Clarion: Journal of Spirituality and Justice

Revenge, Rizpah & a Redemptive Reading (2 Samuel 21:1-14) - Shawna Lucas

Within the biblical Davidic narrative is an account that is not only out of context chronologically, but an account that seems out of context with the message of a Hebrew God who is “slow to anger and abounding in mercy” (Exod 34:6). The text of 2 Samuel 21:1-14 is, at first glance, the story of the human sacrifice of seven men to appease God’s wrath and end a famine. Such an archaic bloodthirsty deity does not seem to be the same God revealed in Jesus Christ.

This essay will attempt to examine this first testament scripture with a Christocentric lens, concluding with reflections on how Christ is revealed figuratively and prophetically in this narrative. God-the-Father and God-the-Son are not to be found in the violence of this passage but are seen counteracting the violence that is present by continually encouraging interactions that are both righteous and just. With that understanding, this historical narrative then elucidates the need for violence and retribution in the crucifixion event as a human demand and not a divine one.

Background

This Davidic story is part of an appendix at the end of 2 Samuel which includes four stories and two poems, interrupting the chronological narrative between 2 Samuel 20, and the first 2 chapters of Kings, which conclude the story of David. It is a hard story to place chronologically with the details provided, but it is assumed David’s interactions with the Gibeonites likely took place near the beginning of David’s kingship, probably between 2 Samuel 8-9 (Tony W. Cartledge, 1 & 2 Samuel, 635).

Bible readers first meet the Gibeonites in Joshua 9 where the Gibeonites are concerned the advancing Hebrew army will annihilate them. Although they have a history in the land, they deceptively dress up as travelers and ask for Israelite protection. Joshua, motivated by compassion, grants this protection with a covenant. 2 Samuel 21 is the first time the reader learns of Saul’s unjust attack on the Gibeonites. To summarize, a foreign tribe (Gibeonites), brought under the protection of Israel, through deceit, are wronged by one king (Saul). They make a claim for retribution through the next king (David) and are granted it.

CLICK HERE to download and read PDF - Shawna Lucas - 2 Samuel 21_1-14

Boris Pasternak, Doctor Zhivago, and Thomas Merton - Ron Dart

Part I

Joy and woe are woven fine
A clothing for the soul divine…
And when this we rightly know
Through the world we safely go.

—William Blake, “Auguries of Innocence”

The year 2020 signals both the sixtieth year since Boris Pasternak died and the one hundred thirtieth year since he was born (1890-1960). There is much to the literary and political life in the midst of Stalinist Russia that Pasternak endured and wrote about, but this two-part article will focus on Pasternak himself, his epic novel, Doctor Zhivago, and Thomas Merton.                                

In the 1980s I was on staff with Amnesty International and for a time was chairperson of Group 1 Amnesty International in Canada. When Amnesty International began in 1961, the organization had adopted a variety of Prisoners of Conscience (POC) and one of the women highlighted in Persecution 1961 was Olga Ivinskaya (1912-1995). Ivinskaya has been seen by many as the Larissa (Lara) character in Doctor Zhivago, just as Ivinskaya’s daughter, Irina, can be seen as Larissa’s daughter, Katya. The fact that Olga Ivinskaya played a significant role in getting Doctor Zhivago published in English in 1958 meant she was suspect by the Russian State and the KGB. When Pasternak died in 1960, Ivinskaya was arrested and given an eight-year prison sentence and her daughter a shorter sentence. Irina was released from prison in 1962 and Olga in 1964. It was not until 1988 that Gorbachev rehabilitated Ivinskaya’s reputation.

The ongoing relationship between the novel Doctor Zhivago and reality has been told from various angles, including Olga Ivinskaya’s own book, A Captive of Time: My Years with Pasternak (1978), and in a more updated version, Lara: The Untold Love Story and the Inspiration for Doctor Zhivago by Anna Pasternak (2017). Moscow has Ears Everywhere: New Investigations on Pasternak and Ivinskaya by Paolo Mancosu (2019) is another treatment of the subject. There are decided points of convergence and overlap between Doctor Zhivago and Pasternak’s layered life. But to the novel I now turn.

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This article was first posted in Radix Magazine

Georgia Lee – Psalm 22: The God of Advent Peace - Cherith Fee Nordling

Psalm 22

My God, my God
why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?

My God, I cry out by day, 
but you do not answer,
by night but I find no rest.

In you our ancestors put our trust,
they trusted you and were saved,
in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

But I am a worm and not a human being,
I am scorned by everyone,
despised by the people.

All who see me mock me,
they hurl insults, shaking their heads,
"He trusts in the Lord," they say.

"Let the Lord rescue him, 
let him deliver him since he delights in him."

Yet you brought me out of the womb,
you made me feel secure on my mother's breast.
From birth I was cast on you, from my mother's womb,
you have been my God. 

Do not be far from me,
and trouble is near and there is 
no one to help.

I am poured out like water 
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax, 
it has melted within me,
a pack of villains encircles me,

they pierce my hands and my feet.
All my bones are on display;

people stare and gloat over me.
They divide my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment. 

But you, Lord,
do not be far from me.
You are my strength;
come quickly to help.

Deliver me from the sword,
my precious life from the
power of the dogs.

Rescue me
from the mouth of lions;
save me from the horns
of the wild oxen.

I will declare your name to my people;
in the assembly I will praise you. 

Polly & Georgia Lee

In the early 1990s, when our boys were in grade school and we were living south of San Francisco, a 12-year-old girl named Polly went missing from her home an hour or so north of the city, in a little town called Petaluma. Because Petaluma was also Winona Ryder’s hometown, she helped galvanize the search effort for Polly which garnered nation-wide attention. Polly’s face was seen by millions, including Robert and I, who were caught up in her story—and who mourned her death weeks later.

About 4 years passed and again on the outskirts of Petaluma another 12-year-old girl went missing. This time, however, no one noticed. Like Polly, Georgia Lee was beautiful, intelligent, and loved by her friends. But that's where the similarities ended. Unlike Polly, Georgia was poor. And Black. And without a father. She was a surrogate parent both to her little sister and her unstable mother – that is, until a male predator moved into the house, and Georgia began leaving it out of self-preservation.

On the day she didn’t come home at all, no one reported her missing.

Two weeks later, a neighbor saw a little blurb in the paper; an unidentified body had been found along the highway. It occurred to her that she hadn’t seen Georgia for a while, so the neighbor shared her fears with the police. Tragically, her fears were soon realized.

At Georgia Lee’s memorial service, Tom Waits and his wife sat in the back row. They were struck by the equal horror and sorrow—and the profoundly unequal attention and concern—that surrounded the lives and deaths and grief of these two young girls. So, they wrote the lament we just heard on Georgia’s behalf, crying out to God, and to us, from hearts tuned toward justice; justice, which, in Hebrew, is the word most often paralleled, even synonymous, with shalom, or peace.

[see lyrics here]

Advent & Lament

During advent, peace is one of the four pillars – and candles - set ablaze in the light of Jesus. Here, in this shelter, we are also given safe space to lament, to cry out to, and with God, for ourselves and our wounded world. Because the feet of those who stand and shout God’s good news of peace are only lovely when they also stand against injustice; with the God who has come to us in the flesh, embodying our lament and our final peace in his own life.

Violence and the Gospel - Metro-Abp George Khodr

Excerpt from “Violence and the Gospel" by Metropolitan Archbishop George (Khodr), Orthodox Archdiocese of Byblos and Botris, Church of Antioch, in Supplément de la vie Spirituelle.

"You have heard that it was said...

...but I say to you"

-Jesus the Christ, King, General, Supreme Ruler of all that is, dead man.

