Today I went to church for class, to experience something out of my norm and culture that makes me uncomfortable. I didn’t just go to church but to a white evangelical mega church in the suburbs. This makes me really uncomfortable. From my experience the practice of this category of worshipers has been that of words without action. Often they ignore the why’s, how comes, and gloss over to their automated citations of “the word”. The cultural context of a setting is always relevant and each sentence can be analyzed. But I find that there is a theme of forgiveness, grace, and mercy that dwells in this context which often ignores God’s ideas of justice, reconciliation, and community. This leads me to believe that your position in society determines your practice and doctrine. The position you hold allows you to recognize or ignore sexism, racism, classism, ablism, and agism. It puts you in a place where you may be able to ignore that these things are REAL and prevalent in our society. In the United States the power and privilege lies with the white males. You may be in denial about this but I suggest you research and start paying attention to who surrounds you and why. The vast majority have taken little time to deconstruct what any of this means and how they are affected by these things and how in return it shapes their perspective and worldview. So, when I’m at church and the blond haired blue eyed pastor is breaking down the topic of God’s mercy, how is it that there is always a comment about a sinner… and that sinner who is unworthy to sit by His thrown is always the prostitute? Think about that. When you think about the prostitute is it a man or woman? That being said… when and where is it indicated that sin can be measured?
So the pastor is talking and makes his offhanded comment about how this prostitute is a sinner and she doesn’t deserve to sit at God’s righthand, but God is MERCIFUL. Then he says, “what if a person of her stature was to walk into the white house, do you think she belongs there?” That statement was totally irrelevant to what he was saying and the combination says much about his position in society. If you ask me, history and cultural context are always relevant to a story. Now, trace back to biblical times and who the prostitutes were and why they were there. They were predominately females. They were there in order for the gentiles to release tension while not subjigating the honorable (wealthy) women. Many of these women prostitutes were born and enslaved into their trade. Who would choose to be a prostitute? Being poor and in the slums you inherit the position of your parents. Many of these women were children of prostitutes then brainwashed and raped in by initiation at the ripe age. So, how is she to blame for her state and unworthy of the throne because of the state in which the generations have given her? Her trade says little about her character and heart. In my opinion the sin of those with a choice warrant far more consequences and ills.
What perplexes me as well is when did sexual purity and exploitation become measured as the sin of all sins? What about cheating, stealing, or murder? These things reap consequences that ripple out further then our eyes could see. They have a hard affect on others while another (sexual sinner) harvests emotional health in the perpetrator. Often I have heard the prostitute chastised much more than the murderer, liar, and thief. When these do what they do by choice. Given, the poor may need to steal to eat and the murder could be sick. But what about the tax collector who deserves the throne due to his position yet he steals and takes advantage of the poor making collections for his own profit. This deserves far more attention, and repercussions deserve to be discussed. My point is, why is it always about the prostitute as the sinner and never about the person standing before you stressing mercy? Why is it not said that sin isn’t measured, but how we get to sin and how it brings wrath? Why is it always about sexual impurity and the prostitute rather then the pastor who stands before you and lies, commits adultery, slanders, commits tax fraud, molests children, and holds himself superior? The doctrines are all interpreted with a lens of privilege and power, which plays a large role in the sermons that are taught and HOW they are spoken. From what I know, it was never bad to think about Jesus critically. Too bad it’s not a practice.
