Aphorism of the Day, September 30, 2017
In the theology of the Incarnation, one can note many distracting diversions which miss the unavoidable witness of what God with us means. The Christological hymn in the letter to the Philippian church, states that Christ represents the equality of divine being emptied so that the divine could be made evident in human form. In an obvious way, this means that human experience is asserted as a valid way to know about the non-human Being of God. It is a confession that all experience of God is human experience. Such bald obviousness was stated by Ludwig Feuerbach as, "Theology is anthropology." This is not a "secular" humanism, it is a humble theocentrism.
Aphorism of the Day, September 29, 2017
God by definition would be a totally foreign Being to humanity unless it be admitted that what is divine can be funneled or translated into human understanding. Traditional theology has started with the apophatic or the negative, namely, whatever we think God is, God is not that. So the notion of the divine defies human attempts to make idols of any particular notion of the divine. But if God is not anything knowable from the human perspective why does one believe that God has relevance to human experience? Theology involves a cataphatic turn, a turn to what can be said in a positive way about God. Traditional theology would state it this way: God cannot be known in God's essence but only in God's energies or the emanations which flow from God. A postmodern reflection upon this would be to admit the big elephant in the room of both apophasis and cataphasis, viz., Language. With and by language we say God is not knowable and knowable and the use of language to say both means that language comprehends both. Perhaps it is time we humbly say that the divine is a special category of discursive practice.
Aphorism of the Day, September 28, 2017
God is a problem in that by definition, the only one who could know God as God is God and that would be rather exclusive company. What is needed to affirm the divine is the assumption of the event of human/divine bi-linguality. Kenosis or the passing over of the divine into human experience is the assumptive presumption of humanity embracing anthropomorphism in speaking about God, who by definition, would be a totally foreign and different Being. Kenosis is a confession about God or Plenitude being funneled into accessible human terms, to affirm that no one has ever had a "non-human" experience of God. Christianity then is an "enlightened" humanism meaning the discovery of a higher Resource to make us better human beings.
Aphorism of the Day, September 27, 2017
Jesus told a parable about two cases of inconsistency. One man said, "I will do it and didn't." Another man said, "I won't do it, but did it." Jesus preferred the later inconsistency. It represents what might be called "moral" growth. We may often be pre-programmed by our cultural bias not to respond in certain ways, but when actually given the occasion to perform what is the "right" thing to do, we can surprise ourselves by doing the right thing. Charlie Brown had the right theory about loving Mankind but he had the wrong practice of not being about to stand his neighbor. An apparent curmudgeon misanthrope can surprise by performing acts of charity. But the third position not represented by the parable is for people to be able to make verbal contracts and keep them. We make a profound verbal contract in our baptismal vows and we constantly appraise ourselves in being able to move in the direction of obedience to these profound ideals which give us plenty of room to grow morally and spiritually.
Aphorism of the Day, September 26, 2017
Jesus told a parable about one who promised to do something and didn't do it. Another said he wouldn't do something but eventually did it. This seems to illustrate those who have "automatic" religion by means of their birth status and who did not actual perform the promises of the covenant with God. Others did not have a favored status with God and did not have cultural conditioning into the covenant tradition and so they appear to be saying "no" to God's covenant, but they end up doing the covenantal behaviors better than those who were supposed to know and do them. This parable illustrates the saying, "by their fruits you shall know them." What the parable does not illustrate is the unity of feelings (inner hearts desire), words and deed that one should strive for in coming to a peaceful agreement of one's entire being.
Aphorism of the Day, September 25, 2017
The parable of the delayed obedience versus unfulfilled promised obedience is another version of "the first shall be last and the last shall be first" riddle. People with presumed religion may not actually be "doing" it. People with open defiance of religion, may actually be doing it. It is the doing of religion that matters.
Aphorism of the Day, September 24, 2017
What is this? This question in Hebrew is "Manna." Manna got its name when the people Israel saw the flaky substance on the ground which was to become their daily diet. "Are we going to have to eat "What is this?" again today?" It was "bread from heaven" and it became a metaphor for the Eucharistic bread. In Communion our literal minds ask, "What's this?" while on the level guided by faith's discourse we confess the "body of Christ." The etiology of biblical "language games" helps us to understand the poetry of biblical faith expressions.
Aphorism of the Day, September 23, 2017
The first shall be last and the last shall be first. One can cite this as wisdom about identities arising in the process of time. There is a sense that the Judaic tradition came into a new identity and distinction after the Christian alterations proclaimed different conclusions for the Hebrew Scriptures. One can note the Judeo-Christian tradition or traditions. The Judeo-Christian tradition created a new identity for the continuing Judaic tradition of the synagogue since the Jews did not accept a "hyphenated" identity with the Christians who claimed the Hebrew/Judaic tradition as its mother. The arising of the Christian tradition "out of" Judaism made the early Christians to think that they attained a preeminent "firstness" in legitimacy while Judaism attained a new "lastness" by virtue that they became something new once they were rid of Christians who had given a different interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures which was unacceptable to the synagogue with a new identity. One can try to say the Judeo-Christianity is like a Hegelian synthesis of Judaism and Christianity, but the synagogue members want no part of that synthesis. The end result is that the first and the last claim equality in the eyes of God.