"When the soul is invaded by the thirst for blood, faith gives way to ideology. The religious vocabulary is maintained but the words change their content. The hieratic society that empties the name of God of all content practices a horrible paganism. "God" becomes just a word used to express the will to power and the religious symbol becomes a sign of terror. In this way God can ultimately be transformed first into a concept, and then into an idol. Our faith in God at that point is based on this idolatrous foundation. It is now God who scatters death among our enemies, not us. Holiness gives way to heroism: the warrior is holy, salvation through combat on behalf of God.

There is no possible path from the warrior-God of Exodus and Joshua to the God of Jesus Christ. That monstrous image cannot be made acceptable. I refuse to attribute the wars waged by Israel to the divine will. Otherwise we get trapped in the morality of means, making death an instrument of life, and the destruction of various peoples becomes a condition of faith. God, whose name, presence, truth and unicity are love [agape], cannot lend Himself to the massacres perpetrated by Joshua son of Nun. The God Sabaoth [of armies], in the service of Israel and its hegemony over the land of Canaan, only reflects the thirst for conquest of a confederation of Semitic tribes, a spirit that is totally foreign to the unfailingly loving nature of the One who is God and rules history in all its developments.

If everything was consummated on the cross, the ultimate truth about God is a truth of love. If Christ is the revealer and locus of divine discourse, He presents himself, in His life and death, as the only exegete of Scripture and its sole reference point. Therefore, God was not the author of the sufferings of Canaan and of conquered peoples when Joshua commanded armies. He who will later bear the same name as Joshua [Joshua=Yeshua=Jesus] was already, in his precedence to Abraham ["Before Abraham was, I am."], on the side of the victim, Isaac.

I will pass quickly over the history of Christian peoples in their justification of violence. "Holy wars" were led against "infidels" by various Christian sovereigns. It is not my intention to discuss the idea of just war in Augustine and Thomas Aquinas. I don't believe that Christian reflection on this theme has ever been as perverted as in Byzantium, where each morning every Orthodox Church in the world sings: "God save our people and bless our heritage. Give our pious emperor victory over the barbarians." How could the Church, for so many centuries confuse the cause of Christ with that of the Empire, and later of all the Orthodox kingdoms? How could it affirm in its liturgy that the Cross is the power of the emperor?

It is out of an interior strength that one can renounce the use of force and of every form of domination. That is the liberating knowledge to which the meek of heart bear witness, in imitation of the One of whom it is written: "He will not brawl or cry out, his voice is not heard in the streets, he will not break the crushed reed, or snuff the faltering wick" (Mt 12:19-20; see Isaiah 42:3-4). Jesus' Way, already described in the Suffering Servant Song of Isaiah, reflects the very behavior of Yahweh—kenosis.

We do not sufficiently realize that murder springs from the heart, that no evil is external, and that violence is simply the forthright expression of the vanity of tribes who cannot recognize God's face in the other. A Christian people, whose heart has been converted to the Holy Face and which lives the kenosis of the face of God, may in fidelity to the absolute never produce anything spectacular in this world, but simply transmit the words that have been said to it. Carrying the cross of Jesus in obedience to the commandment of love, it will bear witness, in the darkness of history, to the truth of Jesus, the eternal Passover."

JESUS WAS A VICTIM OF EMPIRE... Wayne Northey

JESUS WAS A VICTIM OF EMPIRE.
ACKNOWLEDGING THIS SHOULD TRANSFORM CHRISTIANITY.

Christianity would be transformed the world over, should the ultimacy of this realization take hold. But history shows that we keep losing our way–and far worse! So we ever must keep rediscovering Jesus over against Empire for the very first time!

American Empire is of course prime exemplar of this kind of brutal Empire: extension since its founding in fact of the brutal British Empire, especially in its twin original sins of slavery and indigenous genocide. American Empire has always and supremely been about “plundering, butchering, and stealing”, “the sack of cities, the rape of populations, pyramids of bones, acres of desolation (Novelist J.M. Coetzee in Waiting for the Barbarians (1980, p. 133))”, leaving “desolation”, “destruction and misery and death” in its wake (while calling it “peace and freedom”–Roman historian Tacitus). America has ever been in a voracious bid for domination of others (since World War II worldwide), in order to extract maximum wealth from all peoples and the Planet.

We first-world non-Americans, such as in Canada, through our multiple military alliances and multitudinous economic intertwinings, are no less complicit and therefore guilty. Nick Turse’s 2009 publication, The Complex: How the Military Invades our Everyday Lives while focussing on America, is no less the case for all in the West. And of course, as in Nigeria discussed in the article highlighted, a similar complex is ubiquitous in nation-states and international systems of all kinds.

Our call is to practice insurrection against Empire in all its avaricious, brutal, and horribly destructive ways. (No small order is of course hopeless understatement!)

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Reconsidering Mary, Mother of our Lord Jesus - Elizabeth Feeley

Reconsidering Mary, Mother of our Lord Jesus

Over the years, many have asked my position regarding the Blessed Virgin Mary. It lies somewhere between the extremes of those who disregard her completely and those who view her as God.

I do not pray to her as many of my Roman Catholic and Anglo-Catholic friends do.  Nor do I regard her as of no account except for the Christmas story.  Her life and testimony have often been a comfort to me, as with many of the other saints.  I think a lot of the question centers around the issue of the difference between veneration and worship.  Many blur the lines and as such enter into idolatry.

Mary herself had no such confusion. When informed that the Lord God had assigned her to an incredibly difficult task, and called her blessed, she asked for clarity. She did not point out the effect that this would have on her reputation, and possibly her survival. We are only told of one person, who both recognized her pregnancy and her innocence – her cousin Elizabeth, another woman of God. Even Joseph speculated about her conduct and how he was to protect the royal lineage.

 Both my bachelors degree and first Masters were done in a former Roman Catholic university.  Unfortunately, it became apostate before I attended.  Those of us who still held to the Christian faith, whether Roman Catholic or Protestant, banded together to encourage one another.  Many others on campus were nominal Catholics.  I found their perceptions difficult to accept.  They lacked an understanding of both the Holy Scriptures and their own traditions.  A number of them believed in praying to Mary because they were afraid to pray to our Lord Jesus Christ.  For them, she was reduced to a convenient surrogate. They told me that I did not understand because I wasn't Roman Catholic.  The arrogance perplexed me, and I wrestled with the sadness of their situation.  

How can our hearts burn with love for God when we refuse to accept his forgiveness of our sin? How can we partake in the Holy Eucharist and not be overwhelmed by His grace? Finally, I decided I would go and see one of the local priests. The first man I found was only interested in speaking to me if I wanted to convert, be baptized, married or buried.  He had no time to discuss issues of the faith.  I went away discouraged. 

Time passed and I continued to deal with the problems on campus. I decided to try again.  This time, a much younger priests spoke with me.  I told him that I was not interested in converting, nor in trying to convert him, but just wanted to discuss matters of our faith.  This time I found someone who was open. I asked question after question.  I put before him things that I regarded as being unorthodox that were nevertheless asserted by the students who claimed to hold the true faith.  Finally, he looked at me and asked, "where did you get all this?  It is so far out in left field!"  I told him that I had learned these things from Roman Catholic students on campus.  Clearly, these matters grieved his heart as well. That conversation had been very affirming for me.  My only regret was that the “higher-ups” transferred him and I was not able to talk with him again.  But I have known many others, devout lovers of God, who remain part of the Roman Catholic Church.

How does this affect my view of Mother Mary?  First of all, as a devout Jew, I doubt that she would accept many of the trappings that are thrown around about her.  I appreciate her.  Not only as the gutsy young woman who willing said yes to God, and put her life and reputation on the line, but also as the mature woman who stood publicly by the cross, heartbroken, but faithful to what she saw as the end. 

She disappears from the pages of Scripture. Only legend tells us of her role in the early Church.  But if she were living with John, we can be assured that she was active.  I am glad that we do not know exactly how, because it would probably have been perverted into a cage for how women should be.  Instead, women need to be encouraged to follow Mary’s resilient example of faithfulness. 

