The storytelling of the "local tradition" takes hold out in the wilderness away from Empire - again from Brueggemann.
The slave community proceeded in fits and starts, through the wilderness to Sinai, the venue for the construction, formulation, and embrace of Israel's "local tradition." Thus, "local tradition" looks at the world differently than the empire; it tells an alternative and opposing story to that of empire centered on the covenant with YHWH. This local tradition is joined to the memory of empire by its opposition to the empire: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery" (Exodus 20:2). YHWH is the decisive agent for departure (Exodus) from the empire.
So different is the community of God's people in the world that it took time away - really away - from the power of empire in order to begin to shape these people. Within this faithful storytelling, the people of God are reminded just how different they are to be. It is as different as the structure and power of empire and the lost, wandering tribe that depends completely on their God for the very life that is theirs. It is this "local tradition" that is handed down as the story. This is us. In the face of the power of empire, this is us. God's beloved come together around the one who sustains and liberates and shapes us into something other than the rule of empires and oppression. The way of this people is the way of the God who acts and pulls and leads and will not abandon in the face of any power.
Connection: This is the greatest 'retreat' story we have. And yet, we each need to know that we do not need to go through such a 'retreat' out into a wilderness far from our every day world of power over power. We can - because of the stories previously told - learn to see the new life that is ours even as we are surrounded by the forces and illusions of empire.
O God, continue to pull us up into the vision of your holy Reign where you alone rule all things and call us all to be apart of the living rule of your peaceable reign. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment