A conversation about this week's lectionary Bible passages

Daniel 7:9-10 sets before us the image of God as “Ancient One.” With that image in our hearts and minds, we can envision many aspects of God that illuminate that image. They might include: a wise elder with a gentle yet firm way of teaching about life; a loving grandmother with a full flowing skirt with folds that provide safe places for hiding and secure places for snuggling; and an old man whittling a piece of cast-off wood into an intricate design, dispelling any notion of idleness that is mistaken for serenity. Yet all these aspects of the Ancient One seem to disappear when we encounter Daniel’s arbiter of justice sitting on his great throne being served by the masses. The shift in image needs to be examined for both how it has been used to ruthlessly judge others, and also to proclaim God’s justice and liberation. In 2 Samuel 23:1-7 and Psalm 132, we may also examine how God’s justice and covenant may or may not be extended through political power as that of the reign of David.

In the book of Daniel, the Hebrew people under the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes (167–164 B.C.E.) needed hope. Likewise, God’s royal majesty and strength described in Psalm 93 can be comforting if your place in life leaves you at the mercy of those who are in power. When God’s people are persecuted, they look for a strong liberator. At moments of persecution and discrimination, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have longed for such liberation — a clear, strong victory. The language of Daniel’s vision assures God’s people that God’s justice does reign — it is a dominion that will not pass away. God acts definitively.

	In what ways is the image of God as conquering liberator and ruler good news for you or for your congregation? What other images need to supplement this one?

Revelation 1:4b-8 also may lead us to an unfailing hope. If only we could comprehend what Jesus was trying to tell us and live it, we would finally be cooperating with God’s realm of justice and peace. In Revelation, paradise isn’t lost forever or only attainable after we die. “Every eye will see him” (verse 7) implies that all of us will see the incarnation of love itself in Jesus and no longer have to “see in a mirror dimly” (1 Corinthians 13:12). The self-righteousness in us may hope that the unjust and violent will wail with grief at what they’ve done to God’s creation. Yet, the real hope and greater conviction is that God truly is the beginning and end of everything — language, thought, imagination, life and all that is beyond our knowledge or comprehension.

	What difference does it make if one lives confidently believing God is “the Alpha and the Omega,” the beginning and ending?

In John 18:33-37, the Roman official Pilate’s manipulative interrogation of Jesus does not hold under Jesus’ own question and clarity of calling. Jesus points to a reign that judges Pilate’s realm as only political. When asked if he is a king, Jesus doesn’t answer “yes” or “no,” but instead points to his very reason for being born, “to testify to the truth” (verse 37). Power doesn’t rest in position, but in Jesus speaking the truth to power. LGBT people and the church, together, are called to follow Jesus’ lead. We speak the truth in the world around us, declaring sometimes “yes,” sometimes “no,” grounded in God’s reign of justice and love.

Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus answers questions with questions, and speaks with a depth that frustrates those he engages. Today, there seem to be times when conversations between LGBT folks and those who battle against them are frustrating in a similar kind of way. In exploring this passage, April Baker reflected her experience with such conversations: “I speak conservative Christian very well. It’s the language of my childhood and certainly of my culture as a southerner. So, when I talk to people using their vocabulary, but speak a different message than they have heard before, puzzled stares are common. ‘But what about…’ ‘But the Bible says…’ ‘But how can you…’ become the responses, not unlike Pilate’s attempt to talk to Jesus. Done well, this can be a good way of pointing out another way of being or thinking. On the other hand, this method can also be used to demean another or try to embarrass them or catch them in their ignorance. Truth and grace should be inextricably bound in this kind of conversation.”

	When have you felt the frustration of communicating who you are with someone who didn’t understand? How can you remain faithful through these encounters?