For it was the LORD, our God, who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of a state of slavery. He performed those great miracles before our very eyes and protected us along our entire journey and among all the peoples through whom we passed.
Our Judaeo-Christian tradition remains relevant to the modern world, despite their contempt for us, precisely because the human being despises slavery and our faith promises continuing deliverance from that state.
But freedom is terrifying and the human being often prefers security. We are condemned to exist in the moment, that narrow band of time between the past and the future. We can never return to the past, no matter how conservative we might be. Nor can we guarantee the future, regardless of our liberal confidence. We must live in the present.
In the scriptures -- which contain both the record of God's presence in the past and God's promises for the future -- we cannot help but notice the Lord's preference for the poor. The poor are those who know their future is not assured. The poorest of the poor don't know where they'll sleep tonight nor where their next meal will be found. But the are many others who don't know if they'll be able to pay their bills at the end of the month, or whether they will find health care when they need it.
The wealthy are those who think they know the answer to those questions. They plan for vacations with confidence, with the assurance they'll still have a home, job, educational opportunities, health care and financial reserves when they get back.
The poor live closer to the truth of our dependence on God. They must rely on divine providence with few other assurances.
The United States has been an experiment in "middle class" living, an attempt to maintain the majority above poverty and provide them with reasonable assurances about the future. People can enjoy "social security" in their "retirement years." Seniors need not earn a wage for a grateful nation will provide for them in their decline and dotage. Their "freedom" is assured.
Unless it's not. The future is, almost by definition, never assured. We have seen crises and inflation wipe out a nation's currency in a matter of months. Life savings disappear and financial infrastructures disintegrate.
Financial institutions are necessarily built on the fidelity of the citizens. If they cheat or game the system it collapses. Then, because they continue to act without faith, they grab for security; that is, for slavery.
Occasionally I meet a Veteran who first tells me he hasn't attended Church in fifty years. He doesn't believe in it. It's not my place to judge his decisions or behavior and so, if he is willing, I continue to engage his conversation. He goes on to tell me, "The kids today have no values!" Again, I bite my tongue. This fellow refused to celebrate faith, hope and love, so now he wonders why "the kids" know nothing of these values.
In today's first reading, recently-escaped slaves declare their undying allegiance to the Lord who has saved delivered them,
"We will still serve the LORD."The Bible testifies to this basic truth: those who do not publicly worship the Lord do not serve him. Exodus, Deuteronomy and Leviticus describe in great detail the external worship of God. "Spiritual prayer" is a myth; without overt ceremonies there are no values.
Our freedom begins with the freedom to worship. As you know, that "right" is the first freedom specified in the first amendment of the Bill of Rights,
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof....Use it or lose it. Your freedom depends upon it.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.