Every now and then, the Daily Scan of the nation’s media, which we receive through the good offices of Neva Rae Fox, washes up a salutary story about good Episcopalians who have caught a writer’s eye simply by doing what they have always done. Yesterday’s scan brought two.
Following is the response by the
The Bible’s long history of development, reflecting many voices, and the fact that it’s usually read in translation invite our engagement with it not merely as passive recipients of a fixed meaning but as unique individuals bringing different points of view to bear.
“We see the walk that Jesus took to his crucifixion as a powerful symbol of the everyday suffering that we, as humans, experience on a daily basis.”
“The world is hungry for the light of Christ and aching to see the love of Christ in human flesh. . . . The anger of the society around us is a sign of that hunger, even when it is hidden and expressed in less than fully honest ways. . . .It can be painful and difficult work on the road to Calvary and carrying bodies to the tomb. But it is the way of Resurrection.”
I’m increasingly uneasy with our attachment to promise making and promise renewing – renewals of baptism covenant, renewals of ordination vows for clergy in Holy Week, anniversary renewals of wedding vows. The passion narratives in Holy Week and the Easter appearances of the Risen Jesus sharpen my worry. Each of the four Gospels tells catastrophic story of promise making and promise breaking.
At supper with his friends, Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.”