Thanks. Recently retired, I have been introducing myself lately as a banker and theologian. Trained in liberation theology, I have spent the last 35 years as a banker, working to finance affordable housing.. This message is uplifting to me. Seeing a beautiful, scriptural, historically formed, sermon on what I came to understand as the preferential option for the poor in the tradition, is quite wonderful. Thank you.
Thank you as always. Here's an excerpt from my Sunday sermon in which I wove together Jeremiah 17:5, "cursed is the "mighty man" (gavar in Hebrew) who puts his trust in mere mortals..." with Jesus' proclamation of the woes in Luke 6, using Shelley's poem, Ozymandias as inspiration.
Percy Byssche Shelley’s poem, Ozymandias:
I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
Alongside Jeremiah’s reality check for the mighty, we hear Jesus cry out, “Woe to you who are rich … woe to you who are full now … woe to you who laughing now … who to you when all speak well of you …” The original Greek word here is ouai — it means kind of like it sounds. It is a cry of sorrow, disappointment and grief, kind of like the old English word “alas.” If you change the inflection of your voice it becomes a cry of reproach, criticism or accusation, something like “shame on you!” Jesus gives voice to both reproach and sorrow.
Shame on you when your pursuit of wealth, fullness, good times, and popularity hurts the people around you. Shame on you when you hoard your resources so that your neighbors go hungry. Shame on you, when you use your power and privilege to demean, denigrate and deny the image of God in others. Alas, no amount of riches, good times or popularity will protect you from disease, disaster, and death. Alas, the fate of Ozymandias awaits you.
The Beatitudes were present in some form in Q. Matthew embellished and, critically (a negative in my opinion), added "Blessed are the poor *in spirit*." Luke is actually closer to the historical Jesus than Matthew. Thank you for a great piece of writing.
I my experience it has been the poorest who have been the most generous. Indeed we humans create poverty because we do not share. Mother Teresa was so right. I find myself leaning into Luke’s sense of things. I appreciate clarity. The detail of his words being delivered on even ground is new. Thank you for that. Blessings and woe-
Still I struggle with this speech and Matthew’s too- for I am not hungry. I am also not wealthy.
My conclusion is that I give gratitude for what I have and make efforts to share and help those who are in need.
Way back, the speaker of the house at the time, Paul Ryan – a devout Catholic who flew home every weekend for mass – was one of the first to popularize the term, "parasite," to describe the poor. And that form of Catholicism seems to have taken root among many people and not a few Republicans who wear miters – betraying one of the fundamental elements of the spirit of Jesus.
Thank you AGAIN for shining your brilliant light into the gathering gloomy darkness. So much darkness! The contrast in the world right now is truly black and white. May the week ahead hold some encouraging occurrences to contrast with all the pervasive evil ones.
Thank you Diana for clarifying such a central but largely neglected theme of our Lord and King. The original hearers faced a more brutal environment than we do. The Roman Emperors of those days were much more formidable than our present authorities. Yet that group of poor people continued to follow Jesus and live a life of generous and radical love, as described in Luke and in the parallel Sermon on the Mount. Shining like a light of purest love and hope, we must do the same.
I’m so grateful for your good words and observations. I preached both blessings and woes this morning. I love how, and continue to be awed by, that even thousands of years later, scripture speaks loudly into our current context. The woe portion of the sermon was largely boosted by a song written by Bryan Sirchio decades ago, If You Eat Each Day, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GXufsHJeDU.
Thanks. Recently retired, I have been introducing myself lately as a banker and theologian. Trained in liberation theology, I have spent the last 35 years as a banker, working to finance affordable housing.. This message is uplifting to me. Seeing a beautiful, scriptural, historically formed, sermon on what I came to understand as the preferential option for the poor in the tradition, is quite wonderful. Thank you.
Thank you. I am not a poetry person -- these today were helpful.
Thank you as always. Here's an excerpt from my Sunday sermon in which I wove together Jeremiah 17:5, "cursed is the "mighty man" (gavar in Hebrew) who puts his trust in mere mortals..." with Jesus' proclamation of the woes in Luke 6, using Shelley's poem, Ozymandias as inspiration.
Percy Byssche Shelley’s poem, Ozymandias:
I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
Alongside Jeremiah’s reality check for the mighty, we hear Jesus cry out, “Woe to you who are rich … woe to you who are full now … woe to you who laughing now … who to you when all speak well of you …” The original Greek word here is ouai — it means kind of like it sounds. It is a cry of sorrow, disappointment and grief, kind of like the old English word “alas.” If you change the inflection of your voice it becomes a cry of reproach, criticism or accusation, something like “shame on you!” Jesus gives voice to both reproach and sorrow.
Shame on you when your pursuit of wealth, fullness, good times, and popularity hurts the people around you. Shame on you when you hoard your resources so that your neighbors go hungry. Shame on you, when you use your power and privilege to demean, denigrate and deny the image of God in others. Alas, no amount of riches, good times or popularity will protect you from disease, disaster, and death. Alas, the fate of Ozymandias awaits you.
I love this. Thank you.
The Beatitudes were present in some form in Q. Matthew embellished and, critically (a negative in my opinion), added "Blessed are the poor *in spirit*." Luke is actually closer to the historical Jesus than Matthew. Thank you for a great piece of writing.
I my experience it has been the poorest who have been the most generous. Indeed we humans create poverty because we do not share. Mother Teresa was so right. I find myself leaning into Luke’s sense of things. I appreciate clarity. The detail of his words being delivered on even ground is new. Thank you for that. Blessings and woe-
Still I struggle with this speech and Matthew’s too- for I am not hungry. I am also not wealthy.
My conclusion is that I give gratitude for what I have and make efforts to share and help those who are in need.
Thank you!
Thank you, Diana. Not trying to promote my own, just want you to know I quoted you in this morning's sermon (https://open.substack.com/pub/pastordonn/p/blessings-and-woes), and this is the only way I know to connect to you.
Way back, the speaker of the house at the time, Paul Ryan – a devout Catholic who flew home every weekend for mass – was one of the first to popularize the term, "parasite," to describe the poor. And that form of Catholicism seems to have taken root among many people and not a few Republicans who wear miters – betraying one of the fundamental elements of the spirit of Jesus.
Thank to all who liked my poem on prayer.
I pray that God will bless and guide you all in all that you are called to do and be.
Thank you AGAIN for shining your brilliant light into the gathering gloomy darkness. So much darkness! The contrast in the world right now is truly black and white. May the week ahead hold some encouraging occurrences to contrast with all the pervasive evil ones.
“Favored” makes the Beatitudes so much clearer for me. Thank you.
Thank you Diana for clarifying such a central but largely neglected theme of our Lord and King. The original hearers faced a more brutal environment than we do. The Roman Emperors of those days were much more formidable than our present authorities. Yet that group of poor people continued to follow Jesus and live a life of generous and radical love, as described in Luke and in the parallel Sermon on the Mount. Shining like a light of purest love and hope, we must do the same.
Diana,
I’m so grateful for your good words and observations. I preached both blessings and woes this morning. I love how, and continue to be awed by, that even thousands of years later, scripture speaks loudly into our current context. The woe portion of the sermon was largely boosted by a song written by Bryan Sirchio decades ago, If You Eat Each Day, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GXufsHJeDU.
We will find our way together.
Gratefully
Reminded of Emily Bronte; No Coward Soul is Mine;
No coward soul is mine
No trembler in the world's storm-troubled sphere
I see Heaven's glories shine
And Faith shines equal arming me from Fear
O God within my breast
Almighty ever-present Deity
Life, that in me hast rest,
As I Undying Life, have power in Thee
Vain are the thousand creeds
That move men's hearts, unutterably vain,
Worthless as withered weeds
Or idlest froth amid the boundless main
To waken doubt in one
Holding so fast by thy infinity,
So surely anchored on
The steadfast rock of Immortality.
With wide-embracing love
Thy spirit animates eternal years
Pervades and broods above,
Changes, sustains, dissolves, creates and rears
Though earth and moon were gone
And suns and universes ceased to be
And Thou wert left alone
Every Existence would exist in thee
There is not room for Death
Nor atom that his might could render void
Since thou art Being and Breath
And what thou art may never be destroyed.
Thank you. I an feeling so disheartened now. This is perspective I need.
This couldn’t be more timely! Thank you so very much for all you do to inspire all of us!