Sacred Images

In my faith tradition---not where I am now, but in my tradition---we use icons to remind us of what is sacred and in order to make real and better communicate to us what we read in the Bible and what we hear and sing or chant from our traditions. It is not that we pray to the icons or think of them as magic. It's better said that we believe that there are saints, that death does not hold the saints as prisoners, that the saints can intercede for us in the state they inhabit now just as they could when they were living with us, that we don't know all of the saints, and that we pray through icons (rather than to them).

Here are three images that hold what I think of as a common sacred theme that illustrate what I'm trying to say.

The first image is a Coptic icon of the Nativity of Christ. Note that Jesus, Mary, and the wise men have dark skins and that Jesus is giving a blessing. The second image is from Appalachia in the years of the Great Depression. I think that the photograph was taken by Dorothea Lange, but I may be mistaken. The same synergy (dynamic interaction and cooperation) is there as it is in the Coptic icon. The third image comes from Kristin Kennedy of Virginia Lee Studios in Southwestern Virginia. There again is synergy, and the man is looking at us much as one of the wise men in the Coptic icon is.

These are sacred images for me, each in their own way. There is tenderness---and it comes from something great that is both within us and beyond us. There is synergy. There is hope and faith---and faith is always the "confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." And there is the reality that the Jews were oppressed at the time of Christ's birth in a manger or a cave and that today in Appalachia people live in colonial or semi-colonial conditions and that it is not always easy to find doctors to provide prenatal care and deliver healthy babies.

I imagine that the woman in the coal camp either had a midwife or a company doctor and that her baby was delivered at home, a house rented from the company and paid for by a miner's labor. And I know that conditions changed because people borrowed some courage from the saints and left their Egypts, not fearing the coal operator's anger, and persevered on picketlines because they had a vision of a country of their own. (Hebrews 11)

These are also sacred images for me because carrying and bearing and caring for a child and supporting a family are all hard work, and honest work is scared. We all have within us a precious icon of God, the imprint of God's work and love and solidarity. Our responsibilities to one another are thus sacred or are sacramental. And if we look carefully and give ourselves time, we can see something of God in everyone.

I might have chosen a photograph from Kristin Kennedy's outstanding work showing a mother holding her newborn, but I wanted to make an additional point. It's okay to think of God as feminine or as both feminine and masculine or beyond gender. It's okay to think of God as a Sacred Parent or as Father or as Mother. Mary held Jesus in her arms. Joseph likely held his son as well. 

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION FROM REFORMJUDAISM.ORG WITH RESOUCES & COMMENTARIES

The following is taken from ReformJudaism.org. There you will find a podcast on this reading for tomorrow, a summary of this reading, a commentary on this reading, context and teaching and much more. This will be of interest to people of all faiths, and all of this is really quite helpful and inspiring. 

Acharei Mot I

After the Death [of the Two Sons of Aaron]

Leviticus 16:1–17:16

Translation from The Torah: A Modern Commentary (CCAR Press)


16:1] The Eternal One spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron who died when they drew too close to the presence of the Eternal. 2] The Eternal One said to Moses:

Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come at will into the Shrine behind the curtain, in front of the cover that is upon the ark, lest he die; for I appear in the cloud over the cover. 3] Thus only shall Aaron enter the Shrine: with a bull of the herd for a purgation offering and a ram for a burnt offering.— 4] He shall be dressed in a sacral linen tunic, with linen breeches next to his flesh, and be girt with a linen sash, and he shall wear a linen turban. They are sacral vestments; he shall bathe his body in water and then put them on.— 5] And from the Israelite community he shall take two he-goats for a purgation offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

6] Aaron is to offer his own bull of purgation offering, to make expiation for himself and for his household. 7] Aaron shall take the two he-goats and let them stand before the Eternal at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting; 8] and he shall place lots upon the two goats, one marked for the Eternal and the other marked for Azazel. 9] Aaron shall bring forward the goat designated by lot for the Eternal, which he is to offer as a purgation offering; 10] while the goat designated by lot for Azazel shall be left standing alive before the Eternal, to make expiation with it and to send it off to the wilderness for Azazel.

11] Aaron shall then offer his bull of purgation offering, to make expiation for himself and his household. He shall slaughter his bull of purgation offering, 12] and he shall take a panful of glowing coals scooped from the altar before the Eternal, and two handfuls of finely ground aromatic incense, and bring this behind the curtain. 13] He shall put the incense on the fire before the Eternal, so that the cloud from the incense screens the cover that is over [the Ark of] the Pact, lest he die. 14] He shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger over the cover on the east side; and in front of the cover he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. 15] He shall then slaughter the people’s goat of purgation offering, bring its blood behind the curtain, and do with its blood as he has done with the blood of the bull: he shall sprinkle it over the cover and in front of the cover.

16] Thus he shall purge the Shrine of the impurity and transgression of the Israelites, whatever their sins; and he shall do the same for the Tent of Meeting, which abides with them in the midst of their impurity. 17] When he goes in to make expiation in the Shrine, nobody else shall be in the Tent of Meeting until he comes out.

