Month: October 2012 (Page 2 of 3)

In celebration of bacon

For generations a group of people operated on codes of conduct and rites to govern personal and social responsibility in a way which steered them toward holiness. Thanks to a few books and legacies of rabbinic interpretation, they could try to walk uprightly if they simply behaved within a set of margins. Of course, with any kind of system governing behavior, it could be abused and misused. People could – and did- take advantage of loopholes and try to find ways of technically living within the rules while still getting what they want. 
It’s nothing like today, really. 
So in reading a passage in the book of Acts recently, I was struck by the Council’s decision when it came to how to condense the main points for new converts who didn’t come with a background of Judaic customs of behavior. Peter led the way with a dream allowing bacon (all praise be to Jesus for that significant contribution to religious life), then relaxing the rules for a not-so-insignificant surgical procedure, surely putting several squirmish men at ease.
The Council was tasked to narrow down the Big Things for gentile converts to try to stay within. They needed to draw a few lines for direction, and hundreds of food laws and ritual washings and customary prayers and teachings on cleanliness needed condensed. 
First, I’d like to thank my Jewish forefathers for the generosity of spirit to forgo the requirements they held dear. They practiced such rites not only because they liked repetition or suffered a bit of OCD with their washing. They believed it mattered to God (because he said so), so it mattered to them. In these practices, they found connection with the divine. It takes a generous spirit to say, “perhaps not everyone would connect in the same manner” about practices they hold dear. 
But now to the stumper. They picked 4 ways the gentile converts needed to stay close to Torah, and they were:
  • Avoid food sacrificed to idols
  • Avoid blood
  • Avoid meat of strangled animals
  • Avoid sexual immorality
Let us again celebrate the bacon. And cheeseburgers. And bacon cheeseburgers. 
But is anyone else thinking, “613 ways of Halakha and strangled animals makes the top of the list?” I mean, they axed “don’t have sex with your mother-in-law” over that one. Lets weigh the seeming moral consequence of those 2 misgivings. 
These guys (because unfortunately they were all guys) didn’t have much else to do but sit around and think, so I’m certain they had rhyme to their reason. I’ve spent the past several days trying to catch the beat. 
Food sacrificed to idols seems pretty common sense. If you’re not in the place to eat such food, you’re probably not in the place of worship the idol to which it was sacrificed. Ultimately it’s a safeguard, it seems. However, later Paul sort of writes this one off to the Romans with a “well, if it doesn’t bother your walk with God or anyone else’s, then it’s just meat, but if someone gets upset, exercise restraint and politely decline.” 
Blood also seems like a good inclusion. No one really likes the stuff anyway once it’s out from under the skin. 
But seriously? Strangled animals? 
I imagine being a shepherd of a small herd in the the mountains, coming upon a favorite ewe. Not only am I down a head, but we can’t even use it for nourishment. Double whammy. 
So in the protective way that the idol food kept followers from getting too close to idolatry, I have to wonder: is the strangulation clause a cautionary way of asking followers to treat all of creation with respect? If a herder can’t eat the carcass, then perhaps they’d be inclined to take a little better care of it. They’d keep a closer eye, maybe keep the fences that pose a threat in better shape. Maybe an owner would let less time go by before they said, “When did I last see Bessie Mae?” 
And by provoking the eating, even the non-herders are asked to grow a social and ecological conscious. Before buying, they must ask “How did this goat die?”. And guess what: by asking a simple question, the goat goes from being dinner to being part of God’s creation, worthy of a humane life and death. We’re called to care for more than our bellies. 
Now, in reflection, I wonder if the idol meat and the blood serve a similar purpose. When a follower saw blood, which he must avoid, it serves as a reminder that it came from a living being, and by the blood being someplace other than within, it means pain or even death. I believe it was common thought to think of blood as the very life and seeing it poured out meant that someone’s life was leaving his body. 
The Generous Jewish Council perhaps found ways to condense what the 613 rules were trying to say; love God by loving others. And not just people, but anything that God created. In fact, honor others more than ourselves. Forgo a meal to preserve dignity. Pass on the meat to keep free from giving it a place of honor in your life. Remember that the life you’re enjoying often comes from the death of another.

Words I should probably keep to myself

My friend Lori once told me about herself, “when I feel something, I feel it strongly.” In nearly 10 years, I’ve not yet come up with a better description of myself in so few words. KLR, upon first meeting me, discussed with her father my “intensity.” I (naively) brushed it off as a veiled complement. 

