MLK and Theology- A Great Reminder!

"He realized that every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God" (King, 2010, p 44). 

This statement I believe is the anchor to which I draw the relationship to this weeks readings and is also an hourly (not even daily!) reminder for me that my healing is not through my own will, but from a God is above all else. 
I acknowledge that I come from a strong identity of justice. I feel that it must of been engrained in me from a child, because I found myself fascinated with criminology, and the whole construct of how we as a human race "seek" and "enforce" the ideology of justice in this world. However, I never took into perspective, from which anchor many people in society are drawing their perception of justice from. It's almost like drawing water from an empty well. If many are seeking justice through a lens of selfish desires, the end result can be extreme darkness. 

King speaks to that within this chapter, that our construct of justice must originate from the complete surrender of ourselves. It is NOT about: "you." 

Now, to have a moment of confession time. I personally know that this is not easy. After 11 years in the military, working CID and being in a position where a large chunk of my life was to interrogate extremists and terrorists for intel, knowing very well every breath could of been my last, (and for some of my brothers and sisters it was their last) I will be the very first one in line to tell you that forgiveness is not easy!!! I do not know if I have even to this day found complete peace. However, I do know one thing... God moves. He moves us. He moves our hearts. He moves our minds. But it will never happen if we do not let it. 

This rings true in seminary and my time here. If anyone would of asked me if I would have been sitting back here in these rooms last December, I would have probably said no. There have been very dark and painful experiences done to me and many others in my population that have been judged and threatened, even as we sit here, in what is supposed to be a safe, cultivating "loving" and "just" space. It simply isn't for many of us. 

But in the midst of all this, this is where we return to traditions, and possibly from that, that is our catalyst to becoming a change-agent in the world we live in. I then shift quick to the Ottati text:

"A key insight into human life is that it is eccentric. It finds itself in the midst of interrelations with other things, but it is not itself at the center of other things" (Ottati, 2011, p 45).

This statement affirms and intersects King's reminder of where our source truly is. To allow ourselves to exist and interrelate, and navigating what "doing life" looks like, but also always having a life source, a foundation, that is not of ourselves. That itself is love (e.g., the power to forgive and love enemies), and also that is one major element that shapes our view of justice.

Is Leviticus (or the whole Old Testament) taken out of context in the 21st century?

One can read through Leviticus and finish feeling discouraged, frustrated, and possibly even confused by all the implications within the book. However, if we keep in mind the element of context we can cultivate more clarity and appreciation for what Leviticus has to provide. To do this, 26:13 spoke strongly to me in relation to God's ultimate covenant love. 

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high." Much of Leviticus is a response to something. If we just dove into reading the book, then as the reader we wouldn't fully understand the context or what this is in response to. So understandably, we read all these laws and the protocol laid out for the consequences one would endure in the event that God's commands where not upheld. 

But if we read 26 closely, we hear God intermittently weaving in his promises and reminding us of what He had done for the people in the past and also what faithfulness one would expect to witness in the future. Only a God with covenant love for His children would save them from an eternity of slavery and despair. A God of love would reassure His children of who He is. This is encouragement and uplifting. However, a good father is one who will also share what the consequences will be if His child disobeys. 

If Leviticus 26 is read closely, yes I believe it could influence and put into context a framework for how to interpret the previous books. 

When someone attempts to use this book as a support of their argument, there are many concerns found within this process. On the one hand, if you are clear and objective on the book as a whole and have a decent grasp on what God is intending with loving His children, then the present-day argument may be valid (context-specific). However, too often the old testament in general is highly skewed when attempting to use it in a present-day discussion (i.e., mostly occurs when the individual is picking and choosing passages and putting them together out of context). 

I will conclude my thoughts by returning to 26:13 and quoting a commentary on it: 

" Imagine the joy of a slave set free. God took the children of Israel out of bitter slavery and gave them freedom and dignity. We, too, are set free when we accept Christ's payment that redeems us from sin's slavery. We no longer need to be bogged down in shame over our past sins: we can walk with dignity because God has forgiven us and forgotten them [sins]. But just as the Israelites were still in danger of returning to a slave mentality, we need to beware of the temptation to return to our former selves."

I can honestly say, I now read Leviticus in a new light.