Today's Scripture Reading (November 11, 2021): Leviticus 14
It is a crooner's staple. The song, written by Gerald
Marks and Seymour Simons, was initially sung by Belle Baker in 1931. In
December of that year, Ruth Etting recorded it for the first time. The song was
a big part of Frank Sinatra's comeback in 1954 after three failed albums. Dean
Martin sang it as part of his setlist. And in more contemporary times, it has
been sung and recorded by Michael Buble, which ranks as one of my favorite
versions of the song. The song is entitled "All of Me," and it is
about a lover in pain because the one they love has broken up with them,
leaving the singer broken and hurting. The opening line of the song describes
the problem.
All of me
Why not take all of me
Can't you see
I'm
no good without you
And then, the singer goes through some of the parts
of the body that are useless without his or her partner. Lips that are of no
use, arms that are empty, and eyes that can only cry. The song then closes this
musical declaration of mourning with these words.
You took the part
That once was my heart
So why not
Why
not take all of me
When the priest declares that the person who was
thought to be suffering from leprosy was clean, they still had to wait outside
of the camp for a time. On the seventh day, the person was commanded to shave
off all of the body's hair. And on the eighth day, they brought a sacrifice to
the priest for a ritual in which they would be declared clean. The animal would
be sacrificed, and then the priest would dip his finger into the spilled blood
and place some of the blood on the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of the
right hand, and the big toe of the right foot. The image was that the cleansed
person would hear the commands of God, that their hands would do the will of
God, and that their feet would follow the path of God. What was before didn't
exist after this ritual. The cleansed leper now had a special anointing just
like the priests. And just like the priests, the person now belonged to God,
every part of them.
Since leprosy is an image of sin, the ritual also
applies to us. As we come to Christ to be cleansed of our sins, we commit to
being entirely in the hands of our God. We commit to hear his words, do his
will, and follow his path. We are consecrated as the priest of this world and
sent out into it. And our prayer of commitment could well follow the words of
the crooner.
You took the part
That once was my heart
So why not
Why
not take all of me
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Leviticus 15
Special Note: Today, we remember those who have
sacrificed much so that we might live in freedom. Happy Veterans Day or
Remembrance Day, depending on your tradition.
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