He was angry then
and refused to go in…
As
much as I have wanted to ignore Older Brother and somehow pretend that he
doesn’t exist, I am drawn to reflect on this sibling. It is much easier for me to identify myself
with Younger Brother than the other son, as I am more sympathetic toward one
who has some realization of his lostness and attempts to return home. Older Brother relies totally on himself, his
own personal sense of righteousness—self-righteousness, in fact—to demand his
standing. He has earned his place in the
family, in the community, and in the world, and this wastrel has squandered
what he was given. There is no sense of
thankfulness, no gratitude in his heart, no openness to anyone who is not equal
to him. As the writers of the Gospels
describe the Pharisees as they relate Jesus’ life, I see a reflection of Older
Brother, or maybe more precisely I see the Pharisees reflected in Older Brother
in the parable.
My
deep issue is that I do not want to see myself in any way as the first son of
the Father. He is compassion-less,
stern, rigid, and it seems, devoted to his father out of a sense of self-serving
or “I will do this because I can get something for myself.” His superiority over all the others in the
story drips with an iciness that is bone-chilling, from his servants, to his
brother, to his father. He has every
right to make demands because he has been faithful.
To
put a not-so-subtle point on it, I see myself being tempted to relate to those
who have left The Episcopal Church precisely as Older Brother relates to
Younger Brother’s return. We may be on
the verge of receiving a judicial decision in our favor regarding the property
that has been taken from us. With that
return, there is the likelihood of individuals who were less than kind to those
of us who remained a part of TEC being again a part of our communities. For well over 18 months, we as a diocese have
been talking and praying and planning for the future, using such terms as
reconciliation and reunion. And yet, in
my heart of hearts, do I really want to welcome with the kiss of peace those
who snubbed us—me? Or would I rather
stand outside with arms crossed in defiance and say, “All these years I have
slaved for you and never once disobeyed any orders of yours…” with the implication that I deserve to say who is welcome and who
is not? This will be especially poignant
for me personally should there be clergy who took their share of the inheritance
and left for a far country. Will we—will
I—be willing and able to receive them as brothers, or again will we rail
against them?
I again encourage you to re-read this parable, taking for yourself the position
of Older Brother, trying on this role as a cast member playing that part. Reflect on how you have received Younger
Brother in the past, and how the Holy Spirit is calling you to receive these
brothers and sisters in Christ who may have hurt you deeply. This is Gospel work that every one of us in
the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth must enter into now, before the day comes
when we cast ourselves as the one who refuses to welcome anyone. If you want more Gospel imperative, read
Matthew 25:31-46. Pray with me this
Advent to heal the divisions in our hearts that we might welcome the Christ in
absolutely everyone.
As soon as I started reading the Nouwen book , the analogy of those who have left for a "faraway land " popped into my mind , and I'm glad that it has come out in the open , especially as this split is so sad for the whole Body . What will those who left think...what will the clergy think ? From afar I can pray for healing...I am awestruck at how the ECUSA folks have taken the challenge , and seem to be eager to meet in strange places , welcome others they had not known... to spread the Gospel in many different ways
ReplyDeleteDallasLEMinister,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. I am glad you are participating in this discussion. Please sign your name on your comments. It's part of our effort to create a safe space for everyone to participate.
Katie Sherrod
I think, of course, the elder brother has the hardest lot of all.
ReplyDeleteSelf-righteousness is probably a great temptation for us in our current situation in the diocese, as well, and it is all the more insidious because we sincerely believe we are right.
The path we wlak is all the more difficult because Christ calls us to be big hearted, but we authentic generousity is not "on tap" whenever we want it. Rather, it is a quality of being that comes as we walk with Christ over a lifetime.
So what amd I trying to say? Only that our hearts are probably more like that of the elder son, and that pretending to be generous is not the same thing as being generous. We are called to act in a compassionate way, but it is also improtant to know ourselves, to be honest, as the elder son was honest, so that we, like him, can be confronted, corrected, invited, and healed.