As I mentioned last week, we had a movie night where the participants of my bible study class watched and discussed Martin Scorsese's, "The Last Temptation of Christ." Needless to say, we had a riotous good time! As you may or may not know, this man called Jesus, after being baptized by John the baptist, was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness/desert to be tempted by the boogeyman, Satan - that anthropomorphic "embodiment of terror." In the scriptures, he was tempted only three times; 1) Jesus is told to change the stones around him into loaves of bread. For which, he responded, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" 2) He's taken to the holy city (Jerusalem), and placed at the highest point of the Temple. He's then told to throw himself down, as angels would come and bear him up so "you will not dash your foot against a stone." The response to that was, "Again it is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Finally, 3) He's taken to the pinnacle of the highest mountain and shown all the kingdoms of the world. "All these I will give you if you fall down and worship me." And Jesus said, "For it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'" Defeated, Satan moves on and angels show up to minister to Jesus (NRSV Matthew 3: 13-17; 4: 1-11). Well, in the movie, Jesus' "last temptation," was to live a regular life, with a regular family, having regular sex that lead to regular kids, doing regular things - that regular guys do. Ah, but WHAT IF?
For many years, some scholars have engaged in the theological discourse of exploring the possibility of there being a romantic and yes, intimate relationship between Jesus and Mary of Magdala, aka Mary Magdalene. While there is much speculation and arguably, even more exciting evidence out there surrounding this most titillating "WHAT IF," for me, the question is, "And so WHAT IF they were?" While I understand and respect the fact for many of you, the man called "Jesus of Nazareth," the man Christians have come to know, love, honor and yes, worship, must remain pure - untouched, wholly unscathed in any way - in order to be the Christ. He must be and remain henceforth and forevermore, as other worldly and miraculous - as they want us to believe his birth was. But WHAT IF he wasn't? WHAT IF, he enjoyed the romantic and intimate company of a woman? Would it diminish your faith in him - in God? Would he lose his appeal and power as Lord and Saviour? For me, he would not lose anything in the way of my faith. Quite the contrary, I almost need him to have experienced that aspect of what it means to be wholly human.
I need him to experience and feel the heat of a love in full bloom. I need him to feel the sting and the pain of a love withering away at the end of its season. Without it, like the Mary Magdalene character in "Jesus Christ Superstar," I'm left, wondering, just exactly, "What IS it all about?" C'mo, sing it with Mary;
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM
(Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice)
I don't know how to love him.
What to do, how to move him.
I've been changed, yes really changed.
In these past few days, when I've seen myself,
I seem like someone else.
I don't know how to take this.
I don't see why he moves me.
He's a man. He's just a man.
And I've had so many men before,
In very many ways,
He's just one more.
Should I bring him down?
Should I scream and shout?
Should I speak of love,
Let my feelings out?
I never thought I'd come to this.
What's it all about?
Don't you think it's rather funny,
I should be in this position.
I'm the one who's always been
So calm, so cool, no lover's fool,
Running every show.
He scares me so.
I never thought I'd come to this.
What's it all about?
Yet, if he said he loved me,
I'd be lost. I'd be frightened.
I couldn't cope. Just couldn't cope.
I'd turn my head. I'd back away.
I wouldn't want to know.
He scares me so.
I want him so.
I love him so.
© Dorinda G. Henry, 2010
THEOLOGIA HABITUS EST!
No comments:
Post a Comment