can't stay here, Lieutenant" I ventured.
Sarge glared at me and growled, "Nobody asked your opinion."
The lieutenant started to put away his map. "We'll k-k-keep heading south."
I couldn't believe it. We had been cut off for over three days. First, we lost touch with the rest of the battalion and then we got completely lost. Then foolowed a pathetic repetition of errors. Every place we bumbled into, there were enemies. Shooting ensued, one or two men would be left behind as we ran for our lives. Then, we would do it all over again.
"Before we head off," the Lieutenant ordered, "let's give the radio a shot."
"The radio doesn't work, sir" Sarge offered.
"Well," the lieutenant responded, "maybe we are in range now."
"Sir, the radio was plugged full of holes in that last scrap we got into. It's useless."
The lieutenant was completely overmatched. It was his first command and he had bungled every part of it. Men were dead or captured because of decisions that he had made. Only half of us were left.
"Sir," I pleaded, "if we keep heading south, we're screwed for sure. There's a whole enemy division out there. We've seen them and heard them."
"We are heading south," the Lieutenant chortled. "I realized we got a little lost, but by now the major and the rest of the battalion must have made it to the rendezvous point."
"Are you crazy?" I blurted out. "Do you really think the major wants you to march through an entire enemy division? What the hell is the point? You're going to get us all killed!"
"That's enough!" Sarge suddenly roared. He stepped between me and the lieutenant. "You will do as you are told. Get your ass moving! That goes for the rest of you. Move out!"
I stood firm. I was tired of marching in the exact wrong direction. I had enough of following a leader who was clueless. I had been pleading for days that we had strayed too far west. We needed to head east. He was leading us in the wrong direction and now was the time to make a stand against this maddening waste.
Sarge moved menacingly toward me. I looked to my squad mates. They looked back at me, uncertain. They all knew I was right. This bumbling idiot was going to lead us right to our graves.
"C'mon, guys. We're heading the wrong way! This - "
I didn't even see Sarge swing. One moment I was on my feet, then I was on the ground with a bleeding lip. Sarge threw in a kick to the ribs, for good measure.
I lay on the ground for few moments. After a while I lifted my head. My vision was momentarily blurred. When it cleared, I saw the men had turned their backs to me and were walking in line. They were headed south. Mine was a mutiny of one.
I rolled over on to my back and lay in the mud for a while. I touched my busted lip and wiped the rain off my face.
Slowly, I got my legs back under me. I picked up my rifle and my pack. The company was out of sight by this time, somewhere south in the darkening forest. I hurried to catch them. I rounded a bend, and saw them no more than 100 yds ahead just a hidden machine gun nest opened up. Half the men fell in seconds, the rest dove for cover. The woods exploded as into motion as several hundred enemy soldiers poured out to complete the ambush.
My first extinct was to run toward the massacre, but then I stopped. There was nothing I could do. They were all dead or dying.
Horror paralyzed me. They were fools following a fool, but they were still countrymen and friends. And now they were gone. Even as I saw enemy soldiers pointing and gesturing toward me, I stood motionless. The enemy soldiers ran toward me, screaming. Even I understood their language, I wouldn't comprehended anything. My ears were filled with a strange ringing. It drown everything else out.
I dumbly looked down at the rifle in my right hand. I dropped it to the mud below. It was useless. It was all useless.
4.12.2015
Jeremiah 4.1 Stay Calm, Ignore the Prophet
They had preached "peace, peace" when there was no peace. They had said "it could never happen here," and when it did happen, the kings, the priests and even the prophets were stunned.
Jeremiah wasn't.
Jeremiah may have been taken aback, horrified, and even saddened by the sight of destruction, but it was no surprise. He had seen it coming, and he had warned everybody that would listen, and he warned those who wouldn't listen. That very fact had made him an outcast, an exile within his own land.
He sounded crazy, no doubt. The people had been told by everyone else that there was no danger, no threat. The kings had said it. The priests had said it. Even other prophets were celebrating peace and safety.
Usually, if you're the only person who sees something, you're crazy.
Have you ever felt like the crazy person? Nobody else sees the problem. Nobody else sees the issue. You stand up and tell the people to open their eyes. "Shhh! Sit down, be quiet." You go to the leadership and warn them of the dangers, you show them where they had taken the wrong path. They smile and nod and thank you and surreptitiously roll their eyes.
The irony is, of course, that Jeremiah was an island of sanity in an ocean of madness. Leadership was exactly what those in charge should not have been given. They had no idea where they had been, where they were, or what lay on the path ahead.
Have you ever been, Jeremiah? The lone mope at a party? Have you ever sat in worship or fellowship and thought, "What the hell are we doing here?"
One of the lessons in Jeremiah is that your concerns, feelings, paranoias, shames, fears, frustrations, visions, and prophecies are exactly what are needed. The reason that everyone else seems delusional is because they have in fact deluded themselves.
One of the feelings you may have received from your tradition is "Stay calm, ignore the muttering prophet." Then, everybody turns and looks at you, the supposed lunatic rabble-rouser. Then, is your chance. Now is your chance! Barring a psychotic break, you have a chance to lend voice to the voiceless, to speak the essential dissent. That is the very moment that you should climb Golgotha and give your community a beautiful gift: your voice - your beautiful (probably crazy) unique voice.
Those who do, be blessed and blessed.
Jeremiah wasn't.
Jeremiah may have been taken aback, horrified, and even saddened by the sight of destruction, but it was no surprise. He had seen it coming, and he had warned everybody that would listen, and he warned those who wouldn't listen. That very fact had made him an outcast, an exile within his own land.
He sounded crazy, no doubt. The people had been told by everyone else that there was no danger, no threat. The kings had said it. The priests had said it. Even other prophets were celebrating peace and safety.
Usually, if you're the only person who sees something, you're crazy.
Have you ever felt like the crazy person? Nobody else sees the problem. Nobody else sees the issue. You stand up and tell the people to open their eyes. "Shhh! Sit down, be quiet." You go to the leadership and warn them of the dangers, you show them where they had taken the wrong path. They smile and nod and thank you and surreptitiously roll their eyes.
The irony is, of course, that Jeremiah was an island of sanity in an ocean of madness. Leadership was exactly what those in charge should not have been given. They had no idea where they had been, where they were, or what lay on the path ahead.
Have you ever been, Jeremiah? The lone mope at a party? Have you ever sat in worship or fellowship and thought, "What the hell are we doing here?"
One of the lessons in Jeremiah is that your concerns, feelings, paranoias, shames, fears, frustrations, visions, and prophecies are exactly what are needed. The reason that everyone else seems delusional is because they have in fact deluded themselves.
One of the feelings you may have received from your tradition is "Stay calm, ignore the muttering prophet." Then, everybody turns and looks at you, the supposed lunatic rabble-rouser. Then, is your chance. Now is your chance! Barring a psychotic break, you have a chance to lend voice to the voiceless, to speak the essential dissent. That is the very moment that you should climb Golgotha and give your community a beautiful gift: your voice - your beautiful (probably crazy) unique voice.
Those who do, be blessed and blessed.
4.09.2015
Jeremiah 3.3 Political Intermission
This is probably something that I should have covered in introduction, but I am bogged down by it now.
Politics.
I'm stumped about how to interpret and apply Jeremiah's politics. Jeremiah's prophecy is full of practical politics. Should today's readers practice such spiritual realpolitik?
The big issue at the time was with whom Judah should ally itself. The dominant powers were Egypt to the south and Assyria/Babylon to the east. At the beginning of Jeremiah's time, Assyria was a waning regional power and was eventually overtaken by Nebuchadnezzar-era Babylon.
Jeremiah pulls no punches. He pointed east. He pleads with Judah's leaders to forget about Egypt and ally with Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar is portrayed as an instrument of God's power and judgement.
Parenthetically: I am aware this political element of Jeremiah's prophecy may be a classic example of playing the results. Later redactors may have used the eventual Babylonian domination as a means of saying "see, you picked the wrong horse." So, what? It is all too meta for our mediations herein. The text does not give the reader the leeway to bring history into play, though it is important to remember the overwhelming influence of history on the bearers (and editors) of the text.
Theologists, preachers, and prophets don't seem to pick sides these days. There is a very wise effort to NOT pick a side - to NOT become a lackey for some political person or position. But, Jeremiah did. It is a significant element of his preaching.
To Jeremiah, God, though transcendent, is also imminently involved in the affairs of the world. HE appoints kings and emperors and he clearly chooses sides in political divides.
Several complications have probably led to my confusion. These complications are rooted in the significant differences between a modern reader like myself, and an ancient hearer like those who first heard and retold the prophecy.
1. LAND - geopolitics involved the land of Promise. LAND = PROMISE The very dirt of the nation was a theological issue. GOd's promise was the land. So, marauding invaders, or a land laid bare and emptied meant something theologically. Either God had broken his promise or the people had. Any divine revelation would have to explain that.
2. SOCIOLOGY - modern (especially Western) readers see firm divisions between the theological, political, and religious. No such divisions existed for the ancients. We may recoil from such mixing of faith and politics, but the ancients knew nothing of it. Side note: I know many Christians who see the grace of God every time they are able to locate a lost set of keys, so maybe the theological/political divide is not so rigid.
3. REALPOLITIK - clearly part of Jeremiah's motivation was the welfare of the people. Part of the judgement stemmed from the fact that the Judean kings failed to care for their subjects amidst all their scheming and plotting. Bruggemann pointed this application out:
Certainly, political preaching is a dangerous path in our day and age. Political preachers tend to be dismissed as partisans and, thus, lose their authoritative voice. If you sound just like the political hacks on TV, why would I care what you have to say about more transcendent matters?
