The Sixth
Sunday after the Epiphany – February 16, 2014.
The Bible – if anything – is a book
or, better, a collection of books, letters, poetry, and songs about
relationships. If one reads the Scriptures it soon will become clear that there
is interaction and a connection between the Creator and his creation, the
Creator and his creatures – our primeval parents – and the relationship and
interaction among the creatures themselves.
All through the pages of the Bible you read time after time
about God speaking, even arguing – interacting – with his people. And, of course, the Bible includes the stories
about different actors – religious and military leaders, truants and champions
of the faith, poets and villains, plain folk and royalty, and how they
interacted – sometimes very nastily – with each other. If you will, the pages
of the Bible sometimes look like a mash-up of “Downtown Abbey” and “Days of our
Lives” on steroids. Please note that the Bible does not pretend to be an
exhaustive and chronological recording of the history of the people of Israel or
other ancient nations. It doesn’t even pretend to be an exhaustive biography
and chronology of the life of Jesus Christ. It is just a story. But it is not just
any story.
The Bible is filled with stories
about relationships. We read about God’s prophets excoriating unworthy judges
and tyrant rulers, for they are concerned about the fabric of society and how
society should reflect God’s righteousness and justice. Many of the Old
Testament laws protected the poor, the old, and children, for God expected his
people to reflect his merciful character. In the New Testament learn more about
relationships: We read about Jesus, being the “Beloved” Son in whom God,
his Father, “is well-pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Then, we are told that the
Church is more than a secular assembly (ἐκκλησία) but that it is “the Body
of Christ” and where we are “individual members of it” (1
Corinthians 12:27), and that, as children of God – another relationship -- it
is our right, to call God, “Our Father in heaven.”
Of course, all this
can be dismissed as primitive anthropomorphism. But that judgment is
philosophical and theological. Nothing wrong about it. But I am inviting you to
take the Scriptures at face value. Which is the way that writers, editors, and
compilers of the Scripture meant it to be.
--o0o--
In the Book of Genesis, we learn
that God is the God of Nature. God is not Nature. God is distinct and separate
from Nature. We understand the story of creation not as play by play account,
but as the poetic and almost psychological history of a developing relationship
between Creator and creation and Creator and creatures. From that primeval
moment of the explosion of light and energy to the creation of the first living
organisms we can notice that there is a growing and deepening relationship: God
not only creates, but God affirms and, in a way, “encourages” creation by
proclaiming its goodness.
As you know, by definition,
whatever God creates is good, so when we read the words about the goodness of
creation, God’s words are not so much addressed to himself, like giving himself
a pat in his own back. The sages of old clearly understood God’s words to be
addressed to creation, affirming its purpose, and thus showing his continuing
care for all the created order.
If you read again the first two
chapter of Genesis and stop thinking about dinosaurs and fossils, but read it
from the perspective from were it was written – to teach the people of Israel
and us about a God who cares, a God who has a continuing and ever evolving
relationship with creation and his creatures.
The story about creation is about a
God that our of his good will chooses to create the universe as an expression
of his interest in sharing his love, grace, and glory with us all. That is to
say, God longs for and indeed has created us to be in a personal, loving, and
transcendental relationship with him.
Something else. Because God does
not create “disconnected things” but God creates a caring relatedness, a solid
theology of the ecology and of the stewardship of creation cannot but be
grounded in God’s care about his creation. From a Christian perspective, being
faithful stewards of creation is not a trendy political mandate or even an act
of sheer survival, but is nothing less than to act in solidarity with the
Creator. We hope that in a few weeks we may be able to change the light-bulbs
in our sanctuary. It does not only make financial good sense, but will be an
act of reverence to God’s creation, a full act of worship. In being good
stewards of creation, we just care about what God cares.
--o0o--
In the New Testament, in the second
book of Genesis, the second part of Creation, from the very first verses of the
Gospel of John, we come to understand Jesus, the Incarnated and Creating Word,
in the context of a God reaching out to his creatures in a gesture of love and
grace, seeking once again to reestablish a broken relationship. Yet, according
to the Gospel, such generous offer was plainly rejected, “He came into his
own, and they did not receive him” (John 1:11). Yet, those who chose to
receive him, by love, grace and mercy become “children of God” (John
1:12) and, as St Paul writes, “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ”
(Romans 8:17).
So here again we notice the
importance that God gives to relationships, more than to mental or even
theological assent. By God’s love we become his family. And that keenness
for relationships is just a manifestation of love. For true love does not exist
in isolation. As the writer of the letter of John affirms, love consists
not in that we loved God, but that God loved us first (cf. 1 John 1:19) and,
that such love is not predicated in personal holiness or in human achievement,
but in grace and mercy, for “while we were still sinners, Christ died for
us” (Romans 5:8).
--o0o--
Today’s Gospel – and much of what
you will find in the pages of the Bible – is about how we relate to one
another, how we relate to God, and how sacred are those relationships. We
cannot keep a good relationship with God unless we have a good relationship with
our neighbor, and we cannot really have a good relationship with our neighbor
unless we have a good relationship with the God that created and redeemed us
both, us and our neighbor. “Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their
brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister
whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen” (1 John
1:20). “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us”
(Matthew 6:12).
But even further; in God’s view,
our relationship, our relatedness with our brothers and sisters is so
fundamental, that it can even stop worship. Just consider – a broken
relationship can and should stop worship. “So when you are offering your
gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something
against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled
to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew
5:22). In God’s view, being in full communion, being in full fellowship with
our brothers and sisters is so fundamental, that when we realize that someone
has sinned against us, our duty is to seek reconciliation. In Christ’s like
manner, it is us, the offended party, who is to take the lead in seeking
reconciliation.
Of course, we need to be prudent
and wise. But we need to be bold – with the boldness known only to those who
are in love. As Fr Siciliano writes in his reflections for today’s readings, “There
are situations when seeking reconciliation and forgiveness may not be possible
– or safe. We hear Jesus proposing the ideal to us. But the ideal may not be
possible immediately, it may need time and patience, even when the two parties
have agreed to work things out. Or, it may not be possible ever.” In fact,
the offender may choose to dig in and affirm his or her own self-righteousness.
But, as the apostle writes, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful
to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it
depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:17-18).
--o0o--
What is today’s gospel? Where is
the good news? The good news is that God, even if we have offended him – and we
surely have – is seeking to be reconciled with us. Imagine! God, in the person
of Jesus comes out of his way – pitching a tent among us (Cf. John 1:14) –
seeking us so that we may be at peace with him. “See what great love the
Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that
is what we are!” (1 John 3:1).
The Holy Eucharist, our principal
liturgical act in the life of the church, the Body of Christ, our community, is
above all about being related to one another and being in a good relationship
with God. Today we will receive Jesus himself present in His Body and Blood. We
will not receive one tenth of one percent of Jesus in one little crumb. In each
piece of Holy Bread and in each sip of Holy Wine, the plenitude of Christ’s
love, grace, and mercy will be lavished on us. For Jesus is not only the Bread
of Life, but He is the Bread of Life broken and shared with us and for us. This
is the good news. Isn’t it something worthy of sharing with someone else during
this week?
Fr. Gustavo
