This Sunday’s Gospel is a healthy lesson on staying nourished. We need to do so while living in a depraved and deprived world. It is the world of Militarism and it has projected its harmful qualities onto a deity. Militarism’s depraved and deprived qualities have been made holy. We first encounter Militarism’s two qualities in the Old Testament. Two Militarists from it are relevant to today’s Gospel. One is Moses who in the name of Yahweh murders Egyptians. The other is Elijah who in the name of Yahweh murders blasphemers. Both are unhealthy individuals, mentally ill really. They participate in the suffering and death of others while expecting rewards for themselves. Both have rationalized their mental illness, sanctified it really, by projecting it onto a military deity. Both men rule, extending terror to some and comfort to others, brutality to some and blessings to others. Both men’s stories also involve grumbling about a lack of food. Jesus’ Gospel lesson is also about food, about the Bread of Life as healthy and abundant nourishment for all. In Christ, depraved and depriving rulers, the deity and the world they construct can be brought to an end. They must be, for their depravity and deprivation are being emboldened.
Depraved, mentally ill people who construct a depraved, mentally ill god and world were all on stage this past week. They were on display in Cleveland for a GOP presidential debate in which their politics of deprivation were also on display. Being mentally ill, the candidates were unable to engage with reality. The reality is that each of them participates in the suffering and death of others while they give themselves rewards. They cause suffering and death through the austerity cuts they implement against workers – cuts to Food Stamps, unemployment insurance, WIC, Medicare. They reward themselves by implementing tax cuts for the 1%. They cause suffering and death by opposing a living wage. They reward themselves with pay raises. They cause suffering and death by opposing the government’s Affordable Care Act. They reward themselves with government health care. They cause suffering and death by stealing from Social Security. They reward themselves with plans to privatize it and capitalize on it further. They cause suffering and death through the many violent militant policies they promote; gun violence, police brutality, death penalty, arms race, war. They reward themselves with the title christian but they are Biblists. They are, like Moses and Elijah, believers in Biblical violence. GOP presidential candidates are horrendously lacking in providing nourishment, the nourishment Jesus provides. That they do this all the while they call themselves Christian is evidence they are mentally ill.
Jesus and we too can be a source of nourishment; bread for those hungry, health for those sick, freedom for those imprisoned, forgiveness for those who torture, and Resurrection for those Militarists violate. Nourishment in Christ was not evident from the self-titled Christians on the stage in Cleveland. Let nourishment be evident from us and from our communities whatever the title we give ourselves.
Prayer: Spirit of Nourishment, help me to nourish others.
Question: What do I feel called to do about institutional Christianity?
August 9 2015 John 6:41-51 Nineteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time
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