As we continue exploring what it means to be the Family of God and to join the work of reconciliation, this week we will explore Ephesians 5:22-33. I know that this passage can be triggering for some and has unfortunately been used in ways to oppress people but it is not what Paul intended for this letter. So if it is not about some are under others, what is it about? Come and explore it with us on Sunday.
I have just one other thought for you this week as I have been going down the rabbit hole this week that is theology mixed with American politics. I think this applies to how we do our theology and address violence in our world. I was reading an article about how some are reading the assassination attempt with a theology that God saved Trump. After addressing this in his article in The Christian Century, Did God intervene to save Trump’s life?, Brandon Ambrosino starts looking at what he call’s “underground theological line of inquiry.” By this he means, “I’m using the metaphor of a basement to call attention to something that every theology teacher knows well: underneath the theological questions that we don’t know how to answer are other theological questions that we don’t even know how to ask.”
One of his line he explore, I thought was worth sharing:
Most of us, too, are lucky enough to have the opportunity to work within the confines of our (un)lucky circumstances in the hopes of achieving specific outcomes. Luckily, luck isn’t the only force shaping our world. We shape it, too. We work within the constraints of randomness and luck to create the world that we want.
I suppose this leads to another underground theological line of inquiry about the assassination attempt: What sort of world have we been forming where something like this is even possible? Where a 20-year-old with an assault rifle tries to murder a politician that half of the country hates? Where people express disappointment that the bullet didn’t “do the trick”? Where we all wonder if we’ll be as lucky as Trump the next time a bullet flies by our head?
We often ask why God has let something happen. Maybe we should ask, was it God that let it happen or was it us? We have the power to shape our world to be a more peaceful place or we can go along with the cultural flow and the world continues on its merry violent way.
How is Jesus inviting you today to join him in working toward a world that is less violent? How can we as a church join Jesus as Jesus works in Ashfield and wider Sydney to bring healing from trauma, reconcile conflict, and work towards peace?
Let’s continue to explore what it means to be God’s family and to join Jesus in the work of reconciliation for I believe God has given us the power to shape our world.