A city of refuge? Nice idea.

The Torah of Israel had a lot of crazy ideas.

You know, things like the Year of Jubilee when all slaves were set free, debts were forgiven, and all the land reverted back to its original owners. Crazy! I mean, who would ever do something like that?

Or the provision for cities of refuge. A city where you could find safety if you had inadvertently injured or killed someone and people wanted blood payment right away, regardless of any due process.

And here’s the thing. The Jubilee legislation isn’t some naïve overestimation of the people’s ability to seek economic justice. Rather, we need something like the Jubilee precisely because God knows something about the human penchant for oppression, foreclosure and exploitation.

That same thing can be said about cities of refuge. We have already seen this semester at Wine Before Breakfast that the Bible has no modern liberal cheap optimism about urban life. We have already seen that the city is, in the Bible, ambivalent at best.

Cities are walled-structures – both literally in ancient times and at least metaphorically in modern times. They were originally built for the security of their inhabitants and the areas around them that were under the control of the city.

Cities are places of safety. They actually are supposed to be for refuge.And people continue to come to the cities throughout the world today looking for refuge. Whether we are thinking of the rural poor who gravitate to the city for protection from the poverty and hunger on failing farmlands, refugees fleeing oppressive regimes abroad, or the abused teenage girl who needs refuge from an abusive home, people flock to cities looking for refuge.

But they seldom find it.
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Sodom, Toronto and the Ford Brothers

You don’t generally meet a customs official who makes you laugh out loud. But I did the other night returning from a conference in Indianapolis.

The Canadian customs official asked me what the conference was about.

“Community development,” I replied.

“You should have taken Doug Ford,” the officer quipped as he handed back my passport.

I roared with laughter and told him that he had made my night.

Doug Ford. The brother, side-kick and spokesman for Rob Ford, the Mayor of Toronto.

I should have taken Doug Ford to a conference on community development because it would seem pretty apparent that neither he nor his brother know anything about community development. Indeed, it almost seems as if anything that would benefit the community but restrain in any way the freedom of individuals (especially car-driving individuals) or require that individuals have a responsibility to community development that would require any kind of taxation for the common good, is all simply outside of the worldview of these leaders of the good city, Toronto.

Now I don’t want to make a quick and cheap analogy between Sodom and Toronto. And I certainly don’t want to make any such parallel on the backs of the gay community – something that fundamentalist Christians continue to do.

But if you allow Ezekiel to interpret Genesis, then the parallels between our prosperous late modern city and the depravity of that ancient city are clear enough.

Here is what Ezekiel says about the sin of Sodom: “she and her daughters had pride, excess of good food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.” (16.49)

They had excess of good food and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and the needy. Sure sounds to me like the Toronto that the Ford brothers are imagining.

Ours is a city of incredible prosperity, yet we have a growing homeless population and an administration that seems hell-bent on selling off the little and inadequate affordable housing stock that we have. Ours is a city of rich food, wonderful farmers’ markets and world class restaurants, yet the poorest of our neighbours depend on food banks and soup kitchens for their daily bread.
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WBB, 9/11 … Ten Years Later

Dear friends:

Wine Before Breakfast was born while the smoke was still billowing from the ruins of the World Trade Center. Exactly one week after that fateful September 11, 2001 we gathered for the first time as a worshipping community at the University of Toronto.

No happy praise songs that morning.
No upbeat enthusiasm to gather in the crowds.

Rather, we began our life together as a community in lament.

And over these past ten years lament has never been far from our worship.
Ten years of war.
Ten years of escalating international terrorism.
Ten years of injustice.
Ten years of increased assault on this good creation and its most vulnerable inhabitants.

And the lament has got personal on all kinds of levels.
We have faced death in the community.
We waited and prayed while Jim Loney and three other Christian Peacemakers were held captive in Baghdad.

And our lament has also been deeply personal at times.
Broken relationships. Struggling faith. Deep disappointments.
But we have still been able to sing.
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by Brian Walsh

Matt Redman’s song “Blessed be your name” is a powerful testimony to praise in the face of both joy and sorrow.

