Coverings or Contents?

In English there is the famous phrase, “don’t judge a book by its cover.”  And this is applied to a variety of situations from the way that people appear to the packaging that is often used to convince a buyer to purchase that which is often not only not needed, but not worth it.

Behind all of this is the call for willingness to look beyond and look within.  Today’s readings point to a similar world view and, as we take a look at them, we can see the content – God’s love, mercy and challenge as given through Christ – as the priority and necessity in day to day living.

Throughout the readings there is not only a sense of abundance, but also scarcity.  In Mark, instead of “heart,” there is “hardness of heart.”  For Paul there is the misunderstanding that those who are seeking to share Christ are “proclaiming” themselves instead.  And in Samuel, not only was the word of the Lord “rare,” but Samuel had not yet “had the word of the Lord revealed.”  On top of this, his teacher, Eli had failing sight which could probably be interpreted not only physically but metaphorically as his sons were managing to stray from the word of the Lord to which they were called as priests.

Into these “earthen vessels,” lacking a degree of strength and beauty, came the word of the Lord.  To Samuel it was a call that was to impact not only his future, but the future of Israel.  For Paul it was the juxtaposition of life to death which provided the foundation for his ministry and the Christ who he preached.  And well, for those challenging Jesus in both his healings and his dietary habits, was given the opportunity to gain a sense of perspective about who God is and what God really wants.  Within seeming insignificance lay the truths of eternity.

That call to hear, respond and look beyond the superficial continues.  And particularly in a world for which image is often the measuring rod, the truths can become lost behind the superficialities.  While talking about himself, Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians can provide inspiration and guidance for our own lives and missions.  “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our bodies.”

So how do we get to the point where we can carry death and life together within ourselves and allow it to give us resilience in the most challenging of situations?  We respond with Samuel, not simply letting God know that “here we are,” but “speak Lord for your servant is listening.”  And even though the Word of the Lord may seem rare in our day as well and we may not have the word of the Lord “revealed to us as much as we want,” it is there and alive and offered to those who want to listen to the speech.

Equally importantly the process is infinite.  In The Wound of Knowledge, Rowan Williams writes, “because of its limitless nature, this journey – Christianity – is always marked by desire, by hope and longing, never coming to possess or control its object.”  Death and life, truth and challenge – the joy and struggle of following Christ stretch in the eternity of which much is often spoken, but little fully understood.  And this is not based on the coverings that define us, but the contents of the Gospel within us.

The late Rev Dr John Timmer, author of The Four Dimensional Jesus, speaks of the sweaters that fishermen on a part of the Irish Coast would wear.  These served to not only protect them from the elements, but had a more ominous function.  For each fisherman’s pattern was different.  If they were to be washed out to sea and die, the elements would soon eliminate any identification of the person, but the patterns their sweaters which identified them in life, would also identify them in death.

We are earthen vessels of Christ.  Theologian Lois Malcolm writes, As all that distorts and spoils our created goodness dies in Jesus — whether we have created that dysfunction or others have imposed it on us — Jesus’ life is manifest as the flourishing of new creation in our lives. But that flourishing and renewal also entails sharing in the sufferings of Jesus — continually being put to death by all that goes against what this crucified Messiah, the Wisdom of God, embodied.  An opportunity, a challenge, a call.  As we ask the Lord to continue to speak to us because we are listening, may we embody the Good News of death and life, earthen vessels containing the treasures of God.