What Change Would You Make?

THE CENTRAL CHARACTER in Octavia Butler’s short story “The Book of Martha” lives at a time of heightened human oppression and environmental crisis. Martha encounters God, who invites her to help remedy the situation, to make sure “that people treat one another better and treat their environment more sensibly.” Martha’s fear leads her to believe that such an encounter with God was a dream, more likely a nightmare. She insists that it is impossible for her to affect change and asks God to fix things. God replies, “What change would you want to make if you could make only one? Think of one important change.” Perhaps this is a question for all of us.

Martha’s encounter with God turns into something beautiful and allows her to see new possibilities to change the world. Her eventual move toward facilitating the kind of world she envisioned is made possible by her belief in her own agency — her ability to generate novel ideas and take measurable steps to realize them.

Too often justice is described in terms that are broad and abstract. The realization of justice requires concrete steps. Sometimes we despair when we fail to accomplish substantive change, despite our sacrifices and work. This is part of the human condition. But we are also called to actively hope and then take the steps that are ours to take. An alternative reality is possible when we allow ourselves to be transformed by God’s presence working in earlier models of liberation. We are invited to think creatively together about what is possible and pursue it passionately.

February 4

She Was ‘Deaconing’

Isaiah 40:21-31; Psalm 147:1-11, 20; 1 Corinthians 9:16-23; Mark 1:29-39

THE BOOK AND movie Hidden Figures tell the story of three African American women — Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Dorothy Vaughan — who made significant contributions to NASA during the space race. They were pioneers in their fields but were largely unknown until recently.

In Mark 1, the woman identified as Simon’s mother-in-law plays a key role in the story. Mark suggests that she “waited on” everyone after Jesus healed her. The Greek verb diakoneō, often translated as “waited on,” also means “to serve.” New Testament scholar Brendan Byrne notes that this verb has deeper meaning in Mark and foreshadows Jesus’ own service. It’s also used to describe the “ministering” actions of the women who faithfully followed Jesus at the end when others abandoned him. By the time Mark’s gospel was written, the nascent community of Jesus’ followers was already establishing the office of “deacons” (derived from the verb diakoneō). The text does not offer sufficient evidence to determine if Simon’s mother-in-law was serving in that office, but Mark’s use of such an infrequent verb to describe her work is significant. Furthermore, Mark uses the imperfect tense of the verb (“she kept serving them”) to suggest that she was continuously involved in the ministry.

All this raises the question: Why are male disciples named but not female disciples? By identifying this woman solely through her relationship with her son-in-law, Mark elevates Peter but keeps her largely hidden. Other women remained faithful to Jesus despite the risks. Most were not named. The church not only has an obligation but a need to recover these suppressed traditions so that we can learn these women’s contributions and be transformed by their stories.

February 11

When We Change

2 Kings 2:1-12; Psalm 50:1-6; 2 Corinthians 4:3-6; Mark 9:2-9

HOW OFTEN DO we go up a mountain and suddenly see strange sights? Jesus being transfigured right before the disciples’ eyes must have been shocking. Equally shocking was the arrival of Elijah (who has been “taken up” in 2 Kings 2) and Moses. Mountains are places of communication directly with God, but here Mark describes the appearance of two central characters from the past. Elijah and Moses offered a new model of leadership in the Hebrew tradition by standing up to the powers of their time.

The Greek word metamorphoō refers to change in physical form but also connotes spiritual transformation. The disciples had clear ideas about what Jesus should do in his ministry and how he should deploy his power, and Jesus had just chided them for their misplaced priorities. By having Jesus appear alongside Elijah and Moses, Mark offers a flashback to the two prophets and their ministry of challenging the powers of their time on behalf of oppressed people. The “voice” coming from the cloud presents Jesus as someone who continues that legacy and invites the disciples to follow his lead. It was a moment of Christological clarity for the disciples. The transfiguration story focuses on Jesus, but it also challenges the disciples to be transformed. Their vision of the world needs to change through their encounter with Elijah and Moses and the memory of prophets who willingly paid a great price to carry out God’s work, even as others accommodated to the powers. By extension, Mark reminds us of the models we are to follow so we can envision a more prophetic engagement with empires in our own time.

February 18

Good News for Whom?

Genesis 9:8-17; Psalm 25:1-10; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Mark 1:9-15

MARK'S STORY OF Jesus’ baptism depicts a dramatic and seemingly scary scene. Unlike other synoptic gospel writers, Mark employs the verb schizo rather than anoigo to describe the heavens splitting. While anoigo simply means “to open,” schizo indicates that the split was pronounced and even violent. I have watched several movies imagining the baptism scene, but rarely are they depicted with the force of Mark’s original. Why does Mark employ such a wrenching image?

It was no ordinary time. There was rampant economic and political oppression. Herod Antipas was about to execute John the Baptist for challenging those oppressive structures. Jesus was baptized into this context, into a movement of national repentance initiated by John. When Jesus saw the heavens tear apart, he also saw the existing world order rip open — and the possibility of a new one. The image of the heavens tearing open offers the promise of a grand divine intervention and assures the arrival of a new world that would be completely different in character from Rome. This vision and heavenly voice prompted Jesus to inaugurate the reign of God. Jesus’ announcement conveys a sense of immediacy but also highlights the need for swift action by all. The new reign is of divine origin but depends on humans to realize it. Jesus extends an invitation to realize the reign of God not to the most powerful people but to ordinary Galileans who were victims of the empire. To them, his message was good news. He invites them to dream of the possibility of an alternate realm and to help facilitate it. They are active participants in bringing this good news alive.

February 25

Lament and Hope

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Psalm 22:23-31; Romans 4:13-25; Mark 8:31-38

THE 2006 FILM The Pursuit of Happyness celebrates human resilience. Main character Chris Gardner, an unhoused salesperson, and his son, Christopher Jr., turn their difficulties into determination to actively imagine and pursue an alternate reality. Given the odds that were against them, it seemed incredible that they kept hoping for and pursuing a better future. Hope was their only way out. None of the barriers managed to undermine it.

How do we hold the tension of impossible odds and hope in God? Psalm 22 moves from crushing anguish about a current situation (verse 20: “Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs”) to an assurance and celebration of hope. The psalmist articulates a tension between doubt and trust but also sees them as existing simultaneously. Naming the depths of suffering does not undermine the possibility of hope for divine intervention — it may even engender it.

Commenting on how assurance and doubt alternate in human life, Old Testament scholar Kathleen A. Farmer writes that in Psalms, “the flow of human life and faith is seen to be more like an ocean wave than like a river current.” That is especially true of Psalm 22. It begins with the suggestion that God has forsaken God’s people but quickly turns to praise. God does not neglect the cries of the poor and ensures that they are fed and satisfied. The description of God as a king who has a bias for the poor is especially refreshing. The psalmist anticipates the possibility of change and exercises agency to realize it. Hope or assurance in divine deliverance might not always be the first response of oppressed individuals and communities, but failing to act in hope for a better reality is not an option for people of faith.