I am not marching alone, as one solitary queer woman of faith, motivated to empower my community and better my city. No, I am not alone. Directly to my right, and directly to my left, I see my family, my sister, my brother, my cousin, my father, all marching with me, outwardly expressing their validation, support and love for who I am. In this moment, I am so proud. I’m proud of my family and their willingness to publically support me and the community I’m a part of. I’m proud of my gay and transgender community – their energy, determination, and inability to step down when faced with discrimination and oppression.
I’m proud of myself, remembering who I was at sixteen, never believing I could be this authentic in such a public way. Most importantly, in this moment, I am proud of my city. Looking in every direction – up to the skyline, over to the Maumee River, looking all around me so that I can take in each face, smile, and cheer of every Toledoan celebrating and marching with me. I felt God in this moment. Surely, this is the beautiful city that God has called Toledo to be – dare I say, this was a glimpse of the Kingdom of God. The beautiful city we have all built collectively and will continue to create together each day. Can you see it – can you imagine it?
The setting in our scripture this morning seems radically different then the scene we just imagined together. The story of Jesus in the temple begins with the gathering of many Jewish people in Jerusalem in recognition of the Passover. Upon entering the temple, Jesus is horrified to see people selling cattle and moneychangers exchanging currency. In a disturbing image for some of us, we see Jesus using a whip to drive people out of the temple, overturning the moneychangers’ tables, making their coins fly into the air and scatter all over. Shouting, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s House a marketplace!” In uncertainty and likely anger, the Jewish people asked Jesus for a sign that would justify what he was doing this in the temple. Jesus replied, “Destroy this temple, and it will be raised up in three days.” Knowing that the temple took decades to build, the Jewish people were in disbelief, wondering how Jesus could raise it up again in three days. The text then shifts to a time after Jesus has died, where his disciples remember what Jesus had said and understand that he was not referring to the temple being destroyed and raised up in three days, but Jesus’ own body, through his death and resurrection.
The story of Jesus cleansing the temple is one we recall hearing as children. It is a popular story that we have heard many times. We firmly believe that we know exactly what the scripture means – that Jesus was upset and angry with the merchants selling and exchanging goods inside the temple, instead of outside in the courtyard, where vendors were allowed. That Jesus was horrified the temple had become a place of selfishness and greed. That Jesus was claiming his own authority as the living God here on earth.
An alternative view of this story shows us that Jesus was not necessarily angry because people were buying and selling goods in the temple, but because within those exchanges, people were being cheated and taken advantage of, specifically people who were poor and oppressed. Jesus was so upset with what he saw, because he knew a better way. He understood the necessity of having sacred relationships with God and God’s people.
In the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, this story comes near the end of Jesus’ ministry, alluding that his cleansing of the temple directly relates to his crucifixion and death. Unlike the other gospels, the Gospel of John places this story right in the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, when he is just starting out as a teacher and storyteller. Having this story in Jesus’ early moments of ministry teaches us a few things – perhaps Jesus was just beginning to understand his mission in this world, still struggling with his identity, unsure how to be a minister of God, unsure how to live up to who God has called him to be. However, he did seem to understand that in order to have spiritually fulfilling lives, there must be a focus on respect, mutuality, and love, not greed and selfishness. In this story, Jesus is calling us to be better, to seek fulfilling lives with God and God’s people.
In the Gospel of John, the story of Jesus cleansing the temple is directly followed by a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus about the Kingdom of God. This highlight interests me the most because in this conversation, Nicodemus asks Jesus, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus responds saying, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born from above.” Jesus is not only validating the actuality of the Kingdom of God in this exchange, but Jesus is describing to Nicodemus his own belief and vision of the Kingdom of God.
I like to believe that in this story Jesus enters the temple fully knowing and understanding what the Kingdom of God looks like on earth. He is our example of righteous anger – the moral obligation to respond to injustice. Jesus sees the chaos in the temple - he is shocked, knowing with deep conviction that this is not what being in relationship with God looks like. His vision of God’s Kingdom on earth does not include selfishness, greed, oppression, and self-advancement. On the contrary, his vision is one of justice, love, and communal support – something built together, something to be proud of.
When I imagine the Kingdom of God here on earth – in Toledo, Ohio – I imagine a city that not only supports but embraces all people – people without homes, those who are hungry, those who experience violence, those who experience racial injustice, those who call other countries home, those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. Toledo-based community leaders have come together in our recent past to react to the injustices that are evident in our region. For those who are hungry, we have Food for Thought – an organization that provides food assistance through mobile pantries each month, where patrons get to choose themselves the items that they would like to use in their homes. As a response to homelessness, we have Toledo Streets, a local newspaper that employs people without homes as vendors, where they receive 75% of the earnings they make. For those who are LGBT, we have Equality Toledo and Equality Ohio, whose mission it is to create a city and state where all people receive fair treatment regardless of their gender identity and sexual orientation. Clearly, we have many community members, leaders, and organizations to be proud of in our city. But there is still so much more work to do.
What injustice do you see in this city? What stirs up righteous anger in you? How will you choose to act in response to that injustice? Imagine this beautiful city of Toledo – where all people are accepted, loved, and embraced. What role will you play in creating the Kingdom of God on earth?
Marching in Toledo Pride last August was the first time I ever participated in an LGBT-affirming action in my home city. I have experienced discrimination and have been witness to countless other oppressions in this city. I have chosen to react in righteous anger by celebrating my LGBT community and participating in a public way. I could have chosen to sit on the sidelines, stay quiet and comfortable. Instead, I chose to participate in life – not only to participate but invite my family, the people I care about most, to join in with me. And I am so glad I did. This participation allowed me to experience God in a new way. It gave me the privilege to be my authentic self, just as God intended, alongside those I love, in this beautiful city that has raised me to be who I am today. This is my glimpse of the Kingdom of God on earth. This is what God has called me to do. This is my life’s work. What is your life’s work? What is God’s Kingdom calling you to do?
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment