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Thursday, 11 February 2010 14:46 |
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by Andrew Fulford
Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name. (2) He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me away. (3) And he said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified." (4) But I said, "I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my right is with the LORD, and my recompense with my God." (5) And now the LORD says, he who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him; and that Israel might be gathered to him-- for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and my God has become my strength-- (6) he says: "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth." (7) Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One, to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers: "Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall prostrate themselves; because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you." (8) Thus says the LORD: "In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, to establish the land, to apportion the desolate heritages, (9) saying to the prisoners, 'Come out,' to those who are in darkness, 'Appear.' They shall feed along the ways; on all bare heights shall be their pasture; (10) they shall not hunger or thirst, neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them, for he who has pity on them will lead them, and by springs of water will guide them. (11) And I will make all my mountains a road, and my highways shall be raised up. (12) Behold, these shall come from afar, and behold, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Syene." Isaiah 49:1-12
The above is the second of the prophet Isaiah’s “servant songs”, and I think it is a remarkably detailed picture of God’s kingdom economy. Obviously a lot more than a simple blog post could be written about its contents, but a few things stand out to me.
Firstly, the economy described in this song is an international economy. The images of mountains being turned into roads depicts (11), if nothing else, an increase in travel from the nations to Israel. No doubt this is because, already, the salvation of the Lord has been taken to the ends of the earth (6). In God’s kingdom economy, the nations no longer hide behind mountainous walls of conflict and fear, but instead open their gates to each other, to join in a global gift-exchange.
Secondly, God’s kingdom economy is described as a place and time where human flourishing is complete. Desolate places will be given back to human cultivators of the land (8), prisoners and those who dwell in darkness will be freed to rejoin human community (9), those who are hungry and thirsty will be fully satisfied, and everyone will be sheltered from the harsh elements brought upon this world by sin (10). This is a world of light, order, and fullness, the epitome of what God intended creation to be (cf. Genesis 1).
Thirdly, this kingdom will incorporate not just all peoples (6), but all strata of society as well: in the kingdom of God, not just the lowest of low (like the prisoners mentioned above), but the highest of the kings of the earth will come to bow down before the King of the Jews (7), submitting to his righteous, just, and saving rule. Obviously, the economies of these peoples (and thus the whole earth) will thus take on a just and equitable character, like that of their Ruler.
In addition to these striking images of the kingdom economy, Isaiah also tells Israel (and thus us) how this state of affairs will come about.
Primarily, this kingdom will come about because “one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation, the servant of rulers,” (7) will fulfill his Father’s predetermined mission (1-2), despite its apparent failure during his lifetime (4). This Servant, who is Israel-in-Person (3), will be vindicated by God (4, 7-8), and thereby will be given as a sacrament of God’s covenant (8) of peace and salvation to the people, both a sign and the means by which that sign will become reality. Further, the servant-king will draw in the nations by being a light to them (6), and apparently by means of the proclamation of his life (1-2, and the whole passage in context). Ultimately, the servant’s work will cause YHWH to be glorified throughout the whole earth (3, 6).
In addition, I think this passage implicitly tells us something about our role in bringing about this kingdom (and its economy), especially in light of the rest of Isaiah (cf. 54:1-3, 66:18ff): the renewed Israel, the body of Israel-in-Person, will travel on God’s highways out to the nations, to call them to submit to God’s newly installed king, the Saviour of the whole earth. It is evident from one of the passages just cited above (66:18ff) that this proclamation will not be met with total acceptance, and so we already see a pattern that is more directly expressed in countless ways elsewhere in scripture: the church will in a sense be a re-presentation of the Servant, in that like him it will proclaim God’s kingdom, suffer in doing so, but then ultimately see vindication in the obedience of the peoples.
