NOVEMBER 16, 2003
I Samuel 1:4-20; 2:1-10; Hebrews 10:11-25; Mark 13:1-8
Once again we see examples of a traditional perception of how God works which is much different from a "process" way of thinking. Hannah was greatly disturbed because, to use the words of the Bible, "the Lord had closed her womb". We come from a religious tradition which held that God is in control of everything. If God wishes a woman to become pregnant, she will, with or without a male partner. The more unusual the conception the greater the proof was believed to have been that a specific conception was the work and will of God.
Although we still do not understand all the wonderful aspects of conception, pregnancy, birth, and new life, we are far better informed than biblical characters. Now we understand the conditions that are more likely to promote or inhibit conception and behave and plan accordingly depending on whether or not a pregnancy is desired. We have learned, for example, that conception can be made to occur in a test tube, and that women can even become surrogate "carriers" for another woman. The deficiency in human knowledge provides fertile ground to credit God for whatever occurs or does not occur. A woman whose grandson had been killed in Iraq was being interviewed and wondered why God would do such a thing. She comforted herself by indicating that perhaps someday we would understand. We do not understand the greatness of God's power but we stand in awe with what we learn about creation.
It is becoming increasingly clear that God does not use overwhelming power in the manner that we humans might. It is also becoming increasingly clear through the knowledge and ability we gain from generation to generation that God entrusts us to be instruments through which much of God's work is done. Many people for example, who would have died from a given disease fifty years ago are either prevented from getting the disease or are healed through the assistance of medical science. Does God love certain persons more now than might have been true fifty years ago or are human beings learning more about working with God in both creating and saving life by utilizing the knowledge and ability unknown fifty years ago, but which is common place today. It should be noted that the marvelous events which humans are able to cause which could not take place without human effort, only occur after much effort and time is expended in learning by study and experience. In civilized countries every day is so filled with such episodes that we take many of them for granted. Why is it such a "stretch" for us to bring our theology into harmony with what we are learning about how God works in our lives and in our world?
The scripture from Hebews continues on an outdated theological theme when it emphasizes repeatedly that Jesus became a great High Priest in order to sacrifice himself for the sins of the world. Readers are exhorted to "hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering....encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching." One might ask how Christianity has accomplished so much in the world the past two thousand years if it is so wrong theologically. The answer is clear. Jesus did not throw out all of his past in Judaism but viewed it as an approach to which people could related at the time in the circumstances in which they found themselves. He repeatedly affirmed that the "old" approach was no longer sufficient and that religious "law" needed to be replaced with spiritual love. Always he emphasized the importance of reverence for our Source (God) good behavior in our relationships with one another. In other words, he "kept the good" and encouraged people to grow beyond the "old" embracing something better and more needed. We call this a process of maturation. The author of Hebrews salvages the best of the traditional Christian message by encouraging people to be hopeful without wavering and to encourage one another in love and good works by meeting together often. Even then he knew the value of support groups! It should be noted, however, that readers were admonished to do these things all the more as they saw the "Day approaching". What day? The day when Jesus would come again to the world to finish what he began! The Day which would signal the beginning of the end and the ultimate ushering in of the Kingdom of God.
A very real danger is presented our world today when powerful leaders buy into a kind of theology which causes them to feel they are being used of God to usher in the end, or at least prepare the world for the end. Such a theology is very prominent in many approaches to Christianity and essentially believes that enduring improvement in the world situation is not possible because it does not fit into the plan of God. Many teacher/preachers promoting this kind of theology attempt to prove their point by reference to fulfilled prophecies, while endeavoring to become a prophet themselves. As a youngster during World War II I listened every Sunday to a Jewish Nazarene preacher who had converted to Christianity from Orthodox Judaism. He weekly harangued his audience with fearful predictions concerning the future, naming participating nations indicating "which side" they would be on. History has proven him wrong. This kind of religious leadership is dangerous when it is in places of power greater than bully pulpits of mere persuasion. It can in fact, nurture some degree of self fulfilling prophecy.
Finally we come to the scripture from Mark which takes up the banner of exactly what I have been talking about from Hebrews. When asked about the future of Jerusalem Jesus is reported to have elaborated by reaching a peak of his discourse by saying "For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines; this is but the beginning of the sufferings." It should be noted that such a negative viewpoint of the future is precisely the opposite result to what would occur if persons in mass would live by what Jesus taught. All of this made perfect sense to New Testament writers because of the great suffering they had already endured; because it provided an explanation of the life ministry and death of Jesus which was acceptable to them; and because they believed God was in control of everything and would punish all evil before making the earth a wonderful place for "the good guys".
I recognize that this traditional theology is characteristic of much if not a majority of Christianity. This fact does not excuse us from embracing what is clearly true, even if it is contrary to tradition, any more than it would have excused Jesus to have remained silent when he knew the odds were stacked against the "truth" of the power of love over the power of the law. He did not "sell" out. Neither should we!
We ought not throw out our past. We need to keep it in memory, keep what is applicable and good building on it. We need to exercise our creativity in theology as we do in many other important areas of life and press on to expand hope and assure that the world will continue to improve rather than become an experience of hell as some believe. As has never been true before, contemporary humankind holds in its hand the power to destroy and the power to save. God will not decide how we use the power but we will!