The So-Called Silver Rule (a Steve Orr Lectionary reflection)

There’s a story, a Talmudic story, about a rabbi who was challenged by a non-Jew. To be clear, this person was mocking the rabbi when he “pledged” to convert to Judaism if the rabbi could express the entire Torah while standing on one foot. You can see how mocking that is, right?

In response, the rabbi immediately stands on one foot, and says, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor.”

This is sometimes called “The Silver Rule.” I think any follower of Jesus can recognize that this is quite similar to “The Golden Rule” (“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”) In fact, I think this so-called “Silver Rule” may better capture the true spirit of the more famous one.

It certainly helps us understand the actual meaning. As hard as it may be to believe, some people end up doing bad things to others in the name of “The Golden Rule.” So, working out some explanation is worthwhile.

People often sum up the Hippocratic Oath as “First, do no harm ....” In reality, it’s quite a bit longer and much more complex. But, that short piece gets the gist of it right. But, even more importantly, it captures the true full meaning for medical practitioners. Nothing in the longer version transcends the doing of no harm.

I write this comparison of “rules” and true meanings because there may be a need to do so with this week’s passage from 2 Corinthians. The Apostle Paul is in the middle of asking the members of the church at Corinth to supply funds for the relief of other Jesus followers (in other places) who have a financial need.

I have often heard portions of this passage (and others) used as a way to guilt people into giving money to a church or ministry. They often leave out the explanation Paul supplies: “I do not mean there should be relief for others and pressure on you.”

He goes on to say he only wants them to give “out of their abundance” to those others who are in need, rather than put themselves in poverty to help others. He further explains that he would expect a reciprocal arrangement should they ever find themselves in need and wanting other churches to send money to them.

Maybe it’s a subtle point, but I just keep encountering people who think they must impoverish themselves or they can’t be “real” Christians. I feel it needs to be underscored.

There’s a saying I once heard from a Texan: “If all you can do is all you can do, then all you can do is enough.” God loves us and, for the most part, only asks of us what we can do. If we are stretched, it is only because we are capable of it.

Here’s my version of all this: “In doing your good, do no harm, even to yourself.” I think that sums it up nicely.

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Photo: http://www.mimlitschgray.com/following/mimlitschgray.com/melting-silver-2002-2008

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Readings for the coming week
Proper 8 (13) (July 1, 2018)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//

2Samuel 1:1, 17-27
Psalm 130
Lamentations 3:22-33
Psalm 30
2Corinthians 8:7-15
Mark 5:21-43

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Just a quick reminder that DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast meets Friday morning at 8:00 in the function room of the Waco “Egg and I” restaurant (entrance is down the outside and near the back of the building).

It’s a great hour of scripture, laughter, prayer, food, discussion, and fellowship.

Plenty of give and take.

Blessings,
Steve

dallas noir (a brief Lectionary reflection by Steve Orr)

Even as a kid, I was the one who was more interested in the B movie than the double feature headliner at our local drive-in theater. That's because the B movie was often the one with the "noir."

Noir is a story style that usually involves at least one dead person, murdered by someone wanting something that dead person owned, controlled, or had access to. Think: The Maltese Falcon. There is almost always a tough-talking protagonist seeking the truth, along with some complicated chemistry ("sparkage") between the protagonist and a suspect. Think: Mike Hammer.

I like noir.

Seems like I was always having to stay up late to see the B movie or catch the late, late show. But that's when I could see the hard-boiled detective (private or police) wade through the miasma of half-truths and red herrings on the way to ferreting out the perpetrator. This may be why I am a night owl.

I like noir so much, I recently made a pilgrimage to the Half-Price Books mother ship in north Dallas to attend the pre-release event for a new anthology called "dallas noir." This is the 60-th release from Akashic Books in a series with titles like boston noir, mumbai noir, and wall street noir (lower case all intentional). Future editions include such destinations as Baghdad, Stockholm, and Jerusalem.

The evening did not disappoint. Not only could I purchase the book in advance of public release, the editor and ten of the authors were on hand! I stood, transfixed, as author after author discussed his/her story, the what and why of it, and how they chose that particular Dallas neighborhood in which to set it. A little bit of heaven for a noir lover.

As the term implies, these are dark stories. I've spent more than a little time trying to sort out just what it is that draws me to them. A few years ago, after considering and dismissing one reason after another, I decided it was this: almost every story has at its center a knight-in-tarnished-armor who struggles against that darkness, perhaps personally, perhaps professionally, and not always succeeding . . . but never giving up.

Now, in this week's Lectionary selections, I find another reason. With all its darkness (commandments are broken, deadly sins are everywhere), each noir story serves up a dramatic illustration of what can happen when we forget something important: The idea that we control the flow of wealth is an illusion, and attempts to take it from others always leads to a dark place. When this life is measured in decades that can usually be counted on the fingers of two hands, the very concept of "possession" must be called into question.

True, while we're here, we are to be good stewards of what has been entrusted to us. And while stewarding these trusts, we are to do so in recognition of this truth:

‘The silver and gold are mine,’ says the Lord who rules over all. (Haggai 2:8)


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http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu

READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Proper 27 (32) (November 10, 2013)

Haggai 1:15b-2:9
Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21 or Psalm 98
Job 19:23-27a
Psalm 17:1-9
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
Luke 20:27-38

Can you be with us Friday morning? We're still meeting at 8:00 at the Waco "Egg and I" restaurant. The food is tasty and the coffee is hot.

Oh, and their dark roast is superb :-)

Enjoy the week!
Steve