Why do we fear the other?
In my congregation, we've been studying Acts during adult education, in parallel with the lectionary.
Acts 8:26-39 Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.” So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.”
The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?” He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. (NRSV)
So here, we have arguably the first gentile convert to the Church — a black eunuch. Or, as my pastor gently described him, “A man of unconventional sexuality,” and a man rich enough to risk a scroll by reading it while riding a chariot down a dusty road. The paradigmatic “other.” Those who love to quote Leviticus when it comes to condemning homosexuality might like to remember what the Old Testament has to say about men in this man's situation.
Deuteronomy 23:1 No one whose testicles are crushed or whose penis is cut off shall be admitted to the assembly of the Lord.
And so my friends, which is it, when the other comes to worship with us — the ancient prohibition, or the Holy Spirit?
The Peace of the Lord be with you all.
2 comments:
Personally I go back to the Gospels...anyone who wished to sit at Jesus' table was welcome, even the dreaded tax collector.
I work in an industry in which, as a heterosexual white female, I am in the minority. Only one straight male works there, all other males are gay. And most females are lesbian.
I do not shout my beliefs, but they know of some of my work through my church. And I know that many want to feel close to God, and don't know how to do so. They frequently express a desire to go to church to feel close to God, but also feel alienated.
Aren't we taught that we are all children of God?
Sorry, not very intellectual or cogent...but just my random thoughts this evening.
WW
from the beginning the attraction of christianity was the openness to people as they were...paul went to extremes to insist that the determinations of torah no longer applied for those who wished to be included...this however did not suggest that all matters of sexual behaviour were accepted
to this day the RC church does not use the language of sexual labels or categories...but it does acknowledge the behaviours as such...and this is important because the freedom we are to know in christ is freedom far beyond the ease of social category or behavioural insight...these things display the sophistry of the world...the foolishness of god is greater than man's greatest wisdom
we are baptized into the death of jesus that we may one day rise with him...this seems to militate against anything that would rationalise human behaviour...there is a clear imperative toward purity of heart...christ as he lived on earth is to be our earthly example...thus the willingness and desire amongst the first christians to live in states of perfect chastity (i disregard the word "celibate" for it merely expresses the unmarried state and has little to do with sexual practice) and the development from that of various styles of total commitment
this whole movement in christianity stands in such stark contrast to the social movement of selfknowledge and sexual exploration opened up by modern psychology
the ball game seems to be between a socialized existential comfort that has more or less overturned the tables of traditional family..and...the insistence that humans were made for god and to seek and to know the will of god are the highest human principles and the means to the freedom for which the heart truly yearns
it looks like the exitential comfort seekers are winning - do they seek to make god in their own image??
do we need to apologize for the discipline of christianity being in human relations about one man one woman and fmaily...or...a life expreressed in terms of singular total commitment...those are the options folks...everyone is welcome but the way is narrow...the gate even moreso
i'm delighted to play on the losing team
j
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