PERSPECTIVE

January 11, 2015

Epiphany 1

Genesis 1:1-5

Mark 1:4-11

(prayer)

"Perspective" (as a noun) has several meanings. dictionary.com lists seven different denotations.  I would pare that down to three - (1) perspective as an art technique where things are shown in such a way to trick our eyes that two dimensional image is three-dimensional - some things appear closer than others [refer to image on screen]; (2) perspective is also the comparing of items or facts - noting the similarities and differences [refer to creation of light in Genesis 1]; (3) perspective can also be a catch-all word to describe our way at looking at things/ideas - we have a certain perspective on life, our worldview.

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Understanding our perspective about life, faith and our-place-in-the-world is important. Because a person's 'perspective' impacts the choices she/he makes. We develop a particular perspective over time based on what we are taught, what we experience, what we discover, what we come to believe.  To sum that up more simply and more specifically, our perspective is born out of what we what we have learned over the course of life... so far.  Because, we are all life long learners, naturally how we look at the world - what we hold as important - is fluid.  If you are like me - what you view as important today is not the same as it was at different times in your past.  That is a good thing to notice and accept.  Most everything is contextual.
To bring this conversation into church-y language: it is a valuable spiritual discipline to explore the changes (the evolution) of thoughts, feelings and beliefs that have occurred over our lives and... as importantly, why shifts have happened.

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When Jesus came down to the river with John, he was not a young man.  The gospel of Luke (3:23)says Jesus was about thirty years old, which would be well into middle age for a male Galilean peasant of the 1st century.  He had already had half a lifetime of experiences that gave him a particular perspective on life and faith. 
There is some biblical evidence (also in Luke) that Jesus and John were related.  Although, since John grew up in the Judean hill country and Jesus was from Nazareth, we should not assume they knew each other very well.

What we can say is that (at some point), Jesus found himself among the crowds that went out to listen to John in the Jordan River valley. Was it their family ties that brought Jesus there, or was he interested in John's message? We don't know.  There are some biblical scholars who argue that Jesus may have been a disciple of John the Baptist - part of his regular crowd who sought to learn and be inspired by John.

The encounter between Jesus and John the Baptist is one of those unique stories that is told is all four gospels.  Although, the fourth gospel doesn't specifically describe baptism, there are other parallels between the gospel of John and the other narratives.

Because we are in Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary, we read from Mark today.  It is the shortest (and likely the oldest) of all the John-Jesus passages.  What Mark lacks (that the others have) is more of a hint about what John was preaching about.  In Mark, it says that people came out to him as part of some act of contrition (confessing their sins). Mark reports that John pointed to another person who was to come, who was more powerful than he (also in Matthew and John).

In Matthew and Luke (the Q tradition), John uses some violent imagery when talking to some in the crowds: You deadly snakes, a wrath is coming, try and get away if you can!  If your life were a tree it would be cut down because it bears no fruit. 
It is fair for us to assume that the violent rhetoric of John part of Jesus' experience.  And yet, as we go on to look at the totality of Jesus' ministry, his perspective changes - the Rhetoric of Jesus becomes non-violent: turn the other cheek - that distinction is worth wondering about.  John compartimentalized: the snakes and the forgiven; fruit bearing trees and the ones to be cut down. Jesus (on the other hand), over and over again the boundaries between people: let the little children come to me; John called the Pharisees 'broods of vipers' - Jesus went over to Simon the Pharisee's house for supper.
Even though they share some common experiences, Jesus and John held different perspectives.

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It is hard for me to think about different worldviews and not find my mind being drawn to the events in France this past week: the targeted assassinations at Charlie Hebdo; the killing of police officers and the hostage murders in the kosher grocery store.  Clearly, there is a wide gulf among people as to what is important.
Whose life has value.  How do we exact justice.  The place retribution and revenge has in influencing our actions.

There are so many things I could talk about, but I will try to focus my comments somewhat.

I have really noticed while watching all of the news reports how prevalent the rhetoric of violence is.  Now I believe that language matters - the words and phrases we use reflect our perspective, our worldview, which comes from our collective learnings.
Additionally, I believe that our languages (consciously and unconsciously) reflects what we hope will happen.  Violent rhetoric often leads to violent actions.  Certain it is true in the other directions - behind violent actions, we will always find violent rhetoric.

Every time events like this week's happen, we deconstruct the perpetrator's motives - what made them capable of such violent acts.
It is almost universally true that violent rhetoric precedes violent actions.  Was a person radicalized by
preaching that endorsed the violence?  Was the quiet, lonely attacker obsessed with violent video games? For me, I worry not only about the violent rhetoric in the lives of those who murder and create terror, but also how easy this rhetoric roles off of our tongues.  Try this little experiment: for one hour some day, take note of how often you or someone else uses violent metaphors in everyday conversation: battling an illness, defeat the Calgary Flames, kill the light, would you, the war on______...

I would assert that the more disciplined we are with our language, the more obvious our perspective will be to other. 

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After Jesus was baptized, the language that comes out of the cloud is encouraging and affirming.  You are a beloved child.  I am pleased.

Language matters.  It reflects our true perspective.

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As I said, the perspective we bring to life and faith is based on our past learning.  Jesus of Nazareth (and John the Baptist for that matter) were surrounded by 'disciples' - learners.  The word disciple is related to the word: discipline.

Too often, we use the word discipline interchangeably with punishment, but they have very distinct meanings. 

Punishment relates to the consequences of the breaching of some norm or standard - it is the language of sin and atonement - punitive.

Discipline is about learning.  Discipline involves practicing better behaviours.

Parents, teachers and corrections officers know that the best punishments are also disciplinary.

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If we seek to have our worldview impacted by the disciplines of following Jesus, we can be inspired by the way Jesus treated others - especially those who were outcast in the perspective of others.

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As we reflect on the new hope and promise and commitment that is enveloped in our actions of baptism and the story of Jesus baptism, what might we be learning about being a follower/disciple (learner) of Jesus?  Of sharing Jesus' perspective for the value of life and faith? 

And perhaps most timely: 

Is your faith strong enough to not need violence to express it? 

Do you have enough depth to your faith that it can withstand a multiplicity of opinions
around it?

And… are you open to learning even more about the mysteries of God, so that you can allow what and how you believe evolve as you discover more in your own spirituality?

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Food for thought.

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Let us pray:

Holy God, as we continue to learn along Jesus' Way, we see to bring your love into all we do and say.  Amen.

#100VU  “When Jesus Come to Be Baptized”