Ponderings

Note: Revisiting Matthew’s remembrance of Jesus’ teaching on the law (Matthew 5), I was pondering what the parallels would be in our modern discourse. He named the legalism of the day, and then pushed beyond the legalism to the heart of the matter. Using a (preachable!) call-response motif, he was able to apparently embrace the law but challenge the hearers to a much more compelling (if difficult) response. Borrowing from this tradition, I began to wonder what Jesus might say about the legalisms of our day, the “wedge issues”. The following quotes were shared with our congregation (8:30am, 27 Apr 08) and then in a presentation to the Women’s Interfaith Conference of St. Louis (08 May 08).

You have heard it said, “You shall not kill unborn babies.”
But Jesus might say to us:

You shall not put women and children in positions of vulnerability,
economically and socially,
such that life is not welcomed and cherished.

You have heard it said that you shall not engage in homosexual affairs.
But Jesus might say to us:

You shall not close your minds or hearts to the possibilities
of loving and respectful covenants for yourself or others
that move beyond culturally defined norms.
You shall not limit liturgical celebrations nor define relationships
in ways that push people into closets and dark bars.

You have heard it said, “You shall have prayer in public schools.”
But Jesus might say to us:

You shall not implicitly or explicitly show preference
for any particular practice of prayer
such that would discourage any other practices.