Archive for the ‘Social Justice’ Tag
Above: Icon of the Ministry of the Apostles
Image in the Public Domain
The Divine Mandate for Social Justice
MAY 7, 2023
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Acts 17:1-15
Psalm 33:1-11 (LBW) or Psalm 146 (LW)
1 Peter 2:4-10
John 14:1-12
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O God, form the minds of your faithful people into a single will.
Make us love what you command and desire what you promise,
that, amid, all the changes of this world,
our hearts may be fixed where true joy is found;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 22
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O God, you make the minds of your faithful to be of one will;
therefore grant to your people that they may love what you command
and desire what you promise,
that among the manifold changes of this age our hearts
may ever be fixed where true joys are to be found;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 53
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…the people who have been turning the whole world upside down have come here now….
–Acts 17:6b, The Revised New Jerusalem Bible (2019)
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One need not be evil to favor maintaining the status quo, even when it is exploitative and for overturning. Good, morally defensible change can cause disorientation and discomfort, even among conventionally pious people. The terms “revolutionary,” “liberal,” “conservative,” and “reactionary” are inherently relative to the center, the definition of which varies according to time and place. These four labels are, in the abstract, morally neutral. In circumstances, however, they are not. Being conservative, for example, may be right or wrong, depending on what one hopes to conserve. And, if one is not a revolutionary in certain circumstances, one is morally defective.
The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., called for a
moral revolution of values
on April 4, 1967, when he finally unambiguously and unapologetically opposed the Vietnam War. That address, which he delivered at the Riverside Church, Manhattan, proved to be extremely controversial, mainly because of King’s position on the Vietnam War. That controversy obscured much of the rest of the contents of the speech. (King was correct to oppose the Vietnam War, by the way.) The other content of that speech remains prophetic and germane. The call for a society that values people more than property, for example, has not come to fruition, sadly.
Sometimes “turning the world upside down” is really turning it right side up, as in Psalm 146 and the Beatitudes. Giving justice to the oppressed, feeding the hungry, caring for the strangers, sustaining the orphan and the widow, and frustrating the way of the wicked are examples of turning the world right side up, not upside down. You, O reader, and I live in an upside-down world.
This is theologically orthodox. False theological orthodoxy mistakes social justice for heresy and bolsters social injustice. However, the Law of Moses, the Hebrew prophets, and the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth are consistent in holding that social injustice is a divine mandate.
So be it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 21, 2022 COMMON ERA
THURSDAY IN EASTER WEEK
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROMAN ADAME ROSALES, MEXICAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1927
THE FEAST OF SAINT CONRAD OF PARZHAM, CAPUCHIN FRIAR
THE FEAST OF DAVID BRAINERD, AMERICAN CONGREGATIONALIST THEN PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONARY AND MINISTER
THE FEAST OF GEORGE B. CAIRD, ENGLISH CONGREGATIONALIST THEN UNITED REFORMED MINISTER, BIBLICAL SCHOLAR, AND HYMN WRITER AND TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF GEORGIA HARKNESS, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER, THEOLOGIAN, ETHICIST, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIMON BARSABAE, BISHOP; AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS, 341
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Good Shepherd
Image in the Public Domain
Hesed
APRIL 30, 2023
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Acts 6:1-9; 7:2a, 51-60
Psalm 23
1 Peter 2:19-25
John 10:1-10
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God of all power,
you called from death our Lord Jesus Christ,
the great shepherd of the sheep.
Send us as shepherds to rescue the lost,
to heal the injured,
and to feed one another with knowledge and understanding;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
OR
Almighty God,
you show the light of your truth to those in darkness,
to lead them into the way of righteousness.
Give strength to all who are joined in the family of the Church,
so that they will resolutely reject what erodes their faith
and firmly follow what faith requires;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 22
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Almighty God, merciful Father,
since you have wakened from death the Shepherd of your sheep,
grant us your Holy Spirit that we may know the voice of our Shepherd
and follow him that sin and death may never pluck us out of your hand;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 52
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The lectionary wisely omits 1 Peter 2:18:
Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh.
