Having Two Legs

Friday, March 10, 2006

Cash Hurt

It is difficult to listen to “Hurt” by Johnny Cash without feeling deep remorse. The lyrics fill Cash’s aged, haunting voice with a disgust for things in the past, and yet when heard through the pictures supplied in the music video, it is obvious that some sort of redemption or salvation is in view. The lyrics speak of pain, needles, killing, lying and hard memories. These are sung over images of a younger Cash running, riding trains, a room full of awards and trophies, ever returning to the central figure of Cash as an old man playing a guitar, sitting at a piano. Cash refers to all of his accomplishments as his “empire of dirt” that he would be willing to give up entirely if able to take back his mistakes. The video culminates with images of a crucifix, a Christ figure being nailed to a cross, ending with a brief clip of a cross and a dove flying to freedom. These images combined with the final words, promising a different sort of life indicate that Cash found some kind of final peace in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Thus, while the song is full of an overwhelming sense of regret, one is not left hopeless—only sober and repentant.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Tongues of Fire

When the family of Aeneas is contemplating what to do after the Greeks have overthrown the city of Troy, a great omen occurs when a flame appears over the head of Aeneas' son Iulus. The flame is a portent that indicates the necessity for Aeneas and his father to flee the city, leaving their home and all their belongings to be ransacked and burnt. This of course reminds us of the story of Pentecost in Acts 2. The ascended Messiah sends the Spirit of the Father upon his disciples while they are praying in the upper room. But not only is the omen the same, the meaning is the same: leave the city. When the apostles are filled with the Spirit they speak in the tongues of the nations of the world that are gathered together in Jerusalem, and this is only the begining of the grand exportation of the Kingdom to the world. Of course it all starts in Jerusalem, but by the end of Acts Paul is in Rome and the disciples have scattered to the four corners of the earth. And Jesus had warned His disciples of the signs to look for: "When you see the abomination of desolation... let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains..." The judgment of God is coming upon the Jewish nation for rejecting the Messiah. But the portent is not only for flight, it is also a sign of a promised new city. Aeneas flees Troy in search of a new Troy, a new home, an eternal city. Likewise Christians fled Jerusalem and the wrath that God had promised it, in search of a new city, a New Jerusalem, an eternal and heavenly city. Of course Aeneas only founded Rome, and the apostles were the founders of a far greater city, the City of God which far supasses all that Virgil may have dreamed of.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

A Temple Affair

I’ve been doing some studying of Song of Songs recently. Throughout the history of the church there have been many who held that the book was allegorical, depicting some embedded (no pun intended) love story between God and his people. Recognizing the prudishness and anti-sexual tendency of many Christians throughout the history of the church, this is hardly surprising. The text becomes a manual for de-sexing the world. “See? Breasts are just metaphors for the towers of the New Jerusalem descending out of heaven.” And thus our (my) general reaction is ‘bah’. Of course there are some eunuchs for the gospel, but the New Testament makes it clear that this is not the norm. But there’s the baby and the bath water bit. As we have been wont to argue elsewhere, there are many legitimate and complementary facets to any number of biblical texts. This book can be no exception. After reading and rereading the Song, I’m convinced that it is definitely a full on allegory and not just the Reformed Christian’s Kama Sutra. And here’s why:

It pretty much boils down to the vocabulary. First, consider the language of love being employed, “Your eyes are like doves”, “His legs are pillars of marble”, “You are as beautiful as Tirzah, lovely as Jerusalem, awesome as an army with banners”, “your navel is a rounded goblet”, (and one of my favorites) “your nose is like the tower of Lebanon which looks toward Damascus.” Everyone reads these metaphors and cringes. Or perhaps at best looks confused. No woman wants to be told that her neck is a tower built like an armory which could hang, say, a thousand shields. But then we wave our hands and say, ‘well, that’s Hebrew for you… different cultures you know…” But the fact of the matter is that while there pockets of idiomatic expressions and constructions throughout the Hebrew Bible, it should be odd to us to relegate an entire book to such a category (especially in the name of ‘poetry’).

Next, notice the preoccupation with the trees (wood), buildings (towers, walls), and Lebanon. What’s with Lebanon? “Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon.” (There was an echo in the room it seems.) “… and the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.” And describing the spices of the garden of his lover, he describes it as a “fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.” Notice also all the trees and wood: “The beams of our houses are cedar and our rafters of fir.” “Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my beloved…” “Of the wood of Lebanon (!) Solomon the King made himself a palanquin.” “All the trees of frankincense…” “His countenance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.” “I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of its branches…” And I’ve already pointed out a few of the architectural metaphors: towers, high walls, battlements, armories, pillars, etc.

