Thursday, January 15, 2009
Juan Cole is one of the most knowledgable scholars on the subjects of the Middle East and the Islamic World, including their histories, their political alignments, and their cultural and linguistic traditions. In his blog, http://www.juancole.com/, he has laid out the circumstances prevailing in Gaza which I am only summarizing here.
As of this morning, the Israelis have now killed 1038 and wounded 4850 residents of Gaza, including, according to the BBC, more than 300 slain children, 76 slain women, and more than 4,500 injured individuals, including about 1,600 children and 678 women. Many of the dead are policemen and women, who are not part of any terrorist organization.
The damages to Gazan property resulting for the all out war against them is estimated at $1.4 bn, resulting from the failure Israeli army to even try to avoid hitting civilian targets. Many of these desperately poor people are now homeless, shelterless, and nutritionless in very cold weather for the region. Here is what Professor Cole quotes from the European medical journal Lancet:
"We find it hard to believe that an otherwise internationally respected, democratic nation can sanction such large and indiscriminate human atrocities in a territory already under land and sea blockade. . . .The collective punishment of Gazans is placing horrific and immediate burdens of injury and trauma on innocent civilians. These actions contravene the fourth Geneva convention."
The editorial in Lancet also took aim at "national medical associations and professional bodies worldwide."
"Their leaders, through their inaction, are complicit in a preventable tragedy that may have long-lasting public-health consequences not only for Gaza [but] also for the entire region"
Britain's Channel 4 reported that Hamas never broke the cease fire by sending rockets into Israel during the period of the cease fire. The 20 home made Gazan projectiles landing in Israel from June to December of 2008, came from non-Hamas organizations, killing no Israelis.
Professor Cole argues that “Israel is keeping the Gazans in a state akin to slavery": they have been “deprived of their basic rights as a result of a military conquest;” they remain “stateless,” like slaves not being counted “citizens at all by any existing state"; European Jewish settlers forcibly confiscated the property of the majority of them, suffering a kind of “social death;” like slaves, the Gazans are trapped in the Gaza Strip lacking any normal mobility, their borders controlled by Israel which also controls their air space and coastlines—in other words Gazans like slaves “are deprived of the liberty of movement”; they can never be sure what little property they own will not be destroyed nor that any medical facility to which the have access will survive Israeli bombs; they themselves are subject of being killed or injured in their own houses; and their very nutrition is also subject to the hostility of their “masters.”
Indeed one respondent to Coles blog made the following comparison to the Israel’s siege of Gaza:
“Fighters of the Jewish Combat Organization, under the command of Mordechaj Anielewicz, together with those of the Jewish Military Union, had a well developed network of bunkers and fortifications. Over 2,000 heavily armed soldiers of the Wehrmacht and SS assailed the fighters. The Polish Underground actively supported the Ghetto Uprising; it supplied arms and organized military actions. On May 8th, after an admirable defense, the bunker at Mila 18 Street fell, and the staff of the Jewish Combat Organization, together with their commander all gave up their lives” (http://www.cyberroad.com/poland/jews_ww2.html).
“Just change the flags and insignia,” Cole's respondent concluded, “and this is what is unfolding in Gaza today, except that for the people of Gaza, there is no escape.
Thursday, 15 January 2009
Friday, 26 December 2008
"You are with me" : The heart of the Shepherd Psalm
Writers use repetition, comparison, contrast, climax, and other ways of making their meaning clear. Writers today may use some of these methods to convey meaning, but they also have such things as paragraph divisions, italics, and bold type to indicate important features of their messages.
Using comparison and contrast, we can divide Psalm 23 into three parts. The first and third are similar in that they are presented against a positive and pleasant background.
In verses 1-3, the Shepherd provides everything his sheep needs, he beds his sheep down in green pastures, he leads them beside still waters. The psalmist’s soul is revived and he is enabled to follow the right path. All is tranquil and peaceful.
The third part of the psalm, verses 5b-6, reminds the reader of the first three verses. Instead of enemies standing around, goodness and mercy are following the psalmist’s path. Pastures and streams have given way to radical hospitality: “I will dwell,” says the psalmist, “in the house of the Lord for ever.” At the climax of the psalm, our poet has moved into the shepherd’s home. All is well.
