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DonateJune 22, 2003 |
See also: [Year B Archive] |
1 Samuel 17 (1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49
Psalm 9:9-20 or 1 Samuel 17:57-18:5, 10-16
Psalm 133
2
Corinthians 6:1-13
Mark
4:35-41
Mark
4:35-41
2
Corinthians 6:1-13
Basic to the message
of the New Testament is the emphasis on the combination of "freedom
in the spirit" and "faith".This message in and of itself is an example of "process"
within the Judeo-Christian tradition as shared through the Bible. A primary reason for this emphasis was in reaction to the
traditional concepts of "law" with the consequent expression of
behavior in an obedient response to the law. The tendency of "law" is to stop process. Law is a response to a given condition at a given time. Law, in addition to whatever good qualities it has, is power
expressed by human beings over one another and we do not give up power
easily. The only hope for process to work in relation to law is
through changing interpretations of the law or changes in the law itself.
Printing law is similar to "carving in stone". Because of this tendency it is easy for institutional religion to
simply substitute its own law(s) under the name of freedom in reaction to
the "law" it declares to be outdated. The potential benefits of "process" are thus often
inhibited or prevented by reversion to law and consequent loss of freedom.
The New Testament emphasizes the importance of "faith" over "works", i.e. behavior, not only in the matter of reconciliation with God but also in relation to values of life. Jesus taught that one's right behavior should be the fruit of "want to" (love) rather than "have to" (fear of punishment). He also taught that a positive attitude (faith) is of great value in all matters of life. The Gospel of Mark dramatizes this teachng through the story of Jesus calming the angry waves as he was with his disciples as they were overwhelmed by a ferocious storm while on a boat in the Sea of Galilee. The story, of course, emphasizes the mighty power of Jesus in bringing about a miraculous calming of the storm in response to the faith of Jesus. Such a story accomplished two things when it was written. First, it placed Jesus on an equal footing with competitive religions which also credited their leaders with miraculous powers and second, it emphasized the importance of faith in dealing with the challenging matters of life.
The general view of the world at the time of Jesus was harmonious with the idea of spiritual powers performing instantaneous miracles. Experience has since taught us that there is a better way. We now know how to make better boats, determine with improving accuracy when, where, and with how much force a storm may strike, and finally that there are times when good judgment insists the avoidance of "harms way" rather than challenging it.
Faith, i.e. a positive, expectant and hopeful attitude, is important to the best possible experience and expression of life. The undesirable results of negativism versus the hopeful results of a positive attitude are conspicuously evident. Healthy religion teaches that "God is on our side" to the extent that we learn how, and determine to, express our lives in harmony with the ways of God and in partnership with God. We cannot count on the God to overcome our lack of preparation to respond to challenge or our foolish judgment in the face of choices. Growth in faith is a process which results from exercising the freedom of faith in conjunction with progress in the development of good judgment and willingness to cooperate with the ways of God.
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