Loading...Just how do you deal with “rules and regulations”?
As many of you know, I lived in long-term community at Holden Village.
I was on staff for a year, about 24 years ago.
Living in the Village is odd and different in many ways, and it doesn’t take long to begin to learn some of those ways.
1. No smoking in any of the buildings, or on porches, or on walkways, or lord help you, in the forest.
It’s almost as if Jesus said,
“You have heard it said (in the RCW of WA),
You cannot smoke in bars and public buildings, nor within 25 feet of a doorway,
But I say to you,
protect the buildings and wilderness area from fire danger,
so no open flames of any kind — cigarettes, cigars, candles, or incense anywhere (but a few specific spots for worship).”
2. You also learn, almost immediately, to TURN ON THE SHOWER FAN when showering!
Jesus might have said,
“You have heard it said:
Turn on the vent fan when you shower to keep it from being damp and musty smelling!
But I say to you,
unless you want company in your shower,
turn them on because of the sensitive smoke/steam detector and alarm system.”
When you go up to the Village, you are asked to change
—not just to always turn on the vent fan when you shower —
but to become a better steward;
and not just in the obvious ways of celebrating creation and eating healthier.
You are asked to change by living with and figuring out the answer to this question:
how do I care for the people and community around me—
not just when it is easy and I like people
but also when it is hard
when we have be living together for far too long through snowstorms, avalanche danger, and frustrations; and when we begin to clash.
when we have silly arguments over, say, orange juice.
You are asked — in that community, and in any and every community —how to practice the stewardship of people
other people
and their full beloved-by-God personhood.
You are asked —
in this community, and in any and every community—
how can I put aside my own ego and
think of the common good?
me —> you —> y’all
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Words from Deuteronomy today are from Moses speaking to the people:
We have all of these rules, statutes, ordinances, and laws.
They are intended to shape our lives together.
They are meant to get us to move from me to you to y’all.
They are not mean to be so many restrictions on own freedom,
but a way to care for the group and the whole.
So, Moses exhorts,
Choose life
and choose to cherish the gift of relationship to others,
and the community which God has given.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The other changes that an intentional community
such as Holden Village or a faith community
asks of visitors, residents, or members
is to think about and consider the larger world community:
to move from “y’all” to “all y’all”.
In other words,
the consideration is not just
“how can I remember to consider the personhood, values, needs, and well-being of my neighbors in
Chalet 9 in the Village,
or of the family two rows up from me at church?”, for example.
But, “how do my words, actions, choices, and decisions
have an impact on and are connect to the people in another neighborhood, town, state, or
in places in the world far, far away from where I live?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You have heard it said, “you shall not murder”
but I say to you if you are angry with your brother or
your sister, you have to deal with it.
Before bringing your offering forward,
you must go and be reconciled with them.
You have heard it said, “you shall not commit adultery”
but I say to you, “treat all people,
but especially women who will end up destitute and completely outcast if you mistreat them, in this way:
with respect, as fully human, and with kindness.”
You have heard it said, “if you divorce, give a certificate”
but I say to you, “remember that whole ‘treat all people, especially women, as fully human and with respect?’
Yes, it applies here too.”
You have heard it said, “you shall not swear falsely”
but I say to you, “live with integrity, people!
Say what you mean and mean what you say, then live that way!”
Actually, I’m paraphrasing a bit, and leaving some parts out —
parts like “fires of hell” and all that.
I don’t leave that out to soften Jesus’ words,
but because we can get so caught up in those dramatic words
and then start thinking about avoidance behavior,
Rather than the life into which Jesus is calling us.
In other words,
our motivation for treating people well
is not to evade punishment,
But because each person we meet — each person — is a beloved child of God.
The life Jesus is calling us into is a life of kindness and compassion;
a life of caring about what happens to other people and parts of creation, not just we ourselves, or our “tribe”.
Jesus is inviting us into community
—a community larger that just what we’re used to or can envision.
Jesus is inviting us from “y’all” to “all y’all”.
Jesus is remind us of the gift of relationship that come from God
and how we are being asked to steward and care.
But Jesus is thinking far beyond swearing, marriage/divorce, or anger.
Jesus is talking about caring for the full humanity of others,
about food enough for all;
about the dignity of those who are overlooked or outcast
immigrants, those who are LGBT, people without homes, prisoners, and even gang-bangers;
about worldwide climate conditions which affect everyone
from the oceanside slums of Manila,
to the top properties near San Francisco
about caring for creation, not just to preserve beauty,
but so that people and species can survive and thrive
about caring for people — not just those around us,
but ones whom we will never meet and never know,
and who are impacted by our decisions as individuals and groups.
The life of wholeness and compassion that we know from God —
we are called to share that
in friendships and families, yes;
in the communities of which we are a part, yes;
And also throughout the larger world.
Our stewardship and our choices are always more than
“me and Jesus”.
They are for the sake of the world.
They are for the sake of God’s people everywhere.
Choose life.
You are invited to choose life now and always for the world —
for you, for creation, and for God’s beloved. Amen