Aphorism of the Day, September 22, 2017
In the parable of the equal pay for the late hired and the early hired, the punchline was "The first shall be last and the last shall be first." On the surface this looks like those who come before are treated unfairly compared with those who come later. But one should look at this formula: First=Last. There is an equality of dignity for wherever one is located in the chronology of coming into an understanding of God's Grace. Those who have found God's grace early should rejoice in the validity of those who have found God's grace later. Chronology does not determine the equality in the experience of grace. Persons with long experience of God's grace should not begrudge those who have a fresh, new experience. One of the lessons of the prophet Jonah was when he was angry that God had extended grace to the Ninevites who were foreigners and did not have the heritage of the Torah. Similarly, when colonial missionaries brought the Gospel to their missionary fields, should it be unusual that the natives with the Gospel decided that they had equal status to the colonizers? All "good ol' boys" should remember the Gospel formula of Jesus: "The first shall be last and the last shall be first."
Aphorism of the Day, September 21, 2017
It is difficult for us to resist quantifying value of people by metrics of production. A person who works longer hours and does more work should get more pay. That's seems fair and obvious. We also know that not everyone has the same health, age or ability to compete equally in all tasks. The parable of the equal pay for the late hired and the early hired highlights that dignity of being is an equal status which should be conferred and practiced for all people regardless of their life conditions. This position of dignity can be held even while implementing wise actuarial business practice. In God's eye the dignity of person is the most important "profit" motive.
Aphorism of the Day, September 20, 2017
The parable of Jesus of the late hired receiving the same wages as the early hired provides an insight for allowing the new and the rookie to make important creative contribution to the advance of the community. The early hired may represent the view: "But we've always done it this way." Such a view is a prejudice against any creative advance in favor of "conserving" a past program which is no longer reaching another "demographic" in relevant ways. People who were accepting the Gospel were Gentiles who were being given equal status with the persons who had been steeped in the mother religion from which Christian was born.
Aphorism of the Day, September 19,2017
Delighted new parents with adoration impart equal grace to their new born child even though they know that the baby's dependence makes them significantly "different." It is very natural to give equal honor to the newborn. The equality of the late hired and early hired in wages in the parable of Jesus is about being able to articulate God's equal grace to people of varied experience especially to those who in the "natural" or the "social" order seemed to unable to advocate or fend for themselves with those who have the strength and power to "determine" hierarchies. The parable is about moving from pyramid hierarchy to a circle of people with each being equi-distant from the center of God love, grace and concern.
Aphorism of the Day, September 18, 2017
In a day of "isms" like sexism, wellism, and ageism, one could coin the phrase "timeism" or "experienceism" or "good ol' boyism" to refer to the prejudicial preference for people who "have more experience" by virtue of having put in more time. The parable of Jesus about the late hired getting the same pay as the early hired illustrates that whether early to know God's grace or more recent to know God's grace, there is equality for the veteran and the rookie. Doesn't seem fair but it is affirmation of the "all are created equal" even though different in all sorts of ways. The way to celebrate equality in difference is for the veteran to rejoice in the new found joy of the rookie and for the rookie to respect the experience of the veteran. When parents have a baby, the parents have more experience than their baby but they adore the baby and confirm a blessed equality between them and their baby. If the veteran and the rookie celebrate their reciprocal equality in difference, the mixture of old and new can result in creative advance for both.
Aphorism of the Day, September 17, 2017
Forgive us our debts, sins and trespasses. Take your pick. We may not like the financial overtones of the word debt but it certainly is a financial metaphor in in the parable of the unforgiving servant. The great big debt is the one that each owes God the owner of the universe and our lives. And we steak from God each time our selfish acts imply that we, rather than God are the owners of the universe and our lives. How do we show that God owns this world? By practicing love, kindness, forgiveness and justice for all people. The practice of religion and the purpose of piety is to result in such practices of love, forgiveness, and justice; if it does not result in such practices then our religious acts and piety are like mere cosmetics covering the ugliness of injustice, lack of forgiveness and hatred.
Aphorism of the Day, September 16, 2017
Sin is "missing the mark or target" (from archery), in general or in particular. A particular sin may be against someone or oneself. Particular sins happen because the general condition of perpetually "missing the mark." Seems like this entire system of classification is an attempt to analyze the human condition and provide strategies for how we can deal with the human tendency to act from selfish interests guided by solipsistic egotistical interpretation of situations. Self interest may be an instinctual response of self preservation. How do I preserve myself and the sense that I really need a lot to preserve and perpetuate my well-being? Community living requires a distribution of resources for the common good and the promotion of the common good means that self interest will create competition and clashes and the degree of these clashes is defined by different communities as "sins." Religion is a strategy for community with reference to the divine. If it is obvious that everyone is motivated by self-interest which bring about clashes, how does one prevent clashes and what does one do when parties are "injured" because of clashes? In the Judeo-Christian tradition, we understand that we are hurting God in offending the divine standard, yet God forgives the offense. The Divine Ego is so flexible as to absorb our sins and accommodate our continuing existence through forgiveness. This model of forgiving is to be perpetuated in human community when we offer forgiveness to each other as a strategy for surviving as community and thriving to do love and justice together. "To err is human; to forgive is divine." We need to tap into the accommodating and permissive and flexible Divine Ego to forgive others. If we can mimic the Divine Ego, and allow our human ego to have the strength and flexibility of water, we may learn to forgive others without losing the strength of who we are.
