The Sacrifice of Isaac by Caravaggio (c.1569-1609), Uffizi Gallery, Florence
Genesis
God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. When I read this passage as an outsider, someone who has not read or isn’t familiar with the whole story of the Bible, I am appalled. What kind of God asks this from his adherents? (Here is an interesting link I found while looking for the artwork for this post. If anyone is reading this, post a comment to tell me what you think about this.)
In the overall story of Abraham and the entire Bible, this sort of sacrafice is asked of those who would be faithful regularly. The command to actually bind our loved ones and put a knife to their throats is more metaphorical but the idea of being loyal only to God is not. Jesus talks about this when he says he came to bring a sword. Not words that we readily accept without a great deal of struggle.
Matthew
“By their fruit you will recognize them.”
I thought about this one while in the shower. I am an apostate, according to the further right reaches of the church. I will burn in hell for “forsaking God’s law” and welcoming sinners into leadership positions in the church. In June 2001, I worked with other Presbyterians at the General Assembly in Louisville, KY to overthrow a bit of our constitution that was inserted four years previously to prohibit homosexuals from being ordained.
This bit of our constitution is for me and will always be, “Amendment B”. It is written in such a way that it effectively bars anyone who is gay form ordination or installation into office or pastorates. It is also written in a way to exclude durn near everybody from ordination and installation because the framers of this bit couldn’t come right out and make a declaration against homosexuals. They would have been accused of bigotry and exclusion, morally, and discrimination, legally.
To complete an end run around these obstacles, they couched the language in terms that catch all people in teh net of sin in order to capture the bigger fish of gays and lesbians to throw back into the waters.
I am apostate for thinking this is horrible polity, terrible theology, and totally graceless.
I thought about this as I pondered the above quote. Jesus told his disciples to watch out for false prophets and gave them a helpful tool for discerning who these people would be. The false prophets are the ones who shout about false prophets in other parts of the church and do everything in their power to eradicate them, alienating the seekers, making the church irrelevant to the culture, and shattering the body of Christ.
I am apostate because I would rather welcome people as they are and trust that the power of God’s Spirit through Jesus Christ will work the needed transformation in their lives, making them strong, mighty disciples for God.
I am apostate because I do not believe it is my business or my call to “keep the church pure”. I believe that is Jesus’ function as he stated repeatedly in this kingdom parables. That ultimate sorting will happen at the end of things and will be his responsibility because he knows the hearts of the people. I don’t.
I can only be the best disciple I can be and attempt to bear the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I would ask those that are busy bringing about the purity of the church in our time, “What are you making more of, disciples or enemies?”
I am apostate, according to others. I wonder what Jesus will tell me?