The allegory is of Yahweh’s love affair with Israel in and through the temple. The temple is the marriage bed of this couple. This is why the lover can speak of herself as a “garden enclosed”; Israel is to see herself personified in the temple. There the Lord comes and dwells intimately with his bride. All of the garden imagery of course hearkens back to Eden where intimacy with God was lost. The temple then, is a glorification of the Garden, the communion of God and man. But all of the references to Lebanon can’t be confused with anything else. The temple was constructed with the cedars of Lebanon. Furthermore, throughout the narrative, pomegranates and lilies are spoken of. Of course pomegranates adorn the tops of the pillars outside the temple and lilies are scattered throughout as well. The great bronze sea poured out through the chariots that lined the temple walls (at least symbolically). These are the ‘fountain gardens’ spoken of. Notice also the references to “veils” –reminding us of the curtain separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. Consider even the priestly connotations of taking off a robe, washing one’s feet, being purified. The spices and incense that fill the temple are the perfumes of the lovers as they unite. There are references to eating, banqueting tables, drinking wine, and even the fire of the Lord (8:6). Anyone familiar with Old Testament sacrificial literature would recognize the explicit references to sacrifice and offerings being made, again, communion with the God of Israel.

But of course even granting this spectacular allegory, the covenant love of God for his people immersed in the intrigues of sexual attraction, pursuit and consummation does not do away with any of the practical ramifications for Christian lovers today. St. Paul’s command was for husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the Church. And by analogy, surely we can apply this to the Old Covenant as well: Husbands, love your wives as Yahweh loved his bride, Israel. If Hebrews teaches us anything, it’s not that the New Testament lowers the bar and lessons the expectations. Just the opposite: if the Song was an allegory of the Old Covenant, the immature sex of newly weds, then the New Covenant’s picture of covenant love is far more robust, far more enthusiastic, and far more fulfilling. And if God has so loved His Church, how much more so ought Christians to be known for their passionate love of their spouses.

Monday, March 06, 2006

New Site

Of course hardly being able to keep up with anything here, it may seem rather presumptuous to start a new blog. But hey, this is for the children. Vote yes for kids.

Atlas School now has a blog. Over the coming months the idea would be to use this for posting students' work, announcements for families, assignments, and whatever else may be helpful as Atlas seeks to build a learning community here in Moscow.

Saturday, January 28, 2006

Oedipus Obscurus

The universe of Oedipus is a riddle, a blind old prophet taunting him with his empty eyes. He cannot escape the fates; destiny pulls him under like a tsunami undertow, all his struggles are in vain. Is Oedipus’s fate the result of a conspiracy? Hardly. Chance consults with no advisors. Destiny keeps no council.

According to the utterance of the faceless oracle, Oedipus is promised a future of pain and suffering: after murdering his own father, he will marry his mother and bring disaster to his entire house. But of course, the very attempts to avoid destiny are the steps leading directly into it. Oedipus flees with his eyes open into the darkness that Tereisias sees with the light of no day. And thus as Oedipus comes to ‘see’ the truth that he has already fulfilled the prophecy, his body fills with darkness, and in anger and remorse he blinds himself, joining Tereisias in the ‘light’ of hopeless knowledge, calloused and hardened.

The answer to the riddle of the Sphinx was both the salvation and the destruction of Thebes. While freeing the city from the tyranny of the Sphinx, it simultaneously delivered Oedipus up to his fate. As a result of the acclaim he receives through delivering the city, Oedipus is offered the kingdom and the hand of Queen Jocasta (his mother) in marriage. The riddle is famous: What crawls on four legs in the morning, two at midday, and three in the evening? The answer in general is man, but in the story of Oedipus, it is Oedipus himself. Oedipus is the child flung to a mountainside by his parents seeking to brace themselves against the words of the oracle. Oedipus is the king who stands on two legs at midday ruling the people of Thebes, and it is Oedipus who struggles, leaning on a staff, blind and weary through deserted places waiting for death in the twilight of his life. Oedipus’s life is the riddle of the sphinx. Life is a riddle, a blind riddle, one damn thing after another pulling him under.

To this the Christian gospel proclaims salvation. And in particular we proclaim the gospel of answers. This is not to say that the Christian faith claims to have all the answers: Far from it. Nevertheless we do claim that we serve the One who does. And we serve a God that listens to His people, a God that answers the prayers of His people. We do not serve faceless chance or blind fate; we serve the Triune God who is a community of persons. He, in a mystery far beyond our reckoning, has decreed the end from the beginning, every last detail through the spinning galaxies of time and space, and if that were not enough, He has invited us into the story and invited us to take part in the telling of the story. The Christian faith declares that in Jesus Christ, men, women and children are invited into the presence of the God who created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. We are not only invited into that presence, we are invited into that presence in order to speak. Our words, our hopes, dreams, and goals, our thoughts and opinions are asked of us. Wonder of all wonders, the Triune God cares what we might think or want.

Oedipus struggles against a blind force, but the Christian gospel tells the story of an exhaustively sovereign God who invites His people into His councils. He delights to hear us, and He listens to us. God declares the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and Abraham speaks and God amends His intentions. God declares the destruction of Israel, and Moses intercedes for them and God relents from the woe He had promised. God promises the destruction of Ninevah, and when the city repents in sackcloth and ashes, God relents, even in the face of Jonah’s protestations. And at the climax of all human history God poured out his eternal wrath against sin, the horrible justice due to our filthy deeds. But Jesus the Messiah stood in our place, and God relented.