Years ago, I knew a woman named Bonnie.  She was married to a pastor and had three children.  She herself had a deep love for God and to watch her during worship was to see a thing of real beauty.  My husband and I often looked after their children when they went out of town.  She developed cancer but believed in the depths of her heart that the Lord could hear and heal her.  When she and her husband decided to return to their home state, one of the other pastors said to me, privately, "she has gone home to die."  Both she and her husband have since died. 

Years later, when I was recovering from cancer, very weak and sometimes oscillating between one place and another, I had a sense one day, of Bonnie celebrating in worship before the throne of God.  My immediate response was, "and if you have time, pray for me too." In that moment, I understood how the custom of praying to the saints had developed. 

Barriers, although present have crumbled. We have within us a sense of the continuity of the Church Universal.  Death no longer holds us in fear.  Instead, we feel a oneness with that great cloud of witnesses that surrounds us.  And yes, I see Mary is an important part of the heavenly throng.

I give thanks for Mary, for this incredible woman tasked with parenting our Lord. Did she always get things right? No. But she remained faithful to her God. She persevered. And in spite of all the difficulties, there is no mention of her ever complaining.

Alan Dyck - Hopeful Encounters in a Very Covid Advent

Alan Dyck, a carpenter (of course!) based in Vancouver, shares an authentic word of hope in this very Covid advent. His ability to see God in the little things is beautifully reminiscent of St. Terese of Lisieux (God's little flower): a simple and practical spirituality rooted in and attentive to real life. Addressed to the congregation of First Baptist in Vancouver, his 4-minute message speaks light to ALL. Alan is also a brother-in-law to Brad Jersak.

"Are we there yet?" - Advent Meditation by Karina Loewen

“Are we there yet?”

Anyone who has kids or has been a kid can relate to this feeling - to this question. Right?

The advent theme from the Carmelite tradition for week three is journeying.

I’m glad it isn’t the first or the last theme, but rather right smack in the messy middle. 

All journeys seem to be, and I’m gonna say - at least 20 percent too long.  There almost always reaches a point where you swear (sometimes literally) that you are never going to get there. 

Kids aren’t wrong for asking - they’re just honest. 

Needs arise that we need to share. I need to pee. I need a Gravol. I need a snack. I need to stop and rest. Our vulnerabilities get exposed on a journey.  

Another thing about journeys: they come loaded with expectations. We have an idea about how long it should take to get there. We think we know who will be there with us through the excursion and who will meet us at the end. We tell ourselves that if we just plan enough, nothing unexpected will happen.

But life teaches us over and over again - journeys are the perfect place for the unexpected. It’s not happy surprises like a stunning view, accidentally winning a lottery or finding a great shortcut that throws us off. No, it’s the darker than I thought, longer than I thought, harder than I thought moments that make it seem impossible. It’s breakthroughs that didn’t happen and breakdowns and breakups that I never thought could happen that make it so hard. Journeys are rooted in the unexpected. 

Think about Mary for a moment. The top banana angel comes and invites her on a life-altering journey. And she consents. She says yes because she gets a revelation of where this is going.  Read the Magnificat and put aside every thought of a quiet, subservient, little mouse-woman.  Hear the woman of valour and virtue, the prophet - the one who will be full of the fire of the Christ child and yet not consumed.  Talk about a powerful woman. And while she said yes to the pregnancy and that excitingly nauseous adventure-  she had to know that she was also saying yes to being misunderstood.  To being accused of things she had never done, never thought, or never said. She says yes, by faith, to something she had never had experienced or wanted for herself. Do you want to know where Jesus learned to say yes to hard things? From the cradle to the cross - look no further than his Mom.  Mary made the way for him by walking the journey first.

Mary can show us the way today as well. Mary knew that she needed traveling companions to make it through this journey. When she said yes to her pregnancy, she went straight to Joseph and told him the truth about her life, her body, her spiritual experience and he believed her! Who do we need to tell the truth about our journey? Who’s journey do we need to believe, even if we can’t understand? 

Next, she connected with Elizabeth, a few steps ahead of her on a surprise pregnancy journey. Who can you ask to hold space and see what you are going through? Who can you reach out to and say - I’ve been there (or I haven't been there), and I’ll walk with you, we will make it through together.

Maybe you feel like you are all alone.  It’s hard to know who to reach out to. Can I remind you of the "prodigal" story? When the son was a long way off - he lifted his head and could see the Father running towards him to meet him on his journey. I picture him running so the son could tangibly feel the love in that dreaded twenty-percent-too-long home stretch. The love had been with the son for the whole journey, even when he couldn’t see it. Now it was made visible, incarnate, present. If you feel alone, I invite you to close your eyes and look down the road with your heart.  See LOVE running towards you. You are not alone.

I imagine almost all of you are on a journey that has thrown you for a loop.  Honestly - who in the whole world is isn’t right now?  Take a moment and just acknowledge the paths you are navigating.

Maybe you kind of expected it, or maybe it’s knocked you for a loop. Maybe both. Perhaps you don’t know how it’s going to resolve, yet. That can be tough. Let’s keep looking out for ways we can give one another a sense of togethering on the journey. A text, a call, a contactless door-drop. Because we have a lot of unknown unknowns ahead of us, and if we are going to flourish and find the way, it’s going to be best if we journey together. Maybe we will even see beautiful vistas and breathtaking views we didn’t anticipate.  Anything could happen and it probably will. 

Together is better. So let’s virtually link arms and remember this old proverb as we say yes to whatever  journey is in front of us: 

If you want to get there fast, go alone.

But If you want to far, go together.

Ron Dart - "Erasmus: Christian Humanist/Literary Primate of 16th century"

Ron Dart on The Absurdist Podcast - Culture Wars, Hierarchies vs Egalitarianism

In which Ron Dart reasons with a right-wing commentator, critiquing the ideologues' (right or left) oversimplification (gnostic) and misread of history for their own ends.

Love is the Ultimate Expression of "the Prophetic" - Andre Lefebvre

LOVE - IS THE ULTIMATE EXPRESSION OF THE "PROPHETIC"

From time to time a word, a song, a hymn, a picture will trigger a resonance inside and bring me to bow down inwardly to catch a divine drift, to pause and whisper a prayer. That is why I believe in the prophetic nature of artistic expression, it speaks to the heart mostly without words. Yet we sense that "we get it."

But I don't believe that God consistently - DAILY - talks to someone else about my life and relationships, with new directions, Bible verse slogans, teasing me with promises of prosperity or political victories "if only." Nor do I believe it is healthy to be constantly measuring my spiritual journey against so-called prophetic words published by so-called prophetic ministries.

But I have witnessed the birth of a "prophetic industry" producing so-called ministries (what they mean by "ministry" often relates to being a non-profit teaching outfit and fundraising business) that foster to the expectation of "hearing from God," personal oracles supposed to help on the journey.

What ends up happening over time, is that these act as a substitution to the voice of the Spirit in us, in favor of a "quick fix" voice of the very spirit that is driving these people. Which voice are we then following? They use trigger words and trendy topic to attract those interested in "going deeper with God." I believe it is a monumental mistake to enable these merchants of wind. I have seen people be so addicted to these that they consult their favorite "oracles" multiple times daily, as well as the oracles of other ministries they consider reliable.

A Place to Stand - Eric H. Janzen

What a year. What a crazy, tumultuous year! I could spend a lot of words describing this past year but I know I don’t need to. We all know. In one way or another, every one of us has reached the crest of a wind-driven wave and followed the falling curl into the foaming waters below. We’ve felt the crashing currents tugging us one way then pushing us another way. Into the midst of all the storms of reality, competing voices have risen on so many soapboxes that you can become dizzy trying to follow them all.

