Addition and Subtraction...

 

Addition and Subtraction…

 

Genesis 2:18-24
2:18 Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner."

2:19 So out of the ground the LORD God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.

2:20 The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner.

2:21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.

2:22 And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.

2:23 Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken."

2:24 Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.

 

Job 1:1, 2:1-10
1:1 There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.

2:1 One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD.

2:2 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it."

2:3 The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason."

2:4 Then Satan answered the LORD, "Skin for skin! All that people have they will give to save their lives.

2:5 But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face."

2:6 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life."

2:7 So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

2:8 Job took a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and sat among the ashes.

2:9 Then his wife said to him, "Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God, and die."

2:10 But he said to her, "You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

 

 

A house divided against itself cannot stand. Who said this? Actually, it was originally spoken by Jesus, and recorded in Mark 3, but it was famously re-stated many years later by President Abraham Lincoln, addressing how a nation cannot stand—let alone govern itself—as half slave and half free. If you look around our world right now, what you will clearly see is a whole bunch of “divided houses.”

 

Right here in our own nation, we have the “vaxxers” and the “anti-vaxxers”—those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, and those who are actively choosing to NOT be vaccinated. (There is a third group—those who WANT to be vaccinated, but who, for a variety of reasons, have not yet been able to receive “the jab.”) However, this “house divided” is having the same detrimental effect on the nation that Lincoln warned about. The “anti-vaxxers”—and some estimates are that there are about 70 million of them—are a roadblock to the country reaching something called “herd immunity,” that could provide much protection against the COVID-19 virus, not just now, but for the future. What are these “anit-vaxxers” opposed to? Some have tuned in to social media sites that claim all kinds of conspiracy theories, such as the idea that vaccines contain secret microchips that will allow the “government” to track you (if you have a cell phone, you are already “chipped,” by the way). Or, they profess some “extra smart” knowledge that the vaccines were “produced too fast,” and should not be trusted, regardless of the fact that each has been rigorously tested and has shown to be quite safe—and effective against the virus. Others are just honest and admit that they are part of a political party or faction that just RESISTS anything the “government” tries to do to help people, especially when it is “run” by their arch enemies (the other party). I have heard from medical professionals that these types, when they wind up in the hospital with a serious case of COVID-19, DENY it is the virus and call the doctors trying to save their lives, LIERS. Obviously, there are issues afoot here WAY beyond the pandemic, but that is for another message…

 

Look at what is going on in Afghanistan. Troops from the American military artificially “kept the peace” there for 20 years, hoping the indigenous government and that the people of that nation could build a more free society. Believing progress had been made in this regard (and we’ll not go into the substantive debate about WHO believed WHAT, but it is a legitimate one), our current president pulled all U.S. troops out. AND Afghanistan immediately “fell” into the hands of the Taliban, an Islamic fundamentalist group that has begun retrenching on most of the social progress made, in the name of religion. Here are TWO divided houses—the warring factions in America over how this whole mess was handled, AND the division between the leaders of the Taliban and the people of the nation they are now “leading.” Again, the divided houses will not stand. Afghanistan and its people will certainly suffer, and the division over pulling U.S. troops out will play out in upcoming elections at home. As Christian believers, we should be praying for the people of Afghanistan, and for their welfare.

 

And speaking of houses divided, I need to look only to my own United Methodist denomination. It is threatening to divide into not just TWO houses divided, but at least THREE, and there may be more! One faction holds to a list of religious rules and biblical interpretations that labels LGBTQ individuals as sinful-by-choice, and therefore ineligible for ordination as clergy. This group also eschews the Supreme Court’s ruling that same gender have the legal right to marry, and would also render illegal any such marriage performed by United Methodist clergy, or that may occur in any of our churches. Another “house” on the opposite of this faction interprets scripture differently, and desires to fully include ALL people in the life of the church, especially those of the LGBTQ community, whom have be ostracized since 1972. A third “house” would be a huge “centrist” faction that is open to a kind of scriptural pluralism that encourages wrestling over these questions, while permitting persons to live out their convictions. All warring factions are currently hamstrung by denominational rules that dictate how the ruling body of the church (called the General Conference) can meet. COVID-19 has put the kibosh to the original General Conference meeting in the Spring of 2020, and now threatens even a “rescheduled” conference tentatively set for the Fall of 2022, given that the United Methodist Church is a GLOBAL body, and must have the representatives of other nations present, in order to hold the meeting. Again, the rules of the church say that no decisions may be made concerning “dividing the spoils” until this General Conference meets and rules. While some are trying to hammer out compromises on a more local level to “permit” churches and clergy to split off and go their own way BEFORE the delayed conference can meet, this is a crapshoot, in terms of church polity. At stake are denominational control and resources, and how to divide them. Talk about a “house divided”! The United Methodist Church is front-and-center. If Jesus were dead, he’d be rolling over in his grave.