God may say no; He may say yes, but the point is that we serve a personal God, a God we can actually appeal to, a God who answers. Fate speaks, destiny beckons and all of the scrapings of Oedipus are like sand in the wind. But YHVH speaks, YHVH beckons and the prayer of the righteous man avails much.

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Sermon Outline: 1 Kings 16:29-17:24

Introduction
The season of Epiphany is a season that emphasizes the anointing of Jesus for ministry at His baptism and this blessing of Christ going out to the gentiles. We have much to recover culturally in these areas, but we must at least begin by studying these patterns throughout Scripture and seeking to apply them in thoughtful ways.

The Sidonian Princess
The story begins with a Sidonian woman, a princess whom Ahab marries. This Jezebel, whose name may mean “great woe” or perhaps “coastal honors”, brings Baal with her. (Jezebel’s name is related to the same root for the name Zebulun, which has associations with the coast and sea, e.g. Gen. 49:13). Ahab has no scruples about competing with Jeroboam for the infamy of worst Israelite king, and sets about building a temple and an altar to this foreign storm god. He also built the ‘asherah’ and gained the distinction of “doing more to provoke YHVH God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.” (16:33) All of these things are indications of a reversal of the conquest. Pagans are being invited in (and married no less), temples to idols are being built, and altars are being erected to worship them. However, in case it was not clear enough, the text relates that it was during these days that Jericho was rebuilt, built on the blood of sons as Joshua had declared (16:34).

The Sojourner
Elijah’s appearance cannot be considered unrelated to the preceding material. YHVH’s anger has been aroused, and His response is in the person of Elijah. Elijah appears out of nowhere, and this is fitting as his title is “Tishbite” which appears to be a bit of a mystery in itself. The word is closely related to the word that follows it which could be translated “inhabitant” or “sojourner.” It’s possible that his title could be better rendered, “the Sojourner.” This is exactly what Elijah ends up doing throughout his ministry, and of course that’s why he shows up in Samaria quite unannounced. Elijah gives the decree of YHVH swearing by YHVH’s life (17:1). Following this, the Lord directs Elijah to the Brook Cherith. The name of this stream cannot be insignificant, as its root is the same for the word “cut” and a near relative of the word is “divorcement.” YHVH has declared a drought, displaying the status of Israel’s marriage covenant with Him, and Elijah is enacting divorce proceedings. The word “cut” is also the same verb that is used to make a covenant. When covenants are made, they are “cut”, and Elijah’s existence, drinking from the “Cut River” and being fed bread and meat in the morning and evening remind us of Israel in the wilderness, where God cut His covenant with them and fed them with manna and quail (Ex. 16:6ff). Thus Elijah is continuing the reversal of the Conquest.

The Brook and the Widow
When the brook dries up (remember the Red Sea), YHVH sends him to Zarephath a city in Sidon. It is believed that Zarephath is also a coastal city just south of Sidon. Now Ahab has brought a Sidonian woman into Israel, and YHVH is sending Elijah out of Israel to a Sidonian widow. There are a number of parallels and contrasts here. The woman is gathering sticks (two to be precise) in order to (presumably) build a fire and cook a bread cake with the last of their flour and oil. The circumstances are so desperate that she is resigned that she and her son will die after this (17:12). Jezebel and Ahab are building temples and altars where they offer food to Baal, and the Sidonian widow is building a fire where they can make their last meal. Of course Elijah declares that the flour and oil will not be used up, and they and their household eat for many days. But later the widow’s son becomes sick to the point that his “breath/spirit was not remaining in him.” In Samaria, the wickedness is so great that men are building cities in the blood of their sons (16:34), and here the son of the Sidonian widow dies and she immediately considers her sins (17:18). But the connection is even tighter than that. The widow is called a “widow” or “the woman” throughout the narrative except for verse 17 where she is referred to as the “mistress of the house,” but the word in Hebrew is “baalah” that is, the feminine form of “Baal” which literally means “husband” or “master.” The princess of Sidon has brought Baal to Samaria, and the nation is being built on dead sons. Now here in Zarephath, the Sidonian widow is a Baal in her own house and her son is dead.

A Son is Raised
Elijah takes the boy up to his “upper chamber” and after laying on top of him three times, God sends the boy’s spirit back “into the midst of him.” (17:21-22) It’s difficult to consider this story apart from what follows in the next chapter where Elijah challenges Baal to a duel on Mt. Carmel, and there a great reformation begins in Samaria. Elijah raises the Sidonian son in much the same way that the Israelite son needs resurrection. Just as Elijah raises the Sidonian Son in the ‘upper room’ so Elijah in the next chapter will raise the Israelite Son on Mt. Carmel. And of course the son in Israel is Israel. This was YHVH’s plea to Pharaoh when His people were in Egypt. Israel is God’s son, His first born son (Ex. 4:22-23). But this son, Israel, is dead and needs to be raised; it has starved and died of dehydration. But even after Mt. Carmel we know that exile still awaits Israel. The spirit has left the boy. Elijah signifies the Spirit, where Elijah goes, there goes the Spirit of YHVH. The Spirit of God has left His Son, Israel. There is no Spirit left in Him.

