Religious Conflicts

Thursday, February 15, 2007 -- Week of 6 Epiphany; Year One (Thomas Bray)

"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html


Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 948)
Psalms 105:1-22 (morning) // 105:23-45 (evening)
Isaiah 65:1-12
I Timothy 4:1-16
Mark 12:13-27

We get a lot of commentary about religious practice in today's readings. Isaiah decries some esoteric practices that seem to have magical elements to them. He is particularly critical of the separatism and spiritual pride that these practices encourage. He quotes their devotees who say, "Keep to your self, do not come near me, for I am to holy for you."

But there is no sure way to purified the people. God cannot bring punishment on these wrongdoers without also bringing unjust suffering to the faithful. Like Jesus's parable of the of wheat and the weeds, for the sake of the faithful God will not destroy the whole.

In the letter to Timothy we read more exhortations to right belief and practice. Among the religious conflicts that the writer addresses is the question of clean and profane foods. In Isaiah we read criticism of those who "eat swine's flesh, with broth of abominable things in their vessels." But Timothy says "everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by God's word and by prayer." What to eat and with whom to eat it has been a perennial topic of religious debate.

Jesus finds himself in debate with challengers. Some Roman collaborators ask him if it is lawful to pay taxes to the emperor. Jesus asks him for a coin. Roman coins typically bore the image of the emperor -- a graven image in violation of the second commandment according to Jewish tradition. Roman coins usually had an inscription celebrating the divinity of the emperor. Such coins were a public blasphemy to sensitive Jews. Jesus' answer cleverly evades the trap.

Then Sadducees challenge the theological view of the Pharisees. Pharisees believe in resurrection. The Sadducees invent a scenario to ridicule the notion of resurrection. Jesus invites them to a higher vision of union beyond the limitations of possessive earthly relationships.

I am left thinking that religious debate and conflict seems eternal and inevitable. People are rarely convinced by argument. Minds and opinions are not easily changed. But these conversations are important and necessary. There are better and worse religious practices and beliefs.

Our knowledge is always partial. There is much that is ambiguous. Mystery cannot be defined and contained. Ultimately our faith points toward a God who is free and beyond our knowing and control. Moses teaches us that from the burning bush.

So we offer our best thoughts and theologies, but we do so with qualifications. When it comes to religious teaching, we often don't know what is man's and what is God's. To render unto God what is God's is to give everything into God's hands, including our ignorance. It is always important to recognize that the first temptation in the Garden of Eden was to eat of the forbidden fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Certainty is more than humans can claim.

Lowell
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, AR

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate
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