Endless Strength! / Your love authored life / when You spoke that one Word. / You’re the One who ordered / order, created / Creation, Your own / way.
—Hildegard of Bingen, trans. Carmen Acevedo Butcher
Father Richard understands the cosmos as the first Incarnation of God:
The first Incarnation of God did not happen in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. That is just when it became human and personal for us, and many people started taking divine embodiment seriously. The initial Incarnation actually happened around 13.8 billion years ago with the “Big Bang.” That is what we call the moment when God decided to materialize and self-expose.
Two thousand years ago marks the human incarnation of God in Jesus, but before that there was the first and original incarnation through light, water, land, sun, moon, stars, plants, trees, fruit, birds, serpents, cattle, fish, and “every kind of wild beast” according to the creation story in Genesis 1:3–25. This was the “Cosmic Christ” through whom “God has let us know the mystery of his purpose, the hidden plan he so kindly made from the beginning in Christ” (see Ephesians 1:9–10). Christ is not Jesus’ last name; it’s the title for his life’s purpose.
Jesus is the very concrete truth revealing and standing in for the universal truth. As Colossians puts it, “he is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation” (1:15); he is the one glorious part that names and reveals the even more glorious whole. “The fullness is founded in him … everything in heaven and everything on earth” (Colossians 1:19–20). Christ, for Franciscan theologian John Duns Scotus, was the very first idea in the mind of God [1] and God has never stopped thinking, dreaming, and creating the Christ. “The immense diversity and pluriformity of this creation more perfectly represent God than any one creature alone or by itself,” adds Thomas Aquinas. [2]
For most of us, this is a significant shaking of our foundational image of the universe and of our religion. Yet if any group should have come to this quite simply and naturally, it should have been the three groups of believers that call themselves monotheists: Jews, Christians, and Muslims all believe that the world was created by one God. It would seem to follow therefore that everything, everything without exception, would bear the clear imprint and likeness of the one Creator.
Our very suffering now, our condensed presence on this common nest that we have fouled, will soon be the ONE thing that we finally share in common. It might well be the one thing that will bring us together. The earth and its life systems on which we all entirely depend (just as we depend on God!) might soon become the very thing that will convert us to a simple gospel lifestyle, to necessary community, and to an inherent and universal sense of the holy.
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Skye Jethani
In much of our culture, leadership has become a dirty word. Trust in institutions has plummeted over the last 30 years because of toxic, abusive, or corrupt leadership. The greed of financial leaders created the mortgage crisis that nearly destroyed the economy in 2008. The self-interest of religious leaders led them to cover up abuse scandals in some of the country’s largest churches and denominations. And let’s not even get into the shortcomings of our political leaders.
I don’t know if today’s leaders are more corrupt and less virtuous than leaders from the past, or if we simply see more of their shortcomings now because of technology and social media. Either way, the temptation to abuse power is not a modern problem, and neither is the desire to seek a leadership position for selfish gain and ego inflation. The Bible is full of terrible leaders, some good leaders, and many flawed leaders. David belonged to the last category.
In Psalm 144, David speaks of his leadership by echoing the words of Psalm 8. John Goldingay says, “Psalm 8 marvels that God puts mere humans in control of the world; Psalm 144 marvels that God puts a particular human being, the king or governor, in charge of Israel.” (See Psalm 8:4-6 and Psalm 144:3). Although David is just a mortal man, YHWH has given him the power of life and death, the power to make war, and to subjugate people (verses 1-2). It is a terrible and awesome responsibility that is easy to abuse—and often is.
The final verses of Psalm 144, however, reveal David’s wisdom. He understands that God has not given him this leadership role to glorify himself, but to serve the interest of others. David recognizes that being a faithful and successful king will result in future generations being blessed. He speaks of Israel’s sons and daughters living in peace and prosperity, and free from the fear of poverty or slavery (verses 12-14). Simply put, YHWH made him king to serve and bless God’s people. God’s people do not exist to serve and bless the king.
Although the church has no king but Jesus, the same principle implied by Psalm 144 is found in the New Testament. When speaking about gifts within the church, Paul is careful to say that the Spirit gives gifts “for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7). And gifts often associated with leadership—apostleship, prophecy, teaching, etc.—are not given to believers for their own benefit, but to build up and strengthen others within the church. Therefore, any Christian given a role of influence is to have the same mindset as Christ. We are to value others above ourselves and use our power to serve and bless others. Maybe if this Christian vision of power were seen more within the church, leadership would no longer be a dirty word.
DAILY SCRIPTURE
Psalm 144:1-15
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
WEEKLY PRAYER
Basil of Caesarea (330 – 379)
O Lord, the help of the helpless,
the hope of the hopeless,
the savior of the storm-tossed,
the harbor of voyagers,
the physician of the sick;
we pray to you.
O Lord, you know each of us and our petitions;
you know each house and its needs;
receive us all into your kingdom;
make us children of light,
and bestow your peace and love upon us.
Amen.
