4/27
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| Lion on Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd. |
Another cold and raw day like yesterday.
I decide to walk the winding path that leads from Lenox Avenue to 5th through the Martin Luther King, Jr. Projects. A sprawling complex of 10 buildings with over 3600 residents built 1950, the King houses still have a feel of a portal to the middle class. Most of the people who live there are employed in blue collar jobs. The grounds feel cared for. In the center of the complex is a showcase basketball court, surrounded by permanent seating, a perfect place for the summer leagues that draw NBA and college stars to the city streets for the storied street ball tournaments. There is no one anywhere near the court. The hoops have been removed.
I come out on 5th heading for the bar that looked so open and inviting yesterday. There it is, closed up tight as a drum, as they say. No sign of life anywhere. Was it a just a weekend thing? Or maybe a mirage? Looking for an oasis in this coronavirus desert.
Amy Millan was the long time leader of the music program at West Park, beginning with the Enlace de gracia multicultural service in the afternoon and then the 11 o’cock English service as well. Haven’t seen her in awhile. And then last winter, I ran into her playing keyboard in a Latin Jazz band sharing the bill with friends of mine from Composers Concordance at a club in Harlem. Today I learned her husband Arturo, in his midfifties, had just died of the virus, striking the West Park family yet again. I can’t imagine any protestor demanding we reopen in the name of their liberty has lost a husband or wife or parent yet.
Tonight our Bible Study turns to Luke 24: 13-35, the Easter story we know as The Emmaus Road story. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus is encountered by a couple of lesser light disciples who at first don’t recognize him. He reveals himself to them, then they go on to a house and invite him to stay for dinner. He makes himself known to them in the breaking of bread. Then they head to Jerusalem to tell the original 12 what has happened. On first reading, Russ is taken by the fact he was made known to them on the breaking of bread. I say for me, that’s the bottom line to this passage.
What is notable here:
* Their eyes were kept from recognizing him. OK,a common theme for Luke. But by whom? And if by God, why? And if not, WHO?
* Th two walkers refer to the recently executed Jesus as prophet. Like Moses pointing the way to the Promised Land…or the prophets seeing the loss of their country or their seeing clearly the return from exile. The son of man. Another way of saying "the human one.
* They were looking for the redemption of Israel. Marsha grew up with S&H Green Stamp redemption centers. (Sounds like a megachurch to me!) You’d trade greens stamps for valuable, items. What doe sit mean in this context? Like the advent song : "O come O come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel."...paying off a debt so the debtor can go free…
* Suffering is necessary for God’s plan of redemption
Jesus six times in this Gospel predicts his capture, torture, suffering, death and rising after three days. Why is this necessary? I have to reject any scheme that starts with we are so bad that God has to send his Son to die on our behalf to satisfy God. That has no attraction or meaning to me. On the other hand , I can see that only one who has suffrered to the depths of human experience can redeem. Who understand the priest in Camus' Plague that no heavenly reward can justify one moment of human suffering, especially the suffering of one child. It is knowing, it is solidarity. Dion knows from 12 step groups ho one who has ben down the road can help another on the way.
* Hiddenness
Another way of looking at this is that God allows us to understand. Or as Calvin understood it, even the capacity to understand is a function of grace.
* Breaking of bread
I the 1970’s iteration of the Presbyterian Worshipbook, it was recommended that Eucharost become a weekly event. And that it be introduced by this Lukan massage, not he last supper. Certainly Bishop Spong felt the recognizing in the breaking of bread was the true resurrection sorry and the others came later. In the repetition of what they had done so many countless times before they felt his presence with them. In revolutionary Nicaragua, the form of address was companero, one I break bred with. Even the English word companion has the same Latin roots.
We talk about how prophets foretold not only a messiah, but a messianic age. Not personal salvation, but collective liberation.
We saw in the next evidence of the conflict between Christians and synagogue Jews, tow sinking Jewish groups. Both subjugated by Rome and classic example of how conquered peoples can be pitted against one another.
SO what do we take from this?
Our Israel, our nation needs be redeemed. Captive to predatory economics and ever escalating class division. In exile from it self, now by the virus, but even before by principalities and powers.
Only those who have suffered, who have been in identity with ONEwith those who have suffered can beincolved in that redemption.
The breaking of bread symbolizes the collective, the coming Messianic Age, the Kingdom (Kindom) of God , Martin Luther King, Jr’s beloved community.
We’re called to create it now, live in it now, even in coronavirusworld. Luke 24:13-35 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
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The Walk to Emmaus
13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad.[b] 18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19 He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth,[c] who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel.[d] Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” 25 Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah[e] should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29 But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us[f] while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” 33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
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