Pariah is a noun -- a person without status, a rejected member of society, an outcast.
Pariah is also the name of a movie I recently saw about a 17-year-old African-American young woman named Alike from Brooklyn's Fort Greene neighborhood. An A student in high school and a gifted writer, she is struggling with her sexual identity, coming out as a lesbian without knowing quite how to do it or how to break the news to her family.
It is a long difficult struggle for this young woman viewed as "other" who feels broken by her family, but she finally comes to an acceptance of who she is as she writes in a poem: "I am not running, I am choosing. I am not broken. I am free!"
I don't know if it was a long difficult struggle or not for David moving from lowly shepherd boy to being chosen and anointed king of Israel, but his story may very well have been titled Pariah as well.
In this much loved story from the scriptures, the prophet Samuel goes to the home of Jesse to find the next king of Israel. Jesse brought each of his first seven sons before Samuel to see which son would be anointed as king. When the eldest son Eliab, who was attractive, tall and fair, passed before Samuel, the prophet thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed is now before the Lord." But God's response has echoed down through the ages: "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see: they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart" (v. 7).
Jesse then paraded two more sons in front of Samuel, but each time God said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one." Jesse brought four more sons forward, but none of them were chosen either. There was one more son, but he was the youngest and of such little account that Jesse had left him out in the field tending the sheep. But when this little one was brought forth, the Lord said, "Rise and anoint him; for this is the one."
This narrative drama, beautiful in its use of suspense and reversal of expectations, reminds us of the pitfalls and dangers in dismissing and discounting the value and worth of any person. As the Old Testament scholar, Walter Brueggemann says: "This is not merely a story of a boy who becomes king, an underdog who wins; it is a story about God and the way God sees us and chooses unconventional ways and unexpected people to get things done in the world."
If only we could see others as God sees us, maybe we would create a world of pariahs no more!
Think for just a moment about how change happens. More often than not, it happens something like this: we have a worldview that interprets the world and things that are in it, but then along comes an experience for which that worldview is insufficient and inadequate to explain and incorporate the experience.
And when that happens, we enter into a kind of chaos. Coming out on the other side, we either have to deny the reality of the experience or we emerge with a revised and transformed worldview that takes the new experience into account.
This was the struggle of Alike's parents as they tried to deny the reality of who their daughter really was by suggesting she change her friends and her way of dressing and find some boys to date. But no matter how much she wanted to change or tried, she couldn't meet her parents' expectations. The result was chaos and confusion for all concerned. And though we can only surmise, perhaps this too happened with David's family as they tried to come to terms with the lowly shepherd boy, the pariah who was really a precious prince among them.
This type of struggle is happening all over the world and in the church regarding the issue of homosexuality. Many of us, myself included, had a worldview out of our understanding of biology, theology, culture and tradition that caused us to look upon homosexuality as an affliction, a sin, a punishment, something not to be desired.
But then we had an experience that challenged that worldview. Maybe we got to know a gay or lesbian person and we saw their struggle. We saw their humanity, and that experience disturbed and dismantled our worldview. And we found ourselves in a state of chaos.
We can deny the reality of the experience or we can come out on the other side with a revised and transformed worldview that takes the new experience into account.
President Obama claimed this happened to him a few weeks ago when he announced his views evolved, and he had a change of heart about same sex marriages being legalized. That same week the state of North Carolina passed a constitutional amendment that marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in that state. Thirty other states have adopted similar constitutional ban. And just a week before, delegates to the General Conference of the United Methodist Church gathered in Tampa, Florida and refused to amend its book of discipline that states, "the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching."
Suppose for a moment we could see one another, not as mere mortals see, but as God looks upon the heart? What would our difference look like? Could we see them not as deficits or deficiencies, but looking upon the heart, see the divinity in our difference?
Many folks are in a state of chaos around this issue of homosexuality and they are struggling with the question of how boundless; how bountiful; how abundant; how ample God's love is. I believe many folks are trying to be faithful. They are not intending to be mean and measly and meager in their love, but they are genuinely struggling with the question of how boundless; how bountiful; how abundant God's love is?
When we can see not as mortals see looking on the outward appearance, but looking on the heart I believe we see a God of abundant, bountiful, boundless, extravagant love and we see a world of pariahs no more!
1 Samuel 16:1-13 NIV - Samuel Anoints David - The LORD said to ...
1 Samuel 16:1-13 NIVUK - Samuel anoints David - The LORD said ...
1 Samuel 16:1-13 KJV - And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long ...
oremus Bible Browser : 1 Samuel 16:1-13
If there are pariahs, they are the morbidly wealthy who rob the poor, starve children and deprive people of livelihoods in order to line their pockets.
Love it.
A. No one can tell anyone who to love or be attracted to.
B. Love is love and never a bad thing. I have seen it with my own eyes.
C. By treating people as outcasts it is going against the very grain of Jesus' life. He spent his time healing the sick and noticing the forgotten, unnoticed or shunned.
1. come down from that tree
2. who touches his robes
3. the lepers
4. the children
5. he who throws the first stone
6. free his people
7. I'm sure there is more that I don't know about or can't think of right now.
I am going to read this now & pray for God's will to be done. I think we are as divided on this as we were in slavery & civil rights. But we are rising above that, I hope.
How can you be so arrogant as to speak on an issue that you do not know anything about? Especially when it is about your own theology.
It helps when you actually study under noted scholars who KNOW Hebrew and Greek, rather than just repeating the errors in English.
Instead of wondering, or even caring about the worldview, Mankind should be wondering and caring about God's view. God's view is always right and the most beneficial to mankind.
You're right there should be no Pariahs, but until mankind accepts God, there will be.
Jesus is Lord.
Law without love is cruel, and defeats itself.
God provides both love and law, making both perfect.
"Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment." Psalm 51:1-4
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2051&version=ESV
You encourage in this article for us to see others as God sees us. Well it's pretty simple...we are all sinners....none of us are righteous. We are only seen as righteous when we "receive" the righteousness of Jesus. We are called to repent and trust in Jesus alone.
However, the article which we are commenting on is arguing something different...it is arguing that we need to adapt our view of what "sin" is. In his comments the writer argues that when we come to new experiences we must "adapt" our beliefs or deny the experience. Problem is in our fallen nature we can not trust in our "experiences". However, we can trust in His word.
In your analogy of what Jesus said about paying taxes, Jesus did not endorse or make comment on whether it was "right" to pay the taxes. The pharisees were trying to trap Him and He baffled them by giving an answer that affirmed the paying of the tax but did not give an "endorsement".
As Christians we must hold in balance love and truth. We can not love someone by changing or softening the "truth". We are called to worship in spirit and in truth:
"But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him." John 4:23
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.”
Matt 6:9-13
We are to pray daily for the forgiveness of sins. Martin Luther in his introduction to the 95 theses said that “the whole life of believers should be repentance.” It is part of our sanctification.
I know these verses apply to the future, but they give tremendous hope.
Eternal life is the life that is promised, with glorified bodies. This means a lot.
Just give it time, and who knows what you will see.
You are my sista, girl.
Also perhaps this scripture should enter your consideration about whether we are to hate sin.
"Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way."
Psalm 119:104
Jesus came to seek and save the lost, but one day Jesus will judge everybody.
Please consider Luke 13:3 and 5, since they are verses for all of mankind.
"I tell you no. but unless you repent, you will likewise perish".
Jesus is talking about repenting from all sins, and turning to him.
Your comments are always very thoughtful, so I feel a little guilty for only fanning you know.