September 13

There were at least two streams that were prominently featured in today’s readings (Psalm 27 & 52; Ezekiel 16:35-52; Luke 10:1-16; and Revelation 18:15-24). The first theme involved the promiscuous women of the prostitute featured in Ezekiel and the feminized image of Babylon in Revelation. Of course I struggle with this theme because of the way it equates sexual expression/infidelity with unfaithfulness (it’s no wonder individuals like St Augustine picked up this and ran with it in subsequent centuries). I also struggle with the use of the feminine to embody the sins of (or become a scapegoat for) their respective communities. Those subjects, however, would be enough to pursue in a separate blog of its own. Instead, I want to focus on a second theme that was woven through Ezekiel and Luke. The second theme had to do with the sins of Sodom. One of my biggest beefs as a pastor is how ignorant most folks are about the Bible. Through their lack of knowledge, they allow other readers of the Bible (who often approach the Bible with a very specific agenda in mind) to twist the scriptures and have their actions go unchallenged. For the last few decades, for instance, we have heard many use the story of Sodom and Gomorrah used as if it contained one – and only one – purpose: to condemn gay, lesbian, and bisexual people. And yet this morning’s reading from Ezekiel has another take on the sins of Sodom: “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me” (Ezekiel 16:49-50). Of course my own progressive tendencies want to immediately unpack the phrase "detestable things", but I'll fight those tendencies for now. Instead, I'll take my time and energy and imagine if religious extremists invested the same amount of energy using the story of Sodom to attack arrogance, or apathy, or a lack of commitment to the poor that they used to condemn gay, lesbian, bisexual, and Transgendered people. What a thought! My insight today is to hear God’s challenge to enter God’s story in its entirety – rather than to sit back and pick and choose those parts (or those conclusions) that jive with my personal agenda: in other words, to hear and acknowledge the fullness and the richness of the text. A richness and fullness that far exceeds anything I’m capable of fully grasping. Instead of arrogantly or haughtily resting in my conclusions (see the above mentioned sins of Sodom), my time of devotion today has renewed my call to continue on the journey. Til next time…