In the second part of the psalm, verses 4-5a, things are not so tranquil. It speaks of walking through the darkest valley or the valley of the shadow of death. It speaks of the presence of the psalmist’s enemies or those who trouble him. Here the poet uses contrast to make an important point: even in the shepherd’s care one can encounter shadows, danger, troubles, even enemies.
Another important thing to look for in the study of scripture can be expressed as follows: where something occurs in a passage is part of what it means. It’s called “position.” The psalmist himself, presumably the bard, David, giant killer and king, appears to have divided the psalm in half. How do we know this? When the bard goes from the pastoral tranquility of verses one through three and starts into the walk through the valley of the shadow of death, he changes from talking about the Shepherd Lord to talking to the Shepherd Lord.
Since in biblical poetry where a word, phrase, or verse is located can be very important, I counted the words in the Hebrew original and found them to number 54 (there are 161 words in the English of nrsv). I then found that the Hebrew word attah, “you,” was word number 27 and the word `immadi, “with me,” is the next word, number 28.
The exact middle of the psalm lies between these two words. In other words, the phrase, attah immadi, “you are with me,” is positioned at the exact center of the poem.
Where the valley darkens, trouble threatens, and enemies hang around, the Shepherd Lord is most intimately present. Not a “he,” but a “you”!
attah immadi
“You are with me,” says the psalmist. “Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” “You prepare a table for me.” “You anoint my head with oil.” Four times in a verse and a half the word “you” occurs. Here is repetition at work in the middle of our psalm, shouting at us: “When you go through trouble, the Shepherd Lord, goes with you most intimately.”
attah immadi
One “you are with me” experience of Shepherd intimacy surprised me as my agony over my vocation proved temporarily devastating. In 1973 in the midst of preparations for returning to my missionary vocation in Egypt, the vocation I felt I had been called to, I became aware, deeply aware, that I should not in fact return to Egypt. Although the change in plans was clearly necessary, what was the alternative? I struggled with this issue for a long time. Should I be come a pastor, continue to teach at the university, get involved in Christian education? What? God help me, what should I do? In the absence of any direction from God, in spite of urgent requests on my part, and after aptitude tests proved no help, I felt I walked through a very dark valley. I was indeed troubled. One night after unsuccessful attempts to sleep, I got up and began reading Samuel Sandmel’s novel about the life of Moses. It showed Moses persisting in leading the Israelites toward the promised land in spite of their lack of obedience and appreciation. I began saying out loud, “Moses, why did you do it? Why did you keep on leading these people? That lament morphed into one closer to home, “God, why do I keep seeking your will and guidance? Why can’t I give up? Why can’t John succeed in convincing me that you do not exist? (A friend John, an atheist, had been working on me—but to no avail). Why do I go on seeking you? I kept repeating in tears, real tears. Reaching the end of my emotional rope, in the midst of the silence of exhaustion, I heard a voice say distinctly, “It’s because you love me.”
It was the Shepherd comforting me. Was it the Shepherd’s staff comforting me, the tool Shepherds use when their sheep go astray. Or was it the Shepherd rod the tool shepherds use to protect their sheep from predators. I do not know. But I was comforted. In that moment the Shepherd was a “you” for me. It was many years before I felt comfortable in my vocation; but I knew why I went on—and on.
attah immadi You are with me!
What troubles you? The Shepherd offers comfort: a staff, when you go astray, a rod when you need protection from an outside threat.At the heart of this divine intimacy is a table. “You prepare a table before me, in the presence of my enemies.” A missionary translated this psalm into the Khmer language, then, as translators do, had it back translated into English—as a check, by a person who knew both languages well. Here’s how the passage on the table of hospitality went, “You manufacture a piece of furniture for me while my enemies watch.”
No! This is not about making furniture. This is about hospitality. It is about a table spread before you. It is about the anointing of oil, reflecting the ancient custom of pouring oil over the head of an honored guest. It is about an overflowing cup. As though that were not enough hospitality, as the psalm closes, the poet moves into the very house of his Shepherd Lord—to stay! He moves in.
attah immadi You are with me.
