Word to the Wise
Thursday, March 13, 2008 - Thursday in the Fifth Week of Lent
[Genesis 17:3-9 and John 8:51-59]"Abraham, your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad." So the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I saw to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM." So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.
THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2008 THURSDAY IN THE FIFTH WEEK OF LENT [Genesis 17:3-9 and John 8:51-59] "Abraham, your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad." So the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I saw to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM." So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area. Christianity, Islam and Judaism have a very important common point - descendence from Abraham. Abraham had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael. Christians and Jews claim spiritual descent through Isaac. Islam claims descent through Ishmael. All three of these great religious traditions are monotheistic. We disagree on the nature of God since Christianity has a belief in a triune God - the Holy Trinity - one God in three divine persons. For Jews and Moslems this is unacceptable because they consider that belief polytheistic. Further, we Christians accept Jesus as Messiah and God. This, too, is unacceptable to Jews and Moslems because they regard Jesus as one among many great prophets and not as God. For Moslems, the greatest and most authoritative and most recent prophet was Mohammed. Every day the news brings us accounts of religious violence among Jews, Moslems and Christians. It is difficult to understand why our differences over the nature of God should result in violence! Major figures in all three religious traditions work to overcome this tendency. But, because faith and culture become intertwined, there are more than theological points of dispute that account for some of the violence. Moslems in the Middle East often regard the American culture (which at least nominally is overwhelmingly Christian) as corrupt and immoral. Christians in the West often view Islam as a faith that encourages violent terrorism! Anti-semitism in American life is a documented fact. Jewish/Moslem relations have had a long and up-and-down history. Most recently, the conflict between Palestinian and Israeli ambitions has meant violence since at least 1948 when Israel declared its independence. The gospel today shows Jesus' listeners ready to stone him for his claim to be I AM - the voice in the burning bush! He states that Abraham rejoiced to see "his day." Our Jewish and Moslem friends find that impossible. We must find a way to live together with Abraham as a common spiritual ancestor without trying to destroy all that Abraham set in motion by his willingness to obey God's commands. If there is an ever present scandal, it is the scandal of religious violence. Look for chances to increase religious understanding and decrease religious violence! If nothing else, remember that Jesus' death was an act of violence, but he forgave from the cross. Imitating his example, on the part of Christians, can be a good first step. AMEN
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