Friday, March 14, 2008

The Way of the Towel

Lately, I have been thinking - and preaching - about our way of living in the world. As we have seen in the book, Heroic Leadership, the Jesuits refer to it as nuestro modo de proceder- our way of proceeding, or going about life. I would like to say, our "way of being in the world."

What I am seeing with fresh eyes is that our "way" is defined by the cross and by the towel. I believe the monastics often referred to it as the "cruciform" life - one modeled after the cross. In John 13 it reminds us that Jesus had all power and knew his place as God and so he took off is outer garment, wrapped a tow around his waist and washed the disciples feet. Jesus said that in humbling himself and washing the disciples feet, he had given them an example and they should do as he had done. In Philippians 2, Paul tells us to have the same mind as Christ, who did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself and became a servant.

I am certain that we must hold the resurrection and the cross together in tension but it also seems that we are drawn to model our way of being in the world in two opposite directions - either based on the resurrection or the cross. Those modeling life after the resurrection tend to focus on victory, prosperity, conquering, Kingship, winning, while those modeling life after the cross focus on humility, service, sacrifice, and suffering with others.

Since I know they both matter - cross and resurrection, I would say at the moment that in our thinking one tends to beget the other. If our way of being in the world is modeled after the cross, we see the resurrection bringing us life, freedom and power to fully enter the world as servants and to enter the fray of human suffering in order to humble ourselves that we might lift others. If our way of being in the world is modeled on the resurrection, we tend to see the cross as liberating us from weakness, suffering and the world so that we can enjoy living the victorious, prospering life that is ours in Christ and we call others to enjoy it with us. I am inclined to think that the way of the cross is other centered and the way of the resurrection tends to be ultimately self-centered. Kind of like either Christ gave me power that I might serve or Christ served that I might have power. The difference may sound slight but I believe in the long run it is huge.

The fundamental question is, "Which does the New Testament offer as the model of our "way of being in this world?"

4 comments:

Nathan Will said...

I think you've hit on something here. It sheds light on the weaknesses or logical falacies of Dominion theology, which, in a way, puts the cart before the horse to try to live in the ressurection without first taking up the cross. Or at least presumes that we follow Christ only in his victory and not in his suffering.

How silly, given the example of the earliest Christians, that we should think we get to stand on the shoulders of our spiritual forefathers and enjoy the view, rather than participate in the same spiritual journey. They immediately followed Christ and still felt that they needed to take up the cross in their own lives.

But for some reason, removed only in time, we act and think as though we've evolved spiritually, and expect to reap our rewards now, rather than having our hope in Christ's second coming.

I really think you have shed some light here...

Beth said...

I cannot read much of the New Testament without slamming hard into the idea that death is a primary metaphor for our way of being. “Laying down our lives”, “always being given over to death”, “ death is at work in us”, “the greatest will be the servant”, “take up your cross”, “whoever will lose his life will find it”, are just a few of the phrases we are all familiar with and which should lay at the heart of our way of being.

But, make no mistake…life is promised. It just comes after death. The fabulous thing is that this is not a dreadful, fearsome death, or a burdensome life of drudgery we are called to. Jesus’ model of humility, gentleness, hiddenness, weakness, service, etc. is life-giving.

Paul also offers another example of this way of being. While writing about victory, position, and inheritance, Paul’s daily like was characterized by simple service, doing whatever was necessary to expand God’s Kingdom. He suffered all manner of hardship and sacrifice and encouraged us to follow his example. Paul was just another guy filled with the Holy Spirit – just like us

Nuestro modo de proceder? “Freely we have received, freely give”.

Unknown said...

Today I taught the Sermon on the Mount in World Literature. Always a tricky lecture. I told them, stay in the text. Listen to what he says and who he says it to, and then compare it to what we've been reading---the Iliad, the Odyssey, the Agamemnon, all of which glorify and celebrate violence, war, aggression. Women were property. And this guy gets up there and says, "Love your enemies" and "Bless those that curse you." Even if that was ALL he said it still goes against every value reflected in classical literature and, indeed, in the ancient world. Furthermore, Jesus didn't say, "These are just suggestions" or "In a perfect world I suggest that you..." He used the imperative voice. He even addressed part of OT law---no longer is it an eye for an eye and a tooth for tooth. Now it's about forgiveness and love.
These were, and still are, revolutionary ideas. It's so hard to live those principles; my impulse is not to turn the other cheek or bless someone who cusses me out...the wonderful thing is that when we pray for these abilities, God helps us. It is possible to love your enemies and bless those who curse you. But only through the One who lives within us. It's the major challenge of my Christian walk--to be kind to someone when that someone isn't being kind to me and to love people who aren't being loveable!

Rachelle Sheely said...

I've thought about this sermon off and on several times since I first heard it. It seems easy, even compelling, to respond to a need during the first flurry of intense urgency that accompanies it. But the focus seems to dissipate, or at least waiver, as time goes on and other things grab for my attention.

Following Sunday's sermon, I was conscious of trying to be responsive to what was in front of me. Stopping off at Randalls, a customer came toward me and gave me a cart he'd noticed in the parking lot "I'm a basket on the arm man myself" he said and walked inside. I took the cart and wondered how many of these small things he did every day that went unnoticed. Clearly, if i'd not been walking toward the door, he would have returned the cart somebody else left in the parking lot--no one the wiser.

I left challenged to be aware and respond to the many opportunities that present themselves throughout the day. I left with another challenge though, one that seems more difficult--the challenge to stay focused on taking advantage of what I can do, on-going and throughout the day, until it becomes second nature