Conclusion
In Luke 4, when His own first begin their rejection of Him, Christ cited this very story as evidence of Israel’s death. “But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon to a woman who was a widow” (Lk. 4:25-26). Some seven hundred years later, Christ comes to Nazareth and sits down in a synagogue and reads: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to declare the good news… Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus claims that the Spirit is upon Him. And if the Spirit is upon Jesus, then the Spirit has returned to the midst of Israel. The breath has returned the son. And if the breath has returned to the son, the son will live again. How is this possible? Because YHVH gives His own life for the life of His people.

In this season of Epiphany we do well to consider these things: In the baptism of Jesus, the Spirit descended upon Him. The breath has returned to Israel in Jesus Christ, and after He rose again and ascended into heaven, He sent that Spirit down upon His Church, the new Israel, His Well Beloved Son. We are the Well Beloved Son because we are in the Well Beloved Son. And as Elijah brought life and salvation to the Sidonian Widow, so the gospel is good news: to the Jew first and then the Gentile and to the ends of the earth. This is nothing short of the overwhelming kindness and grace of God.

In a few minutes God will continue to pour out His kindness upon you by feeding you at His table. If the lesson of 1 Kings teaches us anything, it teaches us to follow the food. Food goes with Elijah, because the Spirit is with Elijah. And therefore since you come here to His table week after week, His Spirit is with you. Follow the food. Epiphany means manifestation. And in Christ Jesus, you are the manifestation of God because His Spirit is in you, therefore come and eat in faith and then go and give life as you have been given.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen!

Saturday, January 14, 2006

Out of the mouth of Atlas Students

So there we were, minding our own business, reading some Greek. We were reading the first chapter of the gospel of John. We read and translate around the room, taking turns and whatnot, and then we came to verse 29. A very well known verse, where John announces the arrival of Christ at the Jordan River. The student (who shall remain nameless) read and translated until he got to the phrase "Behold! the Lamb of _______" and for whatever reason, completely blanked on the next word which is not only well known in English, but frankly, the Greek is one of the most common words ever. Anyway, as a hint I suggested that our word 'theology' came from the same Greek root. The lights burned bright in his eyes and he smiled knowingly, restating the verse for the record: "Behold! the Lamb of Theology, who takes away the sins of the world!"

And while we laughed at the mix up, I wondered how many people have lived and studied as though what this boy said was actually true.

Number Two

I saw a picture of my second descendent on Thursday. This child is actually quite small, a mere 2 inches at this point. But I am nevertheless quite pleased with the progress so far. It was quite clear that this child has two arms and two legs, a head, a body and a vigorously beating heart. How could I not be proud?

We're excited, elated and simply thankful for another chance at making a person. Of course Jenny is doing most of the hard work right now, but I'm playing support and all that good stuff. Thanks for your prayers; number two should be here around the end of July.

Monday, January 09, 2006

When YHWH doesn't Sabbath

Just a little tid bit: In Ruth 4, when the women of the city bless Naomi they bless Yahweh "who has not left you this day without a close relative..." (v. 14, NKJV) The Hebrew actually says something like "who did not rest for you a redeemer." And even though that's kind of clunky sounding, the point could be made by saying "who did not rest in finding/providing you with a redeemer." The word is SHABAT which is verb for sabbath. The women of the city bless the Lord for not taking a sabbath when Naomi was in need. Yahweh is the God who gives sabbath, but He does not rest until the work is really done.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Thoughts on Education: Magic Words

In the beginning God spoke. Creation teaches us that God used words to make the universe, and with terrifying power, His words became the universe. Perhaps this is what is meant by the writer of Hebrews: the Son made the worlds and upholds “all things by the word of His power.”

Others, far more adept than I, have made the point, but some recent reading has sparked my imagination again: Words are magic. They are not magic by some autonomous, independent existence. They are magic because language was given to us by God, and they accomplish His vast and inscrutable ends which usually include far more than we ever intend. Consider the words of the gospel which when declared are able to make the hardest heart soft. Consider words of promise that are able to enact peace, words of institution that consecrate bread and wine, words of blessing that empower a people, words with water that incorporate an infant into Christ, words of pardon that release sinners from their faults. The stories of these sorts of words and language events testify of the power of God in language. And thus I affirm: words are magic, magic because God does with words more than seems possible.

There are many directions to go with this, but I would only suggest two. First, language is not insufficient for communication. It is not in se crass or crude. It is not an invention of God’s that is in any way demeaning or humiliating to Him. It is not as though God lives in a world of ‘pure thought and ideas’. God, from all eternity spoke the Son. The Son is from all eternity the Word of the Father begotten through the power of the Spirit. God speaks a Word from all eternity. This means that our language, our speech, our words are fundamentally sufficient and capable of true and lively communication.

