Religious Conflict

Tuesday, June 2, 2009 -- Week of Proper 4, Year One
The Martyrs of Lyons, 177

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 968)
Psalms 45 (morning) 47, 48 (evening)
Deuteronomy 12:1-12
2 Corinthians 6:3-12(14 - 7:1)
Luke 17:11-19

Maybe the most predictable thing that can be said about religion is that there will be conflict about how we practice and what we believe. All three of our readings today are stories rooted in religious conflict.

Deuteronomy is a book focused by its intent on religious reform. The most distinctive demand from Deuteronomy is the centralization of sacrifice at a single national sanctuary. The expectation from Genesis and Exodus is that devout Hebrews would make altars of sacrifice at many holy places where they experienced the presence of God. That was the practice of the patriarchs, and Exodus 20 includes instructions from Moses about how to make these sacrificial shrines. When they settled in the promised land, the various tribes set aside holy places for their own practice of worship and sacrifice.

Deuteronomy intends to destroy those shrines. The writer of Deuteronomy wants every site that had been used by the native peoples and every site that had become holy to the Israelites to be physically torn down and desecrated. Only the central shrine is acceptable.

It is easy to imagine the hostility and conflict such a reform might provoke. Ancient holy places were sacred and beloved to the people who had prayed there. They resisted the Deuteronomic reforms. (The conflict between centralization and decentralization is common in many spheres.)

One other note about Deuteronomy. There is a theology central to the book that provoked the author of Job to write in rebuttal. Deuteronomy is characterized by a theology that asserts that God rewards the good and punishes the wicked. The nation's misfortunes are the consequences of its wrongdoing. If the nation will only do right -- including centralizing its worship -- God will bless it. In masterful literature, Job denies and challenges that theology.

The reading from Paul's second letter to the Corinthians is a defensive assertion of his ministry intended to refute some Christian leaders in Corinth who oppose and criticize Paul. Paul goes through a remarkable list of endurances that he has faced and then maintains to the Corinthians, "There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours."

We also have the option of reading a fragment (6:14-7:1) that most scholars believe comes from a separate letter, maybe the "previous letter" mentioned in 1 Corinthians 5:9. It interrupts the train of thought between 6:13 and 7:2. It also is a conflictive piece. Paul tells the believers "do not be mismatched with unbelievers." Is he advising divorce? Maybe. Elsewhere Paul moderates this absolute ban (1 Cor. 7). The dualistic language in this passage sounds like the teaching of separatist communities such as in Qumran. There were separatist communities in early Christianity. Paul often speaks how Christians can maintain their integrity while living publicly in the Roman world.

So in Paul we have three conflicts in this one reading today -- the personal conflict over Paul himself, marriage between Christians and non-Christians, and dualistic withdrawal vs. creative engagement.

And the last reading from Luke tells of Jesus' healing of ten lepers. The only one who returned to give thanks was a Samaritan, a heretic from a hated tribe. The religious conflict between Jews and Samaritans was deep, bitter and centuries old. Jesus commends the Samaritan.

One other note. We remember the Martyrs of Lyon today. They were early Christians who were persecuted by Roman authorities. Interestingly in the light of current news, some of the evidence used to convict the Christians was obtained by torturing their household slaves. Under the duress of torture, the slaves told the authorities what the authorites wanted them to say (that's what people do when tortured), that the Christians were cannibals (a common accusation, attacking the Eucharist). On the basis of false evidence from torture, the Martyrs of Lyon then were tortured horribly to death.

Religious conflict is inevitable. A couple of thoughts about that. First, it is absurd hubris for any human or any theological system to claim it has the only truth or all truth. The Bible certainly makes no such claim. It's diversity of beliefs and the debates within scripture testify that we are to be in a perpetual conversation about the deepest things.

Our Pentecost Gospel last Sunday told us that there are truths that the Spirit must still lead us into. Second, it is a noble heritage we enter when we join the on-going debate about truth. We join the voices of the patriarchs, the Deuteronomic historian, the author of Job, Paul and the Corinthians, Jesus, Jews and Samaritans. We can enter the conflict with energy, integrity, and a bit of humbleness. After all, only God is infinite truth. The best we can do is to approach with honesty and awe.

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