Remember, in the darkest valley, the psalmist could say attah `immadi: You are with me, the very heart of the Shepherd Psalm. It is as though the good Shepherd, himself were saying: “Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
Using comparison and contrast, we can divide Psalm 23 into three parts. The first and third are similar in that they are presented against a positive and pleasant background.
In verses 1-3, the Shepherd provides everything his sheep needs, he beds his sheep down in green pastures, he leads them beside still waters. The psalmist’s soul is revived and he is enabled to follow the right path. All is tranquil and peaceful.
The third part of the psalm, verses 5b-6, reminds the reader of the first three verses. Instead of enemies standing around, goodness and mercy are following the psalmist’s path. Pastures and streams have given way to radical hospitality: “I will dwell,” says the psalmist, “in the house of the Lord for ever.” At the climax of the psalm, our poet has moved into the shepherd’s home. All is well.
In the second part of the psalm, verses 4-5a, things are not so tranquil. It speaks of walking through the darkest valley or the valley of the shadow of death. It speaks of the presence of the psalmist’s enemies or those who trouble him. Here the poet uses contrast to make an important point: even in the shepherd’s care one can encounter shadows, danger, troubles, even enemies.
Another important thing to look for in the study of scripture can be expressed as follows: where something occurs in a passage is part of what it means. It’s called “position.” The psalmist himself, presumably the bard, David, giant killer and king, appears to have divided the psalm in half. How do we know this? When the bard goes from the pastoral tranquility of verses one through three and starts into the walk through the valley of the shadow of death, he changes from talking about the Shepherd Lord to talking to the Shepherd Lord.
Since in biblical poetry where a word, phrase, or verse is located can be very important, I counted the words in the Hebrew original and found them to number 54 (there are 161 words in the English of nrsv). I then found that the Hebrew word attah, “you,” was word number 27 and the word `immadi, “with me,” is the next word, number 28.
The exact middle of the psalm lies between these two words. In other words, the phrase, attah immadi, “you are with me,” is positioned at the exact center of the poem.
Where the valley darkens, trouble threatens, and enemies hang around, the Shepherd Lord is most intimately present. Not a “he,” but a “you”!
attah immadi
“You are with me,” says the psalmist. “Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” “You prepare a table for me.” “You anoint my head with oil.” Four times in a verse and a half the word “you” occurs. Here is repetition at work in the middle of our psalm, shouting at us: “When you go through trouble, the Shepherd Lord, goes with you most intimately.”
attah immadi
One “you are with me” experience of Shepherd intimacy surprised me as my agony over my vocation proved temporarily devastating. In 1973 in the midst of preparations for returning to my missionary vocation in Egypt, the vocation I felt I had been called to, I became aware, deeply aware, that I should not in fact return to Egypt. Although the change in plans was clearly necessary, what was the alternative? I struggled with this issue for a long time. Should I be come a pastor, continue to teach at the university, get involved in Christian education? What? God help me, what should I do? In the absence of any direction from God, in spite of urgent requests on my part, and after aptitude tests proved no help, I felt I walked through a very dark valley. I was indeed troubled. One night after unsuccessful attempts to sleep, I got up and began reading Samuel Sandmel’s novel about the life of Moses. It showed Moses persisting in leading the Israelites toward the promised land in spite of their lack of obedience and appreciation. I began saying out loud, “Moses, why did you do it? Why did you keep on leading these people? That lament morphed into one closer to home, “God, why do I keep seeking your will and guidance? Why can’t I give up? Why can’t John succeed in convincing me that you do not exist? (A friend John, an atheist, had been working on me—but to no avail). Why do I go on seeking you? I kept repeating in tears, real tears. Reaching the end of my emotional rope, in the midst of the silence of exhaustion, I heard a voice say distinctly, “It’s because you love me.”