If you are like me you’ve spent more than one time of prayer looking to Abba and crying out, “What!? Why!? When are you going to do something? How are you going to deal with this?” And those questions can apply to so many things—not just the Covid-19 pandemic. If you’re reading this, I’m sure you can think of all the areas where your prayers of lament and—let’s be honest—complaining apply. I don’t think there is anything wrong with lamenting or complaining to Abba. In fact, the way God so graciously and patiently listens to me when I pour out the frustrations in my heart is one way He shows me the depth of His love.

Today, I received some good news after three days of not knowing whether it would be good or not. It could have been terrible news. Yet, it wasn’t and I was able to take a deep, relieved breath. One more storm navigated. One more challenge is overcome. Through it all, Jesus faithfully sat with me lending me peace and comfort as I did my best to keep my focus on Him and not my circumstance. At times, I am good at that. At other times, I struggle. Even in the moments when my heart raced a little more than usual, Jesus drew near. I could hear him saying, “I am with you in this. I am right here.” I saw Him sitting on a rock, calm and at peace…no hint of worry on his face. What a comfort that picture has been for me the last few days. This is the true blessing of hearing His voice.

Q&R with Brad Jersak - "I struggle with prayers to the Mother of Jesus"

Question:

 

Hi Brad, I'm wondering if you would point me to some articles or resources that might help me better understand the prayers to the Theotokos ["Mother of God"]. As a pastor whose entire upbringing and training has been in the Evangelical church, I struggle most with any prayers directed toward the Mother of Jesus. 

 

Response:

 

When I think of Orthodox prayers to the Theotokos, some separate puzzle pieces come to mind that bear thinking about. Which pieces you use and how you assemble them is going to be personal to you.

Puzzle Piece 1 - John 19:25-27

And standing by the Cross of Jesus his mother, and the sister of his mother, Mary, the wife of Clopas, and Mary, the Magdalene. Jesus, therefore, seeing his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing by, said to his mother: “Woman, behold thy son.” Then, he said to the disciple “Behold thy mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own [home].

The historic/apostolic tradition understood this passage to mean that Christ gave his mother to become the mother of his church family. At other times (as in Shepherd of Hermes), Mary also represents the church itself, which serves as a mother to individual disciples. But the point is that the legitimate felt-need for a 'Mother God' in Protestant Progressive movements would be redundant for Orthodox and Catholic believers who already know the love of a mother in the Theotokos. They believe Christ himself directly gifted her to us for that very purpose. How we see this passage is a major puzzle piece in our theology of Theotokos.

 

Puzzle Piece 2 - "Prayer" and "Mediation" 

 

It's important to understand what Orthodox and Catholic believers mean by "pray" in its ancient English form, which simply refers to making a request. Think Shakespeare. "I pray thee." Pray in this sense is something we do all the time, particularly if we are sending out "prayer requests." I ask friends and family and even strangers to pray for me all the time. Granted, I am more likely to ask my wife to pray for me than most other people I know because of her love for me and her track record of faith-filled, fervent and effective prayers (cf. James 5). If I ask Eden to pray for me, I am not denying my own direct access to God. I can ask God for myself. So why do I invite her to join her prayers to mine? I don't know how it 'works' but I do see the apostles modeling that same request to their congregations (e.g. Eph. 6). And so we invoke help in presenting our requests to God. Pretty normal. 

 

So why would we not invoke the prayers of the Theotokos who is (a) alive, (b) with Christ, (c) has an earthly track record of making bold requests of him, (d) and is now glorified with divinized capacities to minister as an intercessor? To seek out the best makes sense to me and who has ever modeled a greater combination of surrender and boldness before God (Father, Son, and Spirit) than Mary? 

 

The fact that Mary is a living person (we believe she's alive, right?) who continues to intercede for the saints (as we all should) shouldn't stumble us, but somehow, Protestants got fixated on the problem of mediation. Paul said, "We have one mediator between God and man--the man Christ Jesus." True! But apparently, his unique mediation does not exclude intercession by a concerned third party mother at the Throne of Grace, nor does it disqualify any of us from ministering on God's behalf to his children. We have one mediator but many intercessors before God and many ministers from God.      

 

Puzzle Piece 3 - "Save us" 

 

When I chant hymns to the Theotokos, what I notice first is that they are primarily Christological affirmations that assert the deity of Jesus Christ. The whole reason we call Mary the Theotokos was a refutation of Arianism. The human Son in her womb is also fully God. So we call her the Temple, the Holy of Holies, and the Ark of the Covenant for this reason: to proclaim that the One who she bore in her womb is none other than the Shekinah Glory of God, the Living Torah, the Living Manna, the budding Staff of Aaron. As Christological affirmations that simultaneously fulfill the angelic call to bless the Virgin, I enjoy singing them.

 

That said, when I first chanted hymns to Mary from the hymnal we call the Octoechos, I found some of them jarring as they called on her to "save us." We have one Savior ... and so does Mary. The Virgin bore her own Savior. But I habitually think of salvation exclusively in its capital S soteriological sense. But again, there's a language issue. If we can just comprehend how God employs many servant-ministers to help us, to rescue us, to 'save' us when we are in dire straights, then we don't need to become confused or offended when we ask for Mary's help. To ask for her help or your help IS to ask for God's help embodied in his willing helpers.

 

I was once on the verge of drowning and called out to my friend Bob Ekblad to stretch out his hand to save me. Oddly, God did not seem to feel slighted, nor did Bob rebuff me for heresy. In fact, God actually seemed to empower Bob to save me. "Prayers" (requests) for the Theotokos to "save (help) us" are nothing more (and nothing less) than spiritual 9-1-1 calls to our loving mother. I've had a lifetime of making regular calls to my earthly mom, Irene Jersak, invoking her prayers and her help. Likewise, I'm grateful for a heavenly mom whom God dispatches on request. 

 

Still, on occasion, I read an odd hymn that is simply over the top. To read some of these hymns (very few) literally does seem idolatrous to me. To be generous, I could just read it as the poetic excess of an overzealous, adoring child of Mary. I've noticed that some such hymns are (1) clearly not as ancient, (2) smack of Mariolatry, (3) or obviously and inappropriately hyperbolic. I shake my head and move on, just as I move on in Protestant worship services when the songs spout heresies of God's wrath being poured out on Jesus or the Father having to turn his head away. Sometimes hymnographers screw up. It happens.    

 

Puzzle Piece 4 - Experiencing Mary

 

I had a great chat with Fr. Michael Gillis (a wise Antiochian archpriest) when I was first asking the same questions. His advice was something like this: don't give too much energy worrying about Mary until you experience her. When it's time, God may grant you a spiritual experience that involves her, makes sense to you and clears the path for the rest of these questions. In other words, the topic of Mary shifts once you meet her. Happily, in my case, prior to my move to Orthodoxy, I had already encountered her in the context of an inner healing moment. It's a long story but the punchline is that "little Bradley" (a child part of me) was feeling lost and scared. As fixed my eyes fixed on his voice, I felt him putting me in his mom's arms. I felt her holding me close and I felt her intense motherly love pour an indescribable balm of solace into my soul. The Beatles' "Let It Be" and the Catholic Rosary Prayer flooded through my mind:

 

"Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. [Yes, Jesus is with her, and therefore with me].
Blessed art thou amongst women, [As we read in Luke's Gospel]
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. [Because he is the point]
Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, [Inviting her intercession]
Now and at the hour of our death. Amen." [As every 'letting go' is a tiny death].

 

And I so I came to understand Jesus welcome my invocations to Mary by experience.

But I also knew to continue holding my focus on Jesus' face, even while six-year-old Bradley relaxed back into Mama's healing arms. 

