Joshua 3:7-17

Proper 26 (31) - Year A

 

    

Let’s see, YHWH says, “You are still on a journey of freedom. Instead of raising your staff like Moses, send the Ark ahead into the water and the barrier will become dry land.”


Then, as in the Garden a long time ago, come additional interpretive words, “The sign that G*D is with us is not a repeat of nature miracles, but acts of genocide.”

Ouch. Like conversations in the Garden, Joshua says more than he heard. How often do we say more than we have heard (making it up as we go along)?

True enough, back in Chapter 1, YHWH speaks of possessing or inheriting the land. All manner of justifications have been used for a “holy curse” or “holy war” that Joshua uses. My own favorite excuse is that they couldn’t help using this technique because it was a matter of survival—the end justified the means. For those of us who follow the story of Jesus (Joshua II) the issue is not survival, but faithfulness unto resurrection. Put the ark of your body into the fear and trust it.

My own sense is that those who use a “holy curse” will die or be exiled by the same. This perspective seems never to be seen by those who use this technique (whether on the right or the left). It is very effective in the short-run and so devastating to everyone in the long-run.

We still live in a time of “holy curse” within United Methodism. If you have a question about this, look at the attempts of the religious right to conquer the traditional Methodist wedding of personal piety with social mercy by causing a divorce between them and giving all the proceeds to the personal. In this scenario General Conference is the promised land and majority rules is the ark. Leaders past and present of The Institute on Religion and Democracy, Good News, Confessing Movement, etc., rejoice in playing a current role of Joshua with their additional interpretive and justifying words.

I suppose that just saying this much puts me in the same camp where a first and last response is, “Off with their head.” I pray for better from me and you and others.

 

As found in Wrestling Year A: Connecting Sunday Readings with Lived Experience

 

 

These anticipatory genocide passages are impossible to adequately address.

It is similar to the General Conference battles using votes and carefully crafted majorities to dispossess an internal enemy.

This comment focuses on the Ark/Chest of the Covenant. All the eggs are put in one basket. Winners certainly like the idea of "one." One way to do things, one victor, one holy spot.

When we look back on it we find that this attempt at having all answers to all questions rounded up and branded and stored in one location - fails. Eventually the Ark is lost track of. Trying to hold change at bay is a losing proposition.

So, rejoice if it appears we have found a way to win. We humans do that pretty well. What we don't do so well at is recognizing the seeds of losing that are already present in the win. Empires (including the current attempt at American Empire) all fall down and don't realize that the seeds of their defeat is in their own behavior toward their neighbors.

See how I have side-stepped an actual comment here. I have not addressed this passage, per se. I have stepped back to see that this passage can't be taken too seriously because of what comes later. Hopefully we can all take a moment to not take our current situation too seriously because of what can't help but follow. Grin at today's set-up for wars. Even G*D-directed genocide is not completely successful. It brings pain and death to many, but never is an adequate answer to conflict. It simply sets up Exile and pain and death for one's own future. Let's put this moment of entrance in perspective and have a moment of silence for misthinking that we can measure the presence of G*D by how close to genocide we can come.

http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2002/november2002.html

 

 

Let's see, YHWH says, "You are still on a journey of freedom. Instead of raising your staff like Moses, send the Ark ahead, into the water, and the barrier will become dry land."

Then, like in the Garden a long time ago, come additional interpretive words, "The sign that G*D is with us is not in the repeat of nature miracles but in acts of genocide."

Ouch. Joshua says more than he heard in this section. How often do we say more than we have heard (making it up as we go along)?

True enough, back in Chapter 1 YHWH speaks of possessing or inheriting the land. All manner of excuses have been given for the "holy curse" (as Peterson translates "holy war") that Joshua uses. My own favorite excuse is that they couldn't help using this technique because it was a matter of survival - the end justified the means. For those of us who follow the story of Jesus (Joshua II) the issue is not survival, but faithfulness unto resurrection.

My own sense is that those who use a "holy curse" will die or be exiled by the same. This perspective seems never to be seen by those who use this technique (including progressives). It is very effective in the short-run and so devastating to everyone in the long-run.

