Spring has Sprung!

 

It is spring! Yesterday, the season changed and here in Ithaca, NY everyone was well aware of it. Gone were Friday’s cold temperatures and rain turning to snow in the evening. On the first day of Spring we awoke to sun streaming through the window and the drip-drip sound that indicates the last of the snow melting.

Today, promises to be even warmer — Spring has arrived. It is too early not to expect more snow in this part of the world nevertheless it is a sign that things are changing. Things that have been hidden are being revealed. Snowdrops are in bloom, green shoots are starting to break the surface, tiny buds are appearing on the trees and I even saw a woodchuck run across the lawn emerging from winter hibernation.

 

I have always appreciated the cycle of life mirrored in nature — Winter (hiddenness and preparation), Spring (new birth and growth), Summer (full bloom and brightness) and Autumn (maturity and fruit bearing). 

 

I love how in the gospels this cycle can be appreciated in Jesus’ earthly life. Stories of pregnancy and the hiddenness of the womb (winter), birth and childhood (spring), followed by a new ministry launched with a miracle of new wine (summer) moving to maturity and bearing fruit to feed and nurture the next generation (autumn).

 

Just as an aside — as I don’t want anyone reading this to think I have stopped banging my feminist drum — notice how prominent women were at the onset of each of these stages of Jesus’ life:

a woman kept Jesus safe and hidden in the womb, 

a woman gave birth, 

a woman told him it was time for ministry to start to bloom,

a woman recognized it was the autumn of ministry and anointed him 

and a woman announced the beginning of the next cycle of life as the hiddenness of the tomb was discovered empty.

 

But back to today’s text, the author of the Gospel of John quotes Jesus, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain: but if it dies it bears much fruit.” (John 20:24) 

 

It is a picture of the cycle of life. It is a powerful image of Jesus’ perception of his ministry. I do think the authors of the gospels placed their stories in the order that told the message they wanted to convey — I don’t think the order was accidental nor necessarily chronological. Here the author of John places this conversation straight after Jesus was anointed with perfume and then the triumphant entry into Jerusalem. 

 

However, there is a puzzling little exchange that happens right at the beginning of today’s text (John12:20-23). I spend much time pondering it, wondering why it was included here. The passage tells that amongst those who were celebrating in Jerusalem were some Greeks. They came to Philip and said, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew and then together they went to tell Jesus. Jesus response was not to welcome the Greeks, but to launch straight into the speech containing the verse quoted above.”

 

As I read it, I had lots of questions about why this was included at this point. The chapter would have read fine without it. On first glance it does not add anything — yet, I have to conclude it must have been significant for the author of John to include it at this point. In this passage the word Greeks probably refers to Jewish people who had adopted Greek ideas and culture (Hellenistic Judaism)— they were those on the margins. Obviously, Philip was hesitant when they approached him as he went to tell Andrew first. It reads like they were unsure about approaching Jesus or even letting “the Greeks” near him.

 

My thought is that this little conversation was included to show the expansiveness of Jesus’ ministry. It was an inkling, a hint pointing towards the inclusive nature of the ministry. The seed falling into the ground was for the benefit of all. No longer should people be considered on the margins — a view affirmed by the author of Galatians, “There is no longer Jew or Greek” (3:28).

 

Yet as I read the text and pondered the cycle of life, I also felt quite sad. I could not help but think of all the people who have not reached the autumn of their lives — or even the summer of their lives. This year has been a year of loss. 

 

As I write this, I especially think of those in Atlanta whose lives were lost because of racism this week. May each of their lives be seeds falling into the ground that will bring forth new shoots of change. 

 

Unpalatable Passages

Sometimes I read a passage in the lectionary and it causes me some unease — simply put, it jars. I don’t really like what I am reading. At these times I have to remind myself that this is a book of faith not a book of history.

 

I find it happening a lot when Andy and I read the Psalms as part of morning prayer. I am reading aloud beautiful, inspiring verses when all of a sudden there is a verse that jars. I don’t want to read, “Happy is the one who seizes infants and dashes them against the rocks” (137:9). I call these unpalatable passages. They remind me again of how carefully and non-literally scripture needs to be handled.

 

It happened with the lectionary today — not once but twice! 