 

All that to say, don't worry about it. Keep your focus on Christ just as Mary does. Pope John Paul II's corrective to Catholic Maryolatry was simple: When you come to the Throne of the Grace, set your gaze on Jesus Christ. Don't be surprised if you see her at his throne, too. But if you see her, don't be distracted. Rather, let her disciple you by emulating her unwavering gaze on the Son of God.

 

And if he wants to give her to you personally--to say, "Behold, your mother,"just as when he gave her to John the Beloved--he'll get to it at just the right time for you.

 

But I will repeat this reminder and clarify: the impulse or longing in our heart for Mother God is holy. I experienced it when reading Paul Young's The Shack. To experience the Mother heart of God is a divine gift. Receive it! But also, understand how for the 'Mother

Church Tradition,' the Mother heart of God is most often experienced through the divinized empathy and affection of Jesus' own precious mom, whom he so generously shared with us from his Cross.

Consent & Participation in Democracy & Theology - Brad Jersak

“Let the Process Play Out”?

In a recent podcast from the pollsters at FiveThirtyEight.com, Galen Druke asked Clare Malone (the senior politics writer) about the values and dangers of a “Let the process play out” stance on court challenges to the 2020 American election. Her response was telling:

“What Divided the Electorate in 2020,” Fivethirtyeight.com (11-16-2020)

Galen Druke: “They’ve said, ‘Let’s let the process play out. President Trump has the right to bring these legal challenges, etc.’ and in some ways giving credibility to these conspiracy theories surrounding voter fraud instead of saying ‘all the secretaries of state said that this an election that has been conducted with integrity, a secure election, etc.’ Are there any long-term problems for small-d democracy in the broader Republican apparatus not forcefully rebutting this?”   

Clare Malone

Clare Malone: “For sure. Even though we all know to read through the lines that ‘he should get security briefings’ means ‘we think he won the election,’ there’s a big difference between saying that and saying, ‘He won the election; let’s move on.’” It’s not a healthy sign, it’s not a good thing. This is not me saying American democracy is over, but it is me saying, “In order to stay healthy, you eat well and exercise.” This is people, like, smashing hamburgers and shooting heroin into their veins.”

Later in the podcast, Clare Malone goes on to describe the essential problem as the necessity of consent in a democratic social contract, which I’ll restate and expand on here:

Consent & Participation: Essential to Democracy  

Political Science Fact: Consent is an essential pillar of small-d democracy. Refusal of candidates to concede an election is not merely an exercise in bad sportsmanship. It breaks a central feature of the social contract—rule by consent. Yes, we must do everything possible to ensure fair and legal elections. But opting to battle election results in court, based on unfounded claims of voter fraud, is not consent. Even when the losing party loses the election a second time in court, the ‘consent fundamental’ has still been effectively removed and democracy is crippled. Without consent, elections become just another form of coercion and there’s nothing exceptional about that.

Further, without consent, the outcomes of the election move from the electorate to the courts. In the worst case, the courts may overrule the will (participation) of the people. And even in the best case, the decision to confirm or veto the will of the electorate is still relocated to the judiciary. Participation of the people is subordinated to decisions by the gavel. Surely that is not what the founders imagined.  

One American commentator said to me, “We’ve reached the point where more than half of Republicans are just about ready to say it out loud: ‘We don’t give a damn about democracy.” That’s to be expected when one’s primary aim and political platform is reduced to securing power (by admission). At the very least, it’s a revisioning of democracy without consent, a phenomenon in other nations that Americans have historically called out, as in Russia and Iran for instance.

Please note carefully: democracy in America does not turn on whether Biden or Trump ‘won.’ What matters here is whether whoever loses (Trump, in this case) is willing to play their role to maintain democratic consent by willingly conceding. We see in retrospect why it was so important for Al Gore to concede to George Bush despite the kafuffle around Florida recounts in 2000. Gore’s concession meant that Bush’s presidency and American democracy were ultimately consensual. That didn’t happen this time.¹ And now it can’t—because even if President Trump concedes after losing in court, it’s no longer conceding by consent. It’s a downgrade for sure—so obvious to the rest of the world—but if that’s the future she chooses, we’ll have to accept and adapt to America’s new political reality. We’ll be okay.

Consent & Participation: Essential to Theology

Sadly, a (the?) dominant force in the erosion of democracy in the U.S.A. has come via the efforts of American(ized) Christianity to marry politics with faith. I think FiveThirtyEight saw this but what follows are my own conclusions.

 

Paula White

Yes, please, let your faith guide your political choices with integrity and truth. But when the President’s ‘spiritual advisor’ prophesies that God told her angels have been dispatched from Africa and South America to change election results—that victory has already been secured in the heavenlies—we’ve entered Christian voodoo territory. It’s a partisan political appeal to divine sovereignty sans the crucial (literally) doctrine of divine consent, and therefore a critical crack in Christianity’s theological foundations.  

 

How do consent and participation figure into Christian theology or our political theology? Simone Weil and George Grant (both political philosophers) saw the Cross as a revelation of divine consent and participation:

• The Cross reminds us of God’s consent in creation, making kenotic space for authentic otherness. Creation itself is a manifestation of “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

• Thus, God consents to the reality of secondary causes, including natural law and human freedom, without direct interference in the shadow sides of tragedy and evil … or elections.

• At the Cross God even consents to our defiance as we reject and crucify Jesus Christ (or truth and justice) even while harnessing the great crime of deicide for our redemption.

• At the Cross (and really, beginning with Gethsemane), we see Christ consent to the will of his Father in drinking the cup of affliction for our sake, bearing the worst of human history in himself (to become the Lord of history).

• At the Cross, we come to the end of ourselves, fall to our knees and consent to the healing grace that flows from the wounds of Christ.

• The Cross reveals God as far different from that of the Deists who penned the Constitution. This is the crucified God who fully participates in the human condition, undergoing our limitations, our injustice, and even our death.

• The Cross reveals the path of redemption that calls not only for our consent but also our full participation in his project (‘the kingdom of God’)—God’s rule and reign by love (i.e. consent and participation) rather than by coercion.

In the end, it’s no surprise that when a nation-state becomes a global empire, we would inevitably see slippage away from democracy by consent and participation into partisan will-to-power. It may be disappointing, but apart from historical amnesia, not unexpected. But for Christianity itself to stray from the cruciform theology of consent and participation into theocratic delusions is simply tragic—and as I’ve said elsewhere, attaching Jesus' name to such ambitions is blasphemous.

It may be odd, then, to hear a word of hope. But those willing to acknowledge and abandon the lose-lose cul-de-sacs into which our culture has wandered may still find an exit. Alternative paths may present themselves, but they will look nothing like the powerplays of spectrum ideology or bastardized faith. Personally, I’m watching for cues from those on the margins who embody the Beatitudes of Jesus. Here’s hoping.   

NOTES:

[1] Barry Richard—George Bush’s top Florida lawyer in the case that went to the Supreme Court—denies any claims that the current barrage of 30+ lawsuits in 6 different states are in any way similar to 2000. https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/politics/decision-2020/bush-v-gore-lawyers-2020-court-fight-is-not-similar-to-2000/2326866/.

Put Not Your Trust in Princes - Mike Neelley

Put not your trust in princes,

In a son of man, in whom there is no salvation…

 

Blessed is the one whose help is the God of Jacob,

Whose hope is in the Lord their God…

 

The Lord sets the prisoners free

The Lord opens the eyes of the blind

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down

The Lord loves the righteous

The Lord watches over the refugee

He upholds the widow and the fatherless

Psalm 146 (excerpts)

This is a clear call to not put our trust in human political leaders, the people in ruling power (princes).

It is easy to look at this Psalm and say, of course, we don’t put our trust in President Donald Trump or the Republican party. Many have been saying that, not just these past few weeks, but for four years. Yet, it should be equally true of President-Elect Joe Biden and the Democratic party. We are not to put our trust in them, either. We are not to lift them up as the ones to bring salvation.