Yet, I also think about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the other great civil rights reformers. Most were people of faith. Most were Christians, but there were Jewish reformers and Muslim as well. For most of the civil rights movement, their faith prompted political action. They clearly chose a side. History has also proven that they chose God's side.
Stepping into the political arena is different now than it was for Jeremiah, but there is still a place for it. For Jeremiah, it was part of the job. For current preachers, it is not like that, and a political stance is likely a difficult stance. A basic rule remains the same, however:
Make damned sure you're right.
Politics.
I'm stumped about how to interpret and apply Jeremiah's politics. Jeremiah's prophecy is full of practical politics. Should today's readers practice such spiritual realpolitik?
The big issue at the time was with whom Judah should ally itself. The dominant powers were Egypt to the south and Assyria/Babylon to the east. At the beginning of Jeremiah's time, Assyria was a waning regional power and was eventually overtaken by Nebuchadnezzar-era Babylon.
Jeremiah pulls no punches. He pointed east. He pleads with Judah's leaders to forget about Egypt and ally with Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar is portrayed as an instrument of God's power and judgement.
Parenthetically: I am aware this political element of Jeremiah's prophecy may be a classic example of playing the results. Later redactors may have used the eventual Babylonian domination as a means of saying "see, you picked the wrong horse." So, what? It is all too meta for our mediations herein. The text does not give the reader the leeway to bring history into play, though it is important to remember the overwhelming influence of history on the bearers (and editors) of the text.
Theologists, preachers, and prophets don't seem to pick sides these days. There is a very wise effort to NOT pick a side - to NOT become a lackey for some political person or position. But, Jeremiah did. It is a significant element of his preaching.
To Jeremiah, God, though transcendent, is also imminently involved in the affairs of the world. HE appoints kings and emperors and he clearly chooses sides in political divides.
Several complications have probably led to my confusion. These complications are rooted in the significant differences between a modern reader like myself, and an ancient hearer like those who first heard and retold the prophecy.
1. LAND - geopolitics involved the land of Promise. LAND = PROMISE The very dirt of the nation was a theological issue. GOd's promise was the land. So, marauding invaders, or a land laid bare and emptied meant something theologically. Either God had broken his promise or the people had. Any divine revelation would have to explain that.
2. SOCIOLOGY - modern (especially Western) readers see firm divisions between the theological, political, and religious. No such divisions existed for the ancients. We may recoil from such mixing of faith and politics, but the ancients knew nothing of it. Side note: I know many Christians who see the grace of God every time they are able to locate a lost set of keys, so maybe the theological/political divide is not so rigid.
3. REALPOLITIK - clearly part of Jeremiah's motivation was the welfare of the people. Part of the judgement stemmed from the fact that the Judean kings failed to care for their subjects amidst all their scheming and plotting. Bruggemann pointed this application out:
if we carry the Jeremiah oracle toward our common civic life, the mandate that may arise from God is an invitation to a deep breath and a fresh generosity, and a move beyond petty and deep resentment toward embrace of the other.4. EXILE - This, perhaps, is most significant. Jeremiah (and later redactors) is in part concerned with what to do without typical societal institutions. In exile, all that was is no longer. The priest class is barely recognizable, and there is no temple anyway. The monarchy is gone. The faith of the nation looks forward to a new restoration, but what to do in the meantime? The word of God would have to explain what had occurred as well as revealing a path forward that would maintain the Covenant.
Certainly, political preaching is a dangerous path in our day and age. Political preachers tend to be dismissed as partisans and, thus, lose their authoritative voice. If you sound just like the political hacks on TV, why would I care what you have to say about more transcendent matters?
Yet, I also think about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the other great civil rights reformers. Most were people of faith. Most were Christians, but there were Jewish reformers and Muslim as well. For most of the civil rights movement, their faith prompted political action. They clearly chose a side. History has also proven that they chose God's side.
Stepping into the political arena is different now than it was for Jeremiah, but there is still a place for it. For Jeremiah, it was part of the job. For current preachers, it is not like that, and a political stance is likely a difficult stance. A basic rule remains the same, however:
Make damned sure you're right.
4.07.2015
Jeremiah 3.2 Abandoned
I tapped on the door of the wretched flat she called home. There was no need, it creaked open to my touch. The floorboards creaked as I walked into the apartment. Filth everywhere, the stench unbearable.
I found her, half naked, lying on the floor.
The vomit was still on her split lips. Bruises covered her face. Her long hair, once lovely, now was matted and sheared at odd angles.
I bent down, made sure she was breathing, then walked to the nearest window. A blanket served as a curtain. No not a blanket, a quilt. I pulled it down. Cardboard and tape covered a hole in the top section of glass. The bottom section let in the sunlight. The light illuminated the quilt in my arms. Cigarette burns and stains had discolored it, but I still recognized it.
Her mother had given this quilt to her. It was her fifteenth birthday. Her mother had worked for almost six months on it. It was beautiful and every piece of fabric had a meaning, a story. It was a work of love and grace. But, it was meaningless to the fifteen year old girl. She had sneered at it, complained about not getting more than just "some stupid blanket."
