A Feast for the Outcasts
“The Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, ‘I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.’”
At first glance, the frenzied scene of Bruegel's Netherlandish Proverbs (1559) may seem like an unlikely subject to offer for spiritual contemplation. The raucous and chaotic scene depicts dozens of Dutch proverbs emIbodied in vignettes, drawn together into a cohesive visual whole. As such, its content is entirely "vulgar" -- of a popular and everyday quality, rather than aiming towards churchly or spiritual things.
This secular scene, however, accords beautifully with the themes of this week's Scriptures. In these proverbs woven together to form a scene of the celebration of everyday life, we see an image of God's blessing freely available to all: a vision of the whole diverse spectrum of humanity we anticipate at the heavenly feast -- the foreigner, the eunuch, and the outcast depicted in Isaiah 56; the gentile "dog," who is "gathering up the crumbs under the table." The overall composition radiates the abundant and magnetic energy of these texts.
Giving our attention to worldly proverbs and a lively village scene reminds us of Jesus' ministry amongst common people. Christ continually crossed boundaries to extend the grace and mercy of the Kingdom he proclaimed, and his almost proverb-like healing of the Canaanite woman's daughter matches particularly well with this scene.
It contains no overt religious imagery, but Bruegel's work exudes the joy and blessing of the life of the People of God. As we strive to create a welcoming community for all people, Netherlandish Proverbs paints a vision of diverse folk with diverse ideals living, working, and celebrating side by side. The glimpse of heaven's feast is found in simple gatherings where mercy crosses borders and Christ's presence is discerned amongst all who faithfully cry out.
May God be merciful unto us, and bless us, and show us the light of his countenance, and be merciful unto us [that] your way be known upon earth, your saving health among all nations.
— Psalm 67:1-2
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
Texts for This Week
Prayer
Keep your Church, O Lord, by your perpetual mercy; and because without you the frailty of our nature causes us to fall, keep us from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable for our salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Sing me to Heaven
Daniel Gawthrop's poignant choral piece Sing Me to Heaven beautifully expresses the deep human longing for God's presence that echoes in this week’s scriptures. The lyrics, penned by his wife, Jane Griner, were written to answer the commission’s interest in having a choral piece that “describes the way that we, as singers, feel about music in our lives.” The words are introspective, capturing the complex and multifaceted nature of human emotions, and the hunger for spiritual connection.
The initial stanza paints a picture of inner chambers holding truths that transcend the embellishments of language. It conveys the limitations of words to fully capture the depth of human experiences and emotions, echoing the sentiment found in the scriptures of seeking divine understanding beyond mere words. Indeed, the mention of "aching silence" and "half-heard voices" suggest a yearning for something more profound, something beyond the mundane. Memory evokes these voices, implying a deep well of past experiences that resonate with the soul's primal eloquence, which can be likened to the primal truths and messages communicated through scripture.
The subsequent verses beautifully express a yearning for different emotional states to be touched and embraced. The call for a lullaby, a love song, and a requiem highlights the universal desire to be understood, comforted, and connected to God. These verses subtly echo the inclusivity and compassion emphasized in the scriptures, where God's presence is made known to all in its maniold gentle forms. The repetition of "Sing me a lullaby, a love song, a requiem" reinforces the depth of this longing.
The song is performed here by the Kansas City based group Octarium, under the artistic direction of Krista Lang Blackwood.
Bede on the Canaanite Woman
This mother surpassed all others in her constancy and humility. When the Lord compared her to dogs, she did not give up or draw back her mind from hoping for his kindness. She willingly accepted the indignity she received, not only agreeing that she was like dogs, but even continuing the comparison of herself to young dogs. With this wise argument, she confirmed what the Lord said, but did not stop asking boldly anyway.
She agreed when the Lord said “It is not good to take the children's bread and give it to dogs,” answering “Yes Lord.” That is: ‘It’s true what you say, that it's not good to take the salvation meant for Israel and give it to Gentiles.' But when she said “Even the young dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table,” she showed great humility and persistence. Knowing she was unworthy of the full meal of the Lord's teaching that the Jews had, she still thought that even the smallest grace from the Lord would be enough for her salvation.