The word salvation is important here. When we talk about salvation, we are not talking about political solutions. It is about our hearts, our spirits, our lives. It is about coming from death into life. It is about rescue from the rule of darkness. And that rule of darkness is still very operative on the earth and in our political system. When it comes to the deep, transforming work of salvation that God is about, there isn’t a political solution for this.

And we are not to put our trust in them.

To trust something or someone for salvation means to put our full weight on them to hold us. It means that we are looking to them as solid ground, an unshakeable foundation to stand on, to build on; the bedrock that will hold the weight of our lives, our loves, our passions, our fears and concerns, our cries for justice and salvation.

The truth is that no one who has been in power, no person or party, can do this. And when it comes to the things that are God’s priorities in this Psalm, no one has truly served or benefitted, let along saved, those who are the most vulnerable, the marginalized, those from the Struggle who live with their backs to the wall. Some people and parties do better than others, but even with a change in leadership, there is a lot of work to be done because all the oppressive systems are still in place, and because of the sin and brokenness of human hearts in a country that is split down the middle regarding what is good and right and true and important. And we are also a Church that is split down the middle on what they believe is at the heart of God.

One of the reasons why we are not to put our trust in princes is that they are a human and their plans don’t last; they come to nothing. Verse 4 tells us that human plans perish along with humans, whereas the Lord “remains faithful forever,” (v.6) and “will reign forever, to all generations.” (v.10)

Human plans, political platforms declaring what they will be about, don’t last, according to this. We saw that in 2016. After President Obama spent eight years putting his plans in place, President Trump came in and has sought to overturn and undo everything that President Obama did. Chances are good, once President-Elect Biden comes into office, that he will seek to undo much of what President Trump has put in place. Human plans perish. Say it with me – human plans perish.

This isn’t a new thing. It’s not an American thing or even a modern thing. Israel had a long history of having really bad kings who oppressed the poor, sacrificed their children and worshipped other gods, and then good kings who repented and sought to follow God and reform all that the bad kings had done. The psalm doesn’t say to put our trust in the good kings but not the bad ones. It tells us to not put our trust in either of them.

Why? Because they can’t compare to God. They can’t bring salvation. And God is our King. Their political platforms and promises and plans can’t compare with God’s. While human leaders may have some good plans, they are not all God’s plans.

In the American system, we see this. Because there are two parties, we feel we must choose between goods and evils, and then argue that our choice is, somehow, God’s choice. The truth is that while it is important for us to vote, no vote is clean. Both sides have problems.

No matter who is in power, we’ve got to be consistent with our critique of the empire, of capitalism, of oppressive systems that serve only those in power on both sides. People in power (princes) will always be about staying in power, but God’s platform is not about power. God’s platform is always about the powerless.

Let’s look at it.

God executes justice for the oppressed

God gives food to the hungry

The Lord sets the prisoners free

The Lord opens the eyes of the blind

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down

The Lord watches over the sojourner

He takes care of the widow and the orphan

This is a list of the most vulnerable in our society, those who are the most dependent on others for survival and help. Completely at the mercy of the systems. These are the ones who are often victimized rather than saved by those in power.

Who are the oppressed?

If it wasn’t clear to us before George Floyd, our black and brown brothers and sisters have been under the boot of oppression since this country was founded. While some progress has been made, we are not that far from the failed efforts at reconstruction of the South following the Civil War.

The light is being shone upon unjust systems that continually crush the poor. What we call our ‘justice system’ is actually unjust in that it is biased toward people with power, with money, and when you look at the sentencing in the “war on drugs,” biased against African-Americans. The injustice of that system includes outrageous court debt and bail systems that victimize the poor, and keep them under the oppression of debt all their days.

He lifts up those who are bowed down. What bows you down? What bends you over because of the weight you carry with you all day long? Debt. Fear. Anxiety and depression. Trauma. Mental illness. All these things weigh us down. And we see here that God is about protecting and lifting up these vulnerable, pressed down people who live in the Struggle.

The psalmist goes on to say, in verse 9, that the Lord watches over the stranger/sojourner. Who are the sojourners? The Hebrew word is also translated as foreigner or alien. It couldn’t be more clear that it is talking about refugees and immigrants, people who are often called “illegal aliens.”

Because the foreigner would be at a natural disadvantage through not being a citizen, and vulnerable to exploitation and deportation, he becomes one of the favorites of God’s laws that gives special protection to the weak and helpless.

In Leviticus, as God is setting up laws for the establishment of the nation of Israel, God declares: "And if a foreigner comes to live with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The foreigner that lives among you shall be to you as the home-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were a foreigner in the land of Egypt" (Lev. 19:33).

In other words, the foreigner among us shall be treated as a natural-born citizen!

Verse 9 continues to highlight those vulnerable who are close to God’s heart. “He upholds the widow and the fatherless.” God has a special fondness for orphans and widows simply because they are among the most vulnerable among us. In a time when provision and protection for a family were connected to a husband and a father, being without made you especially vulnerable to oppression and set up for exploitation, because you would do anything to survive - sex trafficking and slavery. From the beginning, God called His people to take care of them.

Isaiah 1:17 “Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”

Psalm 82:3 “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.”

James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

We see this in the ministry of Jesus. In Luke 7:11-15, we see Jesus raise a man from death back to life. We are told that this man is the only son of his mother, who is a widow. This means that this woman is without a husband to provide and protect, and her only son, who would have taken care of her, is now gone, as well. She is left exposed and vulnerable by his death.

Jesus’ miracle of raising anyone to life is astounding – life triumphs over death! Yet here we see the compassionate heart of God that is throughout the scriptures, caring for the widow and the vulnerable.

God loves everyone with a love beyond our comprehension, but we see throughout the bible – from the laws put in place, to the challenges of the prophets to the life and ministry of Jesus that God has a priority for the poor, the weak and the vulnerable; those from the Struggle who live with their backs against the wall.

This is the heart of God, and what followers of Jesus are called to be about. This is God’s platform. This is why we do not put our trust in princes, but our hope is in the Lord our God.

Nietzsche's 'Eternal Return' for Christians - John Ottens

A couple years ago, the night before my wedding, my best man and I chatted about theology and philosophy late into the evening, making the most of the opportunity since we see each other in person so infrequently these days.

 

There was a thought I shared with him that night which I don’t think I’ve discussed with him or anyone else, before or since. I was reminded of it this morning as I was doing a bit of reading. I’m sure the idea isn’t original to me, although in my years of studying and reading theology I can’t remember seeing it articulated in quite this way.

 

As you may have guessed from the title, I was led to this thought by trying to consider Nietzsche’s “eternal return of the same” from the standpoint of Christian faith. Part of Nietzsche’s point in that doctrine is that if every moment of your life were to repeat itself interminably, then you’d better find a way to make sure you can be proud of every moment. Is there anything comparable in the Christian imagination? I realized that there might be.

 

God is present with us in every moment of our lives, but unlike us, God doesn’t enter into those moments and then instantaneously pass through them into something else. Unlike us, God has for eternity been in every moment of our lives along with us, and will never leave those moments. That’s what it means for God to be eternal.

 

The consequence is that every time we do something good, noble, virtuous, brave, generous, beautiful, God gets to enjoy that moment with us forever. It also means that when we do something cowardly, vicious, evil, depraved, hurtful, self-centred, ugly, God is forced to witness those moments and feel them intimately, endlessly. So then here’s the really shocking thing:

 

We have the power to create the heavens and hells from which God can never escape. Indeed, we have already done so, countless times. And God has willingly handed that power over to us from before the beginning of time.

 

___

John Ottens has a Master’s degree in Theological Studies, and is a stay-at-home dad. Find him online at johnottens.ca.