Aphorism of the Day, September 15, 2017
The Matthean community seemed to be quite exorcised about sins in the community and what to do about them. Perhaps the Matthean dilemma expresses the loss of the "administration" of sin which was present in the Temple and synagogue practices in Judaism. Once the early Christ communities had lost contact with synagogue ritual practice, they had to evolve their own theology of sin and forgiveness in their practice. With no priests and rabbis to legislate the practices for states of sin or ritual impurity, there arose of new system of conferring on the church leaders the practice of "forgiving and retaining" sins consistent with the understanding that the death of Jesus was the final offering for sin. The offering of Jesus for sins against God, intentional and unintentional, and the sins we participate in by group identity was seen as the ultimate satisfactory offering for sins, but what about the petty and great sins that people commit against each other living in close community? "I've only sinned once against my brothers and sisters; what do we do with the notoriously sinful brother Marcus? Do I have to keep forgiving him?" So we have the great theology of sin against God which seems to be more about theory and psychological/spiritual catharsis and the more pressing issue of sins, namely how do I get along with others in a community of varying manifestations of sinners and sinning?
Aphorism of the Day, September 14, 2017
The Matthean communities, the ones which generated, read and shared the Matthean Gospel, were communities where members sinned against each other. Surprise, surprise about being all too human. Peter asked Jesus how many times he had to forgive his fellow church member? This Gospel story is an instantiation of the Pauline theology expressed in his letter to the Romans: "Where sin abounded there did grace much more abound." The oracle words of Jesus rebuke Peter for counting sins instead of emphasizing the abounding grace of forgiveness. How many times do we forgive? As many times as sin occurs because it is the Christian mission to assert grace as the superior normalcy over the deeds of sin becoming superior to grace. Can human sin and failure nullify God's complimenting perfection for the entire creation? Certainly not.
Aphorism of the Day, September 13, 2017
One can note the tendency to monetize sins and forgiveness of sins. An offering was made at the altar and the priests used some of the offering for their own maintenance. So an offering for the forgiveness of sins can subtly be full blown money raisers for religious institutions leading to the "selling of indulgences" and the belief that everyone is in debt to God and the religious institution is the debt collector with the power of excommunication as a means of enforcing collection. Forgive us our debts is one version of the Lord's Prayer and Jesus used parable about the forgiven unforgiving servant of a debt. The notion can be promulgated that God is like a great debt collector requiring an offering to make forgiveness valid. Such a view nullifies the mercy of God and when giving and generosity is made into a pro quid pro system both God and human giving is presented in impoverished ways.
Aphorism of the Day, September 12, 2017
A financial debt is a metaphor for sin in the Gospels. This could be because of an overarching metaphor of God as the creator and owner of the universe. All higher sentient agents with the mature volitional ability to be in a contract should know that he or she owes the owner of the universe recognition of that ownership and the dues of stewardship for being tenants of the Most High. Failure at recognizing ownership and our stewardship due constitute the essence of sin as our willful choice to be in arrears with God. The experience of forgiveness is when the Owner forgives all past debts and give us a clean start to start anew and starting anew means that we imitate the forgiveness of the Great Owner of the universe by forgiving each other.
Aphorism of the Day, September 11, 2017
The Gospels present forgiveness using the financial metaphor of an unpaid debt. "Forgives us our sins....or forgive us our debts." The parable of Jesus on the unforgiving servant uses the "debt" motif. What insight into sin can be gained using the notion of debt? A debt is a contract that one consciously undertakes. An unpaid debt under the term of the contract includes the penalty phase. If a debt is forgiven, the history of the contract is not. Does most of humanity understand themselves to be under contract with God, living on the borrowed largesse of God and fully understanding the obligations that we, the borrowers, have toward our generous Lender. The practice of forgiveness with each other is better understood if we understand the large loan that we have from God and the many occasions when we have failed to meet the borrower's requirement in the great covenant with God.
Aphorism of the Day, September 10, 2017
"Wherever two or three are gathered in My Name, there I am there among them." This is the Body of Christ theology presented in the Gospel stories of Jesus. A group identity seems to create the presence of another person.
Aphorism of the Day, September 9, 2017
In the fashion world, on the runway, the question is "Who is she wearing?" A designer becomes synonymous with her or his clothes line. St. Paul turned Jesus into a metaphor for clothing when he wrote to the Romans, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ." This is in the context of wearing an "armor of light" and in his statement that the practice of love fulfills the law. Jewish liturgical garb was a literal wearing of the "law" on the forearm and the head. One can see the blossoming of metaphorical application when a historical person, Jesus, can become the metaphorical liturgical vestments of the church. Who are you wearing today? Paul suggest that you wear the "Lord Jesus Christ." Put him on, and never take him off. For those who do not read the Bible as chock full of metaphorical poetic imaginary, they place a "fundamentalist" limitation on Holy Scripture.
