Context
This reflection begins with the Valentine’s Day massacre in the USA and its aftermath. The life affirming response of surviving pupils at the school has been impressive, and in stark contrast to the response of the president.
Walter Wink wrote about American culture and the myth on which much of it is founded, which can be seen in gun laws, in the film industry and pervades the whole of society. A summary of Wink’s views (from The Bible in Transmission) merits reading in full.
The whole of Scripture announces the breaking of the power of this myth. The constant battle of the Hebrews was against religions which glorified death and required human sacrifice. In 1 Kings 11 Solomon, the wisest of kings, turns to idolatry and human sacrifice in his old age. Where this passage was appointed to be read recently in the CofE daily lectionary, this quotation from Psalm 106 emphasised the point.
They mingled with the nations ∙
and learned to follow their ways,
So that they worshipped their idols, ∙
which became to them a snare.
Their own sons and daughters ∙
they sacrificed to evil spirits.
They shed innocent blood, ∙
the blood of their sons and daughters,
Which they offered to the idols of Canaan, ∙
and the land was defiled with blood. (Psalm 106.35-39)
There was a terrible fascination with the spectacle associated with pagan cults, and with rituals which included human sacrifice. It continued to return under different kings as long as the kingdoms of Israel and Judah survived, and would be one of the main reasons why the prophets would later say that this behaviour was the cause of the downfall of both kingdoms.
What we have in Scripture is a record of people seeing through pagan myths of gods requiring human sacrifice. It begins with the elaborately constructed anti-mythology story of Abraham and of life out of death.
- Genesis 12 – Abram’s call aged 75.
- Genesis 15 – Abram is childless: and is promised children.
- Genesis 17 – The covenant, as Abram reaches 99.
- Genesis 18 – God appears at Mamre as three visitors, and Sarah laughs when she hears she will have a child.
- Genesis 21 – The birth of Isaac.
- Genesis 22 – The non-sacrifice of Isaac.
This story tells the Hebrew people that their very existence is proof that God does not require a human sacrifice. Here is a story which is powerful enough to triumph over all of pagan mythology. God is the giver of life, not the wielder of death. Every Jew is the living proof that God is love. And we, the adopted sons and daughters, following Paul’s teaching, claim this story as our own.
But under Herod the focus of the faith of the Jews had become the industrial-scale ritual slaughter of animals in a Temple designed to rival any in the pagan world. The old myth that God requires death had returned.
Reflection
As we began Lent, we recounted the story of Jesus’ temptation, with some of it located on the Temple. The temptation ends memorably, with the devil ‘biding his time’ (Luke 4.13, NEB). Now the tempter has returned, in Peter’s attempt to persuade Jesus to seek worldly success. Instead Jesus will unmask the world’s violence by responding with non-violence. To Peter this appears to be a scandal, and indeed Peter will continue to be swept along by the way of the world even to cutting off the ear of the high priest’s servant when Jesus is arrested, and denying three times that he was a disciple.
The story which Peter and Paul will both tell is that only in the light of the resurrection did they realise they had been wrong about God, and wrong about Jesus.
As we reflect of their story and conversion we are reminded of the ongoing need to break the power of the myth of a god who requires death, and proclaim the Saviour who gives life.
Prayer
Lord of life, we praise you for the faith of Abraham;
for his story of sparing the life of his son which has been celebrated down the ages.
We praise you, God of righteous Abel proclaimed by Jesus (Matt 23.35).
We praise you, God of Joseph, saved from death at the hands of his brothers to be their saviour.
We praise you with the psalmist who proclaims that you take no delight in sacrifice and burnt offering (Psalm 51).
We praise you that you desire mercy, not sacrifice (Matt 9.12).
In this Lenten season, we ask you to accept our true sacrifice of a broken spirit and a penitent heart.
Forgive us, heal us, and remake us in the image of your risen Son,
that we may proclaim his life to the world.
This we ask in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
Questions
Are we mesmerised by stories of violence and death, for example:
- in great operatic tragedy?
- in cartoons?
- in murder stories?
- in video games?
All-age activity
- Reflect on what Walter Wink says by watching cartoons together and discussing your feelings about the action
- Could you write to the American Ambassador expressing your views on the gun culture of the USA after the Valentine’s Day massacre?
- Imagine that you all have the surname ‘Abraham’ because he is your ancestor. Then read the sections of Genesis chapters 12 to 22 which describe how Abram is called, how old he is, how unlikely it is that he will have children etc. and reflect on the miracle that you are actually alive to hear this story read out. What does it tell you about God?
Young people
- See All-age activity above, and also discuss video games you know and have played.
- Watch, or tell the story of cartoons which glorify violence. Why are they attractive? What are the dangers of such stories?
The Revd Dr. Tom Ambrose is a retired priest at the parish of the Ascension, Cambridge.
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