Word to the Wise
Thursday, February 10, 2011 - St. Scholastica, Virgin
[Genesis 2:18-25 and Mark 7:24-30]This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called 'woman,' for out of 'her man' this one has been taken.
These words are the first recorded human words in the Bible! Adam had no one who could respond to him and be a suitable companion until Eve was created! Adam's recognition of Eve's suitability seems to be rooted in her complementarity. And despite centuries of speculation and humor about how Eve was created, there is no reason for us to believe that woman is somehow an "incomplete male" or humanly "derivative." God could have made Eve in any way God wanted. God determined that the very nature of the human person is communitarian. The human person was created to love. No other animal can do this, despite all the stories and commercials about pets! Certainly one way to understand how we humans are made in God's image is to realize that only humans can love on earth. Only humans can give themselves to one another for reasons other than the propagation of the species!
Jesus refers to this profound unity when he preaches about divorce. The sad reality of that self-giving unity disappearing because two humans allow it to disappear is a tragedy even when it is legally, physically, psychologically or even spiritually a necessity. Jesus points out that this is not part of God's plan. Male and female are meant to be complementary and yet form a unity that is a sign of love and also a sign of God's plan to be fruitful and multiply as stewards of God's creation! Some humans seem to think that God is no longer involved (if ever!) and that we can establish whatever control we want over marriage and child-bearing. The pain and sorrow that I witness as a pastor is a constant reminder that our efforts to establish this control come at a terrible price and are doomed to failure.
Genesis reminds us today that we are created by God's love and destined to share it. AMEN
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