Another way of saying this is that true communion does not take place with the least amount of matter possible. It is not as though the finest form of communication would be by some inter-cerebral-spiritual harmonizing of pure ideas. That ‘ideal’ simply doesn’t exist. Our bodies are not the prisons of our mind. Our affections and words are not the inhibitors of true knowledge and communication. Our bodies and words were given to us so that we can know, so that we can communicate. ‘A meeting of the minds’ occurs every time two or more people interact (and I mean this in its broadest sense). And interaction always occurs with words, symbols, art, shadows, touch, smell, sound, taste, etc. There is no such thing as a ‘pure idea’. Ideas have sounds and shapes and can often be photographed.

Secondly, words are heavy. Because they are God given and are images of the Son, the Word of the Father, they represent us, our histories, our futures, our loves, hates, thoughts, dreams, and conversations, in an analogous fashion as the Son is the perfect representation of the Father. Like pieces of clay passed from hand to hand, words meld and form through stories, poems and events. Words have physicality: not only do they take part of us with them, they also impact those they address. This is why St. James says that the unbridled tongue is a fire and a world of iniquity, and is so set among our members that it can defile the whole body and set on fire the course of nature. Of course it can become a temptation to make too much of human words, and thus we must remember that God’s Word is the heaviest. It has the most impact; it brings worlds into existence from nothing. But our words image His, and so we do well to guard our tongues and use them for blessing.

There are many applications of this, but one of my concerns is in the area of education. Education necessarily includes communication and a significant part of communication is with words. Because of the weight of words, because of the magical and transcendent quality of language, it is absolutely necessary that a teacher have faith. This faith informs not only our trust that our word will accomplish praiseworthy ends, but it also comforts any fears that we have started fires with our tongues in ways that we may or may not have intended. But faith has to rest in the fact that God has given us words to speak, sing and listen to, and we cannot shy away because we are afraid of the possible misuse of them.

But teachers also need to recognize how little is in their control. We must study to know our material well. We must be diligent to consider the best ways to present and incite the interests and attentions of our pupils. But the fact must always remain before us that far more is taking place in a classroom than a simple conscious presentation of information. The sunlight pouring into the classroom windows, the artwork on the walls, the tone of the instructor’s voice, the smell of the carpets, the wooden chairs and desks, and everything else and their histories intersect, interpenetrating in moments (some conscious but probably mostly unconscious) and all of it mingling to create the experience, all of it bending together to form what we know.

The sheer magnitude is overwhelming, but to the faithful, it should create a deep humility, joy and diligence. The humility comes from realizing that our pontificating (however organized and well researched) is a tiny fraction of what is actually being accomplished. While God is pleased to do much with words, the classroom is a dance of sentences, smells and sentiments (not to mention the fact that we are sinners and all of the hurdles that entails). The joy builds on this humility. Recognizing the teacher’s microscopic existence in the panoply of the classroom experience makes us thankful that we are even heard at all. Again, it’s the magic of words for the teacher to be heard of over the commotion of windows, chairs, hunger, fatigue, boredom, pencils and the pictures whirling around the room. Finally, I want to emphasize that a classroom where these things are accepted does not mean a chaotic classroom, an apathetic teacher, or lazy students. Recognizing the infinite in the finite, is always recognizing grace pouring through our nature. Seeing the impossible and far more than we think or imagine being accomplished before our very eyes reminds us that the Holy Spirit is ever active, making harmony of our dissonance, making sense of our noises, shapes and colors. And if it’s the Spirit of the Triune God active and present in the details of our classroom, then our utmost diligence, highest expectations and hardest work is the least we can do in return for the gift of Magic Words.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Tree Gallows

Haman, undone by Mordecai's refusal to pay him homage, follows the counsel of his friends and wife to build gallows for the Jew. The word in Hebrew for gallows is "tree"; Haman builds a tree to hang Mordecai on. Of course the story reverses the plot, exalting Mordecai to Haman's position and Haman gets hung on the tree he built for Mordecai.

Christ was crucified on a tree according to Peter, and for all we know, it may have even resembled the sort of gallows Haman had built. And all of this is part of the rich symbolic menagerie that surrounds our celebration of Christmas. A tree in one's living room conjures all of the biblical lore, millenia of providence and faith. From the garden trees in Eden to the trees that were built into arks and temples, from the gallows of Haman to the staff of Moses and the rods of Aaron and Jesse, we invoke the same Spirit into our homes as we celebrate the birth of the King of all the earth. The same Spirit that parted the roaring waves of a sea with a length of ordinary wood in the hand of a man, engrafts us into the tree that is Christ. And we form the tree of life that is for the healing of the nations, whose leaves do not whither, that produces its fruit in season.

So deck the halls with bows of holly; string a million lights around that gallow-tree and put a star on top to guide the wisemen from the east. Christ is born in Bethlehem; Christ is born to die. Christ is our ark, our rod, our gallows. Christ is Mordecai on Haman's tree.

