Monday, August 24, 2015

Mark 7:1-8, 14-18, 21-23

Year B - Pentecost +14 or Energy to Witness 14
August 30, 2015

October 15, 2015 — Global Handwashing Day

A study by Michigan State University found 70.6% washed their hands with soap in the morning as contrasted with 66.4% in the afternoon and 67.0% in the evening. Gender difference in proper handwashing was noted (77.9% of women, to 50.3% of men).

Those who have hard and fast rules for the way people ought to behave are going to be disappointed when they run into real people. Imagine Jesus doing a study of what the perfectly upright person should be and limiting his followers to those so no disparagement would fall upon him through them. Go ahead, imagine. Would you have made the cut. According to the current Ashley Madison hack, how many Pharisees then would be fellow-travelers with Josh Duggars and others today?

All in all the issue of hypocrisy was and is alive and well. Just don’t call me on mine and I’ll let you have yours.

And then the kicker. Rules about appearance can never measure the content of a character, and we’re all characters.

Having eaten of some proverbial apple, we know the difference between that which builds up and that which tears down. We know them so well we can play games with them and shade actions through comparison with the worst or having such wonderful intentions.

Attend to your Neighb*r simply on the basis of your relationship with “good” and “evil” and “common good” without a rationale and see what happens. 

[A side note regarding the elided verse 19: If this was the teaching, was Peter missing class that day? How else explain how long it took him to attend to this as found in Acts 10?]


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