Blogging through The Orthodox Heretic day 40

Today's parable is a fun one... The Debate tells the story of a young man, unsuccessfully trying to convince a rabbi to take him on as a student. One of my favorite pieces about the Jewish tradition is the requirement for debate and disagreement even to the point that God cannot stop the discussion. There is another story of two rabbis who argued the point of one scripture for years. Finally God became tired of their arguing and stepped in, "Let me tell you what this means..." The rabbis replied, "Who are you to tell us what this scripture means?"

I think there is a similar thread in my tradition - Baptist - although most people wouldn't know it. The idea of soul freedom requires that we wrestle with meaning and struggle with scripture even to the point of arguing with God... It means that we must always hold our answers lightly and be willing to see things from a different perspective. When I was in seminary, one of my professors said to us, "I don't care where you come out on these questions... but you'd better be able to tell me how and why you got there."

So here we are... at the end of Lent. We got here wrestling with some wonderful little parables. I hope you enjoyed this little journey with me. Perhaps next year I'll find a similar discipline to work through those 40 days.

Blogging through The Orthodox Heretic day 39

Better to sleep is a very short story that deals with judging others. A father and child join with a group of others keeping vigil through the night. One by one they all fall asleep except the father and son. The son turns to the father and comments that the others had failed in their obligation to which the father replies, “Beloved son, I would prefer that you slept like them rather than slandering them.”

It is so easy to judge the actions or lack of actions of others, especially those who claim to be people of faith. What does it look like for us to share and care and support even those with whom we have significant disagreements?

Blogging through The Orthodox Heretic day 38

Somehow I got behind a day...

So here we are... New Life tells of a mother whose infant dies a few months after birth. As she travels, seeking a miracle, she is told to gather mustard seeds from others who have never experienced loss. She travels and hears the stories of others and is then able to face her own pain.

There certainly is something to be said for sharing the human condition. It does not remove our pain, but it does put it in perspective.

Blogging through The Orthodox Heretic day 37

The difference between love and lust is often a subtle one. Lust... wants. Love... gives. That is the theme in today's story - The Besotted King. The king has fallen in love with one of his slaves and, against all propriety, frees her and moves her int the castle, planning to marry her. But the woman becomes ill and nobody can heal her. Finally a holy man is called who says he can heal her but it will be extremely painful. The king agrees to whatever must be done if the woman agrees. To that the holy man responds, "You misunderstand your majesty. The pain will not be hers. It will be yours as she loves another. Give them your blessing to marry and she will recover"

We don't know what the kind did. If he truly loved her, he gave the blessing. If he was only our to possess her, he likely had the man she loved killed and watched her melt away in grief.

Do we love? Or just lust? Likely a mixture of both.

Blogging through The Orthodox Heretic day 36

How do we receive gifts of love and grace? That is the question raised by "The Debt of Love." In this story a holy man, dressed as a beggar, enters the city and sees a barber shaving a wealthy nobleman. He asks for a shave and the barber leaves the nobleman and gives him the shave along with some alms. Touched by the show of charity, the holy man determines to reward the barber. Later in the day, a wealthy pilgrim gives him a bag of gold coins. He returns and offers them to the barber who chases him away with the razor, shouting, "What kind of a holy man are you that you come to reward me for an act of love?"

I struggle with accepting gifts. Many times I have had people offer me a gift born of love and genuine appreciation and have struggled with either turning it down or reciprocating. Now, there re times when gifts are given with inappropriate strings which should be refused, but that just makes it more difficult to perceive and then receive what truly are gifts of love.

It is equally difficult to receive compliments with grace. My/our first inclination is to minimize whatever led to the compliment. "I'm not that good of a player." "Did you hear my mistakes?" or "I've been playing guitar a loooonnnggg time." I have been trying to receive such kind words with a genuine, "thank you."

Blogging through The Orthodox Heretic day 35

The Contented Fisherman is a story that I've heard before... it tells of a man lying in his boat after catching "enough fish" only to be given a life plan by a wealthy industrialist leading to a large business with multiple fishing boats so the fisherman could "enjoy life." To that the fisherman replies, "what do you think I'm doing?"

This story made me remember a statement made to me by one of our church members - "You really have to work like crazy to maintain that laid back California facade." An aphorism also came to mind - "Americans live to work, while Europeans work to live."

There is something in the corruption of the Reformed tradition that is central to the formation of our American cultural mindset that says we must be producing to have value and that production is always measured in economic ways. It is a hard current to swim against.

Blogging through The Orthodox Heretic day 34

This parable begins the parables that are not included in the book but which are available for download from Paraclete Press if you purchase the book directly from them. Unlike the book, these parables do not include commentary... so I'm on my own.

This story tells us of a man who comes upon an injured fox in the forest and sees a tiger approach with fresh game in its mouth. After eating its fill, the tiger gives the rest to the fox. This happens a number of days until the man decides that the lesson to be learned is that God will provide. He goes into the forest and waits... and waits... until he is nearly at death's door from starvation and cries out to God that God has been absent. God speaks - "O you who are in the path of error, open your eyes to the truth. I do not want you to imitate the disabled fox but rather to follow the example of the tiger."

