The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to contemplate the growth we have experienced when we have gone through serious incidents in our lives in God’s Presence.
Reflecting on the Storms
The reading from the Second Book of Samuel is Nathan’s Parable prior to Bathsheba’s child death.
* [12:1–7] David has committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged the death of her husband. Instead of directly indicting the king for this criminal abuse of his royal authority, the prophet Nathan tells David a story. In the story, a parable of David’s own actions, a powerful man takes cruel advantage of his vulnerable neighbor. Hearing the story, David is outraged and denounces the rich man—thus unwittingly pronouncing judgment on himself (“You are the man,” v. 7). * [12:6] Fourfold restitution: David’s judgment foreshadows the deaths of four of his own sons: the child born of his adulterous union with Bathsheba (v. 18); Amnon (13:28–29); Absalom (18:15; 19:1); and Adonijah (1 Kgs 2:24–25).1
Psalm 51 is a prayer for cleansing and pardon.
* [Psalm 51] A lament, the most famous of the seven Penitential Psalms, prays for the removal of the personal and social disorders that sin has brought. The poem has two parts of approximately equal length: Ps 51:3–10 and Ps 51:11–19, and a conclusion in Ps 51:20–21. The two parts interlock by repetition of “blot out” in the first verse of each section (Ps 51:3, 11), of “wash (away)” just after the first verse of each section (Ps 51:4) and just before the last verse (Ps 51:9) of the first section, and of “heart,” “God,” and “spirit” in Ps 51:12, 19. The first part (Ps 51:3–10) asks deliverance from sin, not just a past act but its emotional, physical, and social consequences. The second part (Ps 51:11–19) seeks something more profound than wiping the slate clean: nearness to God, living by the spirit of God (Ps 51:12–13), like the relation between God and people described in Jer 31:33–34. Nearness to God brings joy and the authority to teach sinners (Ps 51:15–16). Such proclamation is better than offering sacrifice (Ps 51:17–19). The last two verses express the hope that God’s good will toward those who are cleansed and contrite will prompt him to look favorably on the acts of worship offered in the Jerusalem Temple (Ps 51:19 [20–21]).2
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus Stills a Storm.
* [4:41] Jesus is here depicted as exercising power over wind and sea. In the Christian community this event was seen as a sign of Jesus’ saving presence amid persecutions that threatened its existence.3
Tamora Whitney notes that this past summer and fall she experienced several bad storms with very high winds. Tornados are not unheard of, and they can have devastating damage. All the preparation in the world can’t stop the storm or avoid the damages. And they can sometimes come up suddenly and catch us unawares.
Jesus is with us through the storm. When we call on him, he can calm our fears. Why are we terrified if we have faith? Not every storm will be abated, but Jesus will see us to the other side.4
An article on the Theology of Work website comments that over the course of history, the encounter between David and Bathsheba has often been described as adultery, which implies mutual consent. However, as we examine the details, we see that it is actually sexual abuse of power, in other words, rape.
A culture that tolerates abuse is very hard to eradicate, much harder than its leaders suppose. If David thought that his personal repentance was all it would take to restore his household’s integrity, he was tragically mistaken. Sadly, this kind of complacency and willing disregard in tolerating a culture of abuse continues to the present day. How many churches, corporations, universities, governments and organizations have promised to root out a culture of sexual abuse after an incident is exposed, only to fall back immediately into the same old ways and to perpetrate even further abuses? This episode does not end in despair, however. Sexual abuse is one of the most grievous of sins, yet even so there is the hope of justice and restoration. Can we let David, Nathan and Bathsheba’s examples embolden us to admit and repent (if we are the perpetrator), to confront (if we are aware of the crime), or to recover (if we are the victim)? In any case the first step is to make the abuse stop.5
Don Schwager quotes “Awakening the Christ asleep within you,” by Saint Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"When you have to listen to abuse, that means you are being buffeted by the wind. When your anger is roused, you are being tossed by the waves. So when the winds blow and the waves mount high, the boat is in danger, your heart is imperiled, your heart is taking a battering. On hearing yourself insulted, you long to retaliate; but the joy of revenge brings with it another kind of misfortune - shipwreck. Why is this? Because Christ is asleep in you. What do I mean? I mean you have forgotten his presence. Rouse him, then; remember him, let him keep watch within you, pay heed to him... A temptation arises: it is the wind. It disturbs you: it is the surging of the sea. This is the moment to awaken Christ and let him remind you of those words: 'Who can this be? Even the winds and the sea obey him." (excerpt from Sermons 63:1-3)6
The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 4:35-41 comments that Jesus wants us to find a balanced approach to our challenges: a combination of working hard and praying hard. We should make every effort to tackle our difficulties, all while praying for strength to persevere and asking God to help us. He wants us to be humble enough to know we need him but confident enough to keep trying to work with him.
Jesus could have prevented the storm from happening, but he didn’t. He could have calmed the waves at the first sign of trouble, but he let the storm continue to build. This story is a good example of how he doesn’t always protect us from the difficulties of life. Sometimes he uses them for our greater good. They can make us wiser, more compassionate, and more aware of his love and presence. So keep doing your part, and Jesus will do his. And never forget that he cares so much that he’s right there in the boat with you! “Jesus, help me to use the storms of life as a chance to grow closer to you.”7
Friar Jude Winkler recalls the crimes of David and the death of the child of Bathsheba. Mark and Luke express the reaction of the disciples in the boat in different ways. Friar Jude reminds us that the fishers in the boat were not sophisticated philosophers.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares a practice used at many of the Center’s conferences. They read the following call and response with those gathered, both in person and online.
People on all parts of the continuum of gender identity and expression, including those who are gay, bisexual, heterosexual, transgender, cisgender, queer folks, the sexually active, the celibate, and everyone for whom those labels don’t apply. Response: I belong.
People of African descent, of Asian descent, of European descent, of First Nations descent in this land and abroad, and people of mixed and multiple descents and of all the languages spoken here. Response: I belong.
Bodies with all abilities and challenges. Those living with any chronic medical condition, visible or invisible, mental or physical. Response: I belong.
People who identify as activists and those who don’t. Mystics, believers, seekers of all kinds. People of all ages. Those who support you to be here. Response: I belong.
Your emotions: joy, fear, grief, contentment, disappointment, surprise, and all else that flows through you. Response: I belong.
Your families, genetic and otherwise. Those dear to us who have died. Our ancestors and the future ones. The ancestors who lived in this land, in this place, where these buildings are now . . . we honor you through this work that we are undertaking. Response: I belong.
People who feel broken, lost, struggling; who suffer from self-doubt and self-judgment. Response: I belong.
All beings that inhabit this earth: the two-legged, the four-legged, winged and finned, those that walk, fly, and crawl, above the ground and below, in air and water. Response: I belong.8
The Spirit reminds us that God is with us through all the events of our lives to accept our contrition and calm our storms.
References
No comments:
Post a Comment