 

The first time was in the Old Testament (Exodus 20:1-17). It was the story of the giving of the ten commandments. Of course, the concepts contained within the ten commandments are largely good. It was the beginning of trying to move society towards a better way of being. Today, most of the rule of law and popular notions of right and wrong affirm that it is not okay to steal, murder or perjure oneself plus adultery and idolatry are frowned upon. 

 

So, what jarred? It was that, once again, females were invisible. It stood out like the proverbial sore thumb. These verses were addressed to men — and not even all men, just privileged men. They were told not to covet their neighbour’s wife, no mention of a women not coveting a neighbour’s husband. They were told not to covet male or female slaves. This verse (17) is a perfect example of what Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza terms kyriarchy. which is a joining of two Greek words kryrios (lords or masters) and archo (to lead, govern or rule). The Exodus passage offers justification for slavery and patriarchy.

 

I know it was a different time and culture, but coupled with the rule of law, was the idea of male supremacy, or at least, supremacy for certain privileged males. This idea has prevailed unto present day. One only has to look at history or take a glance at the pictures depicting all the presidents and all the vice-presidents of the USA to see that this was not just something that happened in the Old Testament. Male supremacy continues — if I’m honest, I’m not sure why females have continued to be so demeaned and invisible. 

 

At this point, I have to say that I am so grateful to see Kamala Harris changing history as she stands on the shoulders of many brave women who worked so hard to change a nation’s mindset. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see photographs of 46 women following the pictures of 46 men thus moving the nation towards equality? 

 

As I continued through the lectionary passages, I came to the gospel reading which also jarred. It is the story of Jesus overturning tables in the temple (John 2:13-22). 

 

Why did this jar?

 

I think it was because most of what I read about Jesus was that he came to show a different way. One that involved enemy love, turning the other cheek, healing and feeding those in need. Here an angry Jesus is depicted. And if I am quite honest one who did not handle that anger well. Anger turned to violence is rarely good.

 

I have worked with traumatized children, who easily get angry. As I read this text, I could not help but get a picture in my head about the classroom and an angry child. The tables and desks are always the first to go! The child gets angry, jumps up and the desk and contents scatter around the classroom. Later, when calmness is restored, the anger, and reason for it, are acknowledged and validated, the ensuing conversation focuses around finding a better way to handle that anger. 

 

Jesus faced a situation where it seems great injustice was being done. He walked into the temple and saw the people selling animals for sacrifice. This was a necessary service to enable those who had come a distance to purchase an animal. (I’m not even going to touch the cruelty to the animals!) Apparently, the practice had become corrupt. In the synoptic gospels Jesus is documented as calling the place a “den of thieves”. People were being swindled in the changing of their money.  The “money changers” were getting rich. In modern terms, they had no competition and they were charging what the market would bear. We see this all the time. Recently, I purchased some flowers to send to my mother for her 94^thbirthday — her birthday is just after Valentine’s Day, so the prices were hugely inflated. Big business!

 

Jesus was angry and probably rightly so. Religion was being used to exploit people. Yet, I still have an unease at the violent means used to express this anger. There must be many better ways to bring about change than violence. It really jars that Jesus was portrayed out of character here.

 

So, what do I do with these unpalatable passages. Do I ignore them? It would be fairly easy to do so, I could just choose a different text to blog on. Yet I have made a commitment, to myself, to treat all the readings honestly, or as honestly as I can. I don’t want to avoid the hard readings. I don’t want to sweep the things that are unpalatable under the carpet! 

 

I try to follow Trible’s advice — I know I have talked about this, many times — to shake a passage until it yields a blessing.

 

Sometimes, that can be really hard. Sometimes, however hard I shake a text, it is difficult to find a blessing other than to be thankful that times are changing. 

 

In the gospel passage, I can find a blessing in that it allows the reader to see Jesus’ anger at injustices especially those done in the name of religion. It gives me permission to be angry at the injustices I see —injustices to women, children, people of colour, animals, LBGTQ+ friends, the poor, etc., etc.  These, too, are often done in the name of religion, So, this text gives me a mandate to be angry and to try to bring about change. I am still not recommending “making a whip of cords” to drive these things out of our society. Nevertheless, it is a blessing to know I can be angry at injustices so I can work for a better society.