“If
you obey the commandments of the Lord your God . . . , then you shall live and
become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you . . . . But if your heart
turns astray and you do not hear, . . .
you shall perish” (30:16-18). This verse encapsulates what we read today in
Deuteronomy. Over and over again, it says, obey and be blessed; disobey and be
cursed.
In
its historical context, I get that. Deuteronomy was probably a manual for
national reform at a time when the author thought the nation faced destruction
for its sin. The many warnings about exile (e.g. 28:25f) show that the stakes
were high. The author therefore preached a strong and clear message: repent and
obey, before it is too late. That message helped the Israelites to survive
exile with their faith intact.
I
also believe that this message is generally true. Things go better when we do
right. Things go worse when we do not. In the long run, I like to think that
the moral arc of the universe does bend towards justice.
But
of course it often does not work out that way in individual lives. If one were
to take Deuteronomy as a kind of contract between God and every individual,
with a guarantee that everything will always balance perfectly, then I would
have to reject the whole. I imagine that everyone knows people who certainly
seem faithful and good and yet suffer. Probably we all know people who are not
nearly so good who seem prosperous.
And
so I have very mixed feelings about the basic theology of Deuteronomy as I
understand it. Historically important. True and valuable in the long run. A
terrible oversimplification that can lead to insensitivity and gross injustice
when interpreted too literally or rigorously. . . .
Fr. Harvey
No comments:
Post a Comment