Ever subversive of oppressive expectations, Jesus pragmatically prioritises rehabilitation over punishment (Luke 15.1-10).
Context
At the sharp end of a constitutional crisis in the UK, surrounding the insistence of a leader to pursue one course ‘do or die’, we are distracted from the far more deadly urgency of the call of God, through the prophetic voice of creation, for greater change of mind and life.
Reflection
Ten years ago, the ‘Minister for Justice’ pitched up in my city-centre church garden, with a posse of press. A professional politician, he spoke inspiringly ‘on behalf’ of the ‘law-abiding’ people that he presumed his hearers were, about getting tough on offenders. His tagline: ‘Punishment is primary!’ Identifying me in the crowd as a ‘man of the cloth’, he paused for a moment; suggested, ‘of course’ I would agree.
Of course, given our reading, it’s a scandal anyone would imagine that any follower of Christ would agree. But ‘you’ve made your bed, you lie in it’ is deeply-rooted folk wisdom, confusing likely outcome of stupidity with moral appropriateness; and worse, stigmatising intervention.
Does this mean our ongoing eradication of biodiversity, beauty, and life, should be met with stoical acquiescence?
The politician’s polarity of lost and unlost, when the flock as a whole has lost its way, serves no admirable purpose, nor the common good.
This Gospel reading chimes with the Exodus passage, in which God’s divinity is demonstrated in opening up the locked-down future of disaster. Changing God’s mind about ‘the disaster that he planned to bring on his people’.
The grim desperation of bizarre – and perhaps idolatrous – loyalty to trajectories dictated by previous decisions, is a merely human, not divine trait.
Jesus – without overtly denying the righteousness of the objectors – undermines their certainty that ‘sinners’ are best written off altogether. What is best written off – and more than offset by the bonus of joy – is the outlay of intervention. The cost of lighting and sweeping the house, the ache in the shoulders from the considerable weight of the sheep. (Is the sheep ‘carried’ because it is injured?).
No sane well-informed person can any longer deny the seriousness of climate crisis, nor the trajectory of social and environmental cataclysm, without abrupt change of direction, including of our perception of a righteous life.
The exercise of the addictive ‘right’ to fly, drive and add plastic to the planet, breaks no laws, and is part of our definition of a good life. ‘A man who, beyond the age of 26, finds himself travelling only by bus can count himself as a failure’ – runs the apocryphal Margaret Thatcher quote.
There remains the question of the ‘goodness’ of the shepherd. It’s a commonplace of interpreting the Christmas story that scribes and pharisees contemptuously look down on dirty-handed proclaimers of the angels’ message of ‘great joy’, and a woman housekeeper would not be much further up the ladder of respect. Does Jesus suggest that ‘sinners’ and those not shackled by the responsibility of their righteous status, have less to lose?
In controversy over transferring church investments from fossil fuels to investment in ‘sustainable’ industry, those arguing for the status quo, routinely point out that church members do indeed drive, fly, and all the rest of it, as if we could not ‘intervene’ without first ensuring our complete personal righteousness. We’d have a long wait.
God’s hope is in partnership with the power-less. And with those foolish enough not to write off what is lost. Their reward is good excuse for a party.
Come to think of it, why wait? The Climate Strike is on Saturday 20th, and Christian Aid and others are involved. Don’t be afraid to enjoy it, if you do.
If you can’t be part of it, or it’s ‘not your thing’, then at least bless this intervention, and pray for hearts and minds to change. Particularly our own.
Prayer/Meditation
For freedom from oppressive perfection.
Use as much or as little as works for you, in whatever setting.
God, making me and loving me,
how about...
you make me a shepherd?
(Good or bad, doesn’t matter.
As long as I know
that I won’t be myself
unless I’m prepared to set out
whatever the weather,
and without guarantees.)
And never mind who looks down their nose,
nods, winks, tuts,
or would ‘love to’ join in,
but is still too sensible.
