Today we will look at a bit more of this 'wrath of God' from Alison's work with Paul in Romans - in "The Joy of Being Wrong. I may hold onto today's piece for awhile. The word "wrath" (orge) appears ten times in Romans. Only once does it appear as the wrath of God (Romans 1:18). On the one occasion where it appears to be something inflicted by God on people as a result of our wickedness (Romans 3:4) Paul expressly indicates the mythical nature of the terminology ("I speak in a human way"). On all the other occasions where the term appears (2:5, 8; 4:15; 5:9; 9:22; 12:19; 13:4, 5) it is impersonal. Even in the first case where the "orge" is linked to theou (God) the content of the wrath of God is itself a demystification of a vindictive account of God (whose righteousness has just been declared). For the content of the wrath is the handing over by God of us to ourselves. Three times in the following verses the content of the wrath is described in terms of handing over: 1:24; 1"26; and 1:28. That is to say, the wrath rather than being an act of divine vengeance, is a divine nonresistance to human evil. However, I would suggest that it is more than that. The word "handed over" has in primitive Christian sources a particularly subtle set of resonances. For God is described as handing over his own son to us in a text no further from our own than Romans 8:32. The handing over of the son to us and the handing over of ourselves to sin appear to be at the very least parallel. The same verb (handed over) is used in 4:25, where Jesus was handed over for our trespasses and raised for our justification. I would suggest that it is the handing over of the son to our killing him that is in fact the same thing as handing us over to our own sins. Thus wrath is life in the sort of world which kills the son of God. The content of the wrath "is the handing over by God of us to ourselves". This is like the 'garden'. We are given the freedom to take control - to make rules - to designate who is right and good and worthy and who is not - who can be eliminated and who can be considered put out. In Romans, this wrath keeps showing that we continue to march away from God - more and more deeply into our own world in which we are the lords of the day. This 'day' is usually filled with the warring madness in which the love of God does not show through. Rather we take it all in and we keep it for ourselves - even if we must take from others - or kill - or ruin reputations - or lie - or cheat. We all know that story intimately. Paul's use of sexual lust is a good way to show how 'human' this stuff is. It is as natural as sexuality that is a part of all of us and can be something that is used to satisfy our little god-like selves at any cost and no matter how it exchanges the shalom of God for some self-serving goals that tend to make fools of us. To pick on one aspect of our human sexuality is foul. It is part of the great avoidance. It serves the ongoing wrath of God that is the scapegoating of the other. Connection: How in the world do we resist this cycle? It is as though we must be willing to act contrary to the ways we think things should go. Maybe that is why we say we should 'prayerfully consider this or that' before we act. In those moments - in conversation with others - we are given insight and courage and wisdom to look into the face of God and see the promise of life that is being handed to us by our God. O God of life, save us from ourselves and open our hearts to the vision of your Reigning love. Amen. |
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