It was the Shepherd comforting me. Was it the Shepherd’s staff comforting me, the tool Shepherds use when their sheep go astray. Or was it the Shepherd rod the tool shepherds use to protect their sheep from predators. I do not know. But I was comforted. In that moment the Shepherd was a “you” for me. It was many years before I felt comfortable in my vocation; but I knew why I went on—and on.
attah immadi You are with me!
What troubles you? The Shepherd offers comfort: a staff, when you go astray, a rod when you need protection from an outside threat.At the heart of this divine intimacy is a table. “You prepare a table before me, in the presence of my enemies.” A missionary translated this psalm into the Khmer language, then, as translators do, had it back translated into English—as a check, by a person who knew both languages well. Here’s how the passage on the table of hospitality went, “You manufacture a piece of furniture for me while my enemies watch.”
No! This is not about making furniture. This is about hospitality. It is about a table spread before you. It is about the anointing of oil, reflecting the ancient custom of pouring oil over the head of an honored guest. It is about an overflowing cup. As though that were not enough hospitality, as the psalm closes, the poet moves into the very house of his Shepherd Lord—to stay! He moves in.
attah immadi You are with me.
Remember, in the darkest valley, the psalmist could say attah `immadi: You are with me, the very heart of the Shepherd Psalm. It is as though the good Shepherd, himself were saying: “Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
Tuesday, 16 September 2008
Participation
I have been studying the history of the subject of the relationship between God's grace and human works, that is things done for God and others. In the time of the Reformation reformers such as Martin Luther and John Calvin were so fed up with trying to earn salvation through penance and other good works that they lit very heavily on the conviction that we are saved by faith and not through gaining merit by following God's way. Martin Luter even penned the Latin word "sola" in the margin of his Bible. Sola means alone or only and so the text now read, "By grace you have been saved trough faith alone. It is not your own doing, it is the gift of God." I am writing from memory at the moment.
One reformer Philipp Melanchthon by name agreed at first with Luther, but observed that the result of seeing salvation as strictly the work of God was that people were not being very observant of God's way as revealed also in scripture. So he argued in his later works that people needed to respond to God's grace in faith and obedience if they were to be saved. This became kind of a heresy in Lutheranism called synergism--"working with." That is the view that humans had to work with God if they were to be saved.
This Got me to John Wesley whose way of dealing with this issue was--at least in my estimate after reading a lot of this works--is that God awakens every person who comes into the world so that they have the desire and power to respond to the light they have. As they respond, they experience more grace and more light. Thus they do not merit salvation because of their response to God's grace because God empowers them as they move along the path; but their participation is a requirement, a condition. A little like a computer. It enables you to do things that you cannot do on your own, not only by providing the software and hardware without which you could not do what you need to do, but also provides you with help and assitance in doing it. As you participate in the process of computing you become more skillful and the computer is able to be of even more help. Now the computer is a machine--an intelligent one--but God is a person. That fact allows an even more intimate relationship between God's grace and our works. By obedience and love we participate by faith in the whole pilgrimage of redemption with God and with others who value God's will and God's way.
One reformer Philipp Melanchthon by name agreed at first with Luther, but observed that the result of seeing salvation as strictly the work of God was that people were not being very observant of God's way as revealed also in scripture. So he argued in his later works that people needed to respond to God's grace in faith and obedience if they were to be saved. This became kind of a heresy in Lutheranism called synergism--"working with." That is the view that humans had to work with God if they were to be saved.
This Got me to John Wesley whose way of dealing with this issue was--at least in my estimate after reading a lot of this works--is that God awakens every person who comes into the world so that they have the desire and power to respond to the light they have. As they respond, they experience more grace and more light. Thus they do not merit salvation because of their response to God's grace because God empowers them as they move along the path; but their participation is a requirement, a condition. A little like a computer. It enables you to do things that you cannot do on your own, not only by providing the software and hardware without which you could not do what you need to do, but also provides you with help and assitance in doing it. As you participate in the process of computing you become more skillful and the computer is able to be of even more help. Now the computer is a machine--an intelligent one--but God is a person. That fact allows an even more intimate relationship between God's grace and our works. By obedience and love we participate by faith in the whole pilgrimage of redemption with God and with others who value God's will and God's way.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)