This last thought, that the church is to re-present Christ, is in some ways a common thread to all aspects of the life of the church, and a helpful way to meditate on the mission of the church in bringing about God’s kingdom economy. In prayer, the church prays to the same Abba by the same Spirit that animated Christ, asking God to bring his kingdom (with Jubilee of forgiven debts) to earth. In baptism, each member of the church is united to the death and resurrection of Christ. In the Lord’s Supper, the church re-presents Christ’s work to the Father, calling for him to fulfill his kingdom promises, and simultaneously unifies itself to Christ as his body. In prophetic proclamation, it proclaims the truth it was given to convey, just as Christ was sent into the world to proclaim what his Father gave him to say. In works of power, it opens the eyes of the blind and sets the captives free, just as Christ was anointed to do. In acts of service, it empties itself of riches for the sake of the poor, just as Christ did for it. In all ways and in all places, the church works to make Christ present to all people, and in this manner brings the kingdom of the Servant to the ends of the earth.
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Wednesday, 10 February 2010 14:15 |
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A little Cavanaugh to chew on for the day...
"We are not to cling to our things, but to use them for the sake of the common good. But to have a good relationship with others, it is necessary to have a proper relationship with things. We must understand where our things come from and how our things are produced. Things do not have personalities and lives of their own, but they are embedded in relationships of production and distribution that bring us into contact, for better or for worse, with other people’s lives. A sacramental view of the world sees all things as part of God’s good creation, potentials signs of the glory of God; things become less disposable, more filled with meaning."
- Being Consumed: Economics and Christian Desire, p. 32.
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Saturday, 06 February 2010 04:32 |
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by Mike Todd
(See the back story here.)
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I walked away, disoriented and staggering under the weight of what had just happened.
"Go sell everything you have, then give the proceeds to the poor."
What? How could I be expected to do this? Why would I be expected to do it? How could this Jesus be serious?
The day started off with such promise. I began the morning meeting with my bookkeeper. Together we went over the accounts, and things looked very good. The harvest this year had been exceptional, and with my extensive land holdings my financial position is very, very strong.
Leaving that meeting, I stopped to speak with some friends in the marketplace. We all agreed that the harvest had been a good one, and our conversation was animated and lighthearted, full of laughter. I did note, silently, that one or two of my friends had been a little too happy. Money can do strange things to people, and I silently thanked God that my wealth had not gone to my head.
For my entire life I have kept the Law meticulously, and I still read Torah regularly. And despite my ever-expanding business interests I have refused to cut corners on my observance of the Sabbath. How could I? I work hard, I keep the Law, and clearly God has rewarded me for my faithfulness.
Or so I thought.
And why shouldn't I have thought this way? It is not as if I am greedy. I am generous, and I always give when I am asked. Despite my growing success and wealth, I have tried my best to be humble. I have noticed with discomfort that as my fortune grew, people started to make more of a fuss over me at Temple. Still, I refuse to take the places of prominence they offer me when I attend.
And then I heard about this Jesus character. Clearly this man has been sent from God, a prophet you might say. Some even suggest that he could be the messiah we have waited so long for. I first heard him speak a few weeks ago, teaching the people, and he was intriguing. He seems to have no formal education, yet he knows the Scriptures better than any Pharisee. He speaks with such authority. His teaching is hard though, and many have dismissed him out of hand, or have abandoned him after a short while.
I was not deterred. I knew this man brought great wisdom and I wanted more. Despite all my success, all my wealth, I am not content. There has to be more to life than this. I have felt this for some time, but when I heard Jesus speak, that yearning welled up in my soul and I just could not take it any longer.
Imagine then how thrilled I was when I saw Jesus in the street this morning. It seemed like we were meant to speak together, because there were none of the usual crowds around him, just a few close friends. Here was my chance, and I could hardy contain myself as I approached this simple, extraordinary man.
And then...
That encounter had only been a few, short minutes ago, and now I don't think life will ever be the same.
Everything is in ruins.
Sell everything? All I have is a gift from God, isn't it?
Isn't it?
| Mike splits his time between Linwood House Ministries, blogging, a little construction work, and hanging out with the whatever - our little faith community where we are trying to figure out what it means to be apprentices of Jesus Christ. He is currently working on a Masters at Regent College. Him and his wife live in community in a place called the Delta House. He blogs at miketodd.typepad.com |
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Wednesday, 03 February 2010 18:44 |
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by Len Hjalmarson
In his seminal work “Liberating the Church” (1983) Howard Snyder reminded us that our word "ecology" is related to the Greek word "oikos" (house) and oikonomia (economy). The whole world is God's household, and his ordering of it is his economy.
