Mystery, Majesty of Creation Revealed in Recent Astronomical Discoveries

 © 2013 The Wired Word

 www.thewiredword.com

Recently, several astronomical discoveries have made news. The discoveries include (1) perturbations (disturbances of motion) in the orbit of the dwarf planet Sedna (roughly the size of Pluto, but orbiting much farther out in a highly elliptical orbit), which suggests there may be a giant and as yet undiscovered planet orbiting far beyond Pluto; (2) ravenous black holes which seem not only to suck in all matter in their stellar neighborhoods but to actually stalk and devour matter in an apparent feeding frenzy; and finally, (3) the profound discoveries centered around the Big Bang theory, which have tremendously excited scientists who believe they have been given a glimpse at the moment of the creation of the universe.
Some of these findings involve a measure of speculation, and like all discoveries involving the sciences, new ones can alter or even negate what we thought we previously knew. Yet for many people there is something attractive about the wonder of the universe. One doesn't need a PhD to stand in a field on a clear night and find oneself filled with wonder at the stars in the sky.
There has been a degree of tension over the centuries between some Christians and astronomical discoveries. At one time, Christians accepted the viewpoint of some (not all) ancient Greek astronomers that the earth was at the center of the universe and that the sun, planets and stars orbited the earth. The 16th-century Italian friar and astrologer Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake for expressing his belief that the universe was vaster than imagined and that the earth was not the center of creation.
Then there is Galileo, whose complex story is often abbreviated to mere sound bites. (This also is an abbreviation.) Based upon his telescope observations, Galileo promoted the idea of a heliocentric universe. This was in opposition to the "settled" science of his day -- and also opposed by many within the church. While some of his theories were contrary to evidence (e.g., especially regarding tides, but also that planetary orbits were perfect circles), it didn't help that some of his writings were believed to be veiled attacks upon the pope. Although scientists in other parts of Christendom continued to advance heliocentrism, Galileo ran afoul of the Roman Inquisition, and was forced to recant and placed under house arrest (in lieu of imprisonment) for the remainder of his life.
Few Christians today would suggest that the sun orbits the earth, but many believers deny modern scientific assumptions that the universe we observe is nearly 14 billion years old and traces its origins to a phenomenon commonly referred to as the Big Bang. Many believe the creation was accomplished in seven 24-hour days at the foundation of a universe that is only a few thousand years old.
Other Christians have no trouble accepting astronomical developments, recognizing God's hand in these wonders. Yet some worry that these discoveries do not require the presence of a Divine Creator.
In addition, just as interest in matters astronomical peaked a few decades ago with the broadcast of the original version of the television series Cosmos, featuring the late Carl Sagan, so interest has been piqued by the recrafted and remade Cosmos, featuring Neil DeGrasse Tyson, already well-known as the astronomer who "demoted" Pluto. The new Cosmos premiered in March of this year on the Fox network.
More on this story can be found at these links:
Major Discovery: 'Smoking Gun' for Universe's Incredible Big Bang Expansion Found. Space.com
New Dwarf Planet Found at Solar System's Edge, Hints at Possible Faraway 'Planet X.' Space.com
Black Hole Pair Caught in Feeding Frenzy. Yahoo! News
The Big Questions
1. What is the most amazing thing you have learned about God's creation? What did you learn about God in this discovery?
2. What does the Bible tell you about creation?
3. What, in your opinion, is the relationship between the Bible and science? Is there a tension between the discoveries of science and the revelation of scripture? Have your views on this matter changed over the years or stayed the same? If they've changed, describe the changes.
4. What is your understanding of the Big Bang theory? How much confidence do you have in this description of how the universe we observe came to be? How does this explanation fit in with your understanding of God and creation?
5. How do beliefs regarding the age of the universe or the age of the earth rank in relationship with beliefs regarding the bodily resurrection of Jesus or Jesus' nature as both human and divine?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Genesis 1:1-2 CEB
When God began to create the heavens and the earth -- the earth was without shape or form, it was dark over the deep sea, and God's wind swept over the waters ... (For context, read 1:1-5.)
One of the central tensions between scripture and science for some Christians is the apparent contradiction between a seven-day creation and a universe that seems to have been unfolding for billions of years. However, many believe that the Hebrew original of Genesis can legitimately be translated to demonstrate that when God began to direct the current era in which we live, earth and sea were already in existence. There is no question that scripture reveals God as sole creator of the universe, but the first verse of Genesis may acknowledge the passage of untold eons before the beginning of the human story.
Some would say that the purpose of the Genesis account of creation is not to establish a timeline but to distinguish God's divine story from other ancient stories in which the gods had little control over the process of creation. In contrast to myths that suggested that the universe might at any time dissolve back into chaos, God's creation is secure. (Check your favorite translation; those that echo the more traditional translation -- "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" -- often list the alternate translation in a footnote.)
Questions: What is the meaning of the first verse of Genesis in the translation above? How important is maintaining a strict seven-day creation interpretation of scripture to your understanding of the Bible?
Genesis 1:16
God made the two great lights -- the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night -- and the stars. (For context, read 1:14-19.)
The description in Genesis of the major objects in the sky visible to the naked eye was far more significant to those who first heard this verse read aloud (in Old Testament times, Bible reading was largely Bible listening) than it might be to us today. In the ancient world, there was the belief that the stars, also personified as the Fates, controlled the destinies not only of humans but of the gods. The Genesis account establishes that God created and controlled the objects visible in the sky, not the other way around. God creates and controls. God is not controlled.
While most Christians accept as a matter of course God's control over history, there are still some who read their horoscopes to determine how to conduct their lives, or seem to suggest some idea of destiny or fate that trumps free will or even God's will. In addition, during some periods of history, Christians who didn't believe in astrology were considered to be closet atheists, because they denied that God had put the stars in the skies "for signs and for seasons."