Her voice cracked and strained came from behind me. "What the hell are you doing here?"
I turned and handed her the quilt. "You're cold."
She ripped the quilt away from my outstretched hand, tossed it aside, glaring at me.She returned her hand to her eyes, shielding them from the light.
"Did you bring me any money?"
"No, I didn't."
"Then you can leave."
I looked at her. I could barely remember the brilliant and beautiful child that she had been. "There won't be any more money until you get some help."
"How dare you walk in here and start judging me!" She was screaming now, spittle flew wildly from her lips. I could see where teeth were missing. Her bloodshot eyes were wild and furious.
"The door was open," I offered.
"Well, close it on the way out," she started grasping around at empty cigarette boxes.
I picked my way through the garbage and closed the door as I left.
I found her, half naked, lying on the floor.
The vomit was still on her split lips. Bruises covered her face. Her long hair, once lovely, now was matted and sheared at odd angles.
I bent down, made sure she was breathing, then walked to the nearest window. A blanket served as a curtain. No not a blanket, a quilt. I pulled it down. Cardboard and tape covered a hole in the top section of glass. The bottom section let in the sunlight. The light illuminated the quilt in my arms. Cigarette burns and stains had discolored it, but I still recognized it.
Her mother had given this quilt to her. It was her fifteenth birthday. Her mother had worked for almost six months on it. It was beautiful and every piece of fabric had a meaning, a story. It was a work of love and grace. But, it was meaningless to the fifteen year old girl. She had sneered at it, complained about not getting more than just "some stupid blanket."
Her voice cracked and strained came from behind me. "What the hell are you doing here?"
I turned and handed her the quilt. "You're cold."
She ripped the quilt away from my outstretched hand, tossed it aside, glaring at me.She returned her hand to her eyes, shielding them from the light.
"Did you bring me any money?"
"No, I didn't."
"Then you can leave."
I looked at her. I could barely remember the brilliant and beautiful child that she had been. "There won't be any more money until you get some help."
"How dare you walk in here and start judging me!" She was screaming now, spittle flew wildly from her lips. I could see where teeth were missing. Her bloodshot eyes were wild and furious.
"The door was open," I offered.
"Well, close it on the way out," she started grasping around at empty cigarette boxes.
I picked my way through the garbage and closed the door as I left.
 |
| img src - DeviantArt |
Jeremiah 3.1 Indictment
That is why I will take you to court
and charge even your descendants,
declares the Lord
Jeremiah's prophecy is, at its core, concerned about the spiritual tragedy of Judah's forsaking of its history and its God. This forsaking spreads like a cancer throughout every part of society.
and charge even your descendants,
declares the Lord
Jeremiah's prophecy is, at its core, concerned about the spiritual tragedy of Judah's forsaking of its history and its God. This forsaking spreads like a cancer throughout every part of society.
Jeremiah criticizes the fall of the moral fabric of the nation. He chided the priests wayward leadership. Jeremiah's critique is also intensely political. He does not shy away from bashing the political decisions of the monarchy.
But, he does all of this with vibrant and intense poetry. At times, the Message is a tragic opera - laced with drama and metaphor. It is important to understand what Jeremiah is so intensely lamenting.
Amnesia
Jeremiah accuses the nation of amnesia. Don't you know where you came from? Don't you know what I brought you from? Don't you remember what happened to the Northern Kingdom? How could you pursue this direction?
The nation's political path was leading them into bed with the Egyptians, but this was contrary to the course of history. God led them out of Egypt - not into Egypt.
For hundreds of years, God had cultivated the nation. He had worked to develop the nation into a beacon of hope and truth. Like the Promised Land - the nation had gone from wild and untamed to domesticated and productive. Now, they were undoing all that and returning to the useless Wild.
Prostitution
In strong language, the Prophet accuses the nation of laying down under any tree, with whomever comes along. Everyone, that is, except for the one who loves them the most.
On every high hill and under every lush tree,
you have acted like a prostitute
How can you say,
“I’m not dirty;
I haven’t gone after Baals.”
Look what you have done in the valley;
consider what you have done there.
You are like a frenzied young camel,
racing around,
a wild donkey in the wilderness,
lustfully sniffing the wind.
Who can restrain such passion?
Those who desire her need not give up;
with little effort they will find her in heat
Misplaced Loyalty
The Prophet accuses the priests, especially, of investing in "broken wells." God, himself is a spring of living water, but they had no interest in that. When the nation veered in the wrong direction, the priests went along with it. They never tried to correct things. Intstead, they led the people to the broken, empty wells. There was no water. There was no way to quench the people's thirst.
Amnesia
Jeremiah accuses the nation of amnesia. Don't you know where you came from? Don't you know what I brought you from? Don't you remember what happened to the Northern Kingdom? How could you pursue this direction?
The nation's political path was leading them into bed with the Egyptians, but this was contrary to the course of history. God led them out of Egypt - not into Egypt.