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

QADESH

Another connection to the 'qadesh' of the previous post is in 1 Samuel 2 where the sons of Eli are laying with the women who come to the tabernacle to (presumably) worship. The sons of Eli are called 'sons of Belial' which is exactly what the men of Gibeah are called in Judges 19. 'Scoundrels' is probably a good translation but there seems to be a fairly recurrent theme of sexual perversion and in this case some sort of ritual prostitution.

Visitors in an Evil City

There are a number of archtypal narrative "sets" throughout Scripture. The woman at the well and a man looking for a bride and the pharaoh/exodus motif are probably some of the most prominent. Perhaps Judges 19 and Genesis 19 are pieces of another narrative set which culminates in the birth of Christ. Both of these stories have foreigners visiting an evil city. They are taken in to be protected from the wickedness of the city. Sodomites come out demanding that they be given the guests for sport. Substitutes are offered, daughters or beloved concubines, and in the end someone close to the family dies and judgment falls on the city.

In the birth of Christ, Mary and Joseph are of course the travelers, ending up in Bethlehem as a result of a census. While there is no room in the inn, there is wickedness in the city in the person of Herod who is willing to go to great lengths to secure his reign, even butchering a number of baby boys. Men do hear about the visitors and seek them out, but they are not sodomites, they're gentile wisemen and shepherds. And they bring gifts and worship the baby. The baby boys of Bethlehem are the substitutes; they are Israel, the beloved daughter and concubine of God. The Christ child is spared only to rise up and bring judgment on Israel for her wickedness, eventually destroying the wicked city which has become even more depraved than Sodom and Gomorrah.

Just as a side note: while the word does not show up in either Judges 19 or Genesis 19, the Hebrew word for "sodomite" is 'qadesh' which literally means 'holy one'. Sodomy was ritually practiced in many ancient religions; thus to visit a harlot ('qadeshah') or a male temple prostitute ('qadesh') was not only a sexual perversion it was also an idolotrous act, an act of false worship. Which is an interesting back drop to the fact that Herod, hearing about the birth of King Jesus, tells the wisemen to tell him where the baby is so that he can go worship him also. This Herod while perhaps not a literal sodomite, wants to offer a pagan kind of worship; he wants to "un-man" the Son of Man.

A City Without Walls

Zechariah 2 is a glorious advent reading, promising the coming of Yahweh to His people. It's hard to miss the international flavor of the prophecy. It's not merely that Yahweh is returning to renew His people, but the renewal is going to turn Israel inside out. Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls because it will be bursting at the seems with people and animals. Many nations will be joined to Yahweh in that day. And He will dwell in their midst, and that's how you'll know that Yahweh of Armies sent Zecheriah to Israel. This new Jerusalem has burst wide open spilling out into every nation, making the ends of the earth the plunder of our King and spoil for his servants.

Friday, December 09, 2005

John Calvin

Marilynne Robinson points out in her introduction to The Death of Adam that John Calvin is regularly condemned, harangued and set forth as 'religion gone wrong' in many a university classrom, and yet it is simultaneously the unwritten assumption that it is highly suspect to actually read his writing. He is often labeled as tyrannical, seeking to build some narrow minded theocratic empire in Geneva. He is accused of sectarianism and has been made the poster boy of Salem-Witch-Trial-Puritanism, burning the heretic Servetus at the stake an all that. But Robinson makes several helpful points particularly on the bit about Servetus: "One man is one man too many, of course, but the standards of the time, and considering Calvin's embattled situation, the fact that he has only Servetus to answer for is evidence of astonishing restraint... Geneva in the time of Calvin had in fact reformed its laws so that religious infractions could not receive a penalty harsher than banishment. Servetus came there perhaps for this reason, having escaped imprisonment by the Inquisition in Vienna... Then the Genevans brok their own law by trying and burning him. Disheartening as that fact is, it nevertheless indicates that Calvinist Geneva was eschewing a practice which was, and for centuries had been, commonplace all over Europe--as Geneva was well aware since their coreligionists elsewhere were chief among those being burned."

Pacifism

I need to read more of Stanely Hauerwas, but he commonly refers to himself as a "pacifist". At least one sermon of his indicates that he would apply this even as far as the repudiation of self-defence or defence of a loved one. Christ's words in the Sermon on the Mount and other passages which deny the supremacy of the family (e.g. the necessity of hating one's father, mother, etc. in order to inherit the Kingdom) Hauerwas takes (it appears) in an absolute, unilateral sense, apparently insisting that Christ's words override the Old Testament allowence of self defence (Ex. 22:2). However I don't know what he would say about capital punishment, just war theory, etc.

Jim Jordan points out in "Pacifism and the Old Testament" (Occasional Paper 6) that a just war is merely an extension of the doctrine of Hell. He says, "The Christian doctrine of war is surely an offense, but is only an extension of the doctrine of eternal judgment, which is also an offense... Christ is the Prince of Peace, true enough; but not for all men, only for His own sheep." Of course this doesn't really answer Hauerwas directly, but perhaps it's a start.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Worth Doing Well

That late, great Anonymous once said, "If something's worth doing, it's worth doing badly." But as with many things, we must say yes and no. Applying this to education in particular, one of the great concerns I and others have with the Classical Christian School movement (I speak as one from within the movement) is the possibility that we are inoculating our students to literature, history and classical languages. In other words, many classical Christian schools seem to have the, "if one's good, two is better" mentality when it comes to classical studies. Of course sometimes this is true. God apparently liked a number of things to come in pairs, if one arm was good, two was certainly better. And other things like fingers and hair certainly came packaged in greater quantities. But two heads is not better than one. And so it is with classical education. If Latin is good, perhaps Latin, Greek and Hebrew is better. Perhaps if 200 pages is good, 2000 is better, but not necessarily.

