dignity and advent

Dominating our current culture is the issue of airport screenings, specifically those instances where a clear violation of individual rights are occurring. This, or so we are told, is happening in the name of security. We are also told that it isn't happening all that much, so the issue is being blown out of proportion.

Neither is true.

It is not being blown out of proportion for the simple reason that one instance is too many, especially when the public handling and fondling is justified by our supposed leaders. So it is a situation which must be addressed from a theological perspective, because at the end of the day it is a matter of dignity - more specifically, how we have lost our sense of it.

It seems to me that there are more important things than safety in this life, and when we are willing to trade our self-worth for a few moments of a perceived security it is an indication that our priorities are skewed. When we refer to self-worth we must remember that we ultimately make a theological claim: the only worth that is given to the self is endowed from our Creator, who has made the image of humanity valuable by shaping it within the image of God. When this idea was still fresh upon the world the people of God were told not to make images and engravings, for they themselves were the images of God in the world.

When we speak of a lack of human dignity, we address the corruption of the imago Dei. Sin has twisted this image and has made us quite undignified creatures from within, and it is a constant struggle to keep this image as restored. Thus, it is difficult for me to watch the current events of how we are treating each other as less-than-human (groping and feeling and violating) for the sake of someone's perception of safety. We are working directly against the dignity of the human person who is made with all of the dignity found in the image of God.

And this happens in the final days before the church calendar walks us through Advent, which might be an appropriate time for this discussion. Within the notion of Advent we celebrate the coming of God into the world to restore the fallenness that has overcome his creation. In Jesus we have the dignity of humanity restored and renewed, the imago Dei given its full measure once more. The ensuing Spirit thus rests upon this fallen humanity to complete the work of restoration as the kingdom continues to come. For us to throw that away is a direct movement against God's restoration.

(The same could be said for many human activities, and restoration work needs to respond there as well.)

Thus the church is summoned yet again to make a statement regarding the life and death of this world, its humanity, and its movement to newness and renewal through the coming of the kingdom. Until then, although we are not surprised when we see fallenness happening around us, our hunger and thirst for righteousness will cause us to mourn. The comfort given to those who mourn will undoubtedly move us to bring the kingdom.

unquestionably able

In a passage discussing Exodus 28, Jack Levison addresses the notion of the workers being "filled" with the wisdom of God.

John R. Levinson, Filled with the Spirit (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009).

In his own translation of the text, he renders the Hebrew of 28:3 as, "And you shall speak to all the wise of heart whom I have filled with spirit of wisdom, and they will make Aaron's vestments . . ." (52). This aligns with his overall thesis that the spirit of god as understood in Scripture is more than a supernatural gift, but the very source of life and wisdom within the individual. From here, the notion of filling is to be understood as completing (or 'topping off') the spirit which is already present within the individual. It is an interesting thesis and deserves more exploration.

In regards to Exodus 28 Levinson writes, "The artisans were not partly prepared for the task ahead; they were not slightly skilled in weaving and stonework. They were filled with the spirit of wisdom, unquestionably able to do what would be demanded of them" (55, emphasis in original). The notion that God's filling makes the individual unquestionably able to complete the task which has been set before them is a powerful statement.

I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 10:13, which is taken in the wrong direction in my view. We often think that God will not give us anything more than we can handle. This has some theological difficulties all around, not least of which is that it accredits God with providing us the trials and temptations which we are supposed to be overcoming on his behalf. What the verse actually says is that God will not allow the temptations that we encounter overcome us by providing us a way to rise above it. How? Perhaps in the same way that we interpret Exodus 28, that God will fill us with his Spirit to make us unquestionably able to complete the work before us of providing witness to the kingdom.

One of the great strengths of Levinson's thesis is that it acknowledges the spirit which is inherent to every individual, but also understands that it must be cultivated to virtue. The artisans weren't random people who were filled with the Spirit and suddenly able to make beautiful temple furnishings. They were already skilled (and probably refined in their skill through training and learning) when the Spirit came and completed (fulfilled) their ability for the task at hand.

What have we to learn about ourselves? Do we regard those who are skilled and filled with the Spirit of God as unquestionably able to complete the work? Perhaps we are often too busy debating the hows and whys, ins and outs, or trying to debate who is more qualified than we are supporting those who have been summoned, placing our confidence in the God who has given his Spirit to ensure that these little ones are unquestionably able.

So it is with each believer, and flowing from this comes a community of God's presence, all using their diversity of gifts to serve a unified purpose of kingdom. Thus we come to the work of the church as those able and skilled, but completed and motivated by the Spirit. I look forward to reading the remainder of Levinson's book and offering a fuller review later on.

the sbl name badge game

I arrived in Atlanta late last night and, after a day of catching up with some of my southern friends, am getting ready for the beginning of the annual SBL meetings. Since I was organized enough to leave my credentials at home, I have already been to the registration desk and retrieved another.

And walking back to my room, I was reminded of a fun little quirk to these meetings.

There isn't a whole lot of eye contact when you walk around the convention. Instead, everyone is directing their eyes at everyone else's name badges. This is so that we might be able to determine if someone is important before we can decide what level of interaction that we are willing to commit to.

I admit that I can be somewhat guilty of this, but typically only if someone looks familiar. When walking around you notice that some people read your name and respond with a smug look, some offer a polite nod, but most of those who see my badge have a bit of disappointment in their eyes. Although some people might think this is rude and off-putting, I find it quite humorous - especially since I know my place in the biblical studies food chain, and am simply happy to be a part of the ride.

In all seriousness, the experience of passing by and interacting with all of these giants of biblical studies is a great time, especially finding time to share with those with whom you've built relationships over the years. So, in relative anonymity I will cruise through the next couple of days, enjoying those I know and anticipating connections with new faces.

in the light

Perhaps this is something that most Christians have been taught, but I don't recall hearing it quite this way before. I know a godly man and woman who were in the midst of heightened conflict in their church. It was, as I am convinced all church conflicts are, a season of spiritual and emotional challenge. She once told me, as their situation was trying to work toward resolution, that her struggle was with prayer.

As Christians we are to pray for each other, and for the coming of God's kingdom. For some, it is enough to pray for the well-being of another Christian while praying against their actions. This is a a bit of the hate-the-sin-love-the-sinner approach. It is not satisfying. The other hand is that we are given a spirit of unity, the love of God that is the greatest force in the world. Dividing this love within ourselves cannot happen without damage to the kingdom's work. Before we begin conflict management, what are we to do?

In the context of believers who are attacking one another, we must make certain that we do not allow ourselves to fall into the pitfalls of pride and power. That is easy to do when we are trying to do what we have deemed right. For, in a moment we discover that we are truly fighting against the body for our own perceptions.

Out of this emotional place comes the wisdom I once heard. This particular woman admitted that she could not pray for those who were attacking them from within the church. (Some will object to this spirituality, but you must have found yourself in a time such as this before you can offer your judgmental attitude.) Her decision was that she refused to pray against those who were attacking them from within the church. And this led to her wisdom: she began to pray that all things - her own heart and actions included - would be seen in the light of God's glory.

I know of many Christians and church leaders who do not have the openness to ask for everything to be seen in the light. And here we see that in the midst of trial God's kingdom has the opportunity to be more profound than the totality of our 'successful' spiritualities combined. This is the weakness of God confounding the strong of the world, I am certain. There is no compromise with the ways of the world, no encroachment of darkness upon the heart . . . it is the complete surrender to the cross that we have been called to carry.