—The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
I realize that the First Epistle of Peter dates to a time and comes from a cultural setting in which the Church was young, small, and not influential. Nevertheless, I reject any defense that these circumstances excused not denouncing the indefensible.
This is Good Shepherd Sunday. “Good Shepherd” is a metaphor originally applied to YHWH (Psalm 23; Ezekiel 34) then to Jesus. Instead of going over shepherds again, I choose to focus on competing translations of one line in Psalm 23. Divine goodness and mercy may either pursue or attend/accompany one. Enemies cannot catch up. After leading many lectionary discussions and comparing translations of Psalms, I have become accustomed to competing, feasible translations of text and lines. I do not know if I should prefer divine goodness and mercy pursuing me or walking beside me. Perhaps that does not matter. Either way, the metaphor provides comfort.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 20, 2022 COMMON ERA
WEDNESDAY IN EASTER WEEK
THE FEAST OF JOHANNES BUGENHAGEN, GERMAN LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN, MINISTER, MINISTER, LITURGIST, AND “PASTOR OF THE REFORMATION”
THE FEAST OF SAINTS AMATOR OF AUXERRE AND GERMANUS OF AUXERRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS; SAINT MAMERTINUS OF AUXERRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT; AND SAINT MARCIAN OF AUXERRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
THE FEAST OF CHRISTIAN X, KING OF DENMARK AND ICELAND; AND HAAKON VII, KING OF NORWAY
THE FEAST OF MARION MACDONALD KELLERAN, EPISCOPAL SEMINARY PROFESSOR AND LAY LEADER
THE FEAST OF ROBERT SEYMOUR BRIDGES, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Jesus Before Pilate, First Interview, by James Tissot
Image in the Public Domain
Human Agents of God
APRIL 3, 2022
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Hosea 14:1-9 (Protestant and Anglican)/Hosea 14:2-10 (Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox)
Psalm 34
Colossians 3:12-4:6
John 18:28-40
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He who is wise will consider these words,
He who is prudent will take note of them.
For the paths of the LORD are smooth;
The righteous can walk on them,
while sinners stumble on them.
–Hosea 14:10, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
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I would feel better about Colossians 3:12-4:6 if it did not accept slavery.
Repent and return to God, Hosea 14, urges. Accept divine forgiveness and act accordingly. Forgive each other. After all, everybody needs forgiveness. And, although grace is free, it is not cheap. Become a vehicle of grace. Remain a vehicle of grace. And do not be an in instrument of injustice, as Pontius Pilate was. That is my composite summary of the four readings.
And, of course, never accept cultural practices that run afoul of the Golden Rule.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 8, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT THORFINN OF HAMAR, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF A. J. MUSTE, DUTCH-AMERICAN MINISTER, LABOR ACTIVIST, AND PACIFIST
THE FEAST OF ARCHANGELO CORELLI, ROMAN CATHOLIC MUSICIAN AND COMPOSER
THE FEAST OF NICOLAUS COPERNICUS AND GALILEO GALILEI, SCIENTISTS
THE FEAST OF HARRIET BEDELL, EPISCOPAL DEACONESS AND MISSIONARY
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2021/01/08/human-agents-of-god-part-ii/
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Above: Clarke County Jail, Athens, Georgia
Image Source = Google Earth
God is Watching Us
MARCH 27, 2022
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Hosea 11:1-11
Psalm 105
Colossians 3:1-11
John 18:15-27
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God is a like a loving father in Hosea 11:1-11. The people of Israel and Judah are like a perpetually rebellious son in that passage. Not only does God call for the people (plural) to repent in Hosea 1:1-11, but God also repents of destructive plans. Mercy follows judgment.
In context, those collective, persistent sins involved committing idolatry and treating human beings badly. Authors in both the Old and New Testaments banged the drum of the message that God cares deeply about the treatment of human beings, especially vulnerable ones, by individuals, communities, systems, institutions, and governments.