Bless them!
We’ve got better games to play
than blame, blame, blame.
Christ! Let the only thing I write off
be the burden of perfection;
For you have no time for the perfect
But if, by grace,
I can make the angels happy:
tell them to get one in for me!
––
God, maybe I’m a sheep:
(neither good nor bad:
only lost or unlost;)
safe only with the flock
though where we’ve wandered
all together,
while it just didn’t occur to us...
Maybe only you can carry us back.
So, we trust in your broad shoulders!
––
Or perhaps I’m a coin.
Stuck down in the depths of the sofa
with the sharp springs, the fluff
chewing-gum...
and all the other stuff shoved
out of sight out of mind.
Discover me, as worth a party!
and let my value be recognised
without need for me to be utterly spent.
––
Save me fro
those forlorn temptations
in the guise of self-improvement
which mask my value.
And, God,
with each encouragement
– even with what we do find
when seeking something else:
– show us that our bed is not made
and not to give in to sleep;
– show us that we can change;
(addicted drivers can change,
frequent flyers can change,
pushers of plastic can change,
climate deniers can change,
apathetic and sensible people can change...)
Or make a start!
There’s going to be so much rejoicing in heaven!
Only say the word, and I shall be healed!
God, sustain our hope,
with the glory of small possibilities.
Hallelujah anyway!
Amen.
Questions
- Is it just a cop-out to see people or sheep as ‘lost or unlost’ rather than bad or good? How do you feel about the re-integration into your community of people with a troubled past? Be honest, and don’t judge the feelings of others.
- Think of the idea of ‘writing off’ a piece of property, or a person. The shepherd and the housekeeper expended time and energy to retrieve what was lost. But Jesus also reminded his listeners not to waste their time and resources unfruitfully: (‘pearls before swine’, Matthew 7.6). What most influences your decision to give up, or keep looking/waiting/trying?
- Given that the Gospels have been ‘edited’ by their first writers, intentionally bringing together the treasured memories of a community of Jesus’ life and work, how significant is the designation of the first target audience of these parables? Does every parable apply to everyone, more or less?
All-age activity
Whatever else you do: listen to young people, many of whom are better informed than adults on environmental matters, even if less informed on politics. The contribution of children, calling the adult world to account, has been moving and challenging this year, leading on from the ‘school-strikes’ led by Swedish schoolgirl Greta Thunberg.
Within the bounds of possibility, and having checked with the leader of worship, consider, perhaps, some sort of ‘Sunday-school strike’: what real steps/changes might the children want to see in the church? Will you tell local press about it?
Will the older people be prepared to encourage the younger ones, even give a lead? There is a vital role of encouragement for the ‘grandparent’ generation.
What has already been done, in their church or locality, that you can be happy about?
Do younger worshippers appreciate the cost and difficulty of change, and are they prepared to share it in some way.
And/or look together at the YouTube video clip ‘Pasture of the lost sheep’.
Do you think of the sheep as ‘just wandering off’ or being intentionally ‘bad’?
Young people
A litter-pick or beach-clean – even of a few minutes – will inevitably turn up some surprising trophies: whether in astonishment at what people would discard, or amazement at the stories that are told by what we find.
You might find something special. But if not, have a ‘small part’' anyway, because you’ve had a go. The housekeeper’s party might have cost her more than the lost coin. She wasn’t bothered. Tell stories around the group of how things came to be lost or discarded. Celebrate the disposal of the pile of rubbish you’ve got out of the way. Find joy in this. Above all, build up the group.
Find out whether or not your congregation is part of EcoChurch (England & Wales) or EcoCongregation (Scotland & Ireland). How do you feel about this?
Rev David Coleman is Eco-Chaplain with EcoCongregation Scotland, seconded full-time as a special category ministry from the URC. He is a digital artist and writer, often providing visual material for the Iona Community, of which he is also a member.
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