The Way of Peace -- A Lectionary Reflection
The Way of Peace
We can meet each other with open hands or close fists. We can embrace each other or walk away. We can build bridges or put up walls. These options have been with us from the
beginning of time. The choices we make
depend on whether we live in faith or in fear.
The way of peace is the way of welcome. And to be communities that build bridges and
welcome the stranger requires from us openness to the other. It doesn’t mean that we don’t have values or
beliefs, but it does mean that we have the willingness to engage the other
openly. Not all ways are the same. There will be times and places where barriers
need to be erected. Bigotry has no place
in such a community. Not only must we
wall out bigotry and hatred, we must recognize the danger of the current
partisan divide in our political culture.
Partisanship itself needn’t be a problem, but when it takes on an
extremist mentality that so polarizes the community that the common good
suffers, then we must address the problem head on. So, yes, there are many obstacles to a life
of openness and welcome, but if we’re to take the way of peace, then this is
the path required of us.
The way of
peace is a difficult path. We find it difficult
to create a peaceful and respectful environment even in the local church, so we
shouldn’t be surprised by the turmoil present in the broader culture, including
the global culture. The idea of “clash
of civilizations” may be problematic, at least as such an idea is laid out by
those who want to lift up western culture as the exemplar for the world, it’s
clear from the news, especially as we watch the turmoil in the Middle East and
across the Muslim world, that this is an age of social and cultural change that
many are finding difficult to understand and embrace. But
the way of peace, the way of Jesus, it seems to me requires of us a commitment
to building bridges, and that involves building relationships with the
other.
So, I have a growing appreciation for
Islam, largely because I now have Muslim friends. I know their hearts. I know they don’t wish me ill. They grieve the loss of life, especially
lives given up for friends as in the case of Ambassador Christopher Stevens,
who died in Libya. For those of us who
seek a different way, a way that is open and welcoming, find it a difficult
road to take. There is much resistance,
often rooted in a lack of understanding and knowledge. I’ve just finished reading Eboo Patel’s book Sacred Ground (Beacon, 2012), a book
that focuses on developing strong interfaith relationships while remaining true
to our faith confessions. He speaks to
the prejudice but also the promise that can, if we’re willing to take up the
task, move toward achieving Martin Luther King’s vision of the Beloved
Community. But sometimes those who
commit their lives to this task, whether it is Christopher Stevens (and I don’t
anything about his faith) or Dr. King or Gandhi or Jesus, lives are given up
for others. But in the course of their
efforts a way of welcome is established.
In the
gospel we read of Jesus’ announcement that he will die a martyr’s death in the
context of an argument or dispute among his followers as to who is the
greatest. Jesus offers us a new vision
of who we should embrace. Jeremiah
speaks of his own dilemma, but leaves vengeance in the hands of God. For his part, James writes about the way of
peace, and the role that our cravings play in putting obstacles in the way
achieving God’s vision of peace.
I start with
Jeremiah 11. It’s just three short
verses that describe Jeremiah’s recognition that his path is like that of the
lamb led to slaughter. This is an image
that appears as well in Isaiah 53, and Christians have used it as a lens to
interpret Jesus’ own death. Jeremiah’s
opponents – and those of God – wish to do him harm. They resist the way of God, though they think
they’re doing what is right. God informs
Jeremiah of this plot and as a result, Jeremiah discerns a better way than
seeking vengeance. Rather than turn to
violence, as is the choice of his opponents, he will entrust himself to God’s
care – much as Jesus will do later in history.
Jeremiah’s ability to embrace his call from God is rooted in this
decision, and is not the same true of us, especially those who embrace the call
to social justice. There will be
opposition, so what will be our demeanor?
In their comments on this passage, Catherine and Justo Gonzalez note
that “Jeremiah is able to be faithful in following God’s difficult way because
he trusts in God’s faithfulness. His
enemies assume they are following in the more prudent way to save their lives
in the face of danger to the nation. But
God’s way, although foolishness to the faithless, is the road to the greater
security God gives” (in Preaching God’s
Transforming Justice Year B, p. 411).
So, are we ready to join Jeremiah in following faithfully God’s more
difficult path – a path that leads to greater security?
From
Jeremiah’s decision to entrust his life to God’s care, we turn to James and his
conversation about the way of peace and welcome. James continues his conversation about the
life of wisdom. “Are any of you wise and
understanding?” He asks. It’s a question that requires a careful
answer, because it depends on whose wisdom we depend. James, of course, is a practical person and
offers us a glimpse into this wisdom. It
doesn’t involve bitterness, jealousy, selfish ambition – it’s not trying to get
ahead at the expense of others. This
obviously isn’t the way envisioned by the disciples of Ayn Rand! This isn’t wisdom that comes from God – no
it’s rather demonic. It is the source of
evil. Instead, we’re offered a better
way, one that is pure and peaceful. It’s
gentle and merciful. Here’s the key – “those
who make peace sow seeds of justice by their peaceful acts” (Jms. 3:18
CEB). Peace results from sowing
justice. It’s not something that simply
happens – we have to take up the work of justice, and with it comes peace.
But to
understand the call to peacemaking, we need to understand the root of our
conflicts. James suggests that conflict
arises from “your cravings that are at war with your own lives” (Jms.
4:1). In making this claim, James
reaches back to the Commandments, especially that one that speaks of
coveting. When you covet something that
belongs to the other you’re liable to break the other commands – like adultery
or murder. But James offers a way – don’t
be jealous or covetous. Instead ask,
letting go of evil intentions. Submit,
he writes, to God. Come near to God. It’s not a call to ascetism, but rather recognition
that God has our best interests in mind.
So come, and God will come near to you.
When we come
to the Gospel reading, Jesus is back in Galilee after a tour of Gentile regions
to the north. Interestingly, Jesus still
seeks anonymity. He’s trying to evade
the crowds. Why? Because he feels the need to focus on his
disciples. By this point, Jesus seems to
recognize that his time is short and that he’ll have to hand off this movement
of peace to his followers. There’s a
connection between Jesus’ attitude expressed here and the one expressed by
Jeremiah. Both see themselves as lambs
led to slaughter. But both place their
future in the hands of God. Jeremiah
trusts God’s vengeance, while Jesus sees resurrection as his vindication. Of course the disciples still don’t
understand, and like many of us, they’re not willing to ask for clarification.
In James, we
learn that conflict arises because of our cravings, and there’s not greater craving,
than the craving after power. In my
community organizing work I’m learning the importance of power. But the kind of power that allows us to build
community is tempered by humility. And
so we have before us a debate among the disciples. Jesus asks – what are you arguing about? And the answer, ultimately, is – who is the
greatest? Who is going to be the
leader? Who will sit at Jesus’ right hand? You know, they see him as Messiah, and they
want the chief seats at his side. They
crave power over each other. And so
Jesus has to draw them together and make it clear the way of discipleship. Here is the message that we all find
difficult to live into –“Whoever wants to be first must be least of all” (Mk.
9:35). Jesus needs an illustration,
because without it they’ll never understand.
Jesus uses
an image that can be confusing or at least misleading to us. In our world children are to be
treasured. We invest a lot into
them. But, in a different age, when
mortality is great, and a majority live at a subsistence level, children aren’t
near the treasure we make them today.
So, when Jesus pulls a child from the crowd and places this child in the
midst of the disciples and embraces the child and then says “whoever welcomes one
of these children in my name welcomes me,” he’s saying something radical.
Children are disposable. If they don’t
produce or have the potential to produce, they’re a liability, so to treat them
as you would treat Jesus is a radical thing.
And not only that, in welcoming this child into your midst – the one who
is the least of these – you are welcoming God.
Yes, God is present in this child, in this disposable person, and so in
embracing this child you embrace God.
This is the way of justice and peace.
So what does this require of us?
There is a
lot of debate in our society today about the role of government and charity in
providing for the needs of the least among us.
In the United States there’s more than enough food and energy to provide
for every person, but there is clearly a differential between first and
last. So, as followers of Jesus, who
seek to sow justice through acts peace, what does this require of us? What does embracing the child – the disposable
one – mean for us? There is a lot of
talk about pro-life and pro-choice, but what is often neglected in this
conversation is the life of the child once born. If we’re pro-life, and I’m ambivalent about
abortion, then are we willing to provide for a child – education, food, medical
care? If not, what does this say about
our pro-life commitments? And if we’re
pro-choice, what does this stance say to us about matters of justice? These aren’t easy questions to answer, but
the answer seems to lie in the way of peace and the way of wisdom as expressed
in James 3.
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