Categories: uncategorized
Date: 10 January 2011 10:08:43
Ok, so the bible reading has been going better than the blogging. Over the last few days I have worked my way through from Gen 14:1 - 20:18 in the OT, Matt 5:43 - 8:22 in the NT and read Psalms 6 and 7 and Proverbs 1:8 - 19.
Within the pages of these books I have caught my first glimpse of two of the issues which are a big focus for me in terms of wanting to find biblical understandings: single parent hood and the whole sexuality debate.
To deal with the sexuality debate first I could go into loads of detail but all I'll say is the stuff about Sodom relates to hospitality rather than sexual practices. They were a bunch of nationalist thugs who wanted to do all they could to harm and abuse the foreigners. The best outline of it all I've heard/ read comes from James Alison in this talk at Greenbelt which I would really recommend.
Then there is the single mother stuff. It pains me that because of the way Abraham and Sarah come out of the story that in white majority churches particularly the story of Hagar is never fully told. Over the first few days I have gone back to this character who has meant so much to me over the years.
The question which is raised when Sarai, (as she still is then), chooses Hagar to be the surrogate mother of her child is what were the qualities Hagar had as a woman. They must have been considerable. I would suggest that we are dealing here with a beautiful woman of great intelligence. Hagar was the victim of other people's sin...in modern terms (and I know that contextuallyif one looks at the time it wasn't exactly like this...but)....she was raped and forced into surrogacy against her will. In simple terms Hagar was the victim of abuse. Now we don't like this because it makes one the great patriarchs the abuser.
That is uncomfortable. Now yes, we can say culturally it was common at the time, but it is still true that in not trusting God this great couple turned into abusers. No wonder Hagar dispised Sarai. This in turn made Sarai a physical and emotional abuser of Hagar with Abrahams agreement, even if not blessing! No wonder Hagar ran away, preferring to take her chances as a single mother rather than staying in that situation.
But then the angel sends Hagar back to that abusive situation. I really, really struggle with that...especially as she was going to end up a single mum in the end anyway.
At the same time I am reading in Matt 5:48 that our heavenly father is perfect. All of this continues to mess with my head slightly.
I think I have to hold on to something I was preaching on Sunday in relation to Jesus wanting to be baptised and John initially being reluctant. We think we know how the story should go and have our own expectations of Jesus / God. But Jesus / God will never fully meet those expectations because they are our boxes we try and put him in; by his very nature God is beyond our expectations.
So I am finding it is with the bible, we know how we think it should go but this is God's story which is beyond our expectations. I don't get it. I think large chunks of it including the incest and destruction of human life I had to deal with over the last few days OT readings are totally f**ked up. But within it all there is a God who I know is amazing and gives a new start to people and holds onto us through the harsh realities of life. However, I am also becoming increasingly aware the bible is a book which raises huge questions when we actually read it all and needs to be handled with extreme care. *Note this para was not part of sermon, I am a polite grown up when I lead a service ;).