Genesis 19
I tell you it was nothing but the confidence that comes with unadulterated arrogance and white male privilege that Sen. Wilson shouted "You lie!" at the first African American President of the United States during the State of the Union address. I was floored, embarrassed, angered and saddened at the blatant lack of regard for the Office of President now that a black man is filling that position. But, "For just such a time as this!" We have a President with the intelligence, fortitude, style, grace and temperament that he stood still, unmoved and undeterred. Praise the Lord!
But oh, hear me when I say, there have been a many Sundays come and go that I have wanted to shout aloud the very same words when listening to educated and uneducated, trained and untrained, "jump up" and installed preachers, teachers, lay-persons and the like speak about homosexuality as the cause for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
If you've spent any time in church, particularly in a predominately black church, or even if you have a cursory understanding of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, you have been conditioned to believe that the men of the city of Sodom and Gomorrah (two of the cities of the plain of Jordan) attempted to have sex with two men (who were angels) that had come down to investigate the "outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah." This is due in part to the misinterpretation and translation of the original Hebrew text of the word "know." It would take far too long for this blog to deconstruct this particular text, but you must "know" that in Ancient Near Eastern culture, it was customary to offer hospitality to foreigners by inviting them in to "wash their feet," provide them food, lodging/shelter, i.e. protection and, to register them with the city - officials of the city (leaders, chiefs, priests, etc.).
While the men/angels received the customary courtesy of hospitality from Lot (a foreigner himself), they were not registered with the city. Consequently, like the border patrols here in America and any other country, when a foreigner enters into its territory, officials of the city/government will intercept you and question your intent for traveling there. They want to "know" what it is you are doing there, who you are visiting, how long, what you have with you, and upon leaving, what are you taking with you. Whoop dere it is!
Now, "know" this, there is more to this story than meets the eye. A couple of virgin daughters (Lot's) are offered up to the "men of the city" to "do with them as you please." Really? Is that acceptable? Are we civilized women and men supposed to overlook this piece of information as if it is a footnote? Did God? I think not! I think there is more to this story and in an upcoming blog, you will begin to think so also.
For now, however, suffice it to say that the next time you or I happen to be "one in the number" in an audience or congregation where and when the speaker, teacher or preacher travels down that contrived road about Sodom and Gomorrah being destroyed because men were having sex with men; we ought to "gird up our loins," summon the courage of the ancestors and speak the "truth crushed to the earth," with a simple, yet confident, unabashed - "You lie!"
© Dorinda G. Henry, 2010
THEOLOGIA HABITUS EST!
I tell you it was nothing but the confidence that comes with unadulterated arrogance and white male privilege that Sen. Wilson shouted "You lie!" at the first African American President of the United States during the State of the Union address. I was floored, embarrassed, angered and saddened at the blatant lack of regard for the Office of President now that a black man is filling that position. But, "For just such a time as this!" We have a President with the intelligence, fortitude, style, grace and temperament that he stood still, unmoved and undeterred. Praise the Lord!
But oh, hear me when I say, there have been a many Sundays come and go that I have wanted to shout aloud the very same words when listening to educated and uneducated, trained and untrained, "jump up" and installed preachers, teachers, lay-persons and the like speak about homosexuality as the cause for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
If you've spent any time in church, particularly in a predominately black church, or even if you have a cursory understanding of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, you have been conditioned to believe that the men of the city of Sodom and Gomorrah (two of the cities of the plain of Jordan) attempted to have sex with two men (who were angels) that had come down to investigate the "outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah." This is due in part to the misinterpretation and translation of the original Hebrew text of the word "know." It would take far too long for this blog to deconstruct this particular text, but you must "know" that in Ancient Near Eastern culture, it was customary to offer hospitality to foreigners by inviting them in to "wash their feet," provide them food, lodging/shelter, i.e. protection and, to register them with the city - officials of the city (leaders, chiefs, priests, etc.).
While the men/angels received the customary courtesy of hospitality from Lot (a foreigner himself), they were not registered with the city. Consequently, like the border patrols here in America and any other country, when a foreigner enters into its territory, officials of the city/government will intercept you and question your intent for traveling there. They want to "know" what it is you are doing there, who you are visiting, how long, what you have with you, and upon leaving, what are you taking with you. Whoop dere it is!
Now, "know" this, there is more to this story than meets the eye. A couple of virgin daughters (Lot's) are offered up to the "men of the city" to "do with them as you please." Really? Is that acceptable? Are we civilized women and men supposed to overlook this piece of information as if it is a footnote? Did God? I think not! I think there is more to this story and in an upcoming blog, you will begin to think so also.
For now, however, suffice it to say that the next time you or I happen to be "one in the number" in an audience or congregation where and when the speaker, teacher or preacher travels down that contrived road about Sodom and Gomorrah being destroyed because men were having sex with men; we ought to "gird up our loins," summon the courage of the ancestors and speak the "truth crushed to the earth," with a simple, yet confident, unabashed - "You lie!"
© Dorinda G. Henry, 2010
THEOLOGIA HABITUS EST!
Yes, Rev. Henry, I am so prayful that our president keeps up the good work under the extreme pressure of being the clean-up man. I do question why the small amount of research that I have done consistently indicates that the meaning of "know" in Sodom and Gomorrah was a sexual meaning. I'd like to hear if any of my blog brothers/sisters have found any resources that give us the hospitable meaning of "know." I also thought that "knew" was the word used to indicate intercourse. I have chosen to not comment on the virgin daughters being offered "for whatever." I will type in capital letters if I do. It all seems a bit messy to me, therefore, I can't wait for the upcoming blogs.
ReplyDeleteTerri: In some instances in the bible, the term "know" or "knew" does denote a sexual encounter. Each time there follows a reference to the conception of a child, for example; "The man (Adam) 'knew' his wife Eve and she conceived and bore Cain" (Genesis 4:1a). There are other references in the scripture where the language is "went in to" as in the case of Abraham and Hagar; "He (Abraham) went in to Hagar and she conceived" (Genesis 16:4a). Each time there is a sexual encounter, the result of that encounter has been the conception of a child - a male child that is as there are few references to the birth of a woman-child that bears the mention of that child's name.
ReplyDeleteReverend, to make a additional note, there are very few references to woman period in the books, compared to our mighty mighty men...who apparently have been fruitful and multiplied with us (woman), lol!
ReplyDelete