For hundreds of years, God had cultivated the nation. He had worked to develop the nation into a beacon of hope and truth. Like the Promised Land - the nation had gone from wild and untamed to domesticated and productive. Now, they were undoing all that and returning to the useless Wild.
Prostitution
In strong language, the Prophet accuses the nation of laying down under any tree, with whomever comes along. Everyone, that is, except for the one who loves them the most.
On every high hill and under every lush tree,
you have acted like a prostitute
How can you say,
“I’m not dirty;
I haven’t gone after Baals.”
Look what you have done in the valley;
consider what you have done there.
You are like a frenzied young camel,
racing around,
a wild donkey in the wilderness,
lustfully sniffing the wind.
Who can restrain such passion?
Those who desire her need not give up;
with little effort they will find her in heat
Misplaced Loyalty
The Prophet accuses the priests, especially, of investing in "broken wells." God, himself is a spring of living water, but they had no interest in that. When the nation veered in the wrong direction, the priests went along with it. They never tried to correct things. Intstead, they led the people to the broken, empty wells. There was no water. There was no way to quench the people's thirst.
Jeremiah 2.2 - The Watching Tree
The Prophet recited the cantations, prayed the prayers. He raised his hands and bowed his face to the ground. Slowly, eventually, his lips stopped moving, his breathing slowed and the outside world faded. Prostrate. Listening.
What do you see?
It was the voice - the small whisper, the breeze.
What do you see?
The Prophet's eyes closed.
There was a knoll, it was set against the backdrop of clear blue sky. The knoll was bare of any vegetation save for a lone tree branch - from an almond tree, pink in full bloom, just sitting on the ground.
What do you see?
"I see a branch, from an almond tree."
A branch from the Watching Tree.
Suddenly, the branch burst into flame and a black pot appeared over the fire - steaming and bubbling.
What do you see?
The water from the boiling pot was falling over one side - violently steaming and sizzling in fire and heat.
What do you see?
The boiling caldron started to tip and the water poured toward the prophet.
What do you see?
"A pot that is boiling and tipping," the Prophet mumbled.
The pot pours from the North.
The prophet saw the pot tip over completely and the boiling destruction cosumed everything in its path. It melted and drowned anything in its path, except for the prophet. The Prophet stood un harmed in the midst of the catastrophe. He was unharmed and completely alone.
What do you see?
It was the voice - the small whisper, the breeze.
What do you see?
The Prophet's eyes closed.
There was a knoll, it was set against the backdrop of clear blue sky. The knoll was bare of any vegetation save for a lone tree branch - from an almond tree, pink in full bloom, just sitting on the ground.
What do you see?
"I see a branch, from an almond tree."
A branch from the Watching Tree.
Suddenly, the branch burst into flame and a black pot appeared over the fire - steaming and bubbling.
What do you see?
The water from the boiling pot was falling over one side - violently steaming and sizzling in fire and heat.
What do you see?
The boiling caldron started to tip and the water poured toward the prophet.
What do you see?
"A pot that is boiling and tipping," the Prophet mumbled.
The pot pours from the North.
The prophet saw the pot tip over completely and the boiling destruction cosumed everything in its path. It melted and drowned anything in its path, except for the prophet. The Prophet stood un harmed in the midst of the catastrophe. He was unharmed and completely alone.
4.06.2015
Jeremiah 2.1 The Calling
The Prophet's Message begins with a recitation of his lineage and then he recounts his calling. We learn that he came from a priestly family. But, was he a priest?
It is tough to tell. Many Biblical characters played the dual role of prophet and priest (Samuel, Ezra, etc.). The book of Jeremiah is filled with priestly inferences and Temple ritual allusions. But, Jeremiah was consistently at odds with the Priest class. They persecuted him, threw him down a well, and on several occasions tried to kill him.
If Jeremiah was a priest, he clearly must have practiced outside of priestly institutions and expectations.
He was an exile, long before he departed for Egypt.
Jeremiah was drafted to a calling different from the Priesthood - called to the work of a Prophet. God touched his lips and thereby inserted His message into the prophet's voice and life.
What must that have tasted like - those first moments of the Calling? The taste must have been somewhat bitter. The message was certainly difficult for any of the Prophet's listeners to hear. The Message was of judgement and destruction, of the razing of kingdoms.
But there was also something else laced throughout the Message. Hope. In the midst of all the heartache and doom, the Message promises rescue and resurrection. Like sky filled with clouds, the Sun is present but invisible.
The destruction was inevitable. The Judgement had been declared. But, God promises to be present with the Prophet and his people throughout. In the end, something different would arise - the culmination of God's eternal plan. The Message promises that God is not only in command, but he is also present through the suffering.
I'm writing this on Easter Sunday 2015. Perhaps you, like me, woke up and had no place to recall or celebrate the Resurrection. Or, perhaps you come from a different tradition and there is no remembrance of the Passover this year. Despite this, I wonder if it is times like these that God reaches down and implants a Message - a Message of resurrection. I wonder if people can still be effective ministers, even in exile.
