From Isolation to Solitude
"If the soul is vigilant and withdraws from all distraction and abandons its own will, then the spirit of God invades it and it can conceive because it is free to do so"
--Abba Cronius, The Sayings of the Desert Fathers
Lent is a time when I used to respond to the call to give something up for 40 days. But as life got harder and loss piled upon loss, I began to resent being told that I had to give up something else for Lent.
The Rev. Anne Robertson writes, “The focus of this study series is on issues of justice in the public square. The Bible is the lens through which we are examining those issues, but, just as with reading glasses, the biblical lens will often fade into the periphery as it does its job of helping us see what is on the page.” She further asserts, “The Ten Commandments, ultimately, are about the intersection of individual behavior and public life— exactly where we find ourselves when confronted with the controversial issues of our day.”
“There are many reasons to turn to the Ten Commandments in the times we are in, but Anne Robertson gives us here a useful way to engage our ancient texts in a lively and creative way. Local churches and faith communities will find this a compelling way to discuss current issues in the context of Scripture and how we can improve civil dialogue. Her thoughts on guiding discussions are a perfect resource for any group leader.”
Anne Robertson has written an astonishing exposition of the second of the Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt not make graven images.” Her study is deeply grounded in scripture. But her work is to mobilize her expansive imagination in order to show the demanding contemporaneity of this innocent-looking mandate from Moses. Amid her work she offers a trenchant critique of our idolatry of nationalism with an eye on our “worship of the flag,” and our idolatry of guns with a knowing riff on the NRA.
I am broken this morning. Just yesterday over 600 workers in meat plants in Mississippi were arrested at work by ICE. It was the first day of school. Hundreds of children came home to no one, crying, wandering parking lots, and if they were lucky a friendly neighbor took them to a shelter set up in a gym. Today those children will join the thousands of children we are traumatizing daily in the hopes that our cruelty will make the U.S.
To the person unfamiliar with the Bible, Exploring the Bible: The Dickinson Series provides an introduction that is utterly unintimidating; to regular readers it is a companionable and challenging conversation partner. Anne Robertson not only invites people into the biblical texts, she welcomes them - with good humor, an obvious reverence for the texts, and a completely trustworthy voice.
The thing for those Christians outside the UMC to understand about our very ugly and amplified pain is that those who have never had a church affiliation typically don't make distinctions between this church and that.
The Rev. Dr. David Killian, President of the Massachusetts Bible Society, will receive the 2019 Spirituality & Justice Award on Sunday, April 28, during the 10:30 a.m. Holy Eucharist at All Saints Parish in Brookline, MA. The award is given each year to a person whose deep spirituality is expressed in work for social justice. The Award was given over the years to Bishop Desmond Tutu, Marian Wright Edelman, and Dr. Peter Farmer.
What word comes to mind when you think of the Bible?
Some think of sacred, holy words—words of truth, comfort, and inspiration. Some think of words indicating confusion, question, and doubt. Others think of words of exclusion, bigotry, and restrictive laws. And a growing number of people prefer not to think about it at all.
LITERACY
UNDERSTANDING
DIALOGUE
