Advent thoughts – Saturday of Advent 3

Now why does Psalm 55 make me think of the Anglican Communion's current unpleasantness?

For had it been an adversary who taunted me,

then I could have borne it; *

or had it been an enemy who vaunted himself against me,

then I could have hidden from him.

But it was you, a man after my own heart, *

my companion, my own familiar friend.

We took sweet counsel together, *

and walked with the throng in the house of God.
(Psalm 55:13-15)

Psalm 55 is eloquent as it speaks of betrayal by a trusted friend, an intimate, the last person one would expect to turn on one.

I think of neighbors who have lived side by side for decades, perhaps families who lived next door for centuries: Serbs, Croats, Bosnians--Muslims, Catholic, Orthodox. Then, when it suited the political purposes of some, the divisions were raised in the public consciousness and the ancient ties were forgotten. The calculating dug among the embers for age-old sparks of resentment and fanned them into blazes that consumed the populace. Suddenly the grocer who lives next door, the cobbler down the street, the woman who helped nurse your aunt through a sickness--these are mortal enemies. No one can be trusted. The person you thought you knew became a stranger; the friend of many years is now an enemy.



Or the Tutsi and Hutus in Rwanda who gave little thought to their differences until fear and suspicion raised their heads and the atmosphere went from cooperation to distrust. Before long it all turned to raging slaughter. And then having to live with the aftermath, a waking nightmare.

My companion stretched forth his hand against his comrade; *
he has broken his covenant.
His speech is softer than butter, *
but war is in his heart.
His words are smoother than oil, *
but they are drawn swords.
Cast your burden upon the LORD,
and he will sustain you; *
he will never let the righteous stumble.
(Psalm 55:21-24)

What has happened to the person you once worshiped with, ate with, babysat for, discussed football with, conducted business with, prayed and sang hymns with? The ones with whom you shared the Body and Blood of Christ for decades?

Now you find yourselves divided over your understanding of the Bible, your evaluation of other people's relationships, the (not again? not still?) issue of women clergy.

A few years ago you were working together in your parish food bank. Now you cannot sit comfortably in the same pew. Perhaps not even the same church.

What was the betrayal? And by whom?

Are we the same people we were ten years ago? (On many levels, of course not. And yet....)

Then, of course, there is the issue of those who fan the flames for their own purposes, their own ideological crusades, their own accumulation of power and importance.

These are the things that you shall do:
Speak the truth to one another,
render in your gates judgments that are true
and make for peace,
do not devise evil in your hearts against one another,
and love no false oath;
for all these are things that I hate, says the Lord.
(Zechariah 8:16-17)

Have you noticed how often these pithy summations deal with how we treat one another and not whether we are Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, gay or straight, young or old, rich or poor, red or brown or black or yellow or white, rural or urban, isolated or crushed in throngs, unlettered or educated, swift or slow, weak or strong? The Torah, prophets, writings, gospels, epistles, and even the apocalypse all have things to say about abusing each other (don't do it) and treating each other justly (always). While many laws and teachings begin applying to some and not others, there is a clear development toward universality. Not matter who we are or with whom we deal, we are to behave justly, honestly, and graciously. In so doing we recognize the image of God in the other and in ourselves.

When we lose sight of the image of God, then we become capable of incredible cruelty and evil.

I know I have a list of people I demonize on a regular basis. Folks who read here know most of my list too.

How can I look for, espy, and attend to the image of God in them? Perhaps by praying to see it, and for them to find it and live out of it too.

While we're at it, we all have accountability issues. Speaking of which, holding someone accountable upholds their dignity but attributing agency to them.

Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” (Matthew 25:44-45)

--the BB