We are still living in a time of holy curse within United Methodism. If you have a question about this, look at the attempts of the religious right to conquer the traditional Methodist wedding of personal piety with social mercy by causing a divorce between them and giving all the proceeds to the personal. In this scenario General Conference is the promised land and majority rules is the ark. Mark Tooley of The Institute on Religion and Democracy and James V. Heidinger II of Good News rejoice in playing the role of Joshua I with their additional interpretive words.

I suppose that just saying this much puts me in the same camp where the first and last response is, "Off with their head." I pray for better from me and you and others.

http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2002/november2002.html

 

 

We step out into the wild waters and they cease. We proceed and wipe out others.

We retreat into the settled order and it seems to go on forever. We settle and are wiped out.

We call out Uncertainty and Fear and get the word Go Ahead and Step On It. We call out Satisfied and Peace and get the word Stop It and Get Real.

Prophets, like progressives, come in a variety of styles. Some have quick answers that let us get away with claiming this is as good as it gets so get behind the program of our leaders. Some have complex responses that keep pushing us to better living than we have so far seen.

http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/october2005.html

 

 

A place of honor requires stepping into a flood rush and standing still while the waters rush by, not yet calmed upstream. To bear the holy is both honorable and dangerous. When we try to disentangle these two to provide executive privilege, or any other kind of privilege, we have failed in our leadership.

To bear holiness, in ourselves and not just on our shoulders, requires entering all manner of metaphoric flood waters. We will stand in a flood that rejuvenates the land, building a part of a new delta with the few molecules of flesh and bone we have at our disposal. We will stand in a flood of prejudice, uncertainty, and fear that has rushed on for a longest time as a sign and witness it shall not always be so – though not yet seen, a cessation is on its way [and again a "nothing" has become a "something" :) ].

Still, it is time to stop by woods or flood and choose a path less traveled. It will make all the difference.

- - - - - - -

some prophets cry peace
to a raging river
a rising tide
as though desire
for continued comfort
were sufficient

being thus out of tune
with what is coming
for fear of losing
what little purchase
we have on the bronco back
of a living G*D

our cry of peace
echoes hollowly
within a hollow people
empty of hallowing
coming change
in present living

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html

 

 

Beware of being exulted, even when such purports to come from da Lord. You may be in line for upping the ante from killing the first-born (bad enough) to genocide (bad to some undefinable exponent).

There is an interesting picture here of priests standing where water once flowed (often termed living-water) and now drier than a bone. Given the number of folks to get across the Jordan it must have been backed up for some time. Given the relative narrowness of the rift valley, the extra must have seeped into dry, dry ground or established a new wetland or been like a dam-burst when finally the priests moved their dryness on.

This story is not meant to stand up to that kind of scrutiny. But as precursor to the official line of "my-god-is-so-much-bigger-than-your-god-that-you-are-now-nothing" approach to presidential campaigning or manifest destiny or pre-emptive doctrine or chosen people or . . . , this is not a healthy place from which to bring forth much in the way of heaven on earth.

Suffice it to say that Joshua's better angel might have responded to the "Master of the entire earth", "you go on ahead, this wilderness is a better place to be." But, then, once you have committed yourself and your house to serving, no questions asked, there may not be the same opportunity to bargain as a partner or remind the Master of the House (Les Misérables reference) to cool it.

Beware spectacle, even holy spectacle, especially holy spectacle.

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html

 

 

I am looking for an artist who can portray some sense of a G*D-presence around which is a prayer shawl fringed with such as Moses, Joshua, and You (yes, and me, too).

Unfortunately this prayer shawl finds itself in a strange world and prayer turns to preying upon strangers. We are all complicit in damming rivers for our own benefit and overrunning our neighbors property while calling it G*D’s will.

How important is it that we claim a right to protection from G*D without a concomitant sense of responsibility to nourish others?

Sometimes I want to jump out of G*D’s phylactery and fall away from privileged prayer’s fringe.

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2011/10/joshua-37-17.html

 

 

So Jesus says to a crowd and his disciples, “Be humble to be exalted.” The Lord says to Joshua, “I exalt you, so walk humbly into flowing rivers.”

As for me and my house, we are pleased that you are the ones walking into the river with only a promise. We’ve seen too many promises delayed and changed to be willing to act on one more.

It is surprising when we who are not exalted turn out to be exalted (make it to the other shore with a dry sandal).

Blessings on your exaltedness and your humility. They go hand-in-hand and hand-to-hand.

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2014/10/joshua-37-17.html