Friday 17 August 2007

Yesterday Brueggemann gave us an Old Testament text that spelled out the contrast between the dominant version of reality and the sub-version. Today he notes that in the the New Testament none more eloquently lined out the truth of the sub-version than did Paul. For example:

Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

And the followers of Jesus continued to go along through life in accordance to another story - a sub-version of reality. In many ways, this simple text from 1 Corinthians needs to shake us up and cause us to look at ourselves and try to discern whether we are still this sub-version...or have we become a part of the dominant reality. I think this is a painful thing to face. Is that tension still there? Do our eyes sees the contrary nature of the gospel in light of the ways of the world and its dominant version? Are we able to hear that strange good news of Jesus and its call to come and follow even when it would be much more advantageous for us to simply go along with the rest of the pack? There is no outlined plan noted in the text presented here. There is no 12 steps to a sub-version of reality. There is only a reminder of the difference and it is told from the perspective of one who was in the middle of it all. One who was rejected for going about speaking and living a life that set the world on edge. We come to this sub-version as Brueggemann has noted several times; through the adventure of worship with the community gathered as one - all of us - as diverse as can be - as holy as we are when God has called us and embraced us with God's love - in God's Reign.

Connection: Exercise the vision of this Reign of God that is told in the story of Jesus and then trickles down through the ages into our time. Remember that it is always a vision and then an action that is ready for us to exercise today.

Lord of Life, as your Spirit moves over and around us, grant that we will be held up and moved by its power for life that disturbs and shakes and yet, brings peace and hope. For in the middle of the powers of this world, we need to be empowered by something more than our own arguments and abilities. By your Grace, we are encouraged to walk along contrary paths and settle for nothing less than your Reign. Amen.