so that...
November 4, 2018
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Throughout these last seventeen plus years, I’ve learned one thing about parenting… It’s hard work. Yes, the rewards far outweigh anything else, but there is no doubt it is hard. From my own experience, the role of the parent during the first few stages of their child’s life, is akin to that of a teacher. It is a most worthy role, I believe. A role that should not be lightly undertaken because believe it or not, the teacher is always being watched. And like most other things in life, there are as many teaching styles as there are people, which may offer another reason as to why parenting is so hard… there is no one manual that will instruct any of us about the best way to be a parent to our children. Some establish hard and fast rules and act as the ultimate disciplinarian, while others have a broader view of the role rules should play. Some believe everything in life is either black or white, while others see everything as shades of grey. I’ve come to believe that no matter what style, or what method is being employed, generally speaking all parents strive to teach the best way they know how. All parenting styles, all methods of teaching, actually require the establishment of some rules. Some baseline of how the relationship is going to proceed. And no matter how much push-back comes the parent’s way, it is important to know that both parties to the relationship need this baseline. And they need it so that the relationship thrives. This, I’ve come to believe and appreciate, is why parents, why teachers, set out from the beginning to establish rules. They do it so their children, their students will thrive.
*****************************
Which leads me to our scripture for today. Right from the start we can see that this story is about establishing that baseline of rules, or in this instance, laws. Now these laws were given before the people, the children, the students, entered the land and began living their lives in a new place. These laws were given so they would thrive in this new place. These rules, though, were the ultimate baseline, because these rules weren’t meant to only apply to this one group of people in this one particular place. These rules were to be taught by them, to their children and their children’s children. Not only were these rules meant to help establish loving relationships, these rules were given so that creation would flourish, and do so for a long time.
Follow these rules, God’s laws so that you, your children and your children’s children will live a great number of days. Listen and adhere to these rules, God’s laws so that you multiply greatly in this new land promised to your ancestors. Follow and listen to these rules, God’s laws so that you may experience life to its fullest. These are the reasons, it seems, that God wanted Moses to help establish this baseline. A baseline of rules rooted in love and expansion, not in punishment and restriction. These laws come from the ultimate source of Love. These laws are expressions of God’s love extending to you, your children and your children’s children, so that life is lived to its fullest. These laws are not about restriction or constriction, these laws are about expansion. Ultimately to remember these laws is to remember God and the depth of God’s love for creation. To pass on to the next generation the importance of remembering this baseline is to pass along the depth of God’s love. Pass it on out of Love for the next generation. Pass it on because you love others more than you love yourself.
In its proper historical context, gods were not meant to be loved. Gods were meant to be feared because it was believed that the gods got angry and would act out of that anger. As a result, the people were taught to be scared of the gods so that they made sure they didn’t do anything that might further make them mad. Yet here we find the one and only God, giving instructions to Love and to make sure to pass that instruction along to your kids and your kids’ kids. And who, by the way, is to be the first object of your love, well that would be God. The real God who only acts out of Love and decided that we were here to be loved… We are God’s Beloved. You see, in terms of the love relationship between Israel and God, this command to Love only the one God is born out of Israel’s experience of God’s divine love being poured out on it. The call to only Love the one God is a call to remember the one God’s Love of you. This call to pass the knowledge of that Love experience to your children and your children’s children may just be the single best way for them to experience God’s Love. That is what happens when you share your love experiences with the generations after you.
**************************************
This past Friday I had the opportunity to visit Campbell Divinity School. While I was there I got to have lunch with some of my professors. While eating lunch, Dr. Mac Wallace and I began talking about my inability to stand by silently while others perpetuate injustices onto other people. We began discussing some of my experiences of standing up for others, even and especially, when doing so disrupted my own life. At one point, I even said, “you know something Dr. Wallace, standing up against the power structures makes life pretty hard, but I’ve never been able to stop myself. When I encounter acts of oppression… When I encounter acts of injustice… I must speak out against it, even though I know, from all of my past experiences, that doing so comes at a cost. It’s as if standing up, speaking out, is so central to who I am that to not do it isn’t even possible.”
Saying all of that was not easy for me because putting a voice to your understanding of who you are can be difficult. In my own experience, that potential difficulty may cause us to turn away from ever doing it. For those who don’t turn away there is always the chance of something quite magical happening. Something that helps further enlighten your understanding of who you are and what has shaped and formed you to this point. This opportunity for magic and enlightenment requires one thing, though, it requires the other party to the conversation to invest themselves in listening because good active listening opens the space for authentic, positive questions. Questions which serve to encourage the exploration. Questions which are void of judgment or shame.