Questions: Do you ever check your horoscope? Does it feel to you sometimes as if you have no control over your life and actions? How much do you pay attention to the moon and stars? Could you name off the top of your head the current phase of the moon? Does your view of God's control over history leave room for free will? Do you believe that there are some things that are meant to happen regardless of your choice?
Psalm 19:1, 4-5
The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. ... In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy. (For context, read 19:1-6.)
Ecclesiastes 1:5-8
The sun rises and the sun goes down, and hurries to the place where it rises. ... All things are wearisome; more than one can express; the eyes is not satisfied with seeing, or the ear filled with hearing. (For context, read 1:5-11.)
In these contrasting scriptures the movement of the sun across the sky (bear in mind, of course, that it is the earth that rotates as it orbits the sun, though it appears to us that the sun is the body in motion) human emotions are assigned to the sun. In the text from Psalm 19, the sun eagerly races across the sky like a bridegroom on his wedding day or a runner who exults in the exertion, while in Ecclesiastes, the author projects his own weariness on the celestial body.
In the story of the ravenous black holes, human malevolence seems to be assigned to these awe-inspiring phenomena. The action of projecting human emotions on non-human creatures and objects is called anthropomorphism.
Questions: How much do we project human emotions on the universe? If we and the universe reflect God's mind, does this make such anthropomorphism acceptable? What human characteristics, rightly or wrongly, do you attribute to God?
Daniel 12:3
Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. (For context, read 12:1-4.)
This passage, written in the face of intense persecution, encourages the faithful to endure, because reward will follow for those who hold on. However, our point here is that though this verse is poetically true, it is not strictly scientifically true. Stars die. They go nova, or supernova, or get sucked into black holes, or simply burn out. From our perspective, however, they seem eternal. The seemingly unchanging nature of the heavens made a great impression on the ancients, and no doubt that is reflected in this biblical verse.
Questions: Does the fact that this Bible verse is not strictly true negate its truthfulness? Do biblical passages have to be literally true to be spiritually true? When Jesus tells a fictional story, as he does with the parables, does their lack of historical truth negate their truthfulness?
1 Corinthians 15:40-42
There are both heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is one thing, and that of the earthly is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; indeed, star differs from star in glory. So it is with the resurrection of the dead. (For context, read 1 Corinthians 15:39-44.)
While writing about the glory of the resurrection, both of Christ and for us, the apostle Paul likens the glories of the various celestial bodies to our own state, which changes from this life to the next. However, one is also reminded that just as there are different qualities of glory associated with the sun, moon and stars, so our own apprehension and appreciation for the heavenly in this life -- and even for heaven itself -- might vary as well.
Questions: In more than one place, the apostle makes the point that believers receive different gifts. What is more fair: that everyone experience everything in exactly the same way, or that believers receive from God what suits them best? Are we perfected so we will all be the same, or do we become perfectly what we were created to be? Explain your answer.
Romans 8:37-39
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (For context, read 8:31-39.)
The rulers (sometimes translated "principalities") and powers are considered by some to be angelic figures, and are connected to astronomical or heavenly bodies. Christ is proclaimed the victor over all the ancient gods. There's a mosaic in Mausoleum M under St. Peter's Basilica in Rome sometimes referred to as "Christ Helios." In the Roman Empire the god Apollo was sometimes depicted riding his chariot of the sun. Many believe the artist was depicting Jesus riding the sun chariot, representing the triumph of Christ.
Questions: What does it mean for Christ to be victor over powers and principalities? Do you see Christ in non-Christian settings? There is a constellation in the Southern Hemisphere referred to as "The Southern Cross." Discuss or invent a Christian constellation in the night sky you observe.
For Further Discussion
1. Respond to this, from a TWW team member who shared the memory of his first apprehension of the weight of infinity and eternity: "One of my strongest memories from childhood goes back half a century. I am a boy. I am lying on my back on the front lawn. There is a tree nearby, and occasionally one of its branches, tossed about by a spring breeze, intrudes into the picture, but otherwise all I see is blue, blue sky. Reflecting on infinity and eternity and aware of the very tenuous layer of atmosphere between me and infinite space, I realize it is altogether possible for the earth to let go, natural laws suspended, and for me to rise into emptiness forever and ever. It is a startling thought. My fingers grip the lawn tightly, something I will only be aware of later when I feel the gritty dirt underneath my fingernails. The thought is no longer startling. It is now suddenly possible. And staring intently up into the blue, I become aware of an endless stairwell in the sky, with the saints ascending and descending. Up and down, rising and falling, forever and ever, singing, praying, praising. I am a child, so the saints are wearing robes, of course. I believe the stairs I saw were intertwined, or maybe twined and vined, around itself, supporting its own insupportable weight. This is eternity, I thought to myself. Though it has been going on forever, it hasn't really started and is no closer to ending."
     Was there ever a moment when you were overwhelmed with the glory of God's universe? When have you really felt the weight of glory in the cosmos?
2. An ancient Anglo-Saxon chronicle mentioned the appearance of a red crucifix visible after sunset in the year A.D. 774. Jonathon Allen, a student at the University of California at Santa Cruz, connected that memory with a strange concentration of carbon-14 in Japanese cedar tree rings around that year. Carbon-14 is associated with cataclysmic cosmic events. What if the two events were connected? What if an interstellar cloud partially blocked the light from a supernova? It might result in red light, shaped like a cross. While the phenomenon itself might not be divinely inspired, it still demonstrates that we who are disciples of Jesus see the cross everywhere. Do you see the cross in the skies, in other people, in our shared suffering and in our triumph? A cross-shaped patch of dust in the sky is a cross in our eyes, when we see Jesus in everything.
Responding to the News
Some would say astronomical discoveries give us an awe-inspiring view of our own place in the universe. In January of this year, the Mars Rover Curiosity took a photograph of the Earth and moon from the surface of the Red Planet. See a video of this photograph of our planet here. Several years ago the astronomer Carl Sagan, host and one of the writers of the original PBS series Cosmos, shared a meditation often called "The Pale Blue Dot," regarding a photograph of Earth taken by one of the Voyager spacecraft. Arrange for your group to listen to and watch that Pale Blue Dot video during your session. Then read Psalm 8 together.
Closing Prayer

