[God] is giving us the full Jesus-Christ self—that
wonderful symbiosis of divinity and humanity. But the vehicle, the medium, and
the final message here are physical, edible, chewable—yes, digestible human
flesh. Much of ancient religion portrayed God eating or sacrificing humans or
animals, which were offered on the altars, but Jesus turned religion and
history on their heads, inviting us to imagine that God would give God’s self
as food for us!
Richard
Rohr
_______________________
Looking down into the Valley of Gehenna
that place where children were killed
that smoldering, smelly place
where that which is not wanted,
is not welcome
goes
Garbage, thrown away
into the fire
I think of that God
who asked Abraham
to sacrifice Isaac
My soul is appalled by this ask
What kind of God would ask that
of a parent?
Oh yes, I know
that even then
in that time when people believed
God asked for that which was most precious
most dear
and then consumed it
leave the giver wanly gazing
at the smoke drifting into the sky
and hoping
that the gift was enough
God provided Abraham
With the gift to be given
And yes, I know
That in Jesus God, gave up God’s self
and became both gift and giver
so as to lift us up
into something fresh and new
I know that in a place, not so far away
Up the valley, somewhere on Zion
That gift was given
It almost seems
as if we have not seen
as if, instead, we have blindly stayed
with a wrathful God
a God of domination and violence
who breeds violent children
all too willing
to oppress and kill
to see other as garbage
to be thrown away
What if we took the cross seriously
If we wandered from Gehenna to Calvary
And saw God taking on all
the misery of human kind
and then transforming it…
Could we
In the name of this giving, sacrificing, serving God,
Call Somalians garbage?
Women stupid?
Could we deny the humanity of unknown souls on boats?
And impersonally destroy them
Without a second thought?
Could we kill children with our bombs?
Or send masked thugs to assault and abuse
Could we fail to see the image of God
in all we meet?
O God, who is gift and giver, servant and lover
Do not let us be overcome by the world
And pretend
Our hate and violence
Our coercion and control
And pretend our desires to build earthly kingdoms
Be crushing others
Are about you
Because they aren’t
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