Exit Polls, Evangelicalism & White Supremacy - Wayne Northey

Wayne Northey response to Robert P. Jones, "What white Christian support for Trump reveals about systemic racism," Broadview 11-12-20.

Exit polls suggest a legacy of white supremacy is still dividing the country.

Beyond tragic, this means four-fifths of American white evangelical Christians subscribe to “heresy” (an opinion, doctrine, or practice contrary to the truth–Merriam-Webster). And this not limited to America! And many religious white non-evangelicals (Catholics, mainline Protestants, other faith members, etc.) also are 'heretics' in this way!

“Heresy” means in Greek (amongst variants) “a self-chosen opinion” (Strong’s). And if chosen, as with all opinions, it can be unchosen. This is what metanoia entails: “change of mind, repentance” (Strong’s).

Please see the author’s book highlighted below. Please see too my book review of Kristin Kobes du Maz’: Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation.

CLICK HERE to continue reading Wayne's article

"The Prophets Have Spoken"? Florian Berndt

Introduction

As I’ve been reading different responses to the presidential elections in the US, I’ve been deeply saddened by the reactions and behavior that is being espoused by some of those who claim to be leaders in the church. This writing is therefore not so much meant as a political statement, but as my concern about the blatant attempts to hijack people’s personal conscience via “pseudo-prophetic manipulation”.[1] Also, I love and believe in the practice of the gifts of the Holy Spirit – including prophecy – and have been helping people to tune into our Abba’s voice for many years myself. Hence, this is not a dismissal of the prophetic in itself, but a critique of certain practices that have led to the increasing corruption of a gift and ministry that was meant to build up the body of Christ.

The Backstory

During the 2016 presidential election in the USA, several young people I mentored in the prophetic approached me in distress because they had been sent video’s by ministers that claimed that not supporting Donald J. Trump in his way to the White House would remove the blessing of God from their life – none of these kids had ever experienced anything like this before, and most weren’t even American, so that they could not even have voted in that election anyway.  It took a significant amount of pastoral care to help some of them through this, as they often were not even able to admit their confusion for fear of being ridiculed by their peers for even considering such a narrative. These kids had just started to trust in their own ability to listen to Abba’s heart for themselves, just to be confused by these strange voices, and I am sorry to say, these are not isolated incidents.

Now from what I gather, numerous popular voices in the “apostolic/prophetic movement” in the US have stated that they clearly “have heard from God” that Donald J. Trump will “triumph” in the 2020 election – even “in a landslide”. As we all know by now, these predictions have been proven false. Even in the unlikely event, that the supreme courts turn the win over to the Trump administration, the claims still don’t match up.  As a result, several of the followers of these predictions are beginning to confess their disillusionment on social media, as the cognitive dissonance is being on full display and alleged visions and positive confessions spiral down into desperate attempts to somehow explain away the obvious, namely that the emperor has no clothes – all the while attempting to keep the religious machinery going by telling everyone to stay calm, pray harder, believe more, and fast longer for the desired outcome. “The prophets have spoken, stay the course” has become the mantra for many who have put their trust in these predictions. 

“Pseudo-prophetic Manipulation”

To be clear, “the prophets" didn't predict anything concerning the outcome of the American election. In fact, as in every other election, there have been voices that made opposing predictions as well, not to mention the numerous faithful ones that refuse to engage in political roulette.[2] What did happen though, is that a group of spokesmen for a certain movement, with a certain theological outlook - mostly from the US, and mostly loosely connected to each other - made aforementioned predictions, and several people jumped on board. In fact, everyone who has followed these movements for a longer period of time will recognize this as a pattern. It is usually either a more experienced player in the game or an over-zealous newcomer that will step out and make the first prediction concerning a certain outcome, and if it appears that his proclamation contains some factual truth, other’s will quickly follow and thus create the illusion of consensus via confirmation bias, no matter if the details match or not. Everyone who has studied the history of prophetic movements can testify to this, and to claim that "the prophets have spoken” - in the attempt to prevent followers to jump ship - when the predictions don’t match reality reveals the subtle elitism that has crept into these circles, that have all too often have become echo chambers for ideologies that have nothing to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, no matter how much they are clothed in “Christian” terminology.

CLICK HERE to download the full PDF of The Prophets Have Spoken?

[1] This phrase was originally coined by my dear friend Mercy Aiken in a post on social media. It perfectly describes the dynamics I seek to address.

[2] E. g. Ron Cantor, a Messianic leader in Israel, claims he “twice heard from God” that Joe Biden would win because of the church’s idolization of Donald J. Trump. Apparently, he himself would have hoped for another term of the Trump administration. Ron Cantor, “What I felt God told me about the election in September,” Messiah’s Mandate, (accessed November 2020) https://messiahsmandate.org/what-i-felt-god-told-me-about-the-election-in-september/.

 

Our Refiner's Fire - my foreword to Steve Stewart's "The Beatitudes for a Time of Crisis" - by Brad Jersak

“The Divine Life”

My full immersion into the Beatitudes as a daily practice began on the hiking trails of the North Cascades, where my mentor Ron Dart led me “up on a mountain,
me down, opened his mouth and taught me, saying” (Matt. 5:1-2),

The Divine Life is for those who die to the demands of the ego. Such people will inhabit the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Divine Life is for those who have lived through tragedy and suffering. Such people will be comforted at a deep level.

The Divine Life is for those who bring their passions under
control for goodness. It is such people that will inherit the earth.

The Divine Life is for those who hunger and thirst for justice. Such people will be fed to the full.

The Divine Life is offered to those who are gracious and merciful. Such people will be treated in a merciful and gracious manner.

The Divine Life is offered to those whose Home is clean on the Inside. Such people will know the very presence of God and see His face.

The Divine Life is offered to those who are Makers and Creators of Peace. Such people will be called the children of God.

The Divine Life is known by those who are persecuted for
seeking Justice. Such people will know what it means to live in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Divine Life is known by those who are mistreated and
misunderstood in their passion for justice. They will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. The prophets were treated this way in the past.

—Matthew 5:3-12

Ron’s translation of the Beatitudes gripped me from the start. I saw in Christ’s ‘words-made-fresh’ how the death and resurrection of Christ were transposed into the daily life of Christian discipleship. The ‘blessedness’ (Gk. makarios) Jesus describes is itself an ascent (by descent) into the ‘divine life’ (theosis) found on the Way of the Cross (kenosis). The irony of the Beatitudes (and the whole Sermon on the Mount) is that we become most human through self-emptying meekness that actually bankrupts the ego.

Christ overturns every grandiose notion of greatness—divine or human—revealing that the Jesus Way into God’s kingdom is a path marked by humility, meekness and peace. It is the counterintuitive Way for those whom the apostle Peter calls “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4). A bold statement to be sure—a privilege afforded all those responding to the Lord’s “Follow me.”

The Refiner’s Fire

So it was that I began to pray the Beatitudes daily, inhaling and exhaling alternating lines, modulating between the cruciform blessings and the resurrection outcomes intrinsic to each Beatitude. Over years, my prayer was that in God’s mercy, the repetition would internalize Jesus’ words—driving them deeper than mere behavior modification, finding their way into my character, and bringing about the transformation (lit. transfiguration) Paul describes in 2 Cor. 3:18.

Whatever self-awareness I do have tells me I’ve barely begun that ascent. But what I have noticed is that the Beatitudes sharpen anyone’s discernment if they’re willing to let Christ install these verses in their hearts. Here’s what I mean:

The Psalmist says that the word of the Lord is pure, like silver refined in the furnace seven times (Ps. 12:6). Can you imagine having that level of discernment? What if every alleged ‘word from God’ you heard, whether directly or through the mouth of God’s self-proclaimed spokespersons, were to pass through the Refiner’s fire (Mal. 3:3) seven times? What if that fiery furnace were so hot that no false word could survive its purifying flames?