Well Dr. Wallace is one of those great active listeners so after my comment about my inability to stop myself, Dr. Wallace asked, “so where do you think you learned to place this level of importance on living ethically?” And without a moments hesitation I told him my parents. My answer to his question was so quick, so automatic that we both knew it was true. As we sat a few more minutes I shared with him some of the stories I’ve known my whole life about the ways both my parents stepped out and stood up for others, when stepping out and standing up wasn’t the thing to do. Then Dr. Wallace said, “yeah that sounds about right doesn’t it. We learn so much about what is important in life from those who come before us and teach us, even though they may not consider themselves teachers. We learn so much about who we are, or who we will become from them. Its starts so early, and its power to shape and mold us is quite unbelievable.”
He’s right, don’t you think? From the start… From the time we can start to formulate thoughts and ideas, we begin soaking up all the lessons the adults in our lives are teaching. It doesn’t even matter if they are teaching them intentionally or not. Those lessons shape and form us in all sorts of ways, and then in the blink of an eye we become one of those adults teaching the next generation. It just so happens, that being an adult might be one of the most important roles any of us will ever have because there is a universal truth to that role… all adults are teachers.
So, the question becomes, what are you, in your adult role, teaching the next generation. What are you teaching, because you can rest assured that the next generation, and maybe the one after that, are learning. Are you teaching about the God of Love? Are you teaching about the ways you have experienced God’s Love and how in return you have chosen to Love God? I want you to really think about your response to these questions. Not just today, I want you to let these questions work on you every day, and I want us all to be honest with ourselves in our answers.
My hope and prayer is that we discover that what we’ve taught the next generation about God, and God’s Love for creation is true. My hope and prayer is that we discover that what we’ve taught the next generation about God’s rules honors the pouring out of Love God intended. This is my hope and prayer, so that all of creation experiences God’s Love, as it was promised. This is my hope and prayer so that all of creation multiplies greatly, and multiplies out of Love, as God intended.
Amen!
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Throughout these last seventeen plus years, I’ve learned one thing about parenting… It’s hard work. Yes, the rewards far outweigh anything else, but there is no doubt it is hard. From my own experience, the role of the parent during the first few stages of their child’s life, is akin to that of a teacher. It is a most worthy role, I believe. A role that should not be lightly undertaken because believe it or not, the teacher is always being watched. And like most other things in life, there are as many teaching styles as there are people, which may offer another reason as to why parenting is so hard… there is no one manual that will instruct any of us about the best way to be a parent to our children. Some establish hard and fast rules and act as the ultimate disciplinarian, while others have a broader view of the role rules should play. Some believe everything in life is either black or white, while others see everything as shades of grey. I’ve come to believe that no matter what style, or what method is being employed, generally speaking all parents strive to teach the best way they know how. All parenting styles, all methods of teaching, actually require the establishment of some rules. Some baseline of how the relationship is going to proceed. And no matter how much push-back comes the parent’s way, it is important to know that both parties to the relationship need this baseline. And they need it so that the relationship thrives. This, I’ve come to believe and appreciate, is why parents, why teachers, set out from the beginning to establish rules. They do it so their children, their students will thrive.
*****************************
Which leads me to our scripture for today. Right from the start we can see that this story is about establishing that baseline of rules, or in this instance, laws. Now these laws were given before the people, the children, the students, entered the land and began living their lives in a new place. These laws were given so they would thrive in this new place. These rules, though, were the ultimate baseline, because these rules weren’t meant to only apply to this one group of people in this one particular place. These rules were to be taught by them, to their children and their children’s children. Not only were these rules meant to help establish loving relationships, these rules were given so that creation would flourish, and do so for a long time.
Follow these rules, God’s laws so that you, your children and your children’s children will live a great number of days. Listen and adhere to these rules, God’s laws so that you multiply greatly in this new land promised to your ancestors. Follow and listen to these rules, God’s laws so that you may experience life to its fullest. These are the reasons, it seems, that God wanted Moses to help establish this baseline. A baseline of rules rooted in love and expansion, not in punishment and restriction. These laws come from the ultimate source of Love. These laws are expressions of God’s love extending to you, your children and your children’s children, so that life is lived to its fullest. These laws are not about restriction or constriction, these laws are about expansion. Ultimately to remember these laws is to remember God and the depth of God’s love for creation. To pass on to the next generation the importance of remembering this baseline is to pass along the depth of God’s love. Pass it on out of Love for the next generation. Pass it on because you love others more than you love yourself.