Recently, in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, where I live, I read about a local miscarriage of justice. Without ever receiving either proper mental health care or a trial, an elderly, mentally ill woman spent nearly a year in the Clarke County jail. The District Attorney’s Office had refused to drop the charges at the time the article went to print. There should never have been any legal charges, just proper mental health care.
When governments act unjustifiably, they do so in the name of the people. I say,
Don’t you dare do that in my name!
I say,
Repent of injustice.
I say,
God is watching us.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JANUARY 7, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF FRANÇOIS FÉNELON, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF CAMBRAI
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALDRIC OF LE MANS, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANGELA OF FOLIGNO, PENITENT AND HUMANITARIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT GASPAR DEL BUFALO, FOUNDER OF THE MISSIONARIES OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD
THE FEAST OF SAINT LUCIAN OF ANTIOCH, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR, 312
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2021/01/07/god-is-watching-us/
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Above: Icon of Micah
Image in the Public Domain
Opposing Corruption
MARCH 7, 2021
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Micah 3:5-12
Psalm 63:1-8
Titus 3:1-15
Luke 22:1-6, 39-53
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Psalm 63 is a royal text. Titus 3:1 instructs Christians to obey civil authorities. Yet in Luke 22 and Micah 3, the authorities (civil and religious) are corrupt. The stance of faith is to confront corruption, not to support it or accept its bribes.
In full disclosure, the founders of my country rebelled against the British Empire. I think of a line from Man of the Year (2006):
If dissent were unpatriotic, we would still be British.
Furthermore, nuances regarding obedience to the civil magistrate exist in Christian theology. For obvious reasons, when to resist and when to obey civil authority has been a question in segments of German theology since 1933. One may think, for example, of the great Karl Barth (1886-1968) and the Theological Declaration of Barmen (1934), anti-Nazi. Nevertheless, extreme law-and-order-affirming Christian theology exists. One historical prime example of this attitude I found during research into conservative Presbyterianism (the Presbyterian Church in America, or PCA, to be precise) comes from The Presbyterian Journal, the magazine that midwifed the birth of the PCA in 1973. In the October 30, 1974, issue, the editor agreed with a letter-writer, one Joan B. Finneran, “an elect lady of Simpsonville, Maryland.” Finneran wrote that God establishes governments and commands people to obey earthly authority, therefore
When a Herod or a Hitler comes into power, we must thereby assume this is the LORD’s plan; He will use even such as these to put His total plan into effect for the good of His people here on earth.
Finneran needed to read the Theological Declaration of Barmen.
What should we do in good conscience when systems are corrupt and inhumane? Corruption leads to collective ruin, after all. Timeless principles are useful, but they are also vague. Proper applications of them varies according to circumstances. If I say,
Oppose corruption and work against the exploitation of the poor and the powerless,
I sound like the Law of Moses, various Hebrew prophets, and Jesus. I also provide no guidance about how best to follow that counsel. Proper application of timeless principles depends upon circumstances–who, when, and where one is.
That guidance must come from the Holy Spirit.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 25, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
THE FEAST OF SAINT DISMAS, PENITENT BANDIT
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/03/25/opposing-corruption/
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Above: Icon of Habakkuk
Image in the Public Domain
Maintaining Faith During Difficult Times
FEBRUARY 28, 2021
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Habakkuk 3:1-19
Psalm 27
Titus 2:1-15
Luke 19:45-20:8
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For the record, I drafted this post in longhand on December 22, 2019, before Coronavirus/COVID-19 spread across the planet. Certain statements are always true, but especially cogent at particular times.
The Letter to Titus is a mixed bag. On one hand, it insults all inhabitants of Crete (1:13) and does not oppose slavery (2:9-10). I cringe when I read those verses. On the other hand, the epistle offers sound advice about how to live: live in such a matter that opponents and enemies will put themselves to shame when making negative statements “about us.”