Eternal Creator, infinitely creative, we praise you for your inexhaustible glory, revealed only in part by the staggering, awe-inspiring universe we inhabit. As we grow in knowledge, may we grow also in wisdom, praising you in all things, cherishing each other and everyone who shares this fragile and blessed planet. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Doctors Care for Man Who Allegedly Slew Their Colleagues

 © 2013 The Wired Word

www.thewiredword.com

On the morning of April 24, witnesses say an Afghan police officer named Ainuddin, assigned to provide security at the CURE International Hospital in Kabul, opened fire at the entrance of the building, killing three American doctors: Jon Gabel, administrator of a low-cost health clinic at Kabul University; his visiting father, Gary; and Chicago pediatrician Jerry Umanos, who worked at the CURE Hospital. Jon Gabel's wife Teresa, also a health care worker, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
An investigation is ongoing to determine whether a gunshot wound the alleged gunman received to the stomach was self-inflicted or the result of shots fired by other officers responding to the emergency. CURE Hospital doctors, friends of the slain, operated on him before he was transferred to a government hospital. Diana Davidson, a nurse anesthetist who has participated in medical missions in some of the poorest nations around the globe for 15 years described the actions of the hospital staff as "the ultimate turning of the other cheek."
As the U.S.-led coalition continues to draw down troops from the country, attacks on foreigners have increased, causing the deaths of at least 21 civilians and 18 NATO troops since January of this year. "Afghanistan is definitely in the top five of dangerous countries for aid workers," said Larissa Fast of Notre Dame's Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies.
Umanos' wife, Jan Schuitema, a teacher in Afghanistan, said that they did not live in fear, though violence in the country was "a reality." They felt the dangers even more acutely after a dozen aid workers, including his close friend Tom Little, were slaughtered by the Taliban while on a medical mission Jerry helped coordinate in 2010. But risk assessment did not stop him from committing himself to the Afghan people. Instead, he assessed the risks they face every day, and decided to work in Afghanistan because it was '"the most dangerous place to be born," according to journalist Mindy Belz.
So Umanos commuted 7,000 miles for over seven years, juggling responsibilities at Lawndale Christian Health Center in a troubled Chicago neighborhood with his work in Kabul.
"Jerry clearly wanted to use his medical training where he could have the most impact," Arthur Jones, Lawndale's founding physician, said. "He could have worked as a pediatrician anyplace and drawn a much bigger salary." Instead, he trained Afghan doctors and nurses in best medical practices and "didn't just take care of the least of these, he took care of the smallest of these," CURE International President and CEO Dale Brantner said, referring to Umanos' special work with high-risk premature infants.
Speaking softly and haltingly after learning of the deadly attack, Jan Schuitema said of her husband Jerry, "He always had a desire to be the hands and feet of Christ. He was always a light for Christ and he had a love and commitment that he expressed for the Afghan people because of that love for Christ."
"Our family has suffered a great loss," she added. "We don't hold any ill will toward Afghanistan in general or even the gunman who did this."
Afghans who knew Umanos said, "He was just like our brother" and called him "our best friend." David Smith remembers taking his sick triplets to see Dr. Umanos in Kabul, after which the doctor made a house call just to check on them. "My prayer," he wrote, "is that God would send a thousand Dr. Jerrys in his place."
More on this story can be found at these links:
CEO Statement Regarding Shooting at CURE International Hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan. CURE International
Widow of Doctor Slain in Kabul Forgives Attacker. CBN
Americans Die in Grim Trend in Afghanistan. New York Times
Christian Doctor Killed in Afghan Attack. World
Cure International Hospital Shooting Victim Remembered: 'He Really Did Love Afghanistan.' PennLive.com
The Big Questions
1. Who might your enemies be? Kids at school who have bullied your child? People with whom you disagree vehemently on a political or church issue? A family member who has hurt you emotionally or in other ways? A boss who fired you? A co-worker who lied about you and dragged your name through the mud? How does your faith help you learn how to relate to such people?
2. How hard is it to show mercy, the way the medical staff at CURE Hospital did to the alleged murderer, toward someone who has hurt you? Give an example of a time you had the opportunity to choose not to hold ill will toward such a person. Did you harbor resentment, develop a root of bitterness, or lash out at your enemy, or did you treat them the way Umanos' widow treated her husband's killer? Why did you react the way you did?
3. What scriptures come to your mind in the wake of tragedies such as these?
4. Janelle Gustafson said of Dr. Umanos on the CURE International website: "He was a true follower of Christ, not just a fan." What is the difference between "a true follower" and "just a fan" of Christ? Which are you?
5. If you were the gunman who attacked and killed the doctors, how would it affect you if you knew the doctors' families and friends were praying for you? What do you think is his greatest need? Could you bring yourself to pray for him? If so, what would your prayer be?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Matthew 5:7, 44-45, 48
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. ... Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. ... Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (For context, read 5:7, 10-12, 43-48.)
Jesus teaches his disciples that they are to behave differently from those around them who only love those who can reciprocate; instead, they are to pattern their response to their enemies after God's behavior.
Questions: What effect might treating enemies with mercy and love have on them? On you? On others who are watching how you treat those who mistreat you? How does loving and praying for your enemies make you a child of your Father in heaven? When have you ever had to actually live out the Beatitudes? What was the hardest thing you ever did when attempting to apply the gospel in your own life?
Luke 9:51-55
[Jesus] set his face to go to Jerusalem. ... On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" But he turned and rebuked them. (For context, read 9:51-56.)
As Jesus set out toward the cross, a village of Samaritans refused to show him even the customary hospitality that one might normally expect to receive in that culture, because he was headed toward Jerusalem. Luke doesn't suggest that the Samaritans had any personal animosity toward Jesus, but rather a beef with Jerusalem. We know from his encounter with the woman at the well in John 4:20 that the Samaritans worshiped on a mountain in Samaria, while the Jews viewed Jerusalem as the place of worship. James and John took offense at the way the Samaritans treated Jesus and were ready to call down fire from heaven to consume their enemies. Jesus didn't take kindly to that suggestion.
Questions: When is the last time you felt the way James and John did toward a person or group? Why does it feel "right" to "defend Jesus' honor"? When might it be right to do so? (In other words, how does one discern when one should and when one should not?) Why did Jesus rebuke the disciples in this case? Why does Jesus rebuke us when we act that way?
Has there been a time when you stood up for the "Samaritans" when a fellow believer criticized someone simply for being part of a group classified as the enemy? Was there a time you felt you ought to have done so and did not? Has someone chastised you for comments about "Samaritans"?
Luke 22:47-51
While [Jesus] was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; but Jesus said to him, "Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?" When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, "Lord, should we strike with the sword?" Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, "No more of this!" And he touched his ear and healed him. (For context, read 22:45-53.)
Into the Garden of Gethsemane, normally noted for peace and beauty, treachery and betrayal entered, just as violence entered the hospital in Kabul in recent days. Instead of healing, joy and life came pain, sorrow and death. One of those close to Jesus, watching the crowd coming to arrest him, instinctively struck out with the sword. But again Jesus calls a halt to the violence and returns good for evil, healing for the suffering he would endure.
Questions: Why do you think Jesus had his disciples bring swords to Gethsemane? How do you think the slave of the high priest would have felt about Jesus if Jesus had not touched his ear and healed him? How do you think he felt about Jesus after he healed him, knowing that he was part of the crowd who had come to arrest him? What impact do you think the actions of the colleagues of Dr. Umanos may have on the murderer? On those who witnessed their response?
Mark 8:34-35
He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it." (For context, read 8:34-37.)
Jesus forewarned his disciples to be prepared for his suffering, murder and resurrection, but they didn't want to hear about the cost of discipleship any more than we do today. When Bruce Steffes, MD, learned about the killing of the doctors in Kabul, he wrote: "Those of us who work in the developing world realize the price that sometimes must be paid to follow Christ's call on our lives." And Ashe Michael commented on the CURE International website, "When CURE accepts the challenges of going into places like Afghanistan, it is with the knowledge and acceptance that we might have to pay the highest sacrifice we can give, our life, so that others might live. Dr. Jerry paid the price with his life so that hundreds of children could live because of his care."
Questions: If you had been in the crowd listening to Jesus when he made this statement, and you had seen people crucified on crosses before, how would you have reacted? Would you have reconsidered the whole idea of following Jesus? How are you denying yourself and taking up your cross and following Jesus to Calvary today? Are you really willing to lose your life for his sake and for the sake of the gospel?
Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (No context needed.)
CURE International President and CEO Dale Brantner requested: "Please pray with the 1,600 CURE employees worldwide that God would comfort the families of these victims as well as all those affected by this tragedy and give them a peace that truly defies human understanding."
Questions: In circumstances such as the murder of one's loved one, how can one have "a peace that truly defies human understanding," "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding"? Is it really possible? From whence does such peace come? How does praying for your enemy help bring you the peace of God that guards your heart and mind in Christ Jesus?
On the face of things these sayings sound obvious, as if they should be the default settings of our lives. On the other hand, our lives often make it seemingly impossible to rejoice in the Lord always. How grating do you find words like these from well wishers when you are suffering, such as, for instance, when you are grieving over a loved one and someone tells you we should rejoice because the loved one is in heaven? What rewards have you found when seeking the peace of Christ in unpeaceful situations?
For Further Discussion
1. Respond to this comment from an online poster identified as Rick Manning: "Jerry had the gift of hospitality. He never ate for the sake of eating. Rather, he ate for the sake of getting to know and love people. And in this, Jerry reminds me very much of our Lord. For our Lord, sharing meals is always a cause for celebration. The Lord started revealing this to me today at Mass and especially during the Lord's Prayer. How many times had Jerry and I said that prayer together? I am not sure, but I know we did so together again today. As we said the prayer, I closed my eyes and instead of folding my hands in front of me, held them out to my sides. On my right, I was holding the hand of Dan Terry who was holding the hand of Tom Little who was holding the hand of other Christians who have spilled their blood in Afghanistan. Standing on my left was Jerry." (See this link: Men Who Made a Difference.)
2. Here are some online prayers offered in the immediate aftermath of this tragedy:

• Ben Hoogendoorn: "I pray for protection and courage for all serving in CURE hospitals and that this senseless act will not deter anyone from answering the call to serve in His Kingdom work."
• Brian Bowman: "We pray that the Lord will be glorified through this situation."
• Arthur Aseka: "Through this tragedy, may the Lord embolden the commitment of CURE leadership and staff in continuous service."
• Sharon Gibbons: "Lord Jesus bring Your presence into this situation." 
• Mary Ann Miller Rodrigues: "My prayers are with Jerry's family, the CURE staff, and the patients in Afghanistan. As you continue [to] minister to the physical needs of God's children, may His word go forth and take root in their hearts."

Are these prayers similar to or different from prayers you might offer for those suffering in trials such as these? If you were a relative or friend of one of the slain, what do you think would be your greatest need right now? If you were one of the health care workers at the hospital or university clinic, or an aid worker, how would you want people to pray for you? If you were a sick person or relative of a patient, what would you want prayer for? How do you pray in the wake of events such as these?
Take time now or during the week to offer prayer for those touched by this tragedy.
Responding to the News
This might be a good time to plan how you can turn the tables on your enemies by not returning evil for evil, but instead by returning good for evil. How can you be "the hands and feet of Christ" in your community, even to your enemies?
Closing Prayer

Spirit of God, make us willing to give what we cannot keep to gain what we cannot lose, for Jesus' sake and for the sake of the gospel. Amen.