And for this reason, I would want to argue that in an important sense, especially when children are young, less is more. If education is worth doing, and it is, it is worth doing well. And in some areas, it would be far better to let things go, if it would mean doing them badly if we tried. It is far more important teach our students love for truth than for them to know the entire history of Rome. It is more important for our students to love beauty than for to know the history of Western Art from the Minoans to the present. It is far more important for our students to love the goodness of God than to remember who came first Odysseus or Othniel. They will not remember all the details of the Odyssey from when they were 10 or 11, but they will remember how it felt. Do their eyes light up and their imaginations wander, or do they roll their eyes and wish they were still at home playing Halo 2? My fear is that many schools are turning the greatest books and the classical languages into vaccinations. Are we igniting flames of imagination and excitement and wonder? Or are we ensuring that they never need another drop of Latin, thank you very much.

I am more and more convinced that how we interact actually creates the what. The method creates the content. When students are introduced to the world of history and literature, we should want them asking for more. It should be like so many evenings I remember when I was young, when Dad would come to the end of another chapter, and we would all beg for him not to stop. That kind of joy and anticipation is true Christian Education.

Douglas Wilson spoke this morning in Greyfriars Hall about the need for evangelists to have a deep awareness of the sovereignty of God. And I think the same is true for teachers and educators. This is not to say that it doesn’t matter what we do ‘cause, heck, God’ll fix whatever messes we make. Sure, God will do that too, but more importantly, we can be free to love our studies, love our students, and encourage them in their pursuits, not over anxious for their souls, not finicky about whether they ‘got it all’. Because, of course, they didn’t get it all and they won’t here and now. But God is faithful, He’ll make sure they do eventually.

And this is why less is more. If a class can handle 200 pages, a great teacher will assign 150. If students could enjoy a forty minute lecture, a great teacher will lecture for 30. The greatest teachers are not only concerned to impart wisdom; they are also concerned to impart the desire for wisdom. And thus, less is more: if we can give our students just a taste of the glorious story of history, just a glimpse into the beauties of Scripture, just a line of some silly song in Latin it is possible that they will come begging for more, hungry to learn, hungry for wisdom.

Staying Put

Once again the Daily News, that bastion of fundamentalism, has made a declaration regarding the future of Atlas School. I've come to enjoy the Daily News as a sort of extended comics section in general, although I must say they are improving in some areas here and there.

However, late last week, perhaps Friday, a front page story was run on the outcome of the Board of Adjustments hearing. The headline ran something like: "Atlas to leave downtown Moscow." With a number of qualifications that statement might be true. But as far as journalism is concerned it's like announcing that NSA is a worthless education or that peas and carrots are gross. As Jeff Bridges once said, "that's just like your opinion, man." And opinions are generally relegated to the 'Opinion' page.

But the fact of the matter is that Atlas School has no current plans to leave downtown Moscow. The law allows for due process, appeals and other judicial forms of discussion, and we’re still pursuing those rabbit trails.

The Board of Adjustments did reject our appeal of the zoning administrator's decision to 'enforce the code against Atlas School'. In a 3-2 vote it was their determination that Atlas School was a "school" and as such was excluded from the downtown because the word "school" does not appear in the Central Business District zoning guidelines, even though it does specify that "similar institutions" are allowed. And one would think that "churches, synagogues, commercial schools" would be "similar" to "schools." One brave man, who incidentally was accused of being affiliated with Christ Church (he wasn’t), argued in our favor that "schools" could be considered "similar institutions" because after all, "similar institutions" are nowhere defined in the holy writ as excluding schools. That man can follow an argument. But, as the courageous gentleman found out, diversity and open mindedness are code words for getting rid of anyone remotely related to the aforementioned institution.

Monday, November 14, 2005

Books

I dropped the side bar of books a while back because I could never keep up with it. But here are a few of the current books on my plate: C. Stephen Jaeger, The Envy of Angels. Jaeger teaches around the corner at the University of Washington. This is a fascinating study of the cathedral schools that existed around 950-1100 A.D. Jaeger's thesis revolves around the concept of 'charismatic education', an educational experience based upon the personality and personal interaction with instructors. Stanely Hauerwas, The Hauerwas Reader. Hauerwas is a professor of ethics at Duke Divinity School. I started with Unleashing Scripture, an essay followed by a series of sermons on the subject of the Word of God and its rightful place within the community of the Christian Church. I've really enjoyed Hauerwas so far. Just one quote: "Any religion that doesn't tell you what to do with your pots and pans and genitals can't be interesting." (Actually that's Chuck Primus, an instructor from Notre Dame, but quoted by Hauerwas and thoroughly in keeping with his rhetoric.) John Millbank, et al, Radical Orthodoxy. Millbank was Peter Leithart's advisor at Cambridge. I haven't gotten any further than the introduction, but I'm curious and look forward to more.