I'm struck by how easy it is to clearly see the actions of God and yet miss them entirely. And at how the history of people of faith so often reflects us learning exactly the wrong lesson because of that. Add to that the hubris that many reflect that they know God's yearnings as clearly as their own and we have a recipe for a mess. We end up with people drawing lines and building walls, claiming privilege and private blessings, turning away from the other... when the lessons we are to learn are exactly the opposite.

I try to be more humble than that... but it is entirely possible that I am blind to my own preconceptions.

Stations of the Cross - Palm Sunday

Twelfth Station:
Jesus Dies



Give me moments to ponder in my heart your supreme love, a love greater than all others, a love for each and every one of your children.


Thirteenth Station:
The Body of Jesus Is Taken from the Cross



It is easy to be kind and to do good when someone is obviously in pain. It is easy to see a way of healing at that time. Grant me sight for those difficult moments when your people are in pain, in longing in much more subtle ways. Give me vision for shades of gray.


Fourteenth Station:
Jesus Is Laid in the Tomb



When I want to keep my resources to myself, even though they would be used better elsewhere, drive me to give. Keep generosity at the foremost of my thoughts, the tip of my tongue and the ends of my fingers. Remind me that the gifts I give now come back one hundred-fold.

Blogging through The Orthodox Heretic day 33

The final parable in the printed version of the book I have is the title parable. In this story a young man is condemned for heresy, a crime for which he is truly guilty. When he is sentenced to death, he does not dispute the charges or beg for his life. He only requests that he be allowed to pick the person to light the flame from among the crowd. On the day of his execution, the judge asks him to choose. As he looks around the crowd, they become more and more uncomfortable as none of them want his death on their conscience. Finally he calls out. "I have held a distorted, muddied and inaccurate view of the divine. I have only one request: that I be set alight by one among you who is innocent of this charge."

Like the story of the woman caught in adultery, this story hinges on the audience being both aware and honest. Unfortunately, in my experience, few fundamentalists are either and I would expect that there would have been someone in either crowd to step forward and claim innocence. I like the way Peter puts it though... "we must question the difference between the heresy of orthodoxy, in which we dogmatically claim to have the truth, and orthodox heresy, in which we humbly admit that we are in the dark but still endeavor to live in the way of Christ as best we can."

Blogging through The Orthodox Heretic day 32

The Reward of a Good Life plays on our expectations and notions of justice. Two brothers live very differing lives - one essentially gives up all to help the poor and dies virtually alone and penniless. The other lives the American Dream and dies in the arms of a loving wife, a good family, and comfortable surroundings. They arrive in heaven and receive the same reward. The first brother is surprised, but pleased and turns to the brother who lived the dream and tells him he is glad they will be together. The second brother weeps at the life he wasted.

Again, we are confronted by the radical nature of unconditional love and unmerited grace. Free floaties for all!

Blogging through The Orthodox Heretic day 31

What is a miracle? Today's parable retells the story of a blind man who is healed by Jesus... only he still is physically blind. As the crowd questions him, he keeps telling them that he was blind, but now he sees.

So what constitutes a miracle? And what does it mean "to see?" Some 22 years ago I had a stark confrontation with my own mortality and the limits of the human body. I was diagnosed with heterozygous familial hyperlipidemia and told that they were unsure if the newly developed meds would help and that if they didn't, I should get my affairs in order. After a few months of serious depression, I began to see and experience life in a different way... a wonderful way. Many folk prayed for me. I still have the condition, but the meds work well for me.

Coincidentally, a church member was diagnosed with the same thing within a few months of me. He was about the same age and had a very similar life situation. Many folk prayed for him. He too experienced a new "seeing" of life. He died a few years later from complications of the disorder.

Were there miracles involved here? If so, what were they? And who experienced them?

Blogging through The Orthodox Heretic day 30

The Book of Love tells us of a God who has grown impatient with the struggles f humanity and the disasters we leave in our wake... so God commands the angels to put together a library containing all of the wisdom needed to avert the disasters. But the library is too large. So, God commands the angels to condense the ideas into a single book... but it is still so large that nobody can lift it, let alone read it. Then God called the angels to condense the wisdom into a booklet, but the people were too lazy to read even the short booklet. Finally, the angels condense the entire library to a single word - love.

If only... All too often those who claim to live by the word only use it as a way of justifying their own prejudices and preconceptions.

Blogging through The Orthodox Heretic day 29

The Last Supper examines the character of Judas... an easy target but also a critical character in the story of Jesus and a central one at that. In this parable, Jesus assures Judas that the bread and cup, body and blood are for him.

Again we are confronted by the radical nature of truly unconditional and undeserved love and forgiveness. Lord, have mercy on me... a sinner.

Blogging through The Orthodox Heretic day 28

The Empty Exchange is a parable of reconciliation. Two lifelong friends find their relationship damaged when one has an affair with the other's wife. An apology is rejected and they live years without the relationship which had been so important to both. Years later, they find reconciliation when the first rejects a second apology, understanding the pain and brokenness that had opened the door to the betrayal.