Aphorism of the Day, September 8, 2017
The Gospel of Matthew presents what might be called a proto-ecclesiastical trial. When a member of the church sins against another members, there is to be a "trial" convened with a "jury" of church peers to deliberate regarding the "alleged" sin and the adjudication of an "outcome." And in the jury of church peers, there is the promise of the apparent presence of another, namely, Christ. This appears to be a conferring of legitimacy upon the deliberation of the church peers in the dispute. If the presence of Christ is identified with the deliberation of the "jury," then it is assumed that all parties will accede to the decision because it befits an "as if" Jesus was here conclusion.
Aphorism of the Day, September 7, 2017
Jesus said, "If another member of the church sins against you..." This could be another Matthean anachronism since the "church" as it came to be known did not actually exist in the time of Jesus. The passages seems to assume an already somewhat developed institution and does not seem to be an informal movement in early development. The Gospel writers believed like Paul that they "had the mind of Christ" and when they spoke in his name, they manifested the "oracle" of Christ. These words were written down as words of guidance for "church discipline" and one finds a nascent "councilor" Christianity whereby the Risen Christ is found to be present to provide wisdom for disciplinary matters in collaborative Christianity (gathering in the Name of Christ).
Aphorism of the Day, September 6, 2017
If there are 613 commandments in the Torah, then one would need the constant instruction from religious law experts to continually and consistently apply them to one's living situations. St. Paul completed a vast reduction in legal deliberation: "Love is the fulfilling of the law." When in doubt about what one is to do, then one should search to see if love is the inner motive for any action. Actions done from the motive of love may seem to be contradictory and even inconsistent in different, times, places and cultural contexts. Love may be the motive for actions that do not show full wisdom but if one can find the Love which inspires no harm, then one can always have access to the starting place of moral reasoning.
Aphorism of the Day, September 5, 2017
"Wherever two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst." Is this oracle saying of Christ in the early church another way of stating the "body" theology of St. Paul. The gathered church is the body of Christ and so another "mystical" person's presence is felt in the condition of the gathered church. Esprit d'corps or the apparent presence of another personal identity within a group of people is a natural phenomenon which has its expression in the church. The home field crowd at a football game is sometimes called the "twelfth man" because the group identity phenomenon results in the home field advantage of seemingly having an extra player on the field for the home team. Countries also mystify "national identity" and the "team" is another person who becomes evident for the other members.
Aphorism of the Day, September 4, 2017
"Wherever two or three are gathered in my name.." Christ is present. This is used as a proof text for affirming the corporate mystical presence of Christ, even though in the Matthean context, it actually refers to the presence of Christ being particularly known in a situation where a disagreement between church members is the issue needing resolution. The omnipresence of the Risen Christ may seem too general; particular apparent presence of the Risen Christ seems to be the promise in intentional collaborative efforts of the gathered church.
Aphorism of the Day, September 3, 2017
Taking up one's cross and following Jesus was a catch phrase for the method of spiritual identity with the cross of Christ in the early church. The death of the perfect Jesus meant that his death exuded a positive energy in bringing to death or an end that which is unworthy. As a method of spiritual identity in the early church, it was how early Christians thwarted egotism and enabled them to live together in peace and love in a redeemed community. The actual death of Jesus was converted in the church as making one's life a "living sacrifice" or a dying of separatist ego states so that abundant community life could prevail.
Aphorism of the Day, September 2, 2017
The confession of Peter regarding Jesus being Messiah and Son of God is presented as an example that one can confess things that one does not fully understand. An aspect of the Petrine confession reveals the definitional difference of the Messiah from two different paradigms. One paradigm defined the Messiah as a triumphant king who would restore the autonomy of Israel, another defined the Messiah using the Suffering Servant motif found in the prophet Isaiah. They are radically different notions though in apocalyptic Christianity they are reconciled with the confession of a future returning Messiah in the more Davidic kingly conquering mode. So the Christian messianic identity is constituted by the Messiah being manifest first as Suffering Servant with the post-resurrection appearances of Christ being the Kingly proof of a future return in the persuasive kingly mode. It perhaps is a limitation of the messianic to limit messianic manifestation to either Suffering Servant or Returning Conqueror. The messianic is discovering where God is "anointing" activities of love and justice, always, already in our human experience.
Aphorism of the Day, September 1, 2017
The theology of the cross was the spiritual practice of identity with the death of Jesus as a method of reconstituting the interior life by ending unworthy personal habits of mind, spirit and body. This method was instantiated in the Gospel oracle words of Jesus to "take up one's cross," and to "die to the previous state of the "soul-self/pseuche."" Even when martyrdom was a distinct possibility, it does not make literal sense for Jesus or the disciples to be promoting actual pursuit of actual dying on the cross. Why would one seek the spectacle of Roman crucifixion as a positive way of validating one's faith? Such would be macabre indeed. In the post-resurrection community, the cross of Jesus was rehabilitated as a totemic identity in the formation of the spiritual practice of members who sought to know the interdiction of a Higher Power in ending idolatry in all forms of slavish addictions.
