Subscribe to Posts
rivalry
Been studying the sibling relationships in Genesis lately–Cain & Abel, Issac & Ishmael, Jacob & Esau, Jospeph & his brothers, all of ‘em wracked with rivalry. And the women in Genesis are no better, like Sarah & Hagar, Rachel & Leah. In fact, the twelve tribes were born in a riot of jealousy among and between Jacobs wives. The Bible is trying to tell us something here. Envy, rivalry between brothers-sisters-peers is running riot in the human condition. And God seems to inflame it with his willingness to prefer, to favor, to choose.
The biblical witness corresponds to the witness of biology. Darwin saw in nature a struggle for existence pitting members of each species against each other in a never-ending competition for limited resources. So this rival thing is pretty primal.
Could it be that our task in this world is to let God be God, to accept his freedom to chose, to prefer, to favor whom or what he will, and let rivalry be crucified among us? Crucifixion happens between a rock and a hard place.
Oh it would be easy to let God’s choice continue to inflame our rivalry as it inflamed Cain’s jealousy of Abel, which turned murderous, as envy will. (Pilate said that the chief priest handed Jesus over to him “out of envy.”) Why is it that God’s chosen people, whoever they understand themselves to be, seem to feel that they must reinforce his choice (as if it weren’t enough) by asserting their superiority over their fellows?
Or it would be easy to deny God the freedom to choose, to favor, to prefer. Turn him into the equal opportunity, even-steven, everybody-gets-the-same- from-this-god God. A banal god who is equally removed from everyone, so as not to give anyone the idea that they are chosen.
But no, we’re between the rock and the hard place of a God who insists on his freedom to choose, to favor, to prefer and the call, the command, the non-negotiable requirement of this same God to love our brothers and neighbors, to treat them as brothers and neighbors, not rivals, to put their own interests, even, above our own.
I don’t see any way to pull that off without a crucifixion and a resurrection, do you?
January 12th, 2010 at 10:20 am
Ahh yes, we are people of the book aren’t we.
But we are also people of the loaf and cup. To me the loaf and the cup is what changes the equation from two in conflict to one in peace.
January 13th, 2010 at 12:06 am
I’m not scholarly enough to comment on everything in your blog re: Old Testament history. I am reminded that not only did the patriarchs suffer from the human conditions and problems that beset me, it was the grace of God that brought them through (and not their exemplary behavior!). It gives me hope for my own life.
As you mentioned in a recent sermon, we need to keep our eyes on our own relationship with God – it’s not productive to measure someone else’s spiritual life with eyes of envy. Good words for me and for the wider spiritual community.
January 13th, 2010 at 4:21 am
Ken, I see a man of faith and commitment behind your words. However, I also see an uncritical mind. Thinking like yours requires a mind that accepts as true assumptions that are inherent in each of the biblical narratives. Have you critically examined those assumptions?
January 18th, 2010 at 11:17 am
I’ve really enjoyed the current sermon series. About fifteen years ago I stopped (to a large degree) trying to please other people and conform to their expectations and focused on trying to become who I am and fill the expectations of God.
This has resulted in an intensifying of jealousy from one of my two older sisters. I have spoken to her about it, set boundaries to no effect. I’ve also sensed jealousy, occasionally, from people who are not related to me at work and in athletics.
Avoiding situations with these people is not effective so I am attempting to detach with love.
This is incredibly difficult.
I am certainly not doing this perfectly. My only solution right now is to keep my eyes firmly fixed on Jesus, keep doing the next right thing and make amends when I trespass. I am increasingly aware of my own jealous ‘flare ups’ and ask Jesus to help me release the urge to get in there and let my ego drive me to win a rivalry – which often ends up with lost connections; including my connection to God and to myself.
January 19th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
I have a real problem with the idea of a God who prefers some over others. It’s more than a “that’s not fair” kind of sentiment as well…although that’s definitely part of it because I do believe in a fair and just god. There’s so much ugliness and evil in this world…that if I can’t believe that all the injustice (for everyone) is going to be redeemed some day, then the whole faith thing is fairly meaningless. A God of preferences is faith shattering to me. Then my faith becomes a “hope” that I’m preferred. That’s the definition of hell on earth.
Believing in a God like this is also the foundation for discrimination and prejudice in this world. It opens so many doors for justifying evil in God’s name.
I know there are all sorts of biblical arguments for this…but it’s not the God I see…in the bigger picture of the Bible or in this world. I don’t have this response to theology at A2 Vineyard really at all…but this kind of thinking is scary to me. It’s the kind of theology that I used to embrace that made being a rational person of faith incredibly difficult.
January 20th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Dave your problem with God’s preference is something that occured tome and I found a way to resolve it – I’ll try to walk through it and refer to scripture.
God was not just displeased with Cain’s offering but with him and the offering (Genesis 4:5).
God knows the human heart (Acts 15:8 for one…many references to this).
Cain’s response to a slight from God was to kill his brother – thus misdirecting his anger from its true source (God) and in effect shifting for God’s preference to Abel. This took everyone out of true relationship with each other.
Maybe God’s preference reflects his inner knowledge of all of us which only gets demonstrated, is obvious, in our actions?
On an individual basis I’ve had huge trust issues with God and still get shaky – even though God has demonstrated His love for me over and over and over again. At this point I’m willing to give God the benefit of the doubt.
January 20th, 2010 at 5:54 pm
Susan, thanks for the thoughts. God, as you describe him there, is how I see him as well. I believe that we’re all held accountable (judged if you will) for what we’ve been given and what we’ve done with it…that is part of redemption. God sees our hearts and knows our genetic and environmental dispositions and works with them, sometimes holding us accountable (in all sorts of mysterious ways…most of which I don’t understand but maybe will some day).
That, to me though, is different than random preference.
I can accept that God’s ways are mysterious and the reasons for how and why things happen are sometimes impossible to discern. I just don’t believe that portraying God as someone who arbitrarily favors some humans over others is an accurate representation of his spirit or character.
February 7th, 2010 at 12:25 am
I have never been able to embrace this idea–that God is the One who dishes out favor and disgrace. I always thought it was humanity that did this. But perhaps God is behind it; if so, injustice doesn’t seem so unjust anymore.