There is never a shortage of people willing to lie and distort, to cherry-pick and to blow out of proportion, to repeat unsubstantiated rumors, or to start them, thereby shaming themselves. assuming that they have the capacity to feel shame. They do, however, show their bad character while attacking those of good character. These people of bad character are the ones whose skulls cracks open, as in Habakkuk 3:13. (Who says the Book of Habakkuk uses no violent imagery?)
In the meantime, the righteous remain vulnerable to the dastardly, the unjust, and the wicked. Wait for God, Psalm 27 tells us. In the midst of rampant injustice, do we share the attitude of Habakkuk?
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
Exult in the God who delivers me.
The Lord GOD is my strength:
He makes my feet like the deer’s
and lets me stride upon the heights.
–Habakkuk 3:18-19, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
This can be a difficult attitude to maintain. It is faith.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 24, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT OSCAR ROMERO, ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF SAN SALVADOR; AND THE MARTYRS OF EL SALVADOR, 1980-1992
THE FEAST OF SAINT DIDACUS JOSEPH OF CADIZ, CAPUCHIN FRIAR
THE FEAST OF PAUL COUTURIER, APOSTLE OF CHRISTIAN UNITY
THE FEAST OF THOMAS ATTWOOD, “FATHER OF MODERN CHRISTIAN MUSIC”
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM LEDDRA, BRITISH QUAKER MARTYR IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY, 1661
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/03/24/maintaining-faith-during-difficult-times/
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Above: Icon of Habakkuk
Image in the Public Domain
Private and Public Morality
FEBRUARY 21, 2021
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:2-14
Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
Titus 1:1-16
Luke 18:31-43
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Three ideas intertwine to the point of becoming inseparable in these assigned readings: trusting God, having good public morality, and having good private morality. Responsibility is both individual and collective. Leaders receive particular attention in the readings from Habakkuk and Titus. Injustice–social, economic injustice, to be precise–is rife while corrupt rulers pile up what is not properly theirs. Furthermore, for a bishop (in the case of the reading from Titus) to teach properly, the home life cannot contradict spoken orthodoxy.
The Law of Moses forbids exploitation. This teaching informs Judeo-Christian orthodox morality all the way from both Testaments to current times. Yet many professing, conventionally devout Jews and Christians somehow justify exploitation. Fortunately, many other Jews and Christians condemn exploitation in words and deeds. Their witness is consistent with the Law, the prophets, and Jesus.
Jesus died at the hands of an unjust system of a violent empire. It dominated with fear and intimidation. Jesus, however, exposed that empire for what it was by being better than it was.
Can we see that? Can we also see the link between public and private morality, as well as the connection between them and trusting in God?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 23, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR AND ISAAC THE GREAT, PATRIARCHS OF ARMENIA
THE FEAST OF MEISTER ECKHART, ROMAN CATHOLIC THEOLOGIAN AND MYSTIC
THE FEAST OF SAINT METODEJ DOMINICK TRCKA, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1959
THE FEAST OF SAINT VICTORIAN OF HADRUMETUM, MARTYR AT CARTHAGE, 484
THE FEAST OF SAINT WALTER OF PONTOISE, FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND ECCLESIASTICAL REFORMER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/03/23/private-and-public-morality/
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Above: St. Stephen, by Luis de Morales
Image in the Public Domain
Imaginary Righteousness
APRIL 14, 2024
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Acts 7:48-60
Psalm 4
2 Peter 1:13-21
Mark 12:1-12
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Many of those who persecuted St. Paul the Apostle and who were complicit in the executions of Jesus and St. Stephen imagined themselves to be acting out of righteousness. St. Paul, as Saul of Tarsus, had zealously martyred Christians and been present for the stoning of St. Stephen.
To read the assigned lessons and imagine that they have nothing to do with us, who have not martyred or persecuted anyone, would be convenient, would it not? Yet we are guilty of, at a minimum, of consenting to the inhumane treatment of others–perhaps prisoners, immigrants, employees in deathtrap factories, et cetera. We think we own the planet, but we are merely tenants. Many of those who peacefully oppose injustice risk martyrdom or incarceration.