In the theology of the Incarnation, one can note many distracting diversions which miss the unavoidable witness of what God with us means. The Christological hymn in the letter to the Philippian church, states that Christ represents the equality of divine being emptied so that the divine could be made evident in human form. In an obvious way, this means that human experience is asserted as a valid way to know about the non-human Being of God. It is a confession that all experience of God is human experience. Such bald obviousness was stated by Ludwig Feuerbach as, "Theology is anthropology." This is not a "secular" humanism, it is a humble theocentrism.
Aphorism of the Day, September 29, 2017
God by definition would be a totally foreign Being to humanity unless it be admitted that what is divine can be funneled or translated into human understanding. Traditional theology has started with the apophatic or the negative, namely, whatever we think God is, God is not that. So the notion of the divine defies human attempts to make idols of any particular notion of the divine. But if God is not anything knowable from the human perspective why does one believe that God has relevance to human experience? Theology involves a cataphatic turn, a turn to what can be said in a positive way about God. Traditional theology would state it this way: God cannot be known in God's essence but only in God's energies or the emanations which flow from God. A postmodern reflection upon this would be to admit the big elephant in the room of both apophasis and cataphasis, viz., Language. With and by language we say God is not knowable and knowable and the use of language to say both means that language comprehends both. Perhaps it is time we humbly say that the divine is a special category of discursive practice.
Aphorism of the Day, September 28, 2017
God is a problem in that by definition, the only one who could know God as God is God and that would be rather exclusive company. What is needed to affirm the divine is the assumption of the event of human/divine bi-linguality. Kenosis or the passing over of the divine into human experience is the assumptive presumption of humanity embracing anthropomorphism in speaking about God, who by definition, would be a totally foreign and different Being. Kenosis is a confession about God or Plenitude being funneled into accessible human terms, to affirm that no one has ever had a "non-human" experience of God. Christianity then is an "enlightened" humanism meaning the discovery of a higher Resource to make us better human beings.
Aphorism of the Day, September 27, 2017
Jesus told a parable about two cases of inconsistency. One man said, "I will do it and didn't." Another man said, "I won't do it, but did it." Jesus preferred the later inconsistency. It represents what might be called "moral" growth. We may often be pre-programmed by our cultural bias not to respond in certain ways, but when actually given the occasion to perform what is the "right" thing to do, we can surprise ourselves by doing the right thing. Charlie Brown had the right theory about loving Mankind but he had the wrong practice of not being about to stand his neighbor. An apparent curmudgeon misanthrope can surprise by performing acts of charity. But the third position not represented by the parable is for people to be able to make verbal contracts and keep them. We make a profound verbal contract in our baptismal vows and we constantly appraise ourselves in being able to move in the direction of obedience to these profound ideals which give us plenty of room to grow morally and spiritually.
Aphorism of the Day, September 26, 2017
Jesus told a parable about one who promised to do something and didn't do it. Another said he wouldn't do something but eventually did it. This seems to illustrate those who have "automatic" religion by means of their birth status and who did not actual perform the promises of the covenant with God. Others did not have a favored status with God and did not have cultural conditioning into the covenant tradition and so they appear to be saying "no" to God's covenant, but they end up doing the covenantal behaviors better than those who were supposed to know and do them. This parable illustrates the saying, "by their fruits you shall know them." What the parable does not illustrate is the unity of feelings (inner hearts desire), words and deed that one should strive for in coming to a peaceful agreement of one's entire being.
Aphorism of the Day, September 25, 2017
The parable of the delayed obedience versus unfulfilled promised obedience is another version of "the first shall be last and the last shall be first" riddle. People with presumed religion may not actually be "doing" it. People with open defiance of religion, may actually be doing it. It is the doing of religion that matters.
Aphorism of the Day, September 24, 2017
What is this? This question in Hebrew is "Manna." Manna got its name when the people Israel saw the flaky substance on the ground which was to become their daily diet. "Are we going to have to eat "What is this?" again today?" It was "bread from heaven" and it became a metaphor for the Eucharistic bread. In Communion our literal minds ask, "What's this?" while on the level guided by faith's discourse we confess the "body of Christ." The etiology of biblical "language games" helps us to understand the poetry of biblical faith expressions.
Aphorism of the Day, September 23, 2017
The first shall be last and the last shall be first. One can cite this as wisdom about identities arising in the process of time. There is a sense that the Judaic tradition came into a new identity and distinction after the Christian alterations proclaimed different conclusions for the Hebrew Scriptures. One can note the Judeo-Christian tradition or traditions. The Judeo-Christian tradition created a new identity for the continuing Judaic tradition of the synagogue since the Jews did not accept a "hyphenated" identity with the Christians who claimed the Hebrew/Judaic tradition as its mother. The arising of the Christian tradition "out of" Judaism made the early Christians to think that they attained a preeminent "firstness" in legitimacy while Judaism attained a new "lastness" by virtue that they became something new once they were rid of Christians who had given a different interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures which was unacceptable to the synagogue with a new identity. One can try to say the Judeo-Christianity is like a Hegelian synthesis of Judaism and Christianity, but the synagogue members want no part of that synthesis. The end result is that the first and the last claim equality in the eyes of God.