When he has made expiation for himself and his household, and for the whole congregation of Israel, 18] he shall go out to the altar that is before the Eternal and purge it: he shall take some of the blood of the bull and of the goat and apply it to each of the horns of the altar; 19] and the rest of the blood he shall sprinkle on it with his finger seven times. Thus he shall purify it of the defilement of the Israelites and consecrate it.

20] When he has finished purging the Shrine, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, the live goat shall be brought forward. 21] Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities and transgressions of the Israelites, whatever their sins, putting them on the head of the goat; and it shall be sent off to the wilderness through a designated agent. 22] Thus the goat shall carry on it all their iniquities to an inaccessible region; and the goat shall be set free in the wilderness.

23] And Aaron shall go into the Tent of Meeting, take off the linen vestments that he put on when he entered the Shrine, and leave them there. 24] He shall bathe his body in water in the holy precinct and put on his vestments; then he shall come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, making expiation for himself and for the people. 25] The fat of the purgation offering he shall turn into smoke on the altar.

26] The one who set the Azazel-goat free shall wash those clothes and bathe the body in water—and after that may reenter the camp.

27] The bull of purgation offering and the goat of purgation offering whose blood was brought in to purge the Shrine shall be taken outside the camp; and their hides, flesh, and dung shall be consumed in fire. 28] The one who burned them shall wash those clothes and bathe the body in water—and after that may re-enter the camp.

29] And this shall be to you a law for all time: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall practice self-denial; and you shall do no manner of work, neither the citizen nor the alien who resides among you. 30] For on this day atonement shall be made for you to purify you of all your sins; you shall be pure before the Eternal. 31] It shall be a sabbath of complete rest for you, and you shall practice self-denial; it is a law for all time. 32] The priest who has been anointed and ordained to serve as priest in place of his father shall make expiation. He shall put on the linen vestments, the sacral vestments. 33] He shall purge the innermost Shrine; he shall purge the Tent of Meeting and the altar; and he shall make expiation for the priests and for all the people of the congregation.

34] This shall be to you a law for all time: to make atonement for the Israelites for all their sins once a year.

And Moses did as the Eternal had commanded him.

17:1] The Eternal One spoke to Moses, saying: 2] Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelite people and say to them:

This is what the Eternal has commanded: 3] if anyone of the house of Israel slaughters an ox or sheep or goat in the camp, or does so outside the camp, 4] and does not bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to present it as an offering to the Eternal, before the Eternal’s Tabernacle, bloodguilt shall be imputed to that party: having shed blood, that person shall be cut off from among this people. 5] This is in order that the Israelites may bring the sacrifices which they have been making in the open—that they may bring them before the Eternal, to the priest, at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and offer them as sacrifices of well-being to the Eternal; 6] that the priest may dash the blood against the altar of the Eternal at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and turn the fat into smoke as a pleasing odor to the Eternal; 7] and that they may offer their sacrifices no more to the goat-demons after whom they stray. This shall be to them a law for all time, throughout the ages.

8] Say to them further: If anyone of the house of Israel or of the strangers who reside among them offers a burnt offering or a sacrifice, 9] and does not bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting to offer it to the Eternal, that person shall be cut off from this people.

10] And if anyone of the house of Israel or of the strangers who reside among them partakes of any blood, I will set My face against the person who partakes of the blood; I will cut that person off from among kin. 11] For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have assigned it to you for making expiation for your lives upon the altar; it is the blood, as life, that effects expiation. 12] Therefore I say to the Israelite people: No person among you shall partake of blood, nor shall the stranger who resides among you partake of blood.

13] And if any Israelite or any stranger who resides among them hunts down an animal or a bird that may be eaten, that person shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. 14] For the life of all flesh—its blood is its life. Therefore I say to the Israelite people: You shall not partake of the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood. Anyone who partakes of it shall be cut off.

15] Any person, whether citizen or stranger, who eats what has died or has been torn by beasts shall wash those clothes, bathe in water, remain impure until evening—and shall then be pure. 16] But if the clothes are not washed and the body is not bathed, that person shall bear the guilt.


Translation from The Torah: A Modern Commentary, copyright (c) 2016 by CCAR Press. All rights reserved. Translation of Exodus; Leviticus; Numbers; Deuteronomy from NJPS © 1962, 1985, 1999; CJPS © 2006. Used and adapted by CCAR Press with permission from The Jewish Publication Society and the University of Nebraska Press. No part of this translation may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or be transmitted without express written permission from the Central Conference of American Rabbis. For permission, please contact CCAR Press.

The Earth, Creation And Us

 

The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston on faith, strength, and the sacred---From the Native American/Indigenous Ministries of the Episcopal Church

This could be the story of this blog...

"The more uncertain the world becomes, the tighter my grip on the faith that sustains me. I am not necessarily brave by nature. I am not even strong. But I have a deep confidence based on experience. I know where I need to be when the storm clouds gather. In the Spirit is my life grounded. In the heart of the sacred I will take my stand. The storms may rise and howl, but I will not turn from them, for I have the power of mercy above me, and the source of every hope by my side. I give my trust to the unseen that I may behold more clearly the coming of peace, the presence of peace, in the lives of all who love."

The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston