A Challenge to the Patriarchal Mindset.

Today, as I read the gospel lectionary passage, I want to use it to think about how scripture is approached. I think it is an important subject and one which I find intriguing. Before I delve into the passage, I want to add a quick general principle.

The study of hermeneutics has for a long time been a fast-growing area of the study of the ancient texts. There are many different ways of interpreting scripture. I’m not going to go into them today. I do cast a fairly brief glance at them in the chapter on interpretation in my book Corporal Punishment, Religion and US Public Schools for any who are interested. 

For today, I’m going to simply say that it is a person’s best effort to grapple with scripture and come to an understanding which is meaningful. There is always a danger in interpretation of thinking there is one correct way of understanding a text. It is even worse when it is written or spoken about as if this one understanding is the absolute truth. Then there is an implication that anyone who thinks differently about a passage is wrong. Over the years — even over centuries — this has caused much division. 

So, when reading or studying scripture it is much better to offer an interpretation as personal thinking with the expectation that others may think differently —and that is okay. It invites dialogue which, hopefully, will enrich all. 

When I approach a text I like to read it “against the grain”. This is a little phrase that I first read in Anne Thurston’s book, Knowing Her Place. Reading against the grain is looking beneath the most common or most obvious understanding of a text. I like to think about it as challenging assumptions. It is really helpful in opening the mind to other possibilities. 

Today’s lectionary gospel passage is a really helpful passage in challenging assumptions (Luke: 13-35). It is the story of the two people on the road to Emmaus. They were walking the seven miles home from Jerusalem when a third person joined them. When they arrived home, they urged the stranger to stay the night with them as it was getting late. Over bread they realized it was the risen Christ who had joined them. Ultimately, they returned to Jerusalem to tell others of their experience.

It is a great story and one which is commonly depicted. The assumption I want to challenge today is that these were two men. Often the scriptures are approached through a patriarchal lens. So therefore, the assumption is these two who the risen Christ walked with must be men. Why? 

I googled “Old Masters + Road to Emmaus” (try it) and loads of famous and not so famous painting are shown. All depict two men with the Christ. I also tried it with children’s book — also two men are usually illustrated although I did find one cute YouTube video that included a woman.

Anyway, back to the text. Only one person is named in the Gospel of Luke. That is Cleopas. The other remains unnamed — sadly often, in the scriptures, the women are left unnamed. Therefore, it is possible that the second disciple on the Emmaus Road was a woman. Furthermore, I think that it is very probable that it was Cleopas’ partner. Actually, Mary the wife of Clopas is noted as one of the women at the foot of the cross. 

“Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.” (John 19:25)

I know the name in the Gospel of John is Clopas rather than Cleopas but it is accepted that this was the same person. Clopas is the Greek form while Cleopas is the Aramaic form of the same name. In the same way Paul is the Latin transliteration of the Greek name Saul. 

To my mind, it makes much more sense to assume that the two on the Emmaus Rd were Cleopas and Mary. It is clear from the text that they share a common residence in the village where they lived. 

I just want to offer this interpretation to challenge the status quo. Ultimately, after studying, some reading this may still prefer to accept the more common interpretation —that it was two men journeying and living together. That is absolutely fine. The important thing is to let any text challenge the patriarchal mindset and to enrich beyond the accepted norm. 

That is the beauty of reading against the grain. 

A New Day is Dawning

Christ is Risen

Christ is Risen Indeed.

A very happy Easter to all who are reading this.

Easter will be different this year. 

Regardless of how Easter has been celebrated in the past there will be changes this year. Covid-19 has put a stop to large and small gatherings. Therefore, church buildings will remain empty and rightly so. (I must confess to having little patience for those who flout the advice and put others at risk). Family gatherings will be curtailed. Public Easter Egg hunts will be cancelled. Easter will be celebrated at home, alone or with the nuclear family.

Easter will be different this year. 

Yet, the message remains the same. Death and resurrection. It is the cycle of life that is seen reflected in nature. My job ended with the lock down —I miss it. I am home all the time and, weather permitting, have been spending a lot of time in the garden. Most of the work is raking leaves—we have a lot of them! As I am raking, I continue to marvel at the cycle of life. Green shoots are revealed as I remove the dead leaves which have provided a protective cover over the winter. 

As well as seeing these tender green shoots, I enjoy the early snowdrops and crocuses which are starting to bloom. I watch the birds dancing as they choose mates, then carrying twigs to make nests. The buds are on the trees, some starting to show a hint of colour. All around me are signs of life bursting out.

The events of the Easter story remind us of this cycle of life which is reflected in nature. It is powerful story. It is important story. It is a hopeful story. It is a story that has shaped our lives. 

It is a new day dawning. The lectionary passage for Easter Sunday (Matthew 28:1-10) begins with the words, “as the first day of the week was dawning”. 

Something significant happened on that day —history changed forever. The Easter event has never been forgotten. It was a new beginning, nothing would ever be the same.

Currently, the world is in the middle of the worse pandemic for a century. Many lives have already been lost and will continue to be so — our prayers are with all those who are suffering and their families. 

It is a hard time for everyone. The photographs in the media of essential workers and mass graves are harrowing. People will be forever changed — how can they not?

There are certain events that remain forever in history. These are key points which caused society to change. They will never be forgotten — for example, the holocaust or September 11^th , 2001. 

Society has now been locked down in USA for about four weeks. In some countries it is even longer. Will this change society? I was listening yesterday to LBC (Leading Britain’s Conversation, our favourite radio station). It was a phone in format. The question had been asked,  had the lock down changed people in positive ways. I found a few answers particularly insightful. 

One person said that because of the business of their lives they had never spoken to their elderly neighbours, since the pandemic they had exchanged words —at a distance —and continually checked to see if they were okay. Another said that their drive to work was two and a half hours daily along a busy motorway and they were loving not being part of that rat race. He added that he was actually getting more work done at home. A third person said they lived near an airport and with fewer planes for the first time in years birds had returned to their garden. 

On our walk with our dogs, Andy and I have found that people are more friendly. Everyone says hello while maintaining a safe distance. I also noticed siblings in a couple of gardens. I commented how nice it was to see siblings learning to play together.

A new day is dawning 

In many ways it is still the Good Friday of the pandemic. It is a dark time and will probably continue to be so for several more weeks.

Yet, glimmers of a new kinder society are shining through — kinder to each other, kinder to nature and kinder to the nonhuman life we share the planet with.  Glimmers of life are starting to break in through the darkness.

I can say with assurance that Easter Sunday will come eventually. The light will overtake the darkness. It is the cyclic nature of life. 

Will we go back to life as it was before?  I hope not, I hope this is one of those key moments in history which brings about far reaching changes.