In its proper historical context, gods were not meant to be loved. Gods were meant to be feared because it was believed that the gods got angry and would act out of that anger. As a result, the people were taught to be scared of the gods so that they made sure they didn’t do anything that might further make them mad. Yet here we find the one and only God, giving instructions to Love and to make sure to pass that instruction along to your kids and your kids’ kids. And who, by the way, is to be the first object of your love, well that would be God. The real God who only acts out of Love and decided that we were here to be loved… We are God’s Beloved. You see, in terms of the love relationship between Israel and God, this command to Love only the one God is born out of Israel’s experience of God’s divine love being poured out on it. The call to only Love the one God is a call to remember the one God’s Love of you. This call to pass the knowledge of that Love experience to your children and your children’s children may just be the single best way for them to experience God’s Love. That is what happens when you share your love experiences with the generations after you.
**************************************
This past Friday I had the opportunity to visit Campbell Divinity School. While I was there I got to have lunch with some of my professors. While eating lunch, Dr. Mac Wallace and I began talking about my inability to stand by silently while others perpetuate injustices onto other people. We began discussing some of my experiences of standing up for others, even and especially, when doing so disrupted my own life. At one point, I even said, “you know something Dr. Wallace, standing up against the power structures makes life pretty hard, but I’ve never been able to stop myself. When I encounter acts of oppression… When I encounter acts of injustice… I must speak out against it, even though I know, from all of my past experiences, that doing so comes at a cost. It’s as if standing up, speaking out, is so central to who I am that to not do it isn’t even possible.”
Saying all of that was not easy for me because putting a voice to your understanding of who you are can be difficult. In my own experience, that potential difficulty may cause us to turn away from ever doing it. For those who don’t turn away there is always the chance of something quite magical happening. Something that helps further enlighten your understanding of who you are and what has shaped and formed you to this point. This opportunity for magic and enlightenment requires one thing, though, it requires the other party to the conversation to invest themselves in listening because good active listening opens the space for authentic, positive questions. Questions which serve to encourage the exploration. Questions which are void of judgment or shame.
Well Dr. Wallace is one of those great active listeners so after my comment about my inability to stop myself, Dr. Wallace asked, “so where do you think you learned to place this level of importance on living ethically?” And without a moments hesitation I told him my parents. My answer to his question was so quick, so automatic that we both knew it was true. As we sat a few more minutes I shared with him some of the stories I’ve known my whole life about the ways both my parents stepped out and stood up for others, when stepping out and standing up wasn’t the thing to do. Then Dr. Wallace said, “yeah that sounds about right doesn’t it. We learn so much about what is important in life from those who come before us and teach us, even though they may not consider themselves teachers. We learn so much about who we are, or who we will become from them. Its starts so early, and its power to shape and mold us is quite unbelievable.”
He’s right, don’t you think? From the start… From the time we can start to formulate thoughts and ideas, we begin soaking up all the lessons the adults in our lives are teaching. It doesn’t even matter if they are teaching them intentionally or not. Those lessons shape and form us in all sorts of ways, and then in the blink of an eye we become one of those adults teaching the next generation. It just so happens, that being an adult might be one of the most important roles any of us will ever have because there is a universal truth to that role… all adults are teachers.
So, the question becomes, what are you, in your adult role, teaching the next generation. What are you teaching, because you can rest assured that the next generation, and maybe the one after that, are learning. Are you teaching about the God of Love? Are you teaching about the ways you have experienced God’s Love and how in return you have chosen to Love God? I want you to really think about your response to these questions. Not just today, I want you to let these questions work on you every day, and I want us all to be honest with ourselves in our answers.
My hope and prayer is that we discover that what we’ve taught the next generation about God, and God’s Love for creation is true. My hope and prayer is that we discover that what we’ve taught the next generation about God’s rules honors the pouring out of Love God intended. This is my hope and prayer, so that all of creation experiences God’s Love, as it was promised. This is my hope and prayer so that all of creation multiplies greatly, and multiplies out of Love, as God intended.
Amen!