Jeremiah 1.3 - Historical Context
Jeremiah's prophecy is another chapter in the story of of a faithful god shepherding his wayward people.
Israel, the Northern Kingdom, had long since fallen and now Judah found itself stuck between giant political and military powers. To the Southwest, was the Kingdom of Egypt. To the East was the Assyrian Empire, and then Babylon.
Jeremiah's time spanned from the hopeful reforms of King Josiah and through the corrupt mess of his successors, to the eventual destruction and final exile.
In the final days of the Kingdom of Judah, the Judean kings were reduced to groveling for the favor of one empire or another. This stood in stark contrast to the heroic Josiah - the fearless king who stood against both Eastern and Western powers. Josiah was fierce about standing for independence, even to his own detriment.
Josiah's passion for political independence was like his passion for religious Independence. Instead of compromising with the pagan pantheon, Josiah fought for the Old Ways. Not his successors, however. Both politically and religiously, they sought to emulate their neighbors. Chasing idols and strange religious practices, the kings drew the ire of Jeremiah, who promised destruction.
The kings were double dealing. They were double dealing the powers of the world and the power of Heaven. The end of Judah was inevitable.
Israel, the Northern Kingdom, had long since fallen and now Judah found itself stuck between giant political and military powers. To the Southwest, was the Kingdom of Egypt. To the East was the Assyrian Empire, and then Babylon.
Jeremiah's time spanned from the hopeful reforms of King Josiah and through the corrupt mess of his successors, to the eventual destruction and final exile.
In the final days of the Kingdom of Judah, the Judean kings were reduced to groveling for the favor of one empire or another. This stood in stark contrast to the heroic Josiah - the fearless king who stood against both Eastern and Western powers. Josiah was fierce about standing for independence, even to his own detriment.
Josiah's passion for political independence was like his passion for religious Independence. Instead of compromising with the pagan pantheon, Josiah fought for the Old Ways. Not his successors, however. Both politically and religiously, they sought to emulate their neighbors. Chasing idols and strange religious practices, the kings drew the ire of Jeremiah, who promised destruction.
The kings were double dealing. They were double dealing the powers of the world and the power of Heaven. The end of Judah was inevitable.
4.05.2015
Jeremiah 1.2 Introduction
Are you an exile?
Have you left your faith?
Perhaps, your faith has left you?
Everything your faith once was, it is no longer. At times, you have been convinced that your faith didn't exist at all.
Perhaps it was a slow cooling, or maybe it was like a rug being pulled out from beneath you, but somehow faith completely changed for you.
Some people just can't take the hypocrisy or are horrified by the behavior of believers. So, they leave. Others are chased away, banished, or ignored. Either way, they are exiles.
All the old battles are meaningless now. Things that once evoked great passion are now just more noise in the background of life. It is almost a relief not to pick one side or the other.
And yet, there is still something missing. It is hard to put a finger on what that something actually is.
A community?
An identity?
The old prayers still come to mind, unbidden. Ancient texts bubble to the surface in conversation. Songs from childhood are hummed or whistled. Cosmological questions from children bring forth startlingly honest answers.
Are you an exile? A faith refugee?
Good.
For, it is in exile that faith is changed, remade, and ultimately...
resurrected.
Have you left your faith?
Perhaps, your faith has left you?
Everything your faith once was, it is no longer. At times, you have been convinced that your faith didn't exist at all.
Perhaps it was a slow cooling, or maybe it was like a rug being pulled out from beneath you, but somehow faith completely changed for you.
Some people just can't take the hypocrisy or are horrified by the behavior of believers. So, they leave. Others are chased away, banished, or ignored. Either way, they are exiles.
All the old battles are meaningless now. Things that once evoked great passion are now just more noise in the background of life. It is almost a relief not to pick one side or the other.
And yet, there is still something missing. It is hard to put a finger on what that something actually is.
A community?
An identity?
The old prayers still come to mind, unbidden. Ancient texts bubble to the surface in conversation. Songs from childhood are hummed or whistled. Cosmological questions from children bring forth startlingly honest answers.
Are you an exile? A faith refugee?
Good.
For, it is in exile that faith is changed, remade, and ultimately...
resurrected.
Jeremiah 1.1 The Story
The Prophet lived long enough to see his warnings become reality. He was able to wander the now empty streets, to experience life in a leveled city, and to observe the ruined temple. The old man kicked at the dirt of a vacant Holy City and remember another time.
"We must go," a soldier growled, "Now."
The Prophet stared at the soldier. "The Lord told us to stay right here - in the Holy Land."
"Well," the soldier spat, "the Commander says we're all going South, so that's where we are going. Now, move it!"
The Prophet remembered a time when he was young, but old enough to know that things were not as they should have been. He had watched his father and grandfather perform the rituals and functions, but there were few who bothered to practice the faith or adhere to the Law. He remembered watching the nation turn its back on the old ways, and embrace the new.
