Today’s Scripture Reading (June 18, 2017):
Isaiah 42
Who the “outsiders” are in our culture might surprise. Actress Anna
Kendrick identifies as one.
“While I wouldn't wish being
teased on anyone, I think it eventually leads to a kind of solidarity in
adult life. The few people I know who weren't picked on in school are people I
find I can't relate to on much more than a surface level. There's a sensitivity
that comes with feeling like an outsider at some point in your life” – Anna Kendrick.
I agree. There is a strength that comes with being an outsider that you
just can’t gain from anywhere else in life.
But the problem is that sometimes we think that the game of life for an outsider is to become an insider. Again and again, history records the process. The
outsider is abused but gains strength
enough so that, eventually, they become insiders. And once they are on the inside, rather than reacting with the
sensitivity that they gained while existing on the outside, they desire to be
the inflictors of pain; the ones who tease instead of being teased and the ones
who bully instead of being bullied. It is a cautionary tale for race relations
in contemporary culture. The outsiders might be on the outside now, but the chances are that at some point in the future,
the roles will be reversed. In fact, it
is happening even as I write these words. What happens when the bullied become
the rulers? There is no easy answer to the question.
Essentially, in Jewish thought, there are two groups of people. The Jews,
who make up the insiders, and the rest of the world, who represent the
outsiders. But it wasn’t always that way. There was a time when the Jews were
the outsiders. This was a time before Moses and the Law, a time when the
people of Israel were slaves in Egypt.
But through Moses and the power of God, there was a cultural shift. The
Law essentially impressed upon this group
of slaves that they were designed to be the insiders. They had a special
relationship with God that no other group
possessed. But the understanding was always that they were supposed to share
that connection with those who lived on
the outside.
However, it was more natural to react to those on the outside the same way
that they had been treated when they were
on the outside. And now, as Isaiah writes these words, the roles had changed again. Once again, this time
in Babylon, Israel was on the outside.
Isaiah’s message was directed straight at this situation. This is a Messianic passage. The Messiah would come, and he would be an insider, from Israel,
but his purpose would be to bring light, encouragement,
and strength to those on the outside. It had always been the purpose of God,
but somehow it was a goal that was never achieved. So, for us, we are never more
like this Messiah than when we are willing to use the sensitivity that we know
from being on the outside, to help those who are still on the outside. For
Christians, no bullies need apply. That
has never been our purpose. We are the bringer of light and love to those who
stand in the darkness.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Isaiah 43
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