Idealism and Realism

Wednesday, June 11, 2008 -- Week of Proper 5
St. Barnabas the Apostle

Today's Reading for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 971)
Psalms 72 (morning) 119:73-96 (evening)
Ecclesiastes 9:11-18
Galatians 5:1-15
Matthew 16:1-12

There seems to be a back and forth as we read the lessons sequentially today.

Psalm 72 is a prayer for the ideal ruler. The good leader promotes justice, especially through advocacy on behalf of the poor and needy. The good leader creates peace. Economic prosperity and ecological health abounds. At a time in our nation's history when we have been so poorly led, it is easy to let Psalm 72 be our fervent prayer and hope.

Yet Ecclesiastes reminds us that life is not fair or just. The good person does not always prevail. Chance and disaster can befall individuals and societies regardless of merit. The writer stakes his portion with wisdom rather than might, but he knows that sometimes fools prevail. "Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one bungler destroys much good." Amen!

Paul gets to the point today. Pay no attention to the religious rule-givers. Ignore the moralists who reduce your relationship to God down to a performance sport -- do these things and you are approved; violate these things and you are lost. "The only thing that counts is faith working through love." That's a seminal statement for Paul. The word "working" could also be translated "made effective." "The only thing that counts is faith made effective through love." The meaning: trust God and only God; God has loved you completely so you are accepted; having been so loved, let your response to God be made effective through loving acts toward all others, after all, they too are equally loved by God.

Paul acknowledges that his stance is a controversial one, bound to provoke conflict. We see he stands in the tradition of the conflicts of Jesus and the early church. Jesus warns the disciples of "the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." The Pharisees sought to proscribe all of common life within a secure moral and religious boundary of purity and behavior. The Sadducees were the religion of power and control. Jesus departs from those traditions. The principle metaphor is one of feeding. All are fed. There is abundance. All are welcome; all are blessed. Even the division between Jew and Gentile is transcended -- with five loaves he fed the Jews, with seven loaves he fed the Gentiles. All are welcome; all are blessed.

The picture we have is the back and forth of being grounded in a universal idealism and hope while recognizing the inevitability of conflict and the reality that good does not always prevail. Even though "one bungler destroys much good," nevertheless the "only thing that counts is faith working through love."

Lowell

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About Morning Reflections
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


The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life

We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Lowell Grisham, Rector

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas