We've started discussing the sermon at the Sunday night Bible group and it's a good thing that the leaders come prepared with a set of questions drawn up by the pastor's wife because with a brain like mine there is no telling what kind of mischief can happen if you allow people to come up with their own questions. I am, really, trying to be very good.
So what we talked about was Mordecai refusing to bow to Haman and how that applies to our own lives. Now frankly, though I didn't say it, I think Mordecai was a fool. I know that is not the "correct" answer but that is how I see it. The question came up, did he know that he was putting others in danger by his refusal? It's hard to believe that he didn't see that there would be some consquences seeing as he was so connected with the Persian court. On the other hand, Haman strikes me as the kind of person who would have come up with another excuse to commit genocide.
Why do I think Mordecai was a fool? Because what he was being asked to do was a small thing. Let the big man strut around, dip your head to him, and go your way. Who is hurt by it? It's not like he was Rosa Parks refusing to get up when a white man demanded her seat. Now that was an injustice and it needed to be addressed. Bowing to someone, showing them an outward expression of respect, that is different. Your mind is still free to think what you want about that person. I don't know if it was a religious thing, Mordecai's refusal, because some commentators think it was merely a matter of court ritual, like kissing the Pope's ring or something like that. Silly things but you do them anyway, they aren't worth fighting over.
I was brought up with stories of Christians who were thrown to the lions because they refused to put a pinch of incense on the emperor's altar, so I get this mentality. It's a martyr mentality. It says death is preferable to life. Well, I do agree there are things that you have to stand your ground on, but some of the stuff religious leaders tell their flocks to stand their ground on is just plain silly. And people buy into it without question.
But now let's put the shoe on the other foot. I am an agnostic in an Evangelical congregation and so you might say that I am playing Mordecai to their Haman. I bow, I go through the motions, because there is something I want (friendship, social connections) and because in a Christian majority country this is what you do. When I was not going to church people would say that I ought to find one. Now that I am in one they are happy. The one thing that is missing from this picture is what do I really believe compared to what they believe. No one has asked me about my beliefs. Oh well, throw a pinch on the altar, make that bow. I get what I want, they get what they want and everyone's happy.
It's interesting to hear how they divide the world into two camps and are so concerned with taking a stand yet never stop to think that they may be demanding the same thing that Haman demanded of Mordecai. They are shocked when someone stands up to them and says, "No, I will not go along with this." That's not supposed to happen!
Right after we got done discussing the morning sermon, one of the members shared some information about a someone they knew who was going off to China to teach English. Apparently there is a big demand over there for people to teach English. So what this person and others are going to do is to go to China and teach English all right--but they are going to use the Bible as a textbook! Pretty clever, don't you think? (And how long before the Chinese authorities, who are NOT stupid, catch on to this little scheme? Talk about Mordecai not considering the consequences!!) I couldn't help it, I said that was dishonest. Dishonest? Yes! Dishonest! And that stunts like that could blow right up in their faces. I reminded them of the two American missionaries who were captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan, that they repeatedly denied that they were in the country to make converts and yet, every chance they got, they snuck Jesus into the conversation--knowing full well that the penalty for conversion from Islam was death to those converts. Well the Taliban got them and there was a big boo-hoo, but you know, even though I'm no friend of the Taliban, I think the Taliban actually treated them rather decent, considering. They allowed them to have their Bibles in prison, they didn't torture them--BUT, it was another story indeed for their hapless converts who WERE tortured and killed. Oh, but don't you know that is the greatest privilege you can have is to suffer and die for Jesus? That is what these two women told their new "friends" (with friends like these two, who needs enemies?). But, they did come to realize in the end that through their actions they had made it very difficult if not downright impossible for other non-governmental agencies to operate in Afghanistan. They actually admitted it. But that didn't stop them from being hailed as heroes of the faith when they returned to the United States.
Because, you see, you don't have to consider the consequences to yourself and others when it comes to matters of God. Mordecai didn't, and Mordecai is a hero. Oh, right now things look pretty dark for the Jews in the Book of Esther, but you wait and see, it will all come out right in the end. It always does, you know. God never fails to rescue anyone who cries out to Him (unless it happens to be His will otherwise--read the fine print).
Oh, well, it just makes my head spin to think about it so I will just continue to bow and say Hallelujah.
So what we talked about was Mordecai refusing to bow to Haman and how that applies to our own lives. Now frankly, though I didn't say it, I think Mordecai was a fool. I know that is not the "correct" answer but that is how I see it. The question came up, did he know that he was putting others in danger by his refusal? It's hard to believe that he didn't see that there would be some consquences seeing as he was so connected with the Persian court. On the other hand, Haman strikes me as the kind of person who would have come up with another excuse to commit genocide.
Why do I think Mordecai was a fool? Because what he was being asked to do was a small thing. Let the big man strut around, dip your head to him, and go your way. Who is hurt by it? It's not like he was Rosa Parks refusing to get up when a white man demanded her seat. Now that was an injustice and it needed to be addressed. Bowing to someone, showing them an outward expression of respect, that is different. Your mind is still free to think what you want about that person. I don't know if it was a religious thing, Mordecai's refusal, because some commentators think it was merely a matter of court ritual, like kissing the Pope's ring or something like that. Silly things but you do them anyway, they aren't worth fighting over.
I was brought up with stories of Christians who were thrown to the lions because they refused to put a pinch of incense on the emperor's altar, so I get this mentality. It's a martyr mentality. It says death is preferable to life. Well, I do agree there are things that you have to stand your ground on, but some of the stuff religious leaders tell their flocks to stand their ground on is just plain silly. And people buy into it without question.
But now let's put the shoe on the other foot. I am an agnostic in an Evangelical congregation and so you might say that I am playing Mordecai to their Haman. I bow, I go through the motions, because there is something I want (friendship, social connections) and because in a Christian majority country this is what you do. When I was not going to church people would say that I ought to find one. Now that I am in one they are happy. The one thing that is missing from this picture is what do I really believe compared to what they believe. No one has asked me about my beliefs. Oh well, throw a pinch on the altar, make that bow. I get what I want, they get what they want and everyone's happy.
It's interesting to hear how they divide the world into two camps and are so concerned with taking a stand yet never stop to think that they may be demanding the same thing that Haman demanded of Mordecai. They are shocked when someone stands up to them and says, "No, I will not go along with this." That's not supposed to happen!
Right after we got done discussing the morning sermon, one of the members shared some information about a someone they knew who was going off to China to teach English. Apparently there is a big demand over there for people to teach English. So what this person and others are going to do is to go to China and teach English all right--but they are going to use the Bible as a textbook! Pretty clever, don't you think? (And how long before the Chinese authorities, who are NOT stupid, catch on to this little scheme? Talk about Mordecai not considering the consequences!!) I couldn't help it, I said that was dishonest. Dishonest? Yes! Dishonest! And that stunts like that could blow right up in their faces. I reminded them of the two American missionaries who were captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan, that they repeatedly denied that they were in the country to make converts and yet, every chance they got, they snuck Jesus into the conversation--knowing full well that the penalty for conversion from Islam was death to those converts. Well the Taliban got them and there was a big boo-hoo, but you know, even though I'm no friend of the Taliban, I think the Taliban actually treated them rather decent, considering. They allowed them to have their Bibles in prison, they didn't torture them--BUT, it was another story indeed for their hapless converts who WERE tortured and killed. Oh, but don't you know that is the greatest privilege you can have is to suffer and die for Jesus? That is what these two women told their new "friends" (with friends like these two, who needs enemies?). But, they did come to realize in the end that through their actions they had made it very difficult if not downright impossible for other non-governmental agencies to operate in Afghanistan. They actually admitted it. But that didn't stop them from being hailed as heroes of the faith when they returned to the United States.
Because, you see, you don't have to consider the consequences to yourself and others when it comes to matters of God. Mordecai didn't, and Mordecai is a hero. Oh, right now things look pretty dark for the Jews in the Book of Esther, but you wait and see, it will all come out right in the end. It always does, you know. God never fails to rescue anyone who cries out to Him (unless it happens to be His will otherwise--read the fine print).
Oh, well, it just makes my head spin to think about it so I will just continue to bow and say Hallelujah.