Snyder writes that, “Fundamentally, the Universe is not ordered logically,, psychologically, nor sociologically, but ecologically.” (50) Synder goes on to connect God’s rule to shalom, an embracing metaphor. He continues,
Will we opt for technology or ecology? This is not an either-or choice, but a question of dominant models. Will we view the world essentially as a machine or as a garden? Will we see the earth as a factory or as a home? Will we opt for technology or ecology? This is not an either-or choice but a question of dominant models… If the controlling reality is technosystem, mechanistic technology takes over and life suffers from being squeezed into the “clockwork orange” habitat for which it was
never meant…. (43)
The word "economy" is important in the New Testament. Occurring in Eph.1:10, it describes God's plan for all creation. Christ is seated "in the heavenlies;" He is Lord of all. The Church is called to manifest the first fruits of a plan of reconciliation which extends to all creation, for "the whole earth is full of His glory." Redemption includes the liberation of creation from its bondage to futility (Ro.8:19-22). The Jesus follower, receiving the inheritance of the Spirit and promised the world, is set free to let go of the drive for wealth and power: set free to serve.
It’s a radical picture that has been hammered into us in the past few years by NT Wright, Brian McLaren, William Cavanaugh, James KA Smith, and the list goes on. It feels like we are finally escaping the dualism of sacred/secular, spirit/body, social/spiritual.
The ordering of God's house extends to all creation. The Christian's role, then, is to be an "oikonomos," a steward in God's house, extending the kingdom by incarnating Jesus' loving Presence. The exegesis of Psalm 8 in Hebrews 2 makes Christ the archetype for human dominion over nature. In the Old Testament Psalm the point is made that the world is in humankinds' care.
In Hebrews, Christ is identified as the Word of God through whom all things were created. In Col.1:15-17 He “upholds all things.” Christians are called to participate in Christ's role as sustainer of creation.
This sense of connection to the land recalls many voices from the Old Testament. "Land" is the fourth most frequent occurring noun in the OT, becoming a more dominant theme than even "covenant." Elmer Martens points out that land has four theological dimensions: as promise, gift, blessing, and in relation to a specific life-style (God’s Design).
From Mt. Sinai had come these words: "When you come into the land which I shall give you, the land shall keep a sabbath unto the LORD" (Lv.25:2). The text which follows points up two purposes: a religious one--to witness to God's ownership; and a humanitarian one--that the poor of the people may eat.
Martens points out that land, Yahweh, and Israel were bound together in covenant. Richard Austin in his book, Hope for the Land, (1988) wrote that those who manage land are "tempted to create a sabbathless society in which land is never rested, debts are never cancelled, slaves are never released . . .and all of life can be reduced to a smoothly functioning machine. The powerful must resist this temptation, stop managing, and relax in openness to their community; then concerns for equity, justice, and mercy may come to the fore.”
And all this relates strongly to the vision we have been sold of “the good life,” the gospel of Empire. Brazilians destroy massive tracts of Amazonia because it somehow represents for them the hope of a prosperous future. The forests of British Columbia and Washington fall for similar reasons. Overfishing, toxic waste and the irretrievable loss of one hundred species a day: the welfare of the entire world hinges upon the land, but somehow the more immediate concerns about jobs and profits take precedence. In the words of a great native American, Chief Seathl, we "kidnap the earth from our children."
Land, then, is more than acreage or territory. It is a theological symbol. I love that we are coming to the place where habitat and habitus may again merge. In The Solace of Fierce Landscapes Belden Lane describes the intimate connection between spirit and place. Belden writes that this connection,
“..is hard to grasp for those of us living in a post-Enlightenment technological society. Landscape and spirituality are not, for us, inevitably interwoven. We experience no inescapable link between our “place” and our way of conceiving the holy, between habitat and habitus, where one lives and how one practices a habit of being. Our concern is simply to move quickly (and freely) as possible from one place to another. We are bereft of rituals of entry that allow us to participate fully in the places we inhabit.