In contrast to forgiveness which may come before repentance, Pete says that repentance is a prerequisite for real reconciliation to take place. I'm chewing on this one. I think he is correct. Still, in this story, if the one wronged had made a move sooner, they may have repaired their relationship years sooner.

I find myself thinking about my closest friends and wondering whether there is anything they could do that would cause me to break off my relationship with them... and if so, how I could find reconciliation.

Stations of the Cross Week 5

Tenth Station:
Jesus Is Stripped of His Clothing



When I am tempted to be a follower of societal norms, correct my direction. Allow me to only be a follower of one path, the one of truth. Never allow me to grow so weak that I am a pack member, but only allow me to run with your pack.


Eleventh Station:
Jesus Is Nailed to the Cross




Peel my prejudice away and open my arms that I may embrace all of my family on this world. It is tempting for me to take my anger out on others. Grant me strength to love and not to lash out. Make my hands those of healing and not those of hate.

Blogging through The Orthodox Heretic day 27

In some Christian (and Muslim) circles, the afterlife is the center of everything and often it is visualized in terms of the rewards of this world - mansions, golden street, crowns encrusted with gems, even beautiful young virgins... The parable, Mansions, tells us of Jesus describing just such a heaven to his disciples as they sit around a fire. One by one they fall asleep until only one poor, old, anonymous disciple and Jesus are left awake.

the poor disciple asks Jesus whether there will be room for such a one as him in such a place. After all, he has never even seen a mansion. Jesus replies that tucked away in a corner is a cramped little stable with nothing to commend it inside or out except that on a clear night the stars can be seen through the cracks... and he will live there. In this little stable, Jesus says, "you can stay with me."

What are the true treasures of faith and faithfulness? Surely they have nothing to do with gold, mansions, jewels...

Blogging through The Orthodox Heretic day 26

Pete continues the theme of transformative love with another retelling of the Prodigal Son. This one is very much like the original with one more detail... while the son returns home, he doesn't truly repent until after his father welcomes him home. After the party, the son weeps for what he had done.

In his commentary, Pete talks about forgiveness coming before repentance rather than the typical formula of repentance then forgiveness. I like it... as we read in A Heretics Guide to Eternity, free floaties for all.

Blogging through The Orthodox Heretic day 25

Overthrowing the Emperor examines power. The emperor rules over a huge empire with an army that inspires fear in the entire world and then he has a dream where he sees his empire in ruins and army destroyed and hears God speak, "There is a power that transcends your earthly power."
He visits the cathedrals and temples. He seeks out all of the leaders of the religions in his empire. He engages in the spiritual practices of the various traditions but experiences nothing. Finally he learns of a holy man who is dying but may have something to teach him. On his death bed, the holy man tells the emperor that the power he seeks is found in the face of the orphan, the poor, the illegal alien, the starving man. God's power is seen in weakness."

God's power is so often misunderstood. Even the scripture that tells us that God's weakness is more powerful than human power is seen as an affirmation that God's weakness is still a power of the same sort humans wield and that the verse is only telling us that the range of God's power is so much above ours that even the lowest edge of it is higher than the highest edge of ours... Pete is telling us that God's power is an entirely different category than ours and truly is found in that which we see as weak. A baby overthrows the principalities and powers of the universe. Peace overcomes violence. The absence of force allows revolutionary change.

I'm currently listening to Jeremy Scahill's book on Blackwater which tells the story of the rise to prominence of his mercenary army but also some of the story of the theocon movement and their quest for power. These are folk who, for the most part, call themselves Christians. As I think of their expression of discipleship, I cannot recognize the Jesus I know. Certainly their lust for power stands at odds with the mission and ministry of Jesus as I understand it.

Blogging through The Orthodox Heretic day 24

The Father's Approval is a story of the transformative power of unconditional love. A father loves his son, who loves the father back, but as long as the father is critical of the son's life choices, no change takes place even though the son is not entirely happy with his direction either. When the father finally is able to say to the son, "I love you exactly as you are and you don't need to change anything," the son begins to change.

It has been those folk who have loved me with out preconditions or expectations who have been most important in my formation... and I am thankful for each of you.

Blogging through The Orthodox Heretic day 23

In Blindness a scribe encounters Jesus and calls out "Have mercy on me!" Jesus stops, lays hands on him, and immediately the man becomes blind and cries in joy. Jesus tells him, "You will be blind for a while," to which he replies, "It does not matter for the moment you touched me, I saw all I ever need to see."

Again, I'll go in a different direction that Peter in his commentary... I was struck by the impossibility of reproducing a mystical experience. For some folk that leaves them lost. They have experienced the holy and when it never happens again in the same way or perhaps with the same intensity, they lose any faith. Perhaps the one experience is enough?

It also had me thinking of faith and doubt. You can read an earlier post to get my thoughts on faith and doubt as fraternal twins. Perhaps a mystical experience opens us in a new way to doubt as well as faith...