Personal Note on Posting Timeline
Our summer program gained some determination as we agreed to discuss the topic of Evangelization on a once a month basis. At present nine members have committed to gather. Today’s post of Sunday, April 7 gathering leaves us with only three more sessions.
Preview
As I listened to the discussion of April 7, one of St. Augustine’s memorable quotes came to mind, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee.” We are on the move, restless, and only God can quite that restlessness. We are made that way. Those who gather, gather in part because they are searching, wondering which is a critical example of that restlessness in who we are. All the answers to our searching only cause to search more …
Background: Gen. 28: 30 – 40: Isaac, Esau, and the Blessing
This episode begins as does the previous one, only it is Esau not Jacob who prepares the meal, approaches his father for his blessing. Again Isaac asks who is it that approaches him; he learns that Jacob has deceived him and for the first that time that Jacob has obtained the birthright from Esau. The blessing once given though cannot be withdrawn. Esau is beside himself, and incessantly asks for a blessing. Isaac ultimately relents and blesses Esau, though the nature of the blessing is ambiguous, more so in the Greek than the English. It is critical to recognize that in the story Esau is the progenitor of the some of the non-chosen. Inherent in selecting Jacob, there is a non-selection of everyone else. It is this fact that dominated our discussion, more in me perhaps than in the group.
The Reading: Gen. 28: 30 – 40. http://www.usccb.org/bible/genesis/28.
Once again Ken began our discussion with keen observation. He recognized a theme in the selection of the younger brother over the elder brother and wondered first if that was true and, if true, what it might mean. The theme is definitely true. In some ways God’s selection of the Israelites themselves is similar to his choice of the younger and resonates with me at least in Paul’s words in 1 Cor. 26:29
”Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God.”
For me Ken’s observation raised a fundamental question that I thought was addressed in this story of the blessing of Esau. An hour later, and reflecting on what transpired during the ensuing week, left me knowing that the issue certainly was more mine than the groups. The question that I had, what does it mean to be “chosen” by God especially in relation to the “non-chosen.”
I began by offering some simple statistical facts of the world as it exists today. These numbers are roundings; Google “World population of …” to get the most up to date figures. There are 7 billion of us on the planet; about 2 billion are Christian of whom 1.2 billion are Catholic. Another 2 billion are Muslim and a mere 13.3 million, Jews. If all of these people of the Book, think in some way or another that they are chosen, none are a majority. But there is only one God and He/She is God of all, of the entire universe [s]. All that is, simply put.
So is being chosen a privilege and thus the non-chosen are thus not privilege. Or perhaps being chosen is a responsibility. In the midst of our lengthy conversation, Ken pointed out that the blessing of Jacob within the story is much preferred over that of Esau. Compare the two blessing and there is no question, Ken is correct. But the historical facts raise a further question for me at least. Take for example, Jacob / Israel was blessed with an abundance of grain and wine.
May God give to you
of the dew of the heavens
And of the fertility of the earth
abundance of grain and wine.
But historically is that true? Was Israel blessed with an abundance of grain and wine? I think that the answer is no. And that the “no” allowed the Israelites to keep searching, an utterly unique feature of the chosen people. In other words the Promise is something more. The question remains is the Promise, whatever its fulfillment is, meant only for the chosen people whether those chose be the Jews, the Christians, the Catholics, the Muslims, the whoever.
As the conversation developed I asked what for me was a follow up question, what makes Christians, Christian. After considerable back and forth, Annette pointed us in the right direction when she said that it is what we believe. The natural follow up though is well what do we believe.
There was a host of answers; Jody even went into the church to get the Missalette, to focus attention on the Nicene Creed. But to each of their responses, I would counter with the question, well what does that mean.
1 Jesus saves us from our sins – well what does that mean? Keep in mind that after Jesus’ death and resurrection the world in a fundamental sense was no different and in another fundamental sense, will never be the same again. What difference did Jesus make?
2. So we could go to heaven. Well certainly we all want to go to heaven, yet such a goal is not expressed in the Nicene Creed. If fact, it states that we await the resurrection of the dead. What does “go to heaven” actually mean, especially to those who don’t believe – the majority of human beings?
I concluded that Esau was blessed, he wasn’t cursed. The chosen were then, and continued through the scripture, told to treat the foreigner well. Being chosen is more responsibility than a privilege. The Promise is the fulfillment of our hopes and dreams and as Christians we believe that such fulfillment has been realized in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Well enough for my ramblings which represent pretty well what happened last week. We just never know what happens at our gather until it is over. Remarkable in itself.
Your comments, observations, questions are welcomed. See “comment” link below