“Without a habitus - particularly one that is drawn, at least in part, from the rhythm of the land around us - our habitat ceases to be a living partner in the pursuit of common wholeness. We become alienated from an environment that seems indifferent, even hostile. Habitat turns into scenery, inconsequential background. Habitus is reduced to a nonsacramental, individualistic quest for transcendent experience. We lose any sense of being formed in community, particularly in a tradition that allows us to act unconsciously, with ease and delight, out of a deep sense of what is natural to us and to our “milieu.” We are, in short, a people without “habit,” with no common custom, place, or dress to lend us shared meaning.”
Land, place, habitus -- land is real and spatially definable. In modernity we privileged the Universal over the particular. It’s taking some time to unlearn this worldview and recover a shalom reality. Habitus points to the wholeness and value of life in this world. Quality of life is all-embracing: relating to Yahweh, neighbor, and the environment. Shalom embraces all these meanings. The promise of land and all that it signifies keeps God's design firmly rooted in the world, in theincarnation itself, and leads us to see the wholeness of the call to discipleship, an ecology of God’s design.
| Len is a writer, pastor, student and software developer living in Kelowna, BC, in the heart of the vineyards and orchards of the Okanagan valley. He is a regional representative for RESONATE. He is a co-editor of Voices of the Virtual World: Participative Technology and the Ekklesial Revolution. He is currently involved in co-editing Fresh and ReFresh: Church Planting and Urban Mission in Post-Christendom Canada. He is the father of two teenage girls, married to Betty, an RN who works with women in transition. They also care for a Siamese cat who thinks she is God. He blogs at nextreformation.com |
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Monday, 01 February 2010 20:15 |
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by Peter Rollins
Paul the apostle famously wrote, ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus’.
This verse brings us to the heart of what can be called “Paul’s universalism”. In theological terms this universalism has been understood in two dominant ways. In the first it is argued that Paul is claiming that, compared to being a Christian, all these other differences have no meaning.
All other differences are thus subsumed under the one supreme difference: that of Christians and non-Christians. It is because of this that Christianity was originally baptised as the Universal religion par excellence. Whereas religions such as Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism are particularistic (having a belief system that acknowledges the place of those outside their system), Christianity seeks global dominance: the only important distinction being whether you confess Christ or not.
Hence Christianity has been critiqued for exhibiting a totalising narrative that condemns those who do not embrace it to eternal death.
In contrast others interpret Paul’s universalism as referring, not to the limited scope of salvation, but rather to its operative reach. Here it is claimed that Paul is saying that all these other distinctions will eventually be subsumed into Christ. In this way Christianity is viewed as universal insomuch as its soteriological power reaches everything and everybody. At the end of the day everyone will come to see that the Christian religion was right after all.
However both these positions fail to inscribe the very difference between “Christian” and “non-Christian” into the distinction Paul makes. What both these positions agree upon is that Paul held there to be one primary identity that trumps all the others, an identity that is superior to all other identities.
What I would like to suggest, following Slavoj Žižek, is that these two positions fail to go far enough in their arguments.
Instead of raising one concrete identity above and beyond all the others should we not follow this logic to the end and place the very distinction between “Christian” and “non-Christian” alongside all the others?
In other words, when we identify as followers of Christ we are not laying down all our other identities (republican or democrat, rich or poor, gay or straight) in order to affirm only one as truly important. Rather we lay down every identity, enacting what, in theology, is called kenosis. This is where we partake in Christ who became nothing, divesting himself of everything to become a servant.
Here we do not lay down our identity only to pick up our new identity in Christ. Rather it is in laying down all our identities that we directly identify with Christ.
In this Pauline approach something truly new and beautiful arises in a world defined by who we are and what we do. Here the fundamental antagonism is not located between various distinctions but rather between those who lay all distinctions down and those who hold onto them. Christianity marks the opening of a movement where the only insiders are the outsiders, the ones without position or location.
In the economy of the world our identity is vital. What we do, what we earn, what we have accomplished. In the kingdom economy all of this is what Paul called shit (skubala).
Within the church we are to engage in a radical subtraction by which we see through these identities (no longer allowing them to define the scope and limitations of our world). In this move we lose everything, and in that moment discover our souls.
| Peter has a number of things we could identify him with, but for the sake of congruency we're going to assume he considers it all skubala (shit). He blogs at peterrollins.net |
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