2014 Boston Marathon Is a Good-News Story

 © 2013 The Wired Word

www.thewiredword.com

In the News
Some 32,500 runners competed in this year's edition of the Boston Marathon on Monday, one of the largest fields in the history of the race, which has been held annually for 118 years. This was not simply another running of the event, however, due to the two bombs exploded last year near the finish line by two terrorists, killing three spectators and injuring 260 more, some severely. That made this year's race not only a reclamation of the event, but also a declaration of resilience, pride and determination.
"There is a different energy this year," Jeff Morris told a Boston Globe reporter. Morris has attended the Boston Marathon as a spectator for many years. "This year they all have something different to run for," Morris said. "You can feel it."
The Globe reported that "elite athletes and weekend plodders together renew[ed] a determined pursuit of the finish line in Copley Square, amid greater-than-ever security."
Participants and spectators alike welcomed the security measures and said they felt safe.
In the week following last year's race, one of the bombers was killed in a shootout with police. The other was captured and is in prison awaiting trial.
The 2014 running of the 26.2-mile marathon marked the first time since 1983 that an American won the men's division. That runner, Meb Keflezighi, 38, had written four names on his yellow race bib: Martin, for 8-year-old Martin Richard; Krystle, for 29-year-old Krystle Campbell; Ling, for 23-year-old Lu Lingzi; and Sean, for 26-year-old Sean Collier. Richard, Campbell and Lingzi were the three spectators killed by the bombs last year. Collier was an MIT police officer later shot to death in his cruiser by one of the bombers. Speaking of his win, Keflezighi said, "This is for the victims."
Rita Jeptoo of Kenya won the women's division. Jeptoo also won the women's race last year.
Beyond the big wins were personal victories and moments worth celebrating. Celeste Corcoran, who lost both legs in the bombing, and her daughter, Sydney, who was also injured, ran the last block of the course with Celeste's sister Carmen Acabbo. "I did this for every single person who can't run this race," said Celeste, who ran on prosthetic running blades. Several other survivors also took part in the race.
At mile 26, near where the first bomb exploded last year, one runner, overcome with exhaustion, collapsed. Within seconds, four other runners, three men and one woman, all strangers to each other and to the fallen man, picked him up. Watching all of this, spectator Wesley Lowery tweeted, "Runner falls just short of the finish. Four others pick him up and carry him. I'm literally in tears." The four then carried the fallen runner the remaining two-tenths of a mile. At his request, they set him down a few feet short of the finish line so he could cross it under his own power. "The crowd exploded into [the] loudest cheer I've heard today," Lowery tweeted. "Walking, then jogging, they all, all 5, finished the race."
More on this story can be found at these links:
Outpouring of Resilience Fuels Boston Marathon. Boston Globe
Meb Keflezighi Makes History and a Statement in Boston Marathon. Los Angeles Times
Runner Falls Just Before Boston Marathon Finish Line, Others Carry Him Across. SB Nation
The Story Behind ... Runners Carrying a Competitor Toward the Finish. Washington Post
The Big Questions
1. Why do you think some of the New Testament writers used a race as a metaphor for the Christian life? In what ways does the image of a race apply to our lives?
2. Several of the competitors in this year's marathon ran not only for themselves, but also for others. What might be the equivalent of "running for others" in the Christian run toward the finish line?
3. In competitive racing, there can be only one first-place winner in each division. So how does that imagery work when applied to the Christian "race" where we do not normally speak about who comes in first?
4. Athletes discipline their bodies and train hard over long periods. Should that aspect of athletic competition translate into the spiritual life? If so, how?
5. Who contributes to your staying in the race of faith? Who has carried you when you have not been able to continue on your own?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Psalm 19:4-5
In the heavens [God] has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy. (For context, read 19:1-6.)
Psalm 19:1-6 celebrate God's glory as seen in creation. In the verses above, the psalmist uses poetic language to speak about the passage of the sun across the sky during a daily cycle, which "like a strong man runs its course with joy." The psalmist invites us to picture the glory of God in that movement as a fit runner who competes joyfully, knowing that his training is coming into play, conveying him successfully to the finish line.
Questions: In what ways do both nature and Scripture speak to you personally about the glory of God? How is joy reflected in your Christian race?
Ruth 1:22
So Naomi returned together with Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, who came back with her from the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. (For context, read 1:1-22.)
Ephesians 2:13
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (For context, read 2:11-22.)
This year's winner of the men's division, Meb Keflezighi, is the first American man to win in decades, but he was not always an American. Keflezighi and his family were refugees from a part of Ethiopia that is now in Eritrea. They came to the United States in 1987, and Keflezighi became a naturalized citizen in 1998. Like others who have become citizens by naturalization, his story reminds us of the value of drawing a wide circle when defining who is an American.
Consider the biblical Ruth. The author of the book of Ruth goes out of his/her way to constantly identify Ruth as a Moabite, knowing that it's a loaded term. Moabites were supposed to be outside the circle, and Israelites were never to include them or marry one or eat with them. But Ruth exemplifies the Hebrew word chesed, the steadfast love that asks nothing in return, which is an attribute of God. And we learn at the end of the book that Ruth becomes one of King David's -- and therefore one of Jesus' -- ancestors. A Moabite is one of us.
Immigrants like Ruth -- and Meb -- often appreciate what it means to be one of us more than some of us who were born here. The same is true for the church. Those far off are brought near, as Paul notes in the Ephesians verse above.
Questions: In what ways does your congregation work at widening the circle of whom it welcomes? What do you think it is like to be an outsider who is welcomed and made part of the family/group/church?
Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. (For context, read 11:1--12:13.)
Hebrews 12 begins with "Therefore," which tells us that we are joining a discussion in progress (which makes reading the context important). In chapter 11, the author named and described a number of people from Israel's past who obeyed God.
As chapter 12 opens, the writer pictures his Christian audience as runners in an important race, "surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses" -- those faithful people he has named in chapter 11 and countless others not named, who have already completed their race of faith. But rather than heading for the showers, these previous faith runners have now taken seats in the heavenly bleachers to cheer on those who are currently on the track. Thus, says the writer, the Christians currently alive ought to run their own races "with perseverance."
Like all runners, those now racing should "lay aside every weight," including sin, that hinders them from running. They should keep their eyes on the finish line, where Jesus, the "pioneer and perfecter of our faith" stands waiting for them. Jesus, too, has run the race, and on the way he "endured the cross, disregarding its shame" and "endur[ed] ... hostility against himself" (v. 3). Now, however, he stands at the finish line urging the best from those still on the track, so that they "may not grow weary or lose heart" (v. 3).
Question: How does the imagery of this passage from Hebrews apply to your life?
Philippians 3:12-14
Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. (For context, read 3:3-16.)
In verses 4-11, Paul refers to his former status as an observant Jew and a Pharisee, but then testifies that his conversion to Christ rendered those earlier achievements as "loss." Now, Paul is moving toward a new goal, the "resurrection from the dead" (v. 11).
In the quoted verses above, Paul says he had not yet reached that goal. In one sense, his claim is incorrect, because all Christians are promised eternal life from the moment of conversion, but Paul likely meant that, since he was still physically alive, he had not yet entered into the eternal realm. Thus, he is still on the way there, a journey he describes in metaphor as a race. Paul understood that a runner can lose a race if he turns to see what is happening behind him. Instead the runner must keep the goal line in view. Paul's earlier achievements were behind him and the resurrection was ahead of him, at the finish line. What was present was the race of faith, which he needed to run faithfully, keeping the goal in sight.
Questions: To what degree are you motivated in the life of faith by the promise of eternal life? To what degree does the race itself provide its own motivation?
1 Corinthians 9:24, 26
Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. ... So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air ... (For context, read 9:19-27.)
Here, Paul is talking about being completely committed to Christ, and he uses two athletic events as examples.
First, Paul again refers to the Christian life as a race. This time, however, Paul points out that in competitive racing, "only one receives the prize." In that regard, a footrace is not a good metaphor for the Christian life, for it is God's will that all runners in the race of faith win the goal of the kingdom of God. Nonetheless, Paul's point is that all Christians should run the race of faith as if they were striving for the winner's wreath. At the very least, we should be going for a personal best and not running aimlessly.
Paul's second example from the world of athletics focuses on the dedication one should bring to following Christ. In verse 26, Paul pictures himself as a boxer in training, disciplining his body so that when he enters the ring, he does not merely shadowbox "as though beating the air." Instead he actually takes on the faith-killing opponents.
Questions: What faith-killing opponents do you encounter in the spiritual boxing ring? How do you avoid only shadowboxing with them?
For Further Discussion
1. Comment on this, from TWW team member Frank Ramirez: "I ran seven marathons in the 1980s. A wonderful experience, very difficult for a non-athlete like me. When I was growing up, I wondered what sport I would be great in. It turned out I wasn't good at any of them. The only thing I excelled in was endurance. Slow, steady, trying to break four hours in the marathon (and doing it once). One of the key words in Scripture is endurance -- hypomone in the Greek [Editor's note: hypomone is the word translated as "perseverance" in Hebrews 12:1 above] -- 'this is written for the endurance of the saints.' I think that is the true message of apocalyptic. Not predicting the end, but enduring hard times, knowing they won't last. Hang on!
     "I remember when I ran the marathon, I was shocked to discover (this never happened in training) that between miles 16 and 20 I would become chemically depressed. I lost all urge to continue, saw no point in it, was very negative. But I kept putting one foot in front of another. At mile 20 I was in terrible shape physically, but I was elated. The last six miles usually averaged out to 12 minutes a mile, but I was very happy. I could see the goal. After I got through the first marathon, I was no longer surprised by what happened at mile 16. But I was ready. This is for the endurance of the saints."
2. Comment on this, from a Yahoo! Sports report of Monday's marathon: "It was remarkable how few people got upset on Monday. There were a million people in the narrow streets of this old city, and there were hardly any scuffles or sharp words. Accidental bumps led mostly to quick apologies. A lack of space along the guardrails set off from the streets for safety led mostly to compromise. When a man tried to get to the overlook of a bridge to watch the men finish and couldn't squeeze in, he handed his two tiny American flags to the people who did make it to the front. They spun around in surprise and thanked him. Then they waved the man's flags as the leaders ran underneath where they stood."
Responding to the News
It is important to remind ourselves that endurance/perseverance is an important part of the faith.
Closing Prayer