Aphorism of the Day, September 22, 2017
In the parable of the equal pay for the late hired and the early hired, the punchline was "The first shall be last and the last shall be first." On the surface this looks like those who come before are treated unfairly compared with those who come later. But one should look at this formula: First=Last. There is an equality of dignity for wherever one is located in the chronology of coming into an understanding of God's Grace. Those who have found God's grace early should rejoice in the validity of those who have found God's grace later. Chronology does not determine the equality in the experience of grace. Persons with long experience of God's grace should not begrudge those who have a fresh, new experience. One of the lessons of the prophet Jonah was when he was angry that God had extended grace to the Ninevites who were foreigners and did not have the heritage of the Torah. Similarly, when colonial missionaries brought the Gospel to their missionary fields, should it be unusual that the natives with the Gospel decided that they had equal status to the colonizers? All "good ol' boys" should remember the Gospel formula of Jesus: "The first shall be last and the last shall be first."
Aphorism of the Day, September 21, 2017
It is difficult for us to resist quantifying value of people by metrics of production. A person who works longer hours and does more work should get more pay. That's seems fair and obvious. We also know that not everyone has the same health, age or ability to compete equally in all tasks. The parable of the equal pay for the late hired and the early hired highlights that dignity of being is an equal status which should be conferred and practiced for all people regardless of their life conditions. This position of dignity can be held even while implementing wise actuarial business practice. In God's eye the dignity of person is the most important "profit" motive.
Aphorism of the Day, September 20, 2017
The parable of Jesus of the late hired receiving the same wages as the early hired provides an insight for allowing the new and the rookie to make important creative contribution to the advance of the community. The early hired may represent the view: "But we've always done it this way." Such a view is a prejudice against any creative advance in favor of "conserving" a past program which is no longer reaching another "demographic" in relevant ways. People who were accepting the Gospel were Gentiles who were being given equal status with the persons who had been steeped in the mother religion from which Christian was born.
Aphorism of the Day, September 19,2017
Delighted new parents with adoration impart equal grace to their new born child even though they know that the baby's dependence makes them significantly "different." It is very natural to give equal honor to the newborn. The equality of the late hired and early hired in wages in the parable of Jesus is about being able to articulate God's equal grace to people of varied experience especially to those who in the "natural" or the "social" order seemed to unable to advocate or fend for themselves with those who have the strength and power to "determine" hierarchies. The parable is about moving from pyramid hierarchy to a circle of people with each being equi-distant from the center of God love, grace and concern.
Aphorism of the Day, September 18, 2017
In a day of "isms" like sexism, wellism, and ageism, one could coin the phrase "timeism" or "experienceism" or "good ol' boyism" to refer to the prejudicial preference for people who "have more experience" by virtue of having put in more time. The parable of Jesus about the late hired getting the same pay as the early hired illustrates that whether early to know God's grace or more recent to know God's grace, there is equality for the veteran and the rookie. Doesn't seem fair but it is affirmation of the "all are created equal" even though different in all sorts of ways. The way to celebrate equality in difference is for the veteran to rejoice in the new found joy of the rookie and for the rookie to respect the experience of the veteran. When parents have a baby, the parents have more experience than their baby but they adore the baby and confirm a blessed equality between them and their baby. If the veteran and the rookie celebrate their reciprocal equality in difference, the mixture of old and new can result in creative advance for both.
Aphorism of the Day, September 17, 2017
Forgive us our debts, sins and trespasses. Take your pick. We may not like the financial overtones of the word debt but it certainly is a financial metaphor in in the parable of the unforgiving servant. The great big debt is the one that each owes God the owner of the universe and our lives. And we steak from God each time our selfish acts imply that we, rather than God are the owners of the universe and our lives. How do we show that God owns this world? By practicing love, kindness, forgiveness and justice for all people. The practice of religion and the purpose of piety is to result in such practices of love, forgiveness, and justice; if it does not result in such practices then our religious acts and piety are like mere cosmetics covering the ugliness of injustice, lack of forgiveness and hatred.
Aphorism of the Day, September 16, 2017
Sin is "missing the mark or target" (from archery), in general or in particular. A particular sin may be against someone or oneself. Particular sins happen because the general condition of perpetually "missing the mark." Seems like this entire system of classification is an attempt to analyze the human condition and provide strategies for how we can deal with the human tendency to act from selfish interests guided by solipsistic egotistical interpretation of situations. Self interest may be an instinctual response of self preservation. How do I preserve myself and the sense that I really need a lot to preserve and perpetuate my well-being? Community living requires a distribution of resources for the common good and the promotion of the common good means that self interest will create competition and clashes and the degree of these clashes is defined by different communities as "sins." Religion is a strategy for community with reference to the divine. If it is obvious that everyone is motivated by self-interest which bring about clashes, how does one prevent clashes and what does one do when parties are "injured" because of clashes? In the Judeo-Christian tradition, we understand that we are hurting God in offending the divine standard, yet God forgives the offense. The Divine Ego is so flexible as to absorb our sins and accommodate our continuing existence through forgiveness. This model of forgiving is to be perpetuated in human community when we offer forgiveness to each other as a strategy for surviving as community and thriving to do love and justice together. "To err is human; to forgive is divine." We need to tap into the accommodating and permissive and flexible Divine Ego to forgive others. If we can mimic the Divine Ego, and allow our human ego to have the strength and flexibility of water, we may learn to forgive others without losing the strength of who we are.
