Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 27: Obadiah 15-21; Matthew 20:29-34; Ephesians 1:15-23; Psalm 127
Some folks read the words of the prophets and experience them solely in a moralistic way. This means that they understand the prophets to teach us that the good things in life are simply rewards from God for the righteous decisions we have made in our lives while the bad things in life are punishments from God for the poor decision we have made in our lives. Approaching the prophets’ words solely from this angle, however, contributed to the emergence of the question of theodicy – a question Rabbi Harold Kushner made famous through his book Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? That question got me to thinking about the prophets’ words in a new way several years ago – a way that incorporated the notion of natural consequences into the equation rather than just relying entirely on the traditional reward/punishment model. For instance, if you don’t exercise and eat a healthy diet – instead of thinking God smote the afflicted individual with either heart disease or cancer, I understood the subsequent health issues that developed to be the natural consequence of one’s lifestyle. This allowed me to be present (with myself or others) in difficult situations in a way in which God could be seen Friend, Ally, and Supporter instead of as solely the Enforcer that some had made God out to be. I was reminded of this when I read the words from the prophet Obadiah, which read: “As you have done, it will be done to you, your deeds will return upon your own head” (Obadiah 15b). As we approach the end of 2007 and many of us ponder what resolutions we might make for 2008, I invite you to explore your deeds and see what cycles or patterns you would like to break for the coming year. The good news is that these resolutions won’t just lead to a healthier life for you, they could lead to a healthier relationship with your Creator as well. Til next time…
Some folks read the words of the prophets and experience them solely in a moralistic way. This means that they understand the prophets to teach us that the good things in life are simply rewards from God for the righteous decisions we have made in our lives while the bad things in life are punishments from God for the poor decision we have made in our lives. Approaching the prophets’ words solely from this angle, however, contributed to the emergence of the question of theodicy – a question Rabbi Harold Kushner made famous through his book Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? That question got me to thinking about the prophets’ words in a new way several years ago – a way that incorporated the notion of natural consequences into the equation rather than just relying entirely on the traditional reward/punishment model. For instance, if you don’t exercise and eat a healthy diet – instead of thinking God smote the afflicted individual with either heart disease or cancer, I understood the subsequent health issues that developed to be the natural consequence of one’s lifestyle. This allowed me to be present (with myself or others) in difficult situations in a way in which God could be seen Friend, Ally, and Supporter instead of as solely the Enforcer that some had made God out to be. I was reminded of this when I read the words from the prophet Obadiah, which read: “As you have done, it will be done to you, your deeds will return upon your own head” (Obadiah 15b). As we approach the end of 2007 and many of us ponder what resolutions we might make for 2008, I invite you to explore your deeds and see what cycles or patterns you would like to break for the coming year. The good news is that these resolutions won’t just lead to a healthier life for you, they could lead to a healthier relationship with your Creator as well. Til next time…
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