Just the Other Day

Field Notes From a Religion-Less Christian

June 27, 2022

The Supreme Court is Not the Last Word

The Supreme Court has released its Decision on expanding legal gun carrying and its Decision on reversing Roe Vs. Wade and a women’s right to choice. I am appalled at both Court Decisions. Last week I took a dive into the waters of describing the difference between Theologians of the Cross and Theologians of Glory. As a Theologian of the Cross I live in this expansive and grace-filled place where I do not attach these Decisions to God’s will but rather simply see them for what they are: Decisions by very human beings trying to make their way through challenges. True enough, I see “how they made their way” as the legalizing of the inhumanity of humanity against humanity. Others, of course, see these current Decisions as the protections of humanity. 

If the Decisions had gone the other way, the way of those of us who see the Decisions as inhumane, those Decisions would also not be God’s will. It is the attachment of very human decisions to the coattails of God where decisions that could be bad enough on the face of it become so much worse and so deadly. If I think the power of God is behind what is taking place rather than the driver being my best efforts at justice (again, on either side of the issue) then not only am I inclined to beat down and subdue the opposition, destroy them, for the sake of Divine Right, for the sake of Ultimacy, but I am also inclined to be beaten down and subdued, destroyed, myself when things fall apart and justice, however it is defined, loses the day.

But wait, then is there not anything that we can point to that is the will of God? It can be only this: that we, humanity, would stay in our lane. We are mortal, not immortal. We are flesh and blood, not shining light. 

It’s not that we can’t look at the story of Jesus and accurately describe his life’s focus and mission. He lived for the liberation of the least, the last, the lost, the little and the dead. If we are inspired by this and work to emulate this in our own lives then good, and the world is a better place because of it. But did he win? Did his mission of a better place and life for the marginalized get accomplished? No, he was killed, and savagely so. Then what in the world is going on here in this biblical narrative of Jesus where the way of peace that is accomplished by distributive justice through non-violence gets destroyed (by the way of peace that is accomplished by retributive justice through violence)? Could it be that there is something more promising, more gospel (good news), more liberating than even the vision of distributive justice that we embrace as the way of God? Could it be the fact that Jesus was killed (and he disappeared, not to be seen again, after his brief engagement with his followers in those heady resurrection days) is the defeat of our grandiosity, the destruction of our insatiable demand to step out of our lane and drive in God’s lane?

Just what is “the gospel” of the New Testament of the Bible anyway? To get at the answer you have to start with the actual account of Jesus life and death and resurrection. That sounds logical enough. And when you spend time there, which I am thinking most people today in America who call themselves Christian do not, you will see that the love your enemies thing, the serving others thing, the disparaging of righteous religious judgment thing, the forgiveness thing, the acceptance of the outcast thing, and the care for the poor thing are not a side-bar of Jesus’ agenda. They are the main event.  

But the clincher is that you have to end there too. You have to begin with the actual account of Jesus and you have to end with the actual account of Jesus.  You cannot make the account more than it is. So this: Jesus lost and he has left the building. 

Wait just a minute. 

Oh my, that means my dreams of grandeur for you and me and for our world are gone too. 

Do we see? This is exactly what a Theologian of the Cross does. She says “what a thing is” (Luther, Heidelberg Disputation Thesis 20).

I am driven to fight non-violently to Overturn the Overturn (to at least get back to where we were before Roe V. Wade was thrown out) and to make gun violence a thing of the past.  I believe this is humane and destroys inhumanity. But I do not see this as the will of God. What God wills is that I would shut up about God, quit usurping God’s position, and focus all of my attention and energy to taking care of the Garden (see the bible book of Genesis). Taking care of life as we see it right before us, not some ultimate destiny to which we aspire.  

Post-script

To my dear readers who actually are gracious enough to read this far today and too take the time to read my other postings, a note: I am going to be losing myself in some weeks of summer now and will not be back at Greengracepostings until the end of July, or so. May you all know joy and may our world know peace! Talk to you soon.