Truth be known, I do tend to emit a bit of energy. When in high school, one of my favorite teachers used to tell me that if she could just “bottle up some of that energy”. She was beating breast cancer at the time, so I assumed she was just tired. But as that comment seems to circle me frequently – I’m always awed by the exact wording – I’m guessing she meant something different. (I actually try not to think about it too often or I get a tad self-conscious. “Bring it down a notch, Michele” I try to say. To no avail.) 
So one might accurately guess that the reoccurring dispute in our household might be in regards to the extreme to which action is required. My answer, roundabouts 90% of the time, is full throttle. Simply put, if change is needed, then worthwhile change it should be. 
This introduction should serve as the “fair warning” to the rest of my thoughts. 
I’ve been struck lately with just how easy I could allow myself to buy into the “fulfilling life” of regularity. While I feel no need to ensure that my years are filled with African safaris, summers at the Cape or hitting the social scene of the big cities, I doubt Saturdays at the soccer fields* and the newest Touring model will meet my inner longings. Mothering stands at the top of my list of “most worthwhile ways to spend my time” but it fails to fulfill the depths of my soul. There. I said it. 
Life as a mother (and wife) fill the bulk of my time and energy, but if I’m not careful it could claim more than its share. I’ve been eavesdropping with a critical ear the many messages culture feeds to us in regards to what is required of good parents. I don’t like what I hear. 
The song the world Middle-class America seems to be singing goes to the tune of trade in your time and money for “convenience” because you should be involved in 13 activities you’ve outsourced to “professionals” as it comes to making your kids happy and well-rounded. And maybe you can pick up a friend or two while you wait patiently on the sidelines. For your turn. With your kid. 
Here’s where my “intensity” sets in: what if we were to say no? What if I took back all my commitment from pre-arranged meetings to show my kids that I value their childhood by centering them on something other than themselves? And in that space, introduce them to the many things in which they – we – might enjoy? We could trade in practices and drills for time in the backyard. We could trade in hours of youth group activity for praying with our kids, maybe even dusting off the Bible and telling a story. We could trade in Happy Meals for family dinners. What could life look like if we just. said. NO? 
Perhaps we’d discover the depths of our relationships, familial and otherwise. Perhaps by being home more often and claiming time as our own rather than falling victim to its speed, we could be intentional about developing friendships out of more than shared circumstance. We’d be drawn to friends’ interests, passions and ways of seeing the world. You would spend time with people because you enjoy them, not because they’re the most tolerable of available options. 
I know many people who live fulfilling lives making the circus work. They develop deep and lasting friendships from the bleachers. They happily carve out ways to make it all happen like a choreographed production. I’m thrilled for them and don’t see their contentment as a lesser version of anything. If you’re happy, I’m happy with you and want nothing else from you. 
I’m just not much of a dancer.  
I’m not advocating for improvements on something that works for many – I’m yearning for an altogether different option for someone who finds little luster in the current patterns. I’m not targeting youth soccer or math club or dance recitals. I’m talking about the entire landscape. Ahem. The American Dream. The idea that what we do trumps who we are veiled in the dazzle of participation ribbons. 
But, as I commonly ask, what does that look like? And I beg the questions that I’ll be hearing later: how do you make sure your kids aren’t weird? What if it’s something they want to do? Someday your vote gets smaller – what will you do then? 
I don’t know. 
I have no freaking idea. 
But something in me screams there must be another way. The more I read the words of Jesus, I believe. There’s always another way
Narrow gates. Few enter.
Jesus asking, “do you want to leave me, too?” Everybody else did
“These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who build his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit – but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. [Who doesn’t want to be part of the beachfront property owner club?**] When a storm rolled in and waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.” (-Jesus, The Message, Matthew 7:24-27)
*I have no idea why I picked on the soccer teams. I’ve never played soccer and find no fault in the soccer crowd. Perhaps popularity makes it an easy target. Substitute t-ball or dance class as you read if it helps. 

**Clearly my own commentary, not a part of scripture. But I think it’s a point to be examined.  

Reasons I’m thinking of moving to Canada

1. My favorite bloggers live there. Perhaps if I move to their country, I will be magically transformed into a a blogger whom actually – regularly – writes things that matter. Like, things other than reasons to move to other countries. 

2. I’m a fan of lakes and all the pictures I see include large bodies of water. Clearly every house in Canada is on a lake. 
3. Their Thanksgiving is in the midst of apple season as opposed to pumpkin/gourd season. I love apple pie much more than pumpkin pie (especially with the crumbly top). 
4. They’ve already got their healthcare thing figured out. Not a statement of being pro- or against national health care, but rather a statement of jealousy that they’re already done with all these arguments. 
5. My favorite food is breakfast and they’ve got that maple thing going on. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship. 
6. I went to a hockey game once and discovered I liked Canadian beer much better. 
7.  [Why would you move to Canada? Or where would you move?]
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