As he became a man himself, he saw the people vacillate in their beliefs - following one cult and then another. In doing this, they were only following the example of a series of feckless kings. One day the King would be welcoming the Eastern Empire and insulting the Southern Kings, the next day it would be the opposite. The Holy City became filled with wild foreign influences and debauchery.
He remembered the Valley. The King would lead the people there in some the most hideous rituals imaginable. They had strayed so far that good was considered evil and evil, good.
He tried to tell them. He decried the faithless culture, the corrupt monarchs, and the people who had forgotten the Way. He reminded them of the need for the Law and the Sabbath. He pled with the city and the nation. He begged them to turn things around. But, nobody was listening. From kings to peasants, he was mocked and ridiculed by a stubbornly forgetful nation. He was imprisoned, castigated and even thrown down a well. But, nothing would shut him up.
The soldier leveled his spear.
The Prophet stared at the soldier.
The Scribe jumped between the soldier and the Prophet. "Nabi, please, let us be going."
The prophet allowed the Scribe to lead him to the long line of people gathered on the Southern road. They, like him, were pitiful to look upon. Dressed in rags and carrying what they could. A lost and broken people.
When the King had finally decided to listen, it was too late. The Emperor's army was upon them. Their doom had arrived.
Though unsurprised by the arrival of the Judgement, the violence of it was still a shock.
The blood...
The fire...
The bodies...
The chains...
They had all left. The city and nation was empty. But, some had tried to return. They had come out of hiding and some had even returned from Babylon. They tried to make it work. But, the corruption was still poisoning the people. Now, the governor had been assassinated. The Empire would soon hear of it. The scheming, plotting Commanders had ordered everybody south - the City would be abandoned.
Walking with the ramshackle procession, he looked at his feet and the ground beneath. The Promised Land would finally have its Sabbath, its rest.
He looked over his shoulder to the ruins of the temple.
He glanced at his faithful Scribe.
They were now exiles. An exiled people with an exiled faith.
The Prophet knew that nothing would ever be the same. But, he also knew that this pathetic shuffling lot, who were looking for refuge in a foreign land, would actually find rescue. The rescue would not come from an Southern King, nor would it be found in the Emperor to the East. They would find a new future in the faith of their grandfathers and grandmothers.
Though mourning the past, their future would bring an incredible miracle. The sovereign God of Heaven, their ancestors, the God of the Law, he had directed this. But, it would not last forever. He would not forget his people.
Nothing could dissuade him. This was an act of judgement and the Lord of Hosts was still in command. And if the Lord of Hosts was in command, then he would be there with them - a god in exile.
"Now we shall see what awaits us," the Scribe said encouragingly.
The Prophet looked at the road ahead, beyond the sad shuffling refugees. "Exile, Baruch. Exile awaits."
The Prophet smiled as he walked away from the Holy City.
"We must go," a soldier growled, "Now."
The Prophet stared at the soldier. "The Lord told us to stay right here - in the Holy Land."
"Well," the soldier spat, "the Commander says we're all going South, so that's where we are going. Now, move it!"
The Prophet remembered a time when he was young, but old enough to know that things were not as they should have been. He had watched his father and grandfather perform the rituals and functions, but there were few who bothered to practice the faith or adhere to the Law. He remembered watching the nation turn its back on the old ways, and embrace the new.
As he became a man himself, he saw the people vacillate in their beliefs - following one cult and then another. In doing this, they were only following the example of a series of feckless kings. One day the King would be welcoming the Eastern Empire and insulting the Southern Kings, the next day it would be the opposite. The Holy City became filled with wild foreign influences and debauchery.
He remembered the Valley. The King would lead the people there in some the most hideous rituals imaginable. They had strayed so far that good was considered evil and evil, good.
He tried to tell them. He decried the faithless culture, the corrupt monarchs, and the people who had forgotten the Way. He reminded them of the need for the Law and the Sabbath. He pled with the city and the nation. He begged them to turn things around. But, nobody was listening. From kings to peasants, he was mocked and ridiculed by a stubbornly forgetful nation. He was imprisoned, castigated and even thrown down a well. But, nothing would shut him up.
The soldier leveled his spear.
The Prophet stared at the soldier.
The Scribe jumped between the soldier and the Prophet. "Nabi, please, let us be going."
The prophet allowed the Scribe to lead him to the long line of people gathered on the Southern road. They, like him, were pitiful to look upon. Dressed in rags and carrying what they could. A lost and broken people.
When the King had finally decided to listen, it was too late. The Emperor's army was upon them. Their doom had arrived.
Though unsurprised by the arrival of the Judgement, the violence of it was still a shock.
The blood...
The fire...
The bodies...
The chains...
They had all left. The city and nation was empty. But, some had tried to return. They had come out of hiding and some had even returned from Babylon. They tried to make it work. But, the corruption was still poisoning the people. Now, the governor had been assassinated. The Empire would soon hear of it. The scheming, plotting Commanders had ordered everybody south - the City would be abandoned.
