The other day, on Facebook, I read this from Deuteronomy: "Foreigners who live in your land will gain more and more power, while you gradually lose yours. They will have money to lend you, but you will have none to lend them. In the end they will be your rulers. All these disasters will come on you, and they will be with you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the Lord your God and keep all the laws that he gave you."
I admit it...I'm not a Biblical scholar. But something about this didn't fit with what I've spent a lifetime as a Christian learning. Which was this, from Leviticus: “When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God."
Leviticus had some other rules, too--a bunch of them. I've always liked most of them. But there in Chapter 1, talking about burnt offerings...I kind of skip over that, because it's not reasonable, because we've gotten past things like that (or should have), because when we are made (wonderfully, by the way--Psalms) we are given brains to learn with, minds to think with, strength to do good, hands to give generously from, and hearts to love one another. We have these powerful senses to see rightness (and its opposite) and beauty, to hear justice and mercy (and their opposites), to taste, to smell, to feel the things that build and add to the original wonderfully made.
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| Heather Lende |
I admit celebrating unlikenesses--like the differences between the Deuteronomy passage and the Leviticus one--can be hard. Even accepting them can be hard, but we are indeed too wonderfully made for it to have been done with cookie cutters. No, it's more like we were made from scoops of dough. We're not the same shape, the same color, some of us have more salt or chips or--heaven knows--more nuts. But we're all part of the whole. We all have flavor and the ability to give pleasure and sustenance.
Unless we choose to be otherwise. To do otherwise. To confine our emotions to a dictionary.
Have a good week. Be nice to somebody.
Interesting indeed and certainly food for thought. I think we were all foreigners at one point. Personally, I don't understand the fear of welcoming people into a land originally built by foreigners. But that's me.
ReplyDeleteMe, too. It seems to me we have no problem "welcoming" them to do the jobs we don't want to for less money than we would expect to do them. But, like you said, that's me. Thanks for coming by, Marcia.
DeleteOne of the most poignant ironies is how we've changed from a melting pot of people to a country that wants turn away immigrants. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI know. There is a lot of irony going around these days.
DeleteIt can be hard to live with our differences, but the letter to the Romans talks about how those differences are what unite us into an amazing community -- a "body." Thanks for reminding us to get past the fear and anger. Maybe we can try to focus on what makes those differences exciting.
ReplyDeleteI hope so, Roseann.
DeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts, Liz! I enjoyed reading your post. This goes beyond different nationalities. I was annoyed by someone last night who, I felt, was being too vain. I had to remind myself when we got home that she is a child of God just like me and therefore deserves my love, no matter what her behavior. I wish I could remember that more in the moment.
ReplyDeleteIt does go beyond nationalities--far beyond them. Personally, I think acceptance is easier than intolerance, and unfortunately--sigh--I'm intolerant enough to think it should be easier for everyone! Thanks, Mary.
DeleteA lot of the Old Testament drives me nuts, but I think of it as historical, not gospel. Not eating pork or shellfish made sense back then. Not so much now. It was common sense. But it's our roots and how we grew. Things pick up once we hit the New Testament.
ReplyDeleteI think we can find whatever we want to in the Bible, including plenty that will do harm to others. I just can't think those parts were Jesus's intentions.
DeleteI should have added "Judy Post." Can't make your site recognize me.
ReplyDeleteI know, Judy. Blogger's a pain.
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