Keeping in Touch; Begging for Blessings

"Circling Jesus" may be a good title for what I wish to share today.

First, the mundane. I have made payment plan arrangements through SallieMae for my remaining Seminary fees. And I am, at this moment, in the Seminary library, after dealing with nerves and the 495 Beltway drive into Washington, D.C. Yet, all is well - with the world and my soul - only because our Universal Parent and Only God, Jehovah or YHWH - is fully in charge of it.

Second, my Pastor, Jeff E. Hartman, sent a loving acknowledgement to my updates for our Perry Hall Baptist Church family. Both the choir and some additional Bible Study class friends and teachers, and the most-generous choir, misses my presence. I donotknowmusic, but ever since I heard "Amazing Grace ... How sweet the sound," I have wished to join in singing loudly and unreservedly about my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And the Choir at PHBC (www.PerryHallBaptist.org) has welcomed me and helped me without ever criticising my poor singing!

Among the books and homework/assignments I am busy with is the book by Gerd Theissen, The Shadow of the Galilean (Fortress Press, 1987 - translated from the German by John Bowden for the Christian K. Verlag publication in 1986). Although this book is about the historical Jesus, the author tells a story through the eyes of an important fictional eyewitness and ordinary fruit and grain-seller. The vendor, Andreas John, reveals he is from Sepphoris in Galilee while Andreas is in prison and being interrogated by the Roman authorities. There had been a riot, and although these events lead to our Lord's crucifixion, Andreas reveals he was in Jerusalem for Pentecost, but not because of Christ. He had come for political reasons: to catch a glimpse of the zealot, Barabbas, a famous anti-Roman agitator and Jewish patriot. In his answers, Andreas does not mention Barabbas, only Pentecost, so as to help get out of prison faster.

The interrogator follows up with, "Do you claim that you didn't shout 'No money for Pilate!'" In The Shadow of the Galilean, Theissen cites footnotes for his facts that are culled form canonical historical sources, though these may be only tangentially known to us Christians. Theissen, Professor of New Testament at the University of Heidelberg, does not add anything other than sound historical data to his account, and it may be advisable for my readers to google the author's name. He cites the historian/Source, Josephus, per De Bello Judaica or The Jewish War, for the anti-Pilate demonstrations. One big grievance the early Christians and Jews had against Pontius Pilate was his taking "the temple treasury for the building of a new aqueduct for Jeruslaem." (Theissen, The Shadow of the Galilean, pp1-4; 197).

Fascinating historical background about the people around Jesus obtains in the continuing interrogation of the Greek-speaking Jew, Andreas, who says his home town of Sepphoris "is [politically] quiet." The population is educated and Greek-speaking, yet mainly Jewish. The Roman official barks back, "Your city was a real nest of terrorists!" Andreas adds many things in his answers to distance himself from the purely political events in Jersualem around 30 A.D. (The Crucifixion), including that his father was pro-Roman and a decurion, or member of the city Council, formulated along Greek city lines. But the charges against Sepphoris by Andreas' interrogator are interesting.

"Thirty-three years ago there was a rebellion against Romans and Herodians throughout Palestine. The rebels captured our city by a trick and forced the inhabitatnts to fight against the Romans. The city had to pay the penalty." The Roman general, Quintilius Varus, had sent troops storm Sepphoris, brun it, kill or enslave the survivors. Andreas quietly recalls how some had managed toescape the Roman wrath, among them the father of Barabbas. "Barabbas had often told me about it. Were they interrogating me because of him? But what could they know of our friendship?" (Theissen, pp.4-5)

Christ's message and work among us does occur in circles and cycles. Reading just a few pages into my assignment, I was reminded of how I had sought the Church as a political weapon against segregation, or apartheid, in South Africa. For the longest time ... during the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s ... nothing was done for the oppressed majority in my native South Africa. I loved Christ - but loved political freedom, more! I became intrigued by many ideologies, as indeed the leaders of the oppressed masses in South Africa seemed to be, also. Strangely ... miraculously ... after the first fully democratic elections that made Nelson Mandela president in South Africa, our historic president came out of the closet, as it were, and declared he is a Methodist and Christian. Those values sustained him in prison for 27 years, including several on the windswept, harsh prison called Robben Island (as expressed in his autobiography Long Walk To Freedom). And after my own forays in diplomacy and Foreign Affairs, I have come to see that the background figure of the past, Jesus Christ, is simply my raison d'etre - the reason for being, my only work here on earth. He had been a kindly shadow guidng and protecting me these several decades. Alelujah!

Daily, then, I am circling and recycling your words and mine, our best intentions, and "accidents" of the past and present for success, which must translate first and foremost into the Glory To His Name. Amen and Shalom my Friends on AC and elsewhere, as you continue to hold me up in prayer and in the Light.