Aphorism of the Day, September 15, 2017
The Matthean community seemed to be quite exorcised about sins in the community and what to do about them. Perhaps the Matthean dilemma expresses the loss of the "administration" of sin which was present in the Temple and synagogue practices in Judaism. Once the early Christ communities had lost contact with synagogue ritual practice, they had to evolve their own theology of sin and forgiveness in their practice. With no priests and rabbis to legislate the practices for states of sin or ritual impurity, there arose of new system of conferring on the church leaders the practice of "forgiving and retaining" sins consistent with the understanding that the death of Jesus was the final offering for sin. The offering of Jesus for sins against God, intentional and unintentional, and the sins we participate in by group identity was seen as the ultimate satisfactory offering for sins, but what about the petty and great sins that people commit against each other living in close community? "I've only sinned once against my brothers and sisters; what do we do with the notoriously sinful brother Marcus? Do I have to keep forgiving him?" So we have the great theology of sin against God which seems to be more about theory and psychological/spiritual catharsis and the more pressing issue of sins, namely how do I get along with others in a community of varying manifestations of sinners and sinning?
Aphorism of the Day, September 14, 2017
The Matthean communities, the ones which generated, read and shared the Matthean Gospel, were communities where members sinned against each other. Surprise, surprise about being all too human. Peter asked Jesus how many times he had to forgive his fellow church member? This Gospel story is an instantiation of the Pauline theology expressed in his letter to the Romans: "Where sin abounded there did grace much more abound." The oracle words of Jesus rebuke Peter for counting sins instead of emphasizing the abounding grace of forgiveness. How many times do we forgive? As many times as sin occurs because it is the Christian mission to assert grace as the superior normalcy over the deeds of sin becoming superior to grace. Can human sin and failure nullify God's complimenting perfection for the entire creation? Certainly not.
Aphorism of the Day, September 13, 2017
One can note the tendency to monetize sins and forgiveness of sins. An offering was made at the altar and the priests used some of the offering for their own maintenance. So an offering for the forgiveness of sins can subtly be full blown money raisers for religious institutions leading to the "selling of indulgences" and the belief that everyone is in debt to God and the religious institution is the debt collector with the power of excommunication as a means of enforcing collection. Forgive us our debts is one version of the Lord's Prayer and Jesus used parable about the forgiven unforgiving servant of a debt. The notion can be promulgated that God is like a great debt collector requiring an offering to make forgiveness valid. Such a view nullifies the mercy of God and when giving and generosity is made into a pro quid pro system both God and human giving is presented in impoverished ways.
Aphorism of the Day, September 12, 2017
A financial debt is a metaphor for sin in the Gospels. This could be because of an overarching metaphor of God as the creator and owner of the universe. All higher sentient agents with the mature volitional ability to be in a contract should know that he or she owes the owner of the universe recognition of that ownership and the dues of stewardship for being tenants of the Most High. Failure at recognizing ownership and our stewardship due constitute the essence of sin as our willful choice to be in arrears with God. The experience of forgiveness is when the Owner forgives all past debts and give us a clean start to start anew and starting anew means that we imitate the forgiveness of the Great Owner of the universe by forgiving each other.
Aphorism of the Day, September 11, 2017
The Gospels present forgiveness using the financial metaphor of an unpaid debt. "Forgives us our sins....or forgive us our debts." The parable of Jesus on the unforgiving servant uses the "debt" motif. What insight into sin can be gained using the notion of debt? A debt is a contract that one consciously undertakes. An unpaid debt under the term of the contract includes the penalty phase. If a debt is forgiven, the history of the contract is not. Does most of humanity understand themselves to be under contract with God, living on the borrowed largesse of God and fully understanding the obligations that we, the borrowers, have toward our generous Lender. The practice of forgiveness with each other is better understood if we understand the large loan that we have from God and the many occasions when we have failed to meet the borrower's requirement in the great covenant with God.
Aphorism of the Day, September 10, 2017
"Wherever two or three are gathered in My Name, there I am there among them." This is the Body of Christ theology presented in the Gospel stories of Jesus. A group identity seems to create the presence of another person.
Aphorism of the Day, September 9, 2017
In the fashion world, on the runway, the question is "Who is she wearing?" A designer becomes synonymous with her or his clothes line. St. Paul turned Jesus into a metaphor for clothing when he wrote to the Romans, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ." This is in the context of wearing an "armor of light" and in his statement that the practice of love fulfills the law. Jewish liturgical garb was a literal wearing of the "law" on the forearm and the head. One can see the blossoming of metaphorical application when a historical person, Jesus, can become the metaphorical liturgical vestments of the church. Who are you wearing today? Paul suggest that you wear the "Lord Jesus Christ." Put him on, and never take him off. For those who do not read the Bible as chock full of metaphorical poetic imaginary, they place a "fundamentalist" limitation on Holy Scripture.