I believe these Beatitudes comprise that furnace to the n^th-degree. By praying them in the Spirit over and over until they become a sort of spiritual respiration within you, I believe the Lord will install these words as an oven in your soul that devours all that cannot pass as God’s word.

I mentioned grandiosity earlier. I can honestly say that most of the prophetic words I received during the charismatic renewal appealed to my fleshly cravings to achieve greatness—and with God’s rubber stamp of approval. My ego loved to hear God say, “Ask me and I will give you the nations as your inheritance” (forgetting that Ps. 2:8 prophesies the kingship of Christ!). I just knew it was my time for a fresh passport to spiritual fame! Meanwhile, I still haven’t perfected the art of kindness to everyone on my own cul-de-sac.

But what if we were to pass my anticipation of glory through the Beatitudes? Blessed are the poor in spirit (sparks ignite and smoke begins to rise). Blessed are those who mourn (crackle, sizzle). Blessed are the meek (phht! Up in smoke!). And without further ado, I am humbled and maybe just a touch more Christlike. Far better that than climbing my own pedestal for impending humiliation (speaking from experience).

So I am very grateful for the little death of self-centeredness and the resurrection life of Jesus in each Beatitude. And I’m glad for this little furnace of discernment that our Lord provided each of his disciples—a shield of protection from self-deceit and delusion.

Steve Stewart & Impact Nations

That said, doesn’t “Impact Nations” sound a little ambitious? It would if Steve’s Stewart’s growing army of world-servants were hoping to make their mark for themselves and in their own way. Instead, what I see is a company of cruciform disciples who’ve given themselves to self-giving love. The Holy Spirit genius of their mission derives from the tears they weep, their hunger and thirst for justice (dikiosune), and their deep commitment to mercy. They are peacemakers who can rightly be called ‘children of God,’ not because they said the right prayer, believed the right creed, or made the right claim. These are ‘children by imitation’ of the Father who is risky in his generosity and indiscriminate in his kindness.

I say this for hermeneutical reasons: First, if you want to understand the Beatitudes, I commend to you the lives of the Stewart clan and their rowdy entourage. And if you want to understand what makes Steve Stewart and company tick, dive into the life of the Beatitudes. But now I pass the baton for that journey to my dear friend, Steve. He’s a good guide up the mountain because his eyes are ever watching the footsteps of our Rabbi. 

 

Let's Stop the Political Blasphemy - Brad Jersak

Election(s) 2020: Four Convictions Upon Reflection
(with a P.S. interview from Brian Zahnd)

I. Vote your conscience.

I did in our recent election. Most people do. That's also a good invitation to reexamine the health of your conscience. Ask honestly where your vote ignored, offended, or violated your conscience. If your conscience comes to complete peace with ANY party's political platform across the board, then it has lost its capacity to discern or distinguish the gospel of the kingdom from the kingdoms of this world. Our politics have effectively disabled the God-given Nathan within. That should alarm us. It signals a call to repent and return, to fast from political idolatry until your baptismal allegiance to the "kingdom not of, like or from this world" is renewed and unconfused.

II. Be loyal to truth.

When we are so invested in our team that we blindly grasp at party propaganda without fact-checking, the fundamental Christian commitment to upholding truth (and therefore justice) is compromised. The second fateful step—wilfully perpetuating misinformation in the pursuit of power ("winning" or sulking if we don't)—is not merely a foray into character assassination. It is an act of moral self-harm. Character suicide. Once we make the third move—confronted with the truth, we respond, "I don't care"—we're now officially lost. What is the supposed "win" when someone displays a manifest desire to be duped? At that point, the pursuit of truth is over and enforcing healthy boundaries is likely the best we can hope to achieve.

III. Let your principles shape your politics.

The previous two points apply to every person, in any party, from any political system, in any nation. They ought to apply especially to Christian believers who risk their souls by entering a voting booth or posting to social media. But the dominance of dubious content and the hateful tone that has climaxed in a cold civil war south of my border has exposed the disease—the idolatry—of partisan amoralism and spectrum ideology that I addressed in A More Christlike Way. 

I rightly worry about the marriage of deep moral convictions and political bias in our attempt to persuade. But to ask, "How can you vote for them when they [insert your greatest moral outrage here]?!" is not out of bounds. Our moral and ethical principles should never be overlooked when wading into the political arena. Indeed, that's half the problem I've addressed in my previous points. It's critical that we know our sense of right from wrong and let that inform our politics and shape how we seek to persuade.               

IV. Let's stop the prophetic blasphemy.

“Any attempt to use the Spirit to leverage political power is blasphemous.” 
—C.E.W. Green

Okay, we get carried away, we get passionate, we slip. It happens. But for Christ's sake (literally), could we at least demand that our 'Christian leaders' cease with the political blasphemy? I am not speaking here metaphorically. Any of us might be guilty of abandoning Christ just by voting. That's not it. No, we have to say this directly and specifically: those who call themselves 'God's prophets' (literally) and then direct their flock to vote for a particular man or party because God says so (literally) are false prophets (literally).

I have watched our broader political idolatry escalate dramatically to overt blasphemy over the course of the last 20 years in certain (not all) wings of the evangelical-charismatic world that was my home.     

Please hear me: men and women of good faith who I love and trust wrestled and reasoned their way to cast their vote for President Donald Trump. Some described it to me as plugging their nose and voting strategically for a conservative Supreme Court. Others were enthusiastic about America's retreat from the world stage. They applauded the death knell of American exceptionalism on his watch. In any case, that is NOT what I'm talking about here.

I am specifically condemning what liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans, have fairly called "the cult of Trumpism."¹ It can be defined as abusing the name of Jesus Christ and declaring falsehoods "by the Spirit" to establish Donald Trump as "God's candidate," without regard for truth, facts or observable outcomes. Three examples: 

• Identifying the President as or with the Saviour.
• Declaring a false victory via divine and angelic intervention.
• Demonizing the opposition as cursed opponents of God's will.  

Am I overstating the case? Perhaps you saw these viral debacles?
First, from Paula White, "spiritual advisor to the President":  

 

Or the MAGA prayer warriors on their knees, interceding at the Clark County election offices:

 

I can't in good conscience post the examples I think were far less tasteful. The boiling point here is not who we think should ascend the imperial throne. What I'm addressing is not a partisan political problem at all. This crisis concerns the reverse transfiguration of prominent Christian streams (who think they have the President's ear) into a dangerous sect. Dangerous to democracy, if that matters. Discrediting to Christian conservatives, certainly. But fatal to faith, and that does matter.  

So, yes, please: vote your conscience, be loyal to the truth, let your principles shape your politics. But for the love of Christ, most of all, let's say an emphatic no to political blasphemy and invite estranged and disillusioned friends of Christ back to the Altar. 

P.S. Postcards from Babylon

But it's not as though this took us by surprise. After posting his Feb. 14, 2017 article, "Cyrus Candidate or Charismatic Catastrophe," Brian Zahnd felt compelled to write his warning/rejoinder to politically compromised faith (of any brand) in his book (and forthcoming documentary) Postcards from Babylon. 

The following interview with Brian covers many of the book's themes. It may leave a better aftertaste than the bitter pill I've offered. If we're seeking our national prophets for Christlike clarity, BZ is a far better candidate::

Notes:

1. Cf. among the dozens of articles (and one edited book by 20 psychiatrists), Andrew Sullivan, "With Trump, the Pathology is the Point," The Intelligencer, 05-22-20; Joe Jobanaski, "The Cult of Trumpism," The Recorder 8-7-20; Ali Breland, "Cult Experts Warn the Trumpism Is Starting to Look Awfully Familiar," MotherJones.com 04-04-20; Sean Illing, "Is Trumpism a Cult?" Vox 01-26-20; Bandy Lee (ed.),The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump (Thomas Dunne, 2017).