God of time and eternity, help us to bring the athlete's dedication to our life of faith. Help us to run the race of life with spiritual vigor and determination, keeping our eye on Jesus. In his name we pray. Amen.

Gunman Kills 3 at Kansas City Jewish Facilities

© 2013 The Wired Word

www.thewiredword.com

Last Sunday, Frazier Glenn Miller, Jr. (who also uses the name "Frazier Glenn Cross, Jr"; we will use "Miller"), 73, a man with a long history of white-supremacist and anti-Semitic activities, was apprehended as the alleged shooter at two Jewish-affiliated facilities near Kansas City, Kansas, that day that left three people dead.
Miller has since been charged by Kansas with premeditated first-degree murder and will likely be federally charged with committing a hate crime. That charge applies if it is determined that Miller was motivated by the victims' "race, color, religion or national origin." Although all three victims were Christians, Miller may have assumed they were Jewish because they were on the grounds of Jewish facilities.
Miller founded and formerly led the North Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan and the White Patriot Party. He had run for state office, once as a Democrat and once as a Republican; both times he was rejected by the respective party's voters. In 2010, he ran for U.S. Senator in Missouri, receiving seven votes out of approximately two million cast.
In 1988, he testified in a sedition trial against other white supremacists who were accused of conspiring to kill a federal judge and an FBI agent. Evidence indicates that he entered into the Federal Witness Protection Program, where he was retrained, given a new identity ("Cross"), and relocated.
When arrested Sunday, Miller shouted, "Heil Hitler!"
It does not appear that Miller knew his victims. Rather, he apparently targeted his victims simply because they were present at Jewish-affiliated facilities.
Two of the dead, William Lewis Corporon, 69, and Reat Griffin Underwood, 14, were grandfather and grandson. They had come to the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City for Underwood to audition for a singing competition, in hopes of winning a scholarship. Corporon, a retired physician, had driven his grandson to the audition. They were shot while still in their truck. Both were active members of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas.
Mindy Losen, who is Corporon's daughter and the mother of Underwood, arrived on the scene to find her father and son dead on the ground near their vehicle. She later said, "I was there before the police and I was there before the ambulance. And I knew immediately that they were in heaven, and I know that they're in heaven together."
Corporon "cherished his family, and more than anything had a passion for caring for others," the family said in a statement.
The third victim was Terri LaManno, 53, an occupational therapist. She was shot and killed at Village Shalom Retirement Community, where she had gone to visit her mother who was in residence there. LaManno was a Roman Catholic.
A statement released by her family said, "My mom was a beautiful soul; she always thought of everyone before herself. The world needs more people like her. She was a warm, loving and beautiful person. She was the best mother, wife, sister and friend that anyone could ask for. She lived for God and the people she loved."
The gunman fired at five people altogether, but did not hit the other two. Because of a prior prison record, Miller should have been unable to obtain firearms legally. Whether he obtained his weapons using a middleman or whether his new name and new social security number hadn't been entered into the FBI's background check system has not been fully determined.
More on this story can be found at these links:
Alleged Kansas Jewish Center Gunman Charged With Murder. CNN
Kansas City Shooting: 3 Lives Defined by Love, Taken by Gunman's Rage. CNN
I Interviewed the Accused Kansas Gunman 33 Years Ago. He Was Hateful Then, Too. Washington Post
Records Suggest That F. Glenn Miller Jr. Was Once in Witness Protection Program. Kansas City Star
The KKK Tries to Make a Comeback. TIME
The Big Questions
1. What are some reasons Jews have been singled out for repeated persecution and scapegoating? How does the suffering of the Jews over the centuries square with their biblical presentation as the chosen people?
2. What's the problem with hate? What is the difference between hating an individual and hating an entire group of people? Are there ever times when hate is appropriate? When have you felt unreasoning hate for an entire group of people? Did that feeling last? If not, what changed it?
3. What function does hate perform in the hater's psyche? Some people have a hatred of sorts for rival athletic teams. Is this a "safe" sort of hatred, or is it something different? Why or why not? Do you think acceptable forms of hatred can lead to acceptance of more dangerous hatreds? When do you feel that civic authorities, including your government, seem to have encouraged hatred against certain people? Have you shared such a hatred? Did the hatred last?
4. Anti-Semitism refers specifically to antagonism toward and persecution of Jewish people. What words refer to biases against other groups? How are the attitudes behind those words similar to those encompassed by the anti-Semitism label? Have you ever heard people use anti-Semitic language? What have you said in response? Have you ever found yourself passing along stereotypes, using expressions like "to Jew you down" as a metaphor for bargaining? Has anyone ever spoken to you when you have used generalizations for Jews or other groups? How did you feel after having received such a response?
5. Do you consider it important for the facts of the Holocaust to be taught today? Explain your answer. Describe what you know about the Holocaust. Have you ever encountered someone who did not believe in the Holocaust or minimized its effects? Have you ever been to a Holocaust museum? What was your reaction afterward?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Proverbs 23:7 (KJV)
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. (For context, read 23:6-8.)
Matthew 15:19
For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. (For context, read 15:1-20.)
2 Corinthians 10:5
... we take every thought captive to obey Christ. (For context, read 10:1-7.)
We have quoted the Proverbs verse from the King James Version because the Hebrew that underlies Proverbs 23:7a is difficult to translate, and various Bible versions render it in various ways. But the wording above from the KJV, which is supported by the New American Standard Bible and by a footnote in the New International Version, is the one we prefer. No matter how the various versions word it, the line seems to refer to the stingy or selfish person mentioned in verse 6.
The point is that stingy people are that way because of their mindset -- how they think in their "hearts," their inward being. But the point applies not just to stinginess but to one's whole character, which is driven by how we think about things and people and by what values we attach to them. Thus, the words above could just as easily apply to a person who dwells with hatred. As that person thinks in his heart, so is he -- or she -- in character. And, as Jesus points out in Matthew 15:19, it is in the heart where sin dwells and spurs actions.
The verse from 2 Corinthians supports that conclusion, but from the positive side. Since what we think about tends to define who we are, then it is important that we "take every thought captive to obey Christ."
Questions: When has harboring hatred narrowed who you are? When has prayer, worship or spiritual meditation caused you to think differently about someone you formerly hated?
