The Body of Christ
11 July 2008 - 9 תמוז 5768 by Huw
TREET Prophets, today, has one of those annoying stories about the Catholic League of One, the kind that makes you realise why there are so few Christians left in the world. It seems that some folks *really* get off on the idea that their deity need defense - and Street Prophets tell of people claiming to be Catholics issuing death threats for someone who seems to have committed an offense against Jesus, present in the Eucharist.
So far today, I have received 39 pieces of personal hate mail of varying degrees of literacy, all because I was rude to a cracker. Four of them have included death threats, a personal one day record. Thirty-four of them have demanded that I be fired. Twenty-five of them have told me to desecrate a copy of the Koran, instead, or in some similar way offend Muslims, because — in a multiplicity of ironic cluelessness — apparently only some religious icons must be protected, and I would only offend Catholics because they are all so nice that none of them would wish me harm. I even have one email that says I should be fired, that the author would like to kill me, and that I only criticize because Catholics are so gentle and kind.
OK, Bill, thanks for making the rest of us look like Jackasses. Dear world: trust me - the rest of us are not always that stupid or superstitious. But maybe. Jesus - who forgave people for diving a nail into his hands and feet can, I think… protect a cracker if he wants. Although I see no reason to imagine he does. He fed Judas. He feeds me. Hell, I think he can deal.
Then there was this story in the New York Times that made me weep for joy - a real Catholic church caring for the weakest in the community, those who are here because of the economic slavery our nation has produced in their home.
A few volunteers from the old Postville, descendants of the Irish and Norwegian immigrants who settled here more than a century ago, set out food. Others took turns standing watch at the church door, as if the sight of an Anglo might somehow dissuade the feared Migra, as the immigrants call Immigration and Customs Enforcement, from invading their sanctuary.
Already, members of the church staff and a Spanish teacher from a nearby college were tallying the names of the detained workers. Father Ouderkirk conducted his own version of a census. Gone were all but two members of the choir he had assembled over the years. Gone was all but one of the eight altar servers. Gone were the husbands from the weddings he had performed, and gone were the fathers of the children he had baptized.
As for the mothers, many of them also worked at Agriprocessors and had been arrested. In a putative show of compassion, federal authorities released them after putting an electronic homing device on each woman’s ankle to monitor her whereabouts. These mothers were, in the new lexicon of Postville, “las personas con brazalete,” the people with a bracelet.
These people are risking life and limb to protect the Body of Christ from crackers. I’m guessing Jesus is on their side - even though the Government isn’t. I’m betting my soul on the idea that Jesus is more hung up on justice than he is on issues of doctrine. The latter may be nice, but the former is most-all he talked about: even his decrees on morality can be seen to be about Justice taken in the light of the Jewish tradition.
I will yield to those who say Orthodoxy is important - but only if Orthodpraxis is the first Doctrine. With out the praxis the doxis is useless while even without the doxis, the praxis can lead to our salvation.
Otherwise we’ve made Jesus out to be just another upper class Roman oppressor: he might as well have been Pilot.
“The way of godliness consists of these two parts, pious doctrines and good works. Neither are the doctrines acceptable to God without good works, nor does God accept works accomplished otherwise than as linked with pious doctrines.” - St Cyril of Jerusalem
The Fathers urged us to take communion in our hands eat a little and take the rest home. I know playing Talmud with the saints is dangerous - but I think it’s easy to argue both sides of this argument from scripture and tradition. Subdeacon Benjamin has even pointed out ample resources indicating that (for example) the Sheep and Goats “least of these” arguments refers *only* to other Christians.
It is possible to hear majority and minority opinions within the tradition. I think we have to pick our ways carefully - and be open to those who pick otherwise.
But I’m not going to tackle someone in church for taking communion wrong - or the wrong way - nor can I see where we are asked to. In that parish, it would be my job to make peace, resist not evil, turn the other cheek and ask the bouncer to back the F down, in the name of Jesus she presumes to defend.
“The way to God lies through love of people. At the Last Judgment I shall not be asked whether I was successful in my ascetic exercises, nor how many bows and prostrations I made. Instead I shall be asked, Did I feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and the prisoners. That is all I shall be asked. About every poor, hungry and imprisoned person the Savior says ‘I’: ‘I was hungry and thirsty, I was sick and in prison.’ To think that he puts an equal sign between himself and anyone in need. . . .”
St Maria of Paris.
But I’m not going to tackle someone in church for taking communion wrong - or the wrong way - nor can I see where we are asked to. In that parish, it would be my job to make peace, resist not evil, turn the other cheek and ask the bouncer to back the F down, in the name of Jesus she presumes to defend.
Amen.
Did you read of Chad’s experience at the bar during the Stanley Cup Finals? I was just reminded of it again in your understanding that it’s one’s job to make peace.