Walking with the ramshackle procession, he looked at his feet and the ground beneath. The Promised Land would finally have its Sabbath, its rest.
He looked over his shoulder to the ruins of the temple.
He glanced at his faithful Scribe.
They were now exiles. An exiled people with an exiled faith.
The Prophet knew that nothing would ever be the same. But, he also knew that this pathetic shuffling lot, who were looking for refuge in a foreign land, would actually find rescue. The rescue would not come from an Southern King, nor would it be found in the Emperor to the East. They would find a new future in the faith of their grandfathers and grandmothers.
Though mourning the past, their future would bring an incredible miracle. The sovereign God of Heaven, their ancestors, the God of the Law, he had directed this. But, it would not last forever. He would not forget his people.
Nothing could dissuade him. This was an act of judgement and the Lord of Hosts was still in command. And if the Lord of Hosts was in command, then he would be there with them - a god in exile.
"Now we shall see what awaits us," the Scribe said encouragingly.
The Prophet looked at the road ahead, beyond the sad shuffling refugees. "Exile, Baruch. Exile awaits."
The Prophet smiled as he walked away from the Holy City.
6.11.2013
Faith in Community
It is one thing to gripe and complain all day. It is another thing to actually promote positive change. So, what would a healthy faith community look like?
First of all, I don't think that a healthy faith is explored alone. We need people! This is contrary to much of what we hear about spirituality. Faith, in the US, is often considered something explored individually. Part of the reason for this is our history. One of the core principles that our nation was founded upon was Religious Liberty, and that liberty was based within the context of individual conscious. Soul liberty is a good thing - even a great thing. Our faith should not be dictated to us by a government, society, etc.
However, when we throw the baby out with the bathwater, we miss out on one of the foundational elements of faith - loving one another. The Christian faith was established within the context of community and to be practiced in community. From Acts 2:
Community was even an essential part of the Church's ordinances. The same words shared or sharing above was used in I Corinthians 10:16, which describes the Eucharist -
Lone Ranger spirituality is clearly not a part of the Christian experience. It is bound to fall short. But, there are many people who are no longer comfortable in the spiritual context of the traditional church. what are we to do with them(us)? The Lone Ranger way seems like the only route.
I think new spiritual communities are the only answer. The Church is not going to change. I don't even think it is capable of changing. Change has never been a part of its DNA. So, the change will have to come from the outside. Bands of outsiders will one day gather for what happens next, and that will be the key to the future.
What would such a band of people look like? What is spiritual community supposed to look like?
First of all, I don't think that a healthy faith is explored alone. We need people! This is contrary to much of what we hear about spirituality. Faith, in the US, is often considered something explored individually. Part of the reason for this is our history. One of the core principles that our nation was founded upon was Religious Liberty, and that liberty was based within the context of individual conscious. Soul liberty is a good thing - even a great thing. Our faith should not be dictated to us by a government, society, etc.
However, when we throw the baby out with the bathwater, we miss out on one of the foundational elements of faith - loving one another. The Christian faith was established within the context of community and to be practiced in community. From Acts 2:
The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers. A sense of awe came over everyone. God performed many wonders and signs through the apostles. All the believers were united and shared everything. They would sell pieces of property and possessions and distribute the proceeds to everyone who needed them. Every day, they met together in the temple and ate in their homes. They shared food with gladness and simplicity. They praised God and demonstrated God’s goodness to everyone. The Lord added daily to the community those who were being saved.
Community was even an essential part of the Church's ordinances. The same words shared or sharing above was used in I Corinthians 10:16, which describes the Eucharist -
Isn’t the cup of blessing that we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Isn’t the loaf of bread that we break a sharing in the body of Christ?Community was an essential part of how God disseminates the Good News. In Ephesians 3:10 Paul states that the revelation of God's plan happens 'through the Church' and that utilizing the Church is a part of God's eternal purpose.
Lone Ranger spirituality is clearly not a part of the Christian experience. It is bound to fall short. But, there are many people who are no longer comfortable in the spiritual context of the traditional church. what are we to do with them(us)? The Lone Ranger way seems like the only route.
I think new spiritual communities are the only answer. The Church is not going to change. I don't even think it is capable of changing. Change has never been a part of its DNA. So, the change will have to come from the outside. Bands of outsiders will one day gather for what happens next, and that will be the key to the future.
What would such a band of people look like? What is spiritual community supposed to look like?
6.01.2013
Prayer 6.1
God of all faith,
I don't need this. Things have been going so well. I have been so content. I would have left the ministry long before I did if I would have known that it was this nice.
I no longer feel like my head sits beneath an ever-present guillotine. There is no more ticking IED lodged somewhere in my life. I don't stay up at night worrying about the day to come. My path to tomorrow no longer seems to be paved in eggshells. I feel free.
So, why on Earth would I ever want to go back? I don't know how thoughts of returning ever made it past my sanity filter!
Please, God. Tell me no. Close these doors and bar my return.
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