 

Let’s take a look at the two lectionary passages that I’ve posted today. One is part of the creation story in Genesis, and the other is from the incredible parable in the Bible called the Book of Job. In one story, God sees the plight of “the man,” ADAM, which is the Hebrew name for “human,” and not a proper name, by the way. “The man” should not be alone, God decrees in this story, and creates animals and then a “partner” for ADAM. God sees a problem and ADDS SOMETHING to bridge the gap. God CREATES and affirms. 

 

In the Job parable, during this little “teatime” between God and the Satan, the Satan suggests that all of Job’s dedication to God and his faith is because of his wealth and family blessings. The Satan seeks God’s permission to test this theory, and is permitted to take everything FROM Job, except his life. The Satan, who plays the role of the “opposite of deity” in the story, SUBTRACTS from Job’s life and blessings. The drama that ensues reminds me of much of what I see today in the three “houses divided” I cited earlier. Job’s “friends” would have been dedicated Facebookers in today’s world, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they would be followers of Q-Anon, as well. While God doesn’t come off super well in this parable, either, the central plot is quite a morality play wherein Job is the longsuffering “good guy.” The Satan pretty much disappears from the biblical narrative until he shows up again in the New Testament, tempting Jesus to transfer his allegiance.

 

These two stories postulate that there are two forces at work in our world—one that seeks to reconcile, redeem, and redirect humanity by ADDITION—whether what is added is forgiveness, freedom, empowerment, or inclusion so that none are excluded who desire to BE included, and this addition builds the community, be it the church community or the community-at-large. This “force” is the God of Creation, the God of Job, and the God of Jesus Christ.

 

The other force seeks to divide and SUBTRACT. In the Bible, this “force” is scapegoated through the agency of a character called The Satan, but honestly, in my view (and I am not alone in this), this “subtractive,” destructive power is more in the realm of human volition, when we believe the “lie” of self-centered, selfish living. Here in America, “freedom” is often used to defend the “right” of the individual to acquire wealth, live independently (falsely believing that they have no dependency on the wider community), and eschew “government” involvement in these personal pursuits. Unfortunately, this view too often comes to believethat no part of the “government” or the wider community has any additive value for those who espouse it, and therefore it seeks to DE-value both. At its extreme (which seems to be persistent today), it can summed up in this statement: “I will use and protect my freedom for my own well-being—you are on your own to do likewise, but don’t mess with mine!” This becomes a SUBTRACTIVE view when it seeks to guard its “rights” by taking away funding for benevolent programs for those less fortunate, fighting against voting rights for persons who they believe may vote to threaten their wealth and freedoms, and supporting efforts to reduce (subtract) “government.” In the church, we encountered adherents to this philosophy when we were compelled to restrict public worship, require mask-wearing, and ask people to sign up at attend services. These efforts were often protested by this group, as these restrictions were seen as violations of their freedom and wishes. 

 

Note that I have put “government” in quotes throughout this message. There are several reasons. First of all, I am trying to keep these primary philosophies “generic” in the discussion. Secondly, “government” is often demonized by the latter group as something seeking to steal freedoms and tax dollars, often to benefit persons who may not be deemed “worthy,” or who are just not “pulling their own weight.” The former is a racist or classist judgment, while the latter is a gross oversimplification to the complex problems faced by a diverse society. The fact is that in a representative republic like our own nation, “the government” is US. It is from our own ranks that leaders are selected, and all eligible citizens should be empowered to vote for who is representing them in government. The role of the government is to help the people of the nation reach equity of opportunity, provide for the common defense, and arbitrate via the judicial branch any legal disparities that may arise. To demonize “the government” is an attempt to posit it as a threatening force against those who HAVE. The final reason I have “government” in quotes is to point out that the biblical narrative lays the final word on “governance” on the shoulders of God. It will ultimately be God who decides the morals of human pursuit, acquisition, and freedom.

 

Again, these two juxtaposed texts remind us that one force—“The Satan” in scripture—takes away, in an effort to preserve its views and values, while the other force—the God of Creation—adds blessings in an effort to “float all boats,” as the common expression says.

 

John 10:10, a very famous and oft-quoted statement of Jesus sums this up quite nicely:

 

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

 

Choose this day which “force” you will follow and emulate. Amen.