Our Present Rupture: Good Friday
Today is Good Friday. A day marked by state sanctioned violence of the Roman empire and the United States. Another black man was murdered - not on a cross - but by a version of it that worships crucifixions. This kind of cross drips with supremacist notions of privilege. His name: Patrick Lyoya.
“Truly, I tell you, today you’ll be with me in paradise.”
This week in my intro to New Testament class, we’ve continued our discussions about my favorite / least favorite epistle Paul. And I can’t shake something we learned together a few weeks prior that continues to rattle me on this Good Friday.
The origin of the word church derives a meaning connected to an imperialistic nature of a ruling over. Throughout centuries we’ve arrived at the gathering word of ecclesia - the assembly of believers. But the origin of church as a word is haunting and as a called minister, I have to deal with that truth and lean into telling it honestly.
Paul was a Roman citizen. He lived and operated within the political system and framing of Rome’s rule. He saw the persecution that befell the Jesus movement and strived to marry a new order that allowed early christians to live into their faith without death befalling them.
I can relate to Paul. As a queer kicked out of church space for decades, I too, do not want to succumb to death. I, too, want to see my community - our communities - thrive. It’s tempting to utilize the structures of systems to gain fast access. And, I think in many ways this is what Paul did. He got a fast pass in the Roman game of monopoly for the early church.
But, here’s the truth: we all die. And if our faith teaches us that life comes after this death. Then death in the face of subverting the Empire is better than succumbing to the Empire's ways of being.
In Romans 13:1-7, Paul does something crucial to the makeup of the church and our democracy today (whatever we might label that now). Paul marries the state and the church to each other through obedience to authority’s law.
Paul takes the fast pass for survival of his present moment and sadly, I think, paved the way for Christian supremacy to form. I don’t think this was Paul’s intention. I do believe Paul loved the church, God, Christ and the Spirit that moves us.
We can learn from Paul here. - especially on this Good Friday.
We get to make a choice in this present rupture of our world. Do we take a fast pass to comfort? Or do we lean in to subvert Empire? Do we build our churches from the money of the Empire or do we forge a way for the people to gather in tents of holy fabric?
Paul’s declaration to work with the government can be reformed. To work with the government can be to subvert the work of the government. This means calling out the work that is oppressing and killing the most marginalized in our communities. This means asking what is of greater value to us: our church buildings or the kin-dom of God’s people (this means - all people)? This means calling for systems of violence to be de-funded, dis-banded, and evaluated by outside parties that can see to true safety. This means voting and uplifting voices dialed down when they should be dialed up. This means living as Christ did to turn the world upside down for a more just world.
This is indeed a rupturing moment and Good Friday places us at the body of Christ in front of the physical ruptures of his body and his spirit.
My sibling Paul we cannot serve or work within the authority that oppresses and kills our Rabbi Jesus - that shoots a black man dead - that passes legislation that endangers trans kids - that claims control over another’s body.
Let us thirst for justice and subversion of christian supremacy.