Holy Week is a Challenge

James Carroll's column in today's Boston Globe captures the central theme of his well documented book, "Christ Actually", viz., the Gospel accounts of Jesus' crucifixion is a primary source of the history of anti-Semitism. While church goers this week will hear versions of the crucifixion that depict Jesus as hated by his fellow Jews who wanted him dead. They will hear that Jesus died so that sinners could be saved. And, as documented by Carroll and others, it is all wrong, wrong, wrong!

Jesus was killed, along with many, many others, because he was a rabble rouser. He was a committed Jew who found the rule of the Romans to be offensive and unjust. He was one of many who protested the civil order of the day. To protect that order, Roman authorities did not think twice about crucifying the protestors. Crucifixion was just a common way of killing trouble makers.

Jesus, as were his followers for the next 40 years, was an ardent Jew. His mission was to bring the mighty down and restore the rights of the poor. After the crucifixion,  Jesus' followers continued their lives as Jews. They were "Jesus Jews", people who attended the Temple and synagogues regularly, while meeting in houses to remember Jesus. They were convinced that, in time, all Jews would be Jesus Jews.

When the hopes of Jesus Jews were dashed with the major war with the Romans around 70 AD, the Jesus Jews had to rethink their identity. The destruction of the Temple was a profound disruption in their lives. It became clear that all the Jews were not going to identify with Jesus. To make sense of what happened, they reconstructed Jesus's history to fit the events of 70 AD. They now rewrote history. Rather than Jesus being killed because he was an instigator of social unrest, they attributed his death to the Jews who became the "unbelievers". The events of history were now distorted to make sense of their horrendous suffering at the hands of the Romans.

Jesus, as now documented by so many, did suffer for his actions and validated the universal experience of suffering. Suffering was dignified and became a servant of a higher power of love. We could see in Jesus that suffering and death can be incorporated into life. We are part of a beautiful universe where "bad things happen" but then, the  bad things are ultimately coalesced into the larger power of love that is God.

While I do not claim to "know" or "understand" God, I share the convictions of others that all of us, regardless of religion, race, or behavior, are loved by God. All of creation is so loved also. Jesus did not have to suffer and die so that we could be loved by God. Jesus suffered and died and, as such, dignified the inevitable aspect of life itself. God loves because that is God. We are all united in this love and we will eternally remain as such. How all that happens is beyond me, but I am at peace knowing that I have been given a gift of life in a world that continues to expand in complexity and beauty, and I will remain in some form or other forever in the world of God.

Joan, My Gift!

Over our nearly 46 years of marriage, I have often expressed my gratitude for Joan’s loving me. (http://edwardjoseph.blogspot.com/2014/07/45th-wedding-anniversary.html,http://edwardjoseph.blogspot.com/2012/11/reflecting-on-our-mortality.html, http://edwardjoseph.blogspot.com/2014/05/mothers-day-2014.html) She has given me the ready presence of a friend with whom I can discuss anything. To have a companion that is able to deal with the various ideas bubbling in my head is a special treat.

Watching her interact with our children during their younger years is rewarded now by observing her with grandchildren. While it is hard not to love children, I realize that her gifts clearly overwhelm me. I am happy to be present and experience these moments.

When reading, I find at times a section that I want to share with Joan. This week was a portion of From Teilhard to Omega. Teilhard that captured his close relationship with a cousin (Marguerite Teilhard Chambon) while he was a student in Paris during his formative years as a Jesuit. The author of the essay, Kathleen Duffy, expressed his relationship as follows:

After not having seen each other since they were children, Teilhard and his cousin Marguerite Teilhard Chambon met and, finding that they had similar interests, immediately fell in love. From that moment, they developed a deep and lasting friendship and continued throughout their lives to relate to each other what was deepest in their souls. Teilhard confided in her; in particular, he shared with her his early mystical insights. She, on the other hand, knew his mind and provided him with the support and understanding that he needed. Yet, at the time, Teilhard, a priest and in his thirtieth year of age, was surprised by the strength of the passion aroused in him by the light shining in Marguerite’s face. In fact, he was profoundly affected by the experience. His love for Marguerite drew him out of himself, sensitized him, and stimulated his capacity for deeper and more intimate relationships.

After reading this section to Joan, I said that this matches perfectly my experience of her. As referenced in many blogs, the last thing that I expected when I was ordained was the series of experiences as a priest that radicalized me more and more to the point that I could not survive as a priest. Thinking of transitioning to an ordinary existence without any of props associated with the clergy was awesome, on one hand, but became quite ordinary since Joan was willing to walk with me.

We went to graduate school in Berkeley, CA and, later, to the University of Louisville. I had little money. Joan’s work as a pediatric nurse made do, even when it became part-time with two little children. Some how or other, I studied and worked (after the first two years), and there was still time to enjoy California. The fact that I did transition from a rather distorted environment to what is generally considered ordinary was due to Joan. She somehow made the experience seem great. And, in fact, it was.

She always provided an ear to listen to the various ideas I had. She listened and responded, as she felt compelled. Even though this type of interaction has gone on for these many years, she does not get tired of it. We seem to grow as we experience each other with our children and grandchildren. Through her, I have experienced life as normal, an accomplishment given my history.

I never have taken Joan for granted. I am constantly aware that she has been the greatest gift I could even have been given. I know that I am totally in debt to her. Whatever I have accomplished as a parent, I owe to her. Without her, I cannot imagine my life.