Blessed be your name
in the land that is plentiful
where your streams of abundance flow
blessed be your name
Blessed be your name
when I’m found in a desert place
though I walk through the wilderness
blessed be your name.

Redman has it right. Blessing the name of God is a radical act that happens whether the “world’s ‘all as it should be’” or we’re “on the road marked with suffering.” And so Redman invites us to sing:

Every blessing You pour out
I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord …

But then in the bridge he pushes the song to a place that I seldom can go. (more…)

Resurrection, Cover up and doubt: Partying Nonetheless

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

That’s the proclamation on which the whole Christian story hangs.

Indeed, that’s the proclamation on which our Christian life hangs.

No point trying to “practice resurrection” if Jesus is still in the grave.
No point in worship, no point in discipleship, no point, no point.

And the range of responses to this world shattering event are mostly pretty predictable.

Those guarding the tomb “shake like dead men” and their supervisors amongst the religious elite buy them off to say that the disciples came and stole the body.

Deceit.
Bribery.
Cover up.

Nothing new there. That’s the way that the ruling authorities have always dealt with anything that would radically undermine their world.

The women are also full of fear, but to them comes good news from both an angel and the risen one himself, “do not be afraid.”

And so their fear is mingled with great joy. (more…)

Dear friends:

More than half a lifetime ago I co-wrote my first book, The Transforming Vision. And there was one response to that book that continues to ring through the years to me. No, actually, there were two responses, and they are deeply connected to each other.

The first response was from my friend and co-author, Richard Middleton. Upon completing the manuscript and offering up prayers dedicating this work to the furthering of the Kingdom of God, Richard looked at me and said, “You know that there is something missing in this book.” I thought that was an odd thing to say at this particular moment, and I couldn’t guess what he was talking about. Then he said, “This book says nothing about suffering, even though suffering is so central to the biblical story.” And then Richard added, “But that’s okay, we don’t know anything about suffering.”

An honest and telling moment of self-evaluation. These two young men had written a fine book on a Christian worldview – indeed, a book still in print – but missed a central motif in biblical faith.

The second comment was more inexplicable to me at the time. A friend and former student simply said to me, “It’s a great book, but you don’t know anything about the Eucharist.”

I had no idea what the woman was talking about. The book wasn’t about the Eucharist. What was her point?

Well, if you don’t know anything about suffering, then you likely won’t know anything about the Eucharist either, will you.

If you promote a Christian worldview without reference to suffering, then of course this will be a worldview without the Eucharist. It will be, if you will, a worldview without the cross. Or at least it will be a worldview without a deep enough grasp of the cross. And it will be a worldview that knows nothing of a profound dwelling in Holy Week.

As I look back on that period of my life I also recall that I was studying with Douglas John Hall at McGill University. Professor Hall was always talking about the “theology of the cross” and I was always pushing back with a “theology of resurrection.” Around that time, Hall wrote:

“Against the promotion of easy solutions to difficult human questions, the Bible offers the cross: that is God involved in the ambiguity of existence, broken by alienation, powerful only in the weakness of love.”

There was something about a God who was “powerful only in the weakness of love” that didn’t sit well with me. And that is likely why I knew nothing about the Eucharist. (more…)

Vineyards, Justice and Jesus

Cultural discourse totally hangs on allusion and reference. You know what I mean. You can’t watch any episode of  The Simpson’s without picking up the references to other cultural products – whether they be other television shows, cultural stereotypes, music, art, sports, or politics. Now, of course, you don’t always pick up all the references every time you watch The Simpson’s or go to the movies or listen to a new song on the radio. And not all cultural products are created equal. Some are hopelessly flat. What you see is what you get and you aren’t getting very much.

Kind of like the difference between ABBA and Dylan. Okay, that is too close to home for some of you. How about the difference between Britney Spears and Joni Mitchell?

And it seems to me (in this little email that is starting to sound like an essay!) that the richer the allusions and references, the deeper the cultural product is. That’s why The Simpson’s is great television.

