From the very beginning, when the voice of Mary Magdalen was shut down by domineering male disciples, the glorious potential of the Mystical, egalitarian, loving, Jesus-commanded- and modeled Christian community was undermined by the self-serving soul-wound of ego and greed.
The poison was magnified by Constantine's insidiously-tempting r…
From the very beginning, when the voice of Mary Magdalen was shut down by domineering male disciples, the glorious potential of the Mystical, egalitarian, loving, Jesus-commanded- and modeled Christian community was undermined by the self-serving soul-wound of ego and greed.
The poison was magnified by Constantine's insidiously-tempting rot injected into the church- --an Imperial power structure that allowed and enforced only one version of Christianity, a male dominance hierarchy backed by immense imperial force and wealth. It was an utter inversion and betrayal of Jesus's original vision of a "better life" for every human.
Every religious "institution" and branch of it is tested by the rot-- do they protect and help the weakest, or do they close ranks and protect themselves, reinforced by institutional power? Do they dare to stand up to the behemoth that pays them? Or do they shuffle the problem off to someone else to deal with, a perpetual moral hot potato game of denial and betrayal of trust?
Cowardice, arrogance, greed, contempt for the victims (women, minorities, the poor, the unwanted "other"), entrenched privilege and power -- all these "logs in their eyes" prevented the early Christian community from seeing the majestic, "righteous," potential kingdom that Jesus tried to give them. His gift was picked apart for scraps and the rest tossed in the trash. Egalitarian sharing, loving care, humility and peaceful coexistence? Not a chance.
Each day, we are invited to share in and step into God's righteous kingdom, to make it unfold on earth as it is in heaven. And each day, we are reminded, both by others and within ourselves, how much work we still have to do.
From the very beginning, when the voice of Mary Magdalen was shut down by domineering male disciples, the glorious potential of the Mystical, egalitarian, loving, Jesus-commanded- and modeled Christian community was undermined by the self-serving soul-wound of ego and greed.
The poison was magnified by Constantine's insidiously-tempting rot injected into the church- --an Imperial power structure that allowed and enforced only one version of Christianity, a male dominance hierarchy backed by immense imperial force and wealth. It was an utter inversion and betrayal of Jesus's original vision of a "better life" for every human.
Every religious "institution" and branch of it is tested by the rot-- do they protect and help the weakest, or do they close ranks and protect themselves, reinforced by institutional power? Do they dare to stand up to the behemoth that pays them? Or do they shuffle the problem off to someone else to deal with, a perpetual moral hot potato game of denial and betrayal of trust?
Cowardice, arrogance, greed, contempt for the victims (women, minorities, the poor, the unwanted "other"), entrenched privilege and power -- all these "logs in their eyes" prevented the early Christian community from seeing the majestic, "righteous," potential kingdom that Jesus tried to give them. His gift was picked apart for scraps and the rest tossed in the trash. Egalitarian sharing, loving care, humility and peaceful coexistence? Not a chance.
Each day, we are invited to share in and step into God's righteous kingdom, to make it unfold on earth as it is in heaven. And each day, we are reminded, both by others and within ourselves, how much work we still have to do.