Aphorism of the Day, September 8, 2017
The Gospel of Matthew presents what might be called a proto-ecclesiastical trial. When a member of the church sins against another members, there is to be a "trial" convened with a "jury" of church peers to deliberate regarding the "alleged" sin and the adjudication of an "outcome." And in the jury of church peers, there is the promise of the apparent presence of another, namely, Christ. This appears to be a conferring of legitimacy upon the deliberation of the church peers in the dispute. If the presence of Christ is identified with the deliberation of the "jury," then it is assumed that all parties will accede to the decision because it befits an "as if" Jesus was here conclusion.
Aphorism of the Day, September 7, 2017
Jesus said, "If another member of the church sins against you..." This could be another Matthean anachronism since the "church" as it came to be known did not actually exist in the time of Jesus. The passages seems to assume an already somewhat developed institution and does not seem to be an informal movement in early development. The Gospel writers believed like Paul that they "had the mind of Christ" and when they spoke in his name, they manifested the "oracle" of Christ. These words were written down as words of guidance for "church discipline" and one finds a nascent "councilor" Christianity whereby the Risen Christ is found to be present to provide wisdom for disciplinary matters in collaborative Christianity (gathering in the Name of Christ).
Aphorism of the Day, September 6, 2017
If there are 613 commandments in the Torah, then one would need the constant instruction from religious law experts to continually and consistently apply them to one's living situations. St. Paul completed a vast reduction in legal deliberation: "Love is the fulfilling of the law." When in doubt about what one is to do, then one should search to see if love is the inner motive for any action. Actions done from the motive of love may seem to be contradictory and even inconsistent in different, times, places and cultural contexts. Love may be the motive for actions that do not show full wisdom but if one can find the Love which inspires no harm, then one can always have access to the starting place of moral reasoning.
Aphorism of the Day, September 5, 2017
"Wherever two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst." Is this oracle saying of Christ in the early church another way of stating the "body" theology of St. Paul. The gathered church is the body of Christ and so another "mystical" person's presence is felt in the condition of the gathered church. Esprit d'corps or the apparent presence of another personal identity within a group of people is a natural phenomenon which has its expression in the church. The home field crowd at a football game is sometimes called the "twelfth man" because the group identity phenomenon results in the home field advantage of seemingly having an extra player on the field for the home team. Countries also mystify "national identity" and the "team" is another person who becomes evident for the other members.
Aphorism of the Day, September 4, 2017
"Wherever two or three are gathered in my name.." Christ is present. This is used as a proof text for affirming the corporate mystical presence of Christ, even though in the Matthean context, it actually refers to the presence of Christ being particularly known in a situation where a disagreement between church members is the issue needing resolution. The omnipresence of the Risen Christ may seem too general; particular apparent presence of the Risen Christ seems to be the promise in intentional collaborative efforts of the gathered church.
Aphorism of the Day, September 3, 2017
Taking up one's cross and following Jesus was a catch phrase for the method of spiritual identity with the cross of Christ in the early church. The death of the perfect Jesus meant that his death exuded a positive energy in bringing to death or an end that which is unworthy. As a method of spiritual identity in the early church, it was how early Christians thwarted egotism and enabled them to live together in peace and love in a redeemed community. The actual death of Jesus was converted in the church as making one's life a "living sacrifice" or a dying of separatist ego states so that abundant community life could prevail.
Aphorism of the Day, September 2, 2017
The confession of Peter regarding Jesus being Messiah and Son of God is presented as an example that one can confess things that one does not fully understand. An aspect of the Petrine confession reveals the definitional difference of the Messiah from two different paradigms. One paradigm defined the Messiah as a triumphant king who would restore the autonomy of Israel, another defined the Messiah using the Suffering Servant motif found in the prophet Isaiah. They are radically different notions though in apocalyptic Christianity they are reconciled with the confession of a future returning Messiah in the more Davidic kingly conquering mode. So the Christian messianic identity is constituted by the Messiah being manifest first as Suffering Servant with the post-resurrection appearances of Christ being the Kingly proof of a future return in the persuasive kingly mode. It perhaps is a limitation of the messianic to limit messianic manifestation to either Suffering Servant or Returning Conqueror. The messianic is discovering where God is "anointing" activities of love and justice, always, already in our human experience.
Aphorism of the Day, September 1, 2017
The theology of the cross was the spiritual practice of identity with the death of Jesus as a method of reconstituting the interior life by ending unworthy personal habits of mind, spirit and body. This method was instantiated in the Gospel oracle words of Jesus to "take up one's cross," and to "die to the previous state of the "soul-self/pseuche."" Even when martyrdom was a distinct possibility, it does not make literal sense for Jesus or the disciples to be promoting actual pursuit of actual dying on the cross. Why would one seek the spectacle of Roman crucifixion as a positive way of validating one's faith? Such would be macabre indeed. In the post-resurrection community, the cross of Jesus was rehabilitated as a totemic identity in the formation of the spiritual practice of members who sought to know the interdiction of a Higher Power in ending idolatry in all forms of slavish addictions.