The minimal extent to which we are complicit is the degree to which we are invested in socio-economic-political structures that rely on and perpetuate violence and exploitation. Yet we imagine ourselves to be righteous.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 27, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF CORNELIUS HILL, ONEIDA CHIEF AND EPISCOPAL PRIEST
THE FEAST OF HUGH THOMSON KERR, SR., U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND LITURGIST; AND HIS SON, HUGH THOMSON KERR, JR., U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, SCHOLAR, AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF JAMES MOFFATT, SCOTTISH PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, SCHOLAR, AND BIBLE TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN THE GEORGIAN, ABBOT; AND SAINTS EUTHYMIUS OF ATHOS AND GEORGE OF THE BLACK MOUNTAIN, ABBOTS AND TRANSLATORS
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/06/27/imaginary-righteousness/
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Above: Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, by Rembrandt van Rijn
Image in the Public Domain
A Faithful Response, Part VIII
MAY 7, 2023
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Acts 4:23-37
Psalm 31:1-9, 15-16
1 Peter 3:8-22
Matthew 20:1-16
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The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) tells of the generosity of God. The social setting is poverty created by rampant economic exploitation–in this case, depriving people of land, therefore depriving them of economic security. The economics of the Kingdom of God/Heaven–in tension with human systems–the Roman Empire, in particular–are morally superior.
Trusting in God can be difficult during the best of times, given human sins and frailties. Therefore trusting in God in precarious circumstances–such as persecution and/or systematic economic exploitation–can certainly prove to be challenging. Yet, when faith communities do so and, acting on trust in God, take care of their members’ needs, grace is tangibly present.
Dare we have much trust in God?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 31, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE VISITATION OF MARY TO ELIZABETH
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/05/31/a-faithful-response-part-ix/
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Above: Mephibosheth Before David
Image in the Public Domain
Hesed
APRIL 28, 2024
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
2 Samuel 9:1-13a
Psalm 68:17-20
Revelation 19:1-10
Mark 8:1-10
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The reading from 2 Samuel 9 contains a wonderful Hebrew word, hesed, which can mean “faith” or “kindness.” For example, in 9:1 we read,
David inquired, “Is there anyone still left in the House of Saul with whom I can keep faith for the sake of Jonathan?”
—TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
The New Revised Standard Version (1989) uses the other translation:
David asked, “Is there anyone left of the House of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
Kindness is not always a simple matter. Treating Mephibosheth, the self-described “dead dog” and crippled son of Jonathan with mercy and prestige is easy enough. Furthermore, the miracle (the Feeding of the 4000) in Mark 8 is an example of extravagant and unambiguous kindness. But what about the contents of the other readings?
Babylon (the Roman Empire) has fallen in Revelation 18. The regime based on violence, oppression, and economic exploitation is no more. Those who benefited from relationships to the empire mourn its passing. We read of rejoicing in Heaven in Revelation 19. But what about the innocent victims of the fall of the empire? Might they also mourn the passing of the empire?
In Psalm 68 (a liturgy for a festival celebration in the Temple), taken in full, we read of God’s judgment and mercy. Yes, divine hesed is present, but so is God crushing the heads of his enemies (verse 21). As I have written repeatedly, good news for the oppressed is frequently catastrophic news for the unrepentant oppressors. Perhaps the enemies whose heads God crushes were harming the widows and orphans mentioned in verse 5.
There is more than enough divine hesed to go around, but each of us has the individual responsibility to practice hesed toward each other also. Furthermore, we have the collective responsibility to practice hesed institutionally, including as nation-states.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 14, 2017 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT METHODIUS I OF CONSTANTINOPLE, PATRIARCH
THE FEAST OF DOROTHY FRANCES BLOMFIELD GURNEY, ENGLISH POET AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF HANS ADOLF BRORSON, DANISH LUTHERAN BISHOP, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2017/06/14/hesed/
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LENTEN AND EASTER DEVOTIONS 
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