Well, Jesus knew all about allusion. He goes up a mountain to teach a new way, a new Kingdom, and everyone thinks of Moses at Mount Sinai. He feeds the multitudes in the wilderness and everyone thinks of the exodus and sustenance in the wilderness. He walks into the Temple and throws the furniture around and everyone thinks of Jeremiah’s temple sermon (Jesus actually quotes that sermon during his rage).

In all four gospels, Jesus makes reference to a vineyard. And just as  you couldn’t tell a story today with a wolf and a little girl in it and not catch the reference to Little Red Riding Hood, so also everyone who knew anything about Israel’s faith would remember Isaiah’s parable of the vineyard. Just say “vineyard” and the allusions immediately will come to mind.

And it is a vineyard that does not produce what was expected of it. Isaiah’s parable ends this way: (more…)

“What do you want me to do for you?”

It’s election time in Canada and everyone wants something.

Most folks want tax cuts. Some folks want a better deal for struggling families. Others are longing for a fresh and proactive approach to the environment.

Some want the government to be tougher on crime and to build a strong military. And others would like to see a national housing policy (that would be nice, I admit) that would address homelessness in our country.

But when it comes right down to it, elections are about power. What the respective parties want is power. And if you get a chance to look at the inner dynamics of these parties you will see a lot of vying for power going on from within.

Jesus never ran for Prime Minister, but he was on a journey towards kingship. And he spent a lot of time trying to get his disciples to realize that this was not a typical political campaign precisely because his was a kingship that would turn all notions of political power on their heads.

But old, bad ideas do not die easily. I mean we know what a king is, right? And we know what a kingdom is, right? And we know that when Jesus is enthroned as a king there’s got to be places near him to help him rule. Like on his left and right.

So when the Zebedee boys come with their Mama to kneel before their king-to-be, Jesus asks them, “What do you want?”

And the response is pretty typical. Mama Zebedee replies, “I’d like my boys to be in the cabinet. I’d like them to sit on your right and your left, at the places of power and honour.” (more…)

It doesn’t seem to me that the question is all that pertinent these days.

“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Maybe that question made sense in the first century, but maybe the burning question in Canada this week is:

“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit the keys to power? What must I do to be re-elected, preferably with a majority? Good teacher, you know something about ruling, what must I do to become the Prime Minister of Canada? What must I do to inherit (or retain) the Prime Minister’s office?”

“Well, obey the Torah,” Jesus might reply. “You know, ‘you shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honour your father and your mother,’ and ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’”

I could see Jesus saying this. After all what was the only thing that the Torah required of those who would be kings in Israel? That they meditate on Torah. Not that they would amass great wealth, nor chariots and horses, nor many wives, just that they meditate on Torah. If they meditate on Torah and not get taken up with economic growth, military power and strategic alliances, then they would rule with wisdom.

So, let’s boil it down to a few of the great commandments. Can you take care of this kind of business in your life? Then maybe you could be the Prime Minister.

Now I don’t really know anything about any of the leaders’ family lives. Whether they have committed adultery or been dishonouring of their parent isn’t really up for public discussion.

But how about murder, bearing false witness and loving our neighbours? (more…)

Rocks, Stumbling Blocks and Millstones

“Get behind me Satan, for you are a stumbling block to me!”

So said Jesus to Peter, moments after the brash disciple had confessed that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of the living God.

So said Jesus to Peter, moments after he had called this disciple a “rock” on which he will build his church.

From “rock” to “stumbling stone.”

From foundation to impediment.

Jesus doesn’t much like stumbling stones. And so he returns to the metaphor in this week’s passage from Matthew.

This time it isn’t Peter as stumbling stone, but more broadly any one or any thing that would cause the most vulnerable to stumble, would cause those who embrace Christ with a childlike faith and humility to lose heart, to lose faith.

Jesus may well be full of grace and truth, but when it comes to protecting the little ones, when it comes to embracing and enfolding the meek, the humble and those who have no means for self-protection, Jesus comes on heavy and pulls out all the stops:

“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks!”

Heavy stuff. (more…)