I'd like to follow up with the material from last Friday (an ancient change in regard to the meaning of Eucharist) with a following up thought by Brueggemann - again from "Out of Babylon." This remarkable development transposed the Eucharist into a tool for political control, and of course the immense leverage - political and economic - that came with it. The capacity to utilize religious claims for the sake of political expansionism is a hallmark of empire. While Luther does not unpack the formula in that way, his use of the phrase 'Babylonian captivity' rings true on that score. In empire - Babylon or any of its successors - everything is taken up in advancement for those who sit at the center of power. In his conclusion to his treatise, Luther comments upon the threats of the church against him and ends by quoting a hymn that refers to the 'impious Herod.' Clearly Luther well understood the enormous power of the metaphor of empire, and makes use of it both for this theological argument about the sacraments and about his own vocation as a theological interpreter who stands against the awesome empire of his day. Finally, Luther stands before Emperor Charles, who stood with the church authorities who has sponsored his 'captivity.' Even as this discussion focuses around the use/misuse of the Eucharist for the sake of empire, we must also remember that much of the language of the Church is used to bless and support the work of the empire and not that of the witness of the Reign of God. I remember reading - years ago- that one of the ways to define blasphemy is when symbols of the Church are use in ways they were not intended. It seems like using the Eucharist as a political tool to support an empire would fit that definition. We must be willing to make sure that our language - our images - our 'churchly' functions and actions and words, do not become instruments used by the powers of the day to somehow 'bless' what the empire does or wants to do. Some of you may know that I'm involved with a small group of clergy who took on the task of watching how 'religious' people take their position in the church or the language of the church and use it to support candidates. What is always so frightening about this is that the empire is always willing to let us use our language and blessing and power to help the powers that be - become more powerful. This often means that faithful images cannot be distinguished from the prevailing powers - we become a part of the empire - Babylon, and lose ourselves into the way of the cultural powers. Connection: Sometimes it simply takes a good ear to hear how we give up our powerful imagery within the Church so that it can be used to support that which is no the way of Jesus. This doesn't mean offering a blessing. It also means the very informal and everyday ways we 'go along' with words of the faith being used as words of the state or empire or regime. O God who bids us to follow the way of the Christ, continue to let your Wisdom come upon your people that we will stand up within our world as a few people who will not give up our images of being the followers of Jesus to those who would use them to conquer and rule over others. Amen. |
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