Esther 3:8-9
There is a certain people scattered and separated among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king's laws, so that it is not appropriate for the king to tolerate them. If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued for their destruction ... (For context, read 3:1-15.)
These verses are a classic expression of anti-Semitism, animosity toward Jews. The story is set in the time when many Jews were living in the Persian Empire. One of the Persian king's appointees is a sneaky man named Haman. Motivated by personal hatred of an individual Jew named Mordecai, Haman persuades the king to issue a death edict against all the Jews living in the empire. The book of Esther tells the story of how this situation was reversed and the Jews were saved, but notice that initially, Haman had no difficulty persuading the Persian king to decree death against the Jews.
There's no record of the Jews doing anything to harm the empire. In fact, many were fruitful workers in the empire's economy. Haman accuses them of not keeping the king's laws, but they were violating no civil laws. The only law they did not obey was the one requiring worship of the king's gods, the false idols to which no observant Jew would bow. In addition, their dietary and devotional practices were enough different from those of their Gentile neighbors that some Persians considered them "odd" or "strange," though those differences caused no harm to the Persians. Thus the animosity and suspicion was already present, and it didn't take much for Haman to push it to the point of outright persecution and murder.
Question: What makes us translate the "differentness" of others into an excuse to value them less than those who are like us?
Acts 2:23
... this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. (For context, read 2:14-24, 37-38.)
Some anti-Semites call Jews "Christ-killers" -- that is, considering all Jews, even those alive today, as though they were complicit in the death of Jesus. Some use that as one justification for their anti-Semitism.
Unfortunately, the New Testament is sometimes read as supporting that Christ-killer claim. For example, the verse above, from Peter's Pentecost sermon, seems to lay blame for the crucifixion of Jesus in a broad way upon his Jewish audience. It allows for the complicity of "those outside the [Jewish] law," meaning the Roman governor Pilate and his soldiers, but does not excuse Jews. Yet Peter also asserted that when Jesus had been "handed over," it had been "according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God." This shows that Peter understood that Jesus' crucifixion was God's intention.
In regard to Jesus' crucifiers, Peter did say "you," referring to his hearers, but that was a collective "you," the kind that can be spoken by someone who is himself a member of the group in question. (Remember that Peter and Jesus were both Jews.) It is much like a white American in the 18th or 19th century saying to other white Americans, "We brought blacks to this country as slaves." The speaker does not mean "all Americans" or even the specific Americans being addressed. It is a collective "we."
In Acts 13:27, Paul is somewhat more precise, saying it was "the residents of Jerusalem and their leaders" who condemned Jesus. Even that statement, however, is too broad, for it could not have been all residents of Jerusalem. Given the size of the city, it's likely that only a tiny fraction of Jerusalem's population might have been present to shout "Crucify him! Crucify him!" And some residents of Jerusalem were supporters of Jesus. (For a good explanation of who killed Jesus, see the article here.) And in any case, it makes no more sense to blame Jews today for actions of a few of their ancestors two millennia ago, than it does to blame white Americans today for some ancestors who enslaved black Africans two centuries ago.
Questions: Since Pilate -- a Roman governor -- gave the execution order, how come descendants of Romans aren't called "Christ-killers"? In what ways can the church combat anti-Semitism today? Remembering that Jews and Christians share the Old Testament scriptures, how should Christians view Jews? Is it fair to hold later generations accountable for what their ancestors may have participated in?
Proverbs 29:10
The bloodthirsty hate the blameless, and they seek the life of the upright. (No context needed.)
Galatians 5:19-21 (NIV)
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (For context, read 5:16-26.)
Here are two good Bible references for discussing the problems with hatred. The Proverbs verse says that it can lead to targeting the upright. (Judging from the families' statements about those Miller killed, that seems to be exactly what happened in Kansas City last Sunday.)
The Galatians passage includes hatred among the "acts of the sinful nature" and asserts "that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God," which seems like a really good reason not to dwell in hatred.
Questions: "Information cascade" is the term used for the process whereby the opinions of others close at hand directly affect the opinions or actions of people otherwise not inclined to hate or act violently. Individuals can act in a manner opposite to their moral or ethical norms when there is pressure from people they know or are near to. Information cascades are also fragile. One person standing up against the tide of opinion can change opinion. What would it take for you to act violently out of hatred? When have your words or actions or the words/actions of another changed a tide of hatred?
For Further Discussion
1. Respond to this, from the Dictionary of Pastoral Care and Counseling: "... the major function of rage, understood psychologically, is the defense of the vulnerable self from shame. Hostility, as compared to rage, extends that defense beyond the initial rageful impulses to a long-term, calculated aggression. It may become a major organizing principle of a person's life, replacing more constructive values such as care and purposive cooperation with others."
2. Comment on this, also from the Dictionary of Pastoral Care and Counseling: "In contrast to rage, which is too physically exhausting to last for long periods of time, hostility is 'colder' and more calculating and may be maintained indefinitely. Its significance lies in its having captured the person's overall view of the world and, therefore, his or her perception of particular situations so that rational and constructive actions, untainted by hostility, are precluded."
3. Comment on this April 11, 1944, entry from Anne Frank's diary (Anne Frank was a young Jewish victim of the Holocaust): "Who has made us Jews different from all other people? Who has allowed us to suffer so terribly up until now? It is God who has made us as we are, but it will be God, too, who will raise us up again. Who knows it might even be our religion from which the world and all peoples learn good, and for that reason and only that reason do we suffer. We can never become just Netherlanders, or just English or representatives of any country for that matter. We will always remain Jews."
4. Consider that Saul of Tarsus targeted a group of people before he himself joined them as a convert and became the apostle Paul. What role do you think hatred played in his decisions and actions? What changed his hatred into love and discipleship?
Responding to the News
When we recognize festering hatred in ourselves, it is wise to attempt through self-reflection, prayer and perhaps counseling to understand its sources and to develop enough security in significant relationships so that the hatred becomes unnecessary.
It's good to teach in our churches both the spiritual and psychological problems with hatred.
Closing Prayer

O God, we pray that this terrible incident will neither encourage copycats nor confirm others in their irrational hatred. Be a comfort to those now in grief because of Miller's actions. Let some good come from this, we pray, and may your Holy Spirit convict Miller of the sinfulness of his actions, that he might repudiate hatred even as he faces the consequences of his wrongdoing. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Noah Movie Raises Issues of Justice and Mercy

 © 2013 The Wired Word

www.thewiredword.com

The movie Noah, now in theaters across America, has generated its share of controversy among Christian reviewers and bloggers -- with some saying the film is only loosely connected with the biblical story of Noah and others arguing that with the limited information the account in Genesis provides, imaginative expansion of the story was necessary to turn it into an epic movie. Still others offer opinions somewhere in between.
The Wired Word is not choosing a side here. The reviews are plentiful, and most Christian teens and adults are quite capable of reading what the Bible actually says about Noah (Genesis 6-9) and comparing it to what they see on the screen. In fact, we note with interest that Bible apps and online Bible sites are reporting a major increase in the number of users viewing the Genesis chapters about Noah. Bible Gateway, for example, reported a 223 percent increase in the reading of Genesis 6-9 after the film opened, when compared to the previous weekend.
The Wired Word has found two articles about the movie we recommend. One, from the evangelical Christian site Christianity Today (CT) (see first link below), gives a well-reasoned discussion about why you might want to see the movie. It also includes a helpful list of additional links about the movie in a "For Further Reading" section at the end of the article.
The other article TWW recommends is from the mainline Christian site Christian Century (CC) (link below), which is a Q&A with the movie's director Darren Aronofsky.
Both articles note that the movie provides opportunity to think about justice and mercy, both of which are strong biblical themes.
The CT piece says that the movie asks big questions, including "What is the place of justice and mercy in existence?" CT further comments that "Noah himself, plagued by an overdeveloped sense of justice that has not yet been tempered by mercy, slowly becomes more angry and violent as the movie progresses -- a reading that is not in the [biblical] text, but could be suggested by it."
In the CC interview, Aronofsky said, "We started to realize these big ideas about justice and mercy in the film. It started with Noah being called righteous in his generation, and we tried to figure out what that meant." He added, "What we've discovered is that people who are a lot smarter than us and who study theology talk about righteousness as having a balance of justice and mercy. As a parent, you understand that if you're too just, you can destroy your child with strictness, and if you're too merciful you can destroy them with leniency. Finding that balance makes you a great parent."
Aronofsky continued, "For us, since Noah is called righteous, we asked, 'OK, what is his balance of justice and mercy?' So at the beginning of the film, he clearly wants justice, very much like God. By the end, when the rainbow happens, he has learned mercy, forgiveness and grace."
More on this story can be found at these links:
Noah. Christianity Today
Q&A: 'Noah' Director Darren Aronofsky on Justice vs. Mercy. Christian Century
Five Negative Features About This Film. Christianity Today
Noah. The East Ohio Conference
Here's the Effect the Controversial 'Noah' Movie Is Having on Bible Sites. The Blaze
The Big Questions
1. What is the biblical meaning of justice? What is there in the story of Noah that demonstrates justice? Is it possible to believe, in the context of the story, that everyone outside of Noah and his family, deserved death? In orthodox Christianity, Noah and his family also deserved death -- as do we all -- and they eventually did suffer death. So, in Genesis, what is the difference between Noah (and his family) and all other people?
2. What is the biblical meaning of mercy? Where do you find mercy in the story of Noah? Is this mercy as you have experienced it? Is this mercy as others who have known you have experienced it from your hands?
3. What is the place of justice and mercy in human existence?
4. Do you agree that righteousness requires a balance of justice and mercy? Explain your answer. What is the problem of justice without mercy? What is the problem of mercy without justice? Who has the right to justly offer mercy? Where have you sought the balance point between justice and mercy? Why, in that case, did you have the right to enforce justice or offer mercy?
5. Do Christians "own the copyright" on the Noah story? If not, who does? If not, by what authority, if any, can we "pronounce" about the merits of this Hollywood rendition of the story? (Thanks for this question idea to Christians Don't Own the Copyright on Noah. Think Christian.) Given that some measure of adaptation is necessary in bringing any story, sacred or secular, to the big screen, what is the level of license that you think is appropriate in biblical movies?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Deuteronomy 24:17
You shall not deprive a resident alien or an orphan of justice; you shall not take a widow's garment in pledge. (For context, read 24:10-22.)
Leviticus 19:15
You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. (For context, read 19:1-18.)
Genesis 6:5
The LORDsaw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. (For context, read 6:1-8.)
The Deuteronomy verse above is one of many Bible passages calling for justice in dealings with others. Some say one meaning of justice in the biblical sense is about right relationships, relationships that work. Conversely, injustice is about relationships that don't work. On the human-to-human level, the Bible shows this by its frequent demands for caring treatment of widows, orphans, immigrants and the poor. When these and other vulnerable people are left out of our care, that's the opposite of justice. Biblical justice occurs when they are included.
Note, though, that Leviticus 19:15 calls for impartially to all levels of society: "You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great."
The Bible also uses justice to speak of a right relationship with God. In the Noah story, there is injustice in that sense described in the Genesis verse above. While the word "justice" is not used in that verse, the "wickedness of humankind" is a fracturing of the right relationship with God, making it a relationship that doesn't work. We might say that this was the injustice that the flood was intended to wash away.
Questions: Where do you see yourself in a just relationship with others? In what ways do you see yourself in a just relationship with God? The Deuteronomy text singles out two constituencies that, in many ancient societies, had few or no rights: aliens and children. Which constituencies are most vulnerable in our society? Are their rights protected? Is too much favoritism shown to them in some cases? What are you and your church doing to ensure justice and fairness concerning such constituencies?
Luke 6:36
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (For context, read 6:32-36.)
Genesis 9:9-11
[God said,] "As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth." (For context, read 9:8-17.)
The Bible often uses the word "mercy" similarly to how it's used in our culture today: compassion or forgiveness extended to someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm. In the Luke verse above, Jesus says mercy is both a characteristic of God and something that his followers should practice, even to the degree that God does.
Questions: Was God's decision to spare Noah and his family an act of mercy? Explain your answer. Do you consider Genesis 9:9-11, quoted above, an example of God's mercy? Why or why not?
Micah 6:8 (NIV)
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (For context, read 6:6-8.)
Matthew 23:23-24
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel! (For context, read 23:11-28.)
Here, from the prophet Micah, is the statement that God requires of us both justice and mercy, as well as walking humbly with God. In the Matthew verses, Jesus describes both justice and mercy, along with faith, as "the weightier matters of the law."
Jesus' words were aimed at religious leaders who behaved hypocritically. His words are so harsh that we may assume that these leaders deliberately said one thing while doing another -- that they were intentionally deceptive. Perhaps they began fully intending to honor God with their lives, but lost their way in over-attention to easily measured acts of piety, thus neglecting "the weightier matters of the law."
Questions: Besides justice, mercy and faith, are there any other things you would include as weightier matters of God's law? How can we live a holy life while avoiding straining out a gnat but swallowing a camel? Where do you need to do a better job of practicing the justice of right relationships? Where do you need to be more merciful?
For Further Discussion
1. Comment on the following: The CT article describes Noah as "a solid adaptation" and compares it to the Jewish tradition of "midrash," which the article's author explains as "filling in a story with details from your imagination -- staying true to the source where is says something, while imagining what's between the lines."
     One TWW team member comments, "When a movie is adapted from a novel, biography or history, we know that some adaptation is necessary because of the medium, but I'm not sure how much slack we give people when it comes to adapting the Bible. It has to conform to our own personal interpretation or we're outraged. But that's exactly what we do from the pulpit every week!"
2. Comment on this, from the CC Aronofsky Q&A: "[In making the movie, we] were trying to dramatize the decision God must have made when he decided to destroy all of humanity. At the beginning of the Noah story, everything is wicked and God wants to start over. The pain of that, the struggle of that, must have been immense. To basically go from creating this beautiful thing to watching it fall apart, and then doing this horrible thing where you have to try and start again."
3. Respond to this criticism from reviewer Bob Rice: "But the biggest problem for me was the lack of God's mercy. God was vengeful, not loving. One could argue this was part of the biblical story: didn't he wipe out almost all of humanity? Well, 'almost' is the key word here. In a world that had completely rebelled against God (say that again with a deep, movie trailer voice), he was willing to not give up on humanity in spite of their sin. He caused the flood and saved Noah and his family to establish a covenant of peace (symbolized by the rainbow). That's the key element of the story, and that was completely missing here."
4. Respond to this, from Aronofsky: "As a parent, you understand that if you're too just, you can destroy your child with strictness, and if you're too merciful you can destroy them with leniency. Finding that balance makes you a great parent."
5. Are you one that finds hope in the actual story of Noah? How have you responded to this story as a child, a teen, an adult?
Responding to the News
This is a good time to consider doing a Bible study or sermon on the story of Noah and the flood.
Closing Prayer

Help us, O Lord, to be both just and merciful, in the right balance, in our dealings with others. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Washington Mudslide: Body Count Continues to Climb

 © 2013 The Wired Word

www.thewiredword.com

On Saturday, March 22, a rain-saturated hillside in the state of Washington known as the Hazel Formation collapsed suddenly, sending mud and debris across the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River and onto the valley floor, covering approximately a square mile. In the process, the slide, about four miles east of the community of Oso, flattened, crushed and buried everything in its path, including people. As of Thursday, 29 individuals, including a four-month-old baby, were confirmed dead. Another 20 people remain unaccounted for and are probably entombed somewhere in the mud.
Not counting landslides caused by dam collapses, earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, the Hazel collapse, sometimes called the "Oso mudslide" in the media, is the deadliest single landslide in U.S. history. One observer said that when the wall of wet soil and debris hit the river, "it was like a tsunami."
First responders and neighbors pulled eight survivors and a family dog from the muck. At midweek, five of those people were still hospitalized. One survivor, Robin Youngblood, described the mudslide as like being whirled in a "washing machine of mud and trees."
"We were tumbled inside and had mud in our eyes and nose and mouth," Youngblood said. "I am so grateful I am alive."
Forty-nine homes were destroyed, and State Highway 530, the main artery connecting the valley communities with the outside world, was severely damaged by the landslide. According to CNN, the state transportation department is now mulling over whether the road can ever be reopened.
Using information from satellite scans, authorities estimate that the debris field ranges in height from 15 to 75 feet.
Searchers on foot and operators using earth-moving equipment continue to dig in the mud, removing bodies. Search dogs have been employed to the point that they've had to be halted to let them rest.
More on this story can be found at these links:
Washington Mudslide Death Toll Hits 29. TIME
Washington Mudslide's Speed Led to High Death Toll. National Geographic
Washington's Hazel Slide Was a Long-Known Risk. Los Angeles Times
'These Are Our People': Residents Unite to Help Washington Landslide Victims. CNN
Worst Landslides in U.S. History. Weather Extremes
The Big Questions
1. When faced with the death of a loved one, what kind of "closure," if any, can be effected by the promise of, in the words of the Apostles' Creed, "the resurrection of the body"? Is this comfort clearer to you after time goes by following a death?
2. Can fear of death be overcome by confidence in Christ and the eternity described in the Scriptures? What does the Scripture mean when it says, "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55). Is that simply poetry? What real-time comfort is there in those words written by Paul? Yet the apostle must have known, as we know, that death packs quite a sting. Do the apostle's words help create the faith to endure during such times, or do they describe the faith we, or others, seem to already have and can rely on in times of loss?
3. Does the Christian teaching of bodily resurrection have any real power to meet the human longing to not be eradicated from memory? Explain your answer.
4. The traditional Ash Wednesday ritual includes the line, "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." What does that mean? Why is it important to remember that? If we are to return to dust, why is there such insistence in our culture on preservation of the body after death -- through embalming, vaults and coffins? Although these may be familiar parts of our rituals (depending on where you live), what does their use say regarding our faith in God?
5. News such as this often causes us to shudder as much because of the cause of death as because of the deaths themselves. While some who died in the mudslide were reportedly killed by blunt-force injuries, it's probable that some others died from suffocation while being swallowed by the mud. That touches on a primal fear; George Washington was reportedly so afraid of being buried alive by accident that he left instructions about how many days he would have to be dead before he was buried. Is it death we fear or the manner of death? What's the difference? How should our Christian faith help us answer that question?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Genesis 2:7
... the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground ..." (For context, read 2:4b-9.)
Daniel 12:2
Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. (For context, read 12:1-4.)
Genesis says God created us from dust, and Daniel refers to death as sleeping "in the dust of the earth." These verses provide a basis for the Ash Wednesday ritual's pronouncement "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." A TWW team member comments, "Seems to me this encourages us to be both humble and hopeful, for didn't God create us from the dust of the earth? And if God could do that, then he can raise us from the dust to new life as well."
Questions: The Bible is clear that in God's ultimate plan, death loses, and everlasting life is the destiny for the righteous. What personal call do you hear in that? What are some ways in which this knowledge helps you to live more fully?
Habakkuk 1:2, 12; 2:4
[Habakkuk said,] "O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? ... Are you not from of old, O LORD my God, my Holy One? You shall not die." ... [God replied,] "... but the righteous live by their faith." (For context, read 1:2--2:4.)
TWW team member Frank Ramirez suggests that the complaint of Habakkuk the prophet speaks to the human fear of nonexistence: "The prophet complains in chapter 1 that God has not answered his questions about injustice. God replies, no problem, I've got it covered. I'm sending the Chaldeans [Babylonians] to destroy you. That will solve the problem. Habakkuk replies that God, unlike us, lives forever and is above the fray. God's reply in chapter 2 is that the righteous live by their faith, which is good as far as it goes.
"This leads us to the gospel of John," says Ramirez. "In John, you either get it or you don't. Nicodemus [John 3] struggles to get it. The Samaritan woman at the well [John 4] gets it." (See more in the John 11 discussion below.)
Questions: What is Jesus' answer to nonexistence? In the prophet's recollection of his dialog with God, it almost seems as if God has forgotten what humans go through. In our efforts to witness to our faith in God, are there times when we seem to forget the real pain that accompanies life? Do we sometimes forget to provide comfort in the here and now by focusing on the hereafter?
John 11:38, 41, 43-44
Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. ... So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. ..." When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." (For context, read 11:1-44.)
When his beloved friend Lazarus dies, Jesus confronts the fear of nonexistence:
When he learns Lazarus is sick unto death, Jesus delays, saying that this will all be for the glory of God. When Jesus himself finally sees the grief of his friends Mary and Martha and the others who are wailing, he weeps. (They've already confessed their faith in him and in the resurrection of the dead, but of course that's not enough when your brother has just died. It never is.)
Verse 38 describes Jesus as "greatly disturbed." The Greek word John uses for this is embrimaomai, which can be translated "angry in oneself" or "angry with oneself." Team member Frank Ramirez suggests that Jesus was mad at himself for having caused all this grief by not coming promptly when told of Lazarus' illness. The idea is that Lazarus' death and the weeping of Mary and Martha allow Jesus to fully feel the pain of human grief. He "gets it."

Ramirez continues, "Jesus lives all of our fears about being entombed in his death and resurrection. The unknowing, the leap of faith. The hope of rescue and resurrection. Jesus is here. Big arrow pointing at the mudslide. You Are Here. So Is Jesus."
Questions: What do you suppose it was like for Lazarus to wake up in the tomb, swathed in burial cloths? Imagine yourself in Lazarus' place. What would you say to Jesus? If you felt terror in waking up in a dark tomb, would your relief in being released make up for it? Would you be angry at Jesus? Grateful? Both?
1 Corinthians 15:42-44
So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. (For context, read 15:35-57.)
Be sure to read the entire context for these verses, for it is the New Testament's primary passage about the resurrection of the body. In popular notions about life after death, the picture is often that our body decays and our soul sort of floats up to God and lives on. This concept is sometimes shorthanded as "the immortality of the soul," but that term is not in the Apostles' Creed and can lead to confusion, as though we can be separated into two parts -- a physical part that is mortal and dies, and a spiritual part that is immortal and cannot die. As long as one trusts God and follows Christ, there is perhaps no great harm in picturing things that way, but it does miss some important affirmations of Christianity about the sovereignty of God.
Rather than immortality, Christianity's life-after-death doctrine is better called resurrection. Some Christians describe it this way: When we die, our whole being dies, body, mind, soul, spirit -- every aspect of us dies. But then, for those who have accepted God's grace, God, who gave us life in the first place, gives it to us again. We all go to the grave completely expired, every part of us kaput. But then, in God's own time, he raises the faithful, not resuscitating the old body, but giving the person a new resurrected body. That's what Paul is saying in the passage above.
To suggest that the soul or spirit is immortal puts it on a par with God. If our souls cannot die, then why do we need God? We'd have the ability to prevent our own extinction. Resurrection, however, says that God comes to the faithful dead with a new gift of life and re-creates us -- not just the soul part of us but all parts of us.
Thus the Apostles' Creed's insistence that we believe in the resurrection of the body, for in biblical thought, we don't just have a body, we are a body (thanks to preacher/writer Frederick Buechner for that way of expressing this idea). We are not just spiritual beings trapped inside a prison of flesh. Rather, the body is part and parcel of who we are, and resurrection tells us that in eternity, the faithful in Christ will function as full beings -- body, mind, soul, spirit.
In short, Christianity's teaching is that: 1) human beings are a unity of spirit, soul and flesh, 2) our earthly life does not exhaust the meaning of who we are created by God to be, and 3) immortality is not something we inherently possess, but is given to the faithful in the next life as a gift of God.
Questions: One TWW team member tells of a faithful Christian -- a member of his church -- who was blind (in fact, her eyeballs had been removed) asking him if she'd be able to see in heaven. How would you answer this woman? What sort of blindness do you struggle with in your faith journey?
For Further Discussion
1. Commenting on this week's news story, a TWW team member mentioned being puzzled when seeing reports about the extreme time and expense invested in searching for people assumed to be dead in disasters such as this mudslide. She said, "I think my puzzlement/insensitivity is related to a deep confidence that there will be a bodily resurrection as a result of the awesome work of Jesus Christ. Am I naive or just untested?" How would you answer her question for yourself?
2. Respond to this quote from an unknown source, but said to have been used by Josef Stalin: "One death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic."
Responding to the News
Pray for all those who have lost loved ones in the mudslide and for the communities of that valley that have been devastated by the disaster.
Closing Prayer

O Lord, who has given us life to begin with, thank you for the promise of resurrected life to come. In Jesus' name. Amen.