Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation
Photograph by BryanHanson, 2015.
"Grace: Week 2"
"A Credo of Adjectives" for Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Yahweh, Yahweh, a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and abounding in faithfulness. For the thousandth generation, Yahweh maintains his kindness, forgiving all our faults, transgressions, and sins.[Exodus 34:6-7]
In this marvelous early affirmation, we have, in the words of Walter Brueggemann, "a formulation so studied that it may be reckoned to be something of a classic, normative statement to which Israel regularly returned, meriting the label 'credo.'" [1] In it are found five generous and glorious adjectives that describe the heart and soul of Israel's belief. Somehow, against all odds and neighbors, they were able to experience a God who was merciful (in Hebrew, rhm), compassionate/gracious (hnn), steadfast in love (hsd), tenaciously faithful ('emeth) and forgiving (ns'). This is the dynamic center of their entire belief system, as it should be ours, and like all spiritual mystery, seems to be endlessly generative and fruitful, culminating in the full-blown--and literally unthinkable--concept of grace.
In Ezekiel, chapters 36-37, Yahweh really chews Israel out, telling the people, in effect, through the prophet, "You haven't done anything right, you've missed the whole point." Yahweh disqualifies the children of Israel as a worthy people, almost as if to tell them to throw the whole thing out and start over. Then, seemingly out of nowhere (but really coming from divine mercy, which is always present), Yahweh promises to rebuild the project from the bottom up, and says, "I am not doing this for your sake, house of Israel, but for the sake of my holy name" (Ezekiel 36:22). God is God's own reference point. God is being true to Godself in loving. God's faithfulness has never been dependent on our worthiness or readiness. This is restorative justice, the divine form of justice.
The word that is translated as "steadfast love" is often rendered "covenant love" or "faithful love." Today we often call it unconditional love. It's "one-sided love," if you will, because Israel never keeps its side of the covenant, just as we never keep our side of the relationship to this day. Yahweh has learned to do it all from God's side since we are basically unreliable as lovers. That is the constant message of much of the Hebrew Scriptures from Moses to Job. Yet, as Paul says, "Is it possible that Yahweh has rejected his people? Of course not!" (Romans 11:1). Israel is a stand-in for everything.
Gateway to Silence: Everything is grace.
References:
[1] Walter Brueggemann, Theology of the Old Testament: Testimony, Dispute, Advocacy (Fortress: 1997), 216.
Adapted from Richard Rohr, Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality(Franciscan Media: 2007), 168-170.
CONSPIRE 2016: Everything Belongs
Friday, July 15--Sunday, July 17, 2016
In person, Albuquerque, New Mexico OR Live webcast worldwide
Richard Rohr, Christena Cleveland, James Alison, Mirabai Starr
When we realize that everything belongs, when we discover who we truly are as God's beloveds, there is no longer any reason to scapegoat or exclude anyone. Rather than directly fight evil and untruth, we must bring it into the Light of Love.
Learn more at cac.org.
Register for the in-person conference soon (limited seating)! Webcast registration includes access to the video replay through August 21, 2016. Financial assistance is available.
Center for Action and Contemplation---------------------
Center for Action and Contemplation
1823 Five Points Road SW (physical)
PO Box 12464 (mailing)
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87195, United States
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