The Odyssey

Some of the most interesting elements of the story are the illusions and shadows that remind, mimic, and misrepresent various aspects of the Gospel. But before delving into some of those, it may be necessary to give an admittedly short defense of what follows. First, the epic poem is obviously the product of a pre-Christian paganism, and thus must be properly analyzed and appreciated from that context. However, pre-Christian or not, the world is inescapably the handiwork and symphony of the Triune God. Being a creature in the created world means confrontation with our Creator. Homer no less than any individual in the history of the human race came face to face with his Maker and either bowed his neck with thanksgiving or scorned the Truth with ingratitude. Further, it may be maintained by some that is simply unreasonable to cast a Christian shadow over the myth to see what fits. However, it must be asserted that the mysteries of redemption have not been confined to Old Covenant signs, shadows, and prophecies. In fact, the entire cosmos has been groaning and continues to groan in expectation for the redemption of the world (Rom. 8:21-22).

This said, The Odyssey is a ‘nostos’ or a return. The king has done battle with the enemy and is trying to get home to his wife, son, and kingdom. He is accompanied by a number of men who prove to be for the most part, bumbling fools. Here begin some interesting comparisons: Jesus is accompanied by disciples during his ministry, who often have a knack for putting their feet in their mouths, disobeying their master, and lacking faith in their master. Odysseus’ men are no better. From the Lotus Eaters to Circe’s island, his men disobey their master and wander into trouble at a terrific rate. Odysseus’ lifestyle of feasting and storytelling is another interesting comparison, particularly with the theme of hospitality so prominent throughout the story. Odysseus is given good food and rest by some hosts, and others seek to make him their meal (ie. the Cyclopes). Jesus is recorded throughout the gospels as being at meals and feasts, and many of the arguments and discussions that He takes part in are centered around the propriety of His eating habits. The Pharisees despise Jesus for eating with sinners, and some go so far as to invite Jesus to banquets in order to mock him (Lk. 7:36-50). Ultimately Jesus institutes a simple feast, the Eucharist, which will culminate at the resurrection in the great Wedding Feast of the Lamb. At the same time, the suitors are in Ithaca eating Odysseus and Penelope out of their house and kingdom. The men of the kingdom who should be guarding the Queen intrude upon the royal house and take advantage of the vacant throne, seeking to make Penelope their wife. Odysseus’ return has interesting aspects as well. He returns to his own and his own do not recognize him. He comes disguised by the gods. He spends the early part of his return seeking out those who have been loyal and labeling those who have betrayed him and done harm to his household. Even as Jesus who is the promised Messiah is not recognized by many of his own household. It also seems significant that Odysseus is disguised as a beggar. He has been humbled for a season in order to bring justice to his kingdom. As did Jesus. It is only a few of the oldest members of Odysseus’ house who recognize him. Likewise, it’s Simeon, Ana the prophetess, and other faithful Israelites who recognize Jesus for who he is. The actual unveiling of Odysseus can be seen from a number of different angles, but here are a couple. The clearing of his house is a miniature of Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple. The actual clearing of the house is spoken of by Odysseus as a feast, and after the suitors have met their fates, Odysseus commands the servants to make like there’s a wedding feast taking place. This can be taken several ways of course, but in an important sense, Odysseus has returned to his bride and the whole event is a wedding renewal. These themes can compare with Jesus first coming, but there is much that might also sound like His second. Finally, Odysseus, like Jesus, is recognized by his people by scars. In the end, Odysseus also returns to his father and sets the kingdom at peace. And in these events, there are hints of the ascension and rule of Jesus at the Father’s right hand.

There are also a number of contrasts that can and should be made. Obviously, Odysseus lacks many of the necessary characteristics to what we might call Holiness. The Greek idea of a faithful husband obviously falls short of Christian standards. Nor can Odysseus be seen as the mediator between God and men: his justice is limited to a small portion of Greece (though it might be argued that his struggle to return is in some senses cosmic). And ultimately the justice that Odysseus brings falls short if only in so far as Odysseus does not give up his life for his loved ones. Death is not conquered by Odysseus, even though the story does center on his “descent” into Hades.

How might these observations be helpful? One of the most important reasons is for showing how the gospel story is inescapable, and how ultimately the story of Jesus is the only true one. Drawing these correlations can be helpful for teaching both the details and themes of the true gospel as well as showing the weaknesses and lies in the ‘gospel’ of ancient Greece. We ought to ask questions about how these themes work themselves out in the story and their cultures. What was the Greek view of marriage? Of masculinity and femininity? What is justice? What is hospitality? What is love or nobility? These questions are some of the most important questions in life and are answered very differently depending upon whether our savior is the Lord Jesus or a mere man like Odysseus.

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