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Fear of the Unknown Mark 6:14 – 29; Psalm 24 Road rage, video-game violence, television crime shows … we are inundated with anger and violence. It is a part of the fabric of today’s society. We can rail against this reality; we can bemoan how it is worse today than ever; we can blame all sorts of factors outside of ourselves and wring our hands in consternation. Today’s Gospel passage, however, is a prime example of the saying “things never change.” This is one of most horrific stories of anger and violence, fear and lack of courage that we have in recorded history. It has been depicted throughout the art world for centuries. Interestingly, the dancing of Salome often supercedes the gruesomeness of the violence done to John the Baptizer. Gustave Moreau, Fra Lippa, Benozza, Caravaggio, and Giovanni Paola are just a few of the graphic artists who have captured some essence of this tale and created memorable portraits for the world’s view. Salome aside, Herod is the main character. He is the one we need to consider and study. As faithful people, we need to be most aware of his conflicts and struggles to learn from his wrestlings, his fears, and his mistakes. As a faith community, we also must be alert to the ways in which he feared the truth and how this fear was his ruination. Today’s passage is actually a flashback. Herod has been apprised of the work — the miraculous work — and teachings of Jesus, and is ruminating about whether Jesus might, in fact, be John the Baptist raised from the dead. John the Baptist had provoked Herod. The wife of Herod — Herodias — had first been the wife of Herod’s brother. Scholars are uncertain about the specific circumstances: whether the brother was still alive; whether there had been a divorce; whether an adulterous affair or what caused John to call to question the validity or “rightness” of the marriage of Herod and Herodias. Whatever, it was, we can be certain that John was not quiet about his concern but exposed the truth as he knew it. John, commonly called the Baptizer, was never quiet about his convictions. He seemed to be a tireless, courageous, outspoken prophet (as are all prophets) who was making the way, straightening the pathway, calling folks to conversion for the coming Messiah. Herod, even though he had John imprisoned, was still fascinated by John. This is the hopefulness of Herod’s character! The mere fact that Herod wanted to listen to John and felt protective of him (at the same time as he confined him to prison) is evidence that Herod could identify goodness and truth. He knew it, felt it, even though he was unable to totally embrace it! Herodias, however, cannot be counted among the virtuous. We are not privy to any of her redeeming qualities. Her anger at John let loose into violence. Was it that she didn't like to be criticized linked with the reality that she was in a powerful position in which she felt she should NOT be criticized? No one appreciates being chastised. No one likes to be told they are wrong or they are doing wrong. Added to that, no one likes to be criticized publicly. But not everyone allows his or her anger and power to move to violence. One of the most distasteful parts of leadership is the vulnerability of public criticism. We seem to have a great deal of that going around in St. Louis right now. It always weakens a community when personal power and the criticism of it become more primary than being people working together to find solutions to community issues. When it tips to violence, everyone loses. Herodias was not going to put up with the prophet John criticizing her. Not only was she determined to do away with him but also she chose to involve her daughter in the escapade. The violence of the beheading pales in the light of using her own daughter in this effort. It assured that the mark of violence would be passed into the next generation. But again, Herod is the one for us to consider. He was drawn into interest by John. Something had caught his soul. He knew John was a holy man. To be able to identify that virtue, one must have fueled the virtue in oneself. But here's the issue: Herod knew the truth but he could not act on it. Oh, that Herod would have had a bit more time. Oh, that Herod would have taken advantage of talking with John in prison. Oh, that Herod would have been able to sit down with John and listen to what turning one's life around could mean for freedom, for strength, for real power. The church is a community where our primary activity is to help each other stand up to the truth. It is the training ground for us to face the precise issues facing Herod. It is here that we not only empower our children to hear and see and touch the truth of God's love, justice, compassion, and hope but where we can challenge each other to those experiences. We all gather here on Sundays to worship and midweek to study and plan and work not because we are so strong in our faithful witness that we can show the world a perfected community. No, we come together because we all have some Herod in us. We are all hungry to know and taste and understand the faith, but we all lack courage sometimes. We all have succumbed to the clamor of the crowds. We have all fallen to the anger, jealousy and malice that ultimately destroys life (or at least I have). As the church, we come together to support each other in the struggle — to be the crowd that will cheer when the truth is faced rather than rejected and to be the discerning and hopeful friends who will see ways for justice in God's world. Oh, that Herod could have taken more time with John the Baptist. Oh, that we would take more time with Jesus Christ and those in this precious body of Christ so we would all be able to face the truth without fear ...witness to life's abundance ... know the peace that God desires ... and put away the anger and violence that comes when the world has no hope. SW |
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