Gentle Jesus, Meek and MildThrough the MIRACLE of today's technology, I am able to present a reader's comment to this rather controversial meditation even BEFORE most of you have read it!
I love my congregation. True, in a certain human sense I wish we we greater in number, but I love my fellow faithful. As was expected, yesterday's Picture of God drew its fair share of response, centering around 2 main ideas: 1) that I lose my "effectiveness" thru such outrage, and 2) it puts people off when religions criticize others. Here is a lovely, well written example. I AM NOT including this to ridicule or make fun of the lovely person who wrote it....It's simply the most articulate letter I got on the subject. (Plus she says a lot of nice things about me(!))
Some comments of my own:
Dear reader, in all probability you have NO CONCEPT that the name YHWH is worth more than all those hypothetical bank accounts combined. But I do. I do.
As to righteous anger, I will not address the question. I will let my brother Jesus speak to the issue. The Holy Bible, New International Version
15 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travelover land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. 16 "Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, itmeans nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’ 19You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it. 23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give atenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. 25 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You cleanthe outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self- indulgence. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. 27 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You arelike whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. 29 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You buildtombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers! 33 "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemnedto hell? 34Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation. 37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent toyou, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. 38Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of YHWH.’" Hmmmmmmmm.....Sounds like he needs some anger management therapy.....maybe a support group or 12-Step program?
Me again. The only thing necessary for evil to win is for good people to do nothing. Stanley Kubrick's Clockwork Orange finishes with the lead character brutally beating and raping a woman, while the beautiful people stand around in their finery, watching, applauding and laughing. How prophetic he was.
I am one of the few humans of the earth today (I know there are others) who even cares. Where, dear community, is THE OUTRAGE? If we throw the Name out, why not the part about murder, or adultery, or stealing....... Oh. I see your point. Sorry I bothered you. |
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