Racism has been in the news a bit lately. Of course, Orthodox Christianity categorically rejects it, as in Christ there is "neither Jew nor Greek" and the Gospel is proclaimed to "all nations". Doing so generally requires some mixing of those nations. This is so obvious now that I must say "of course", but perhaps it is not obvious to everybody else.
A couple weeks ago, a Catholic web-logger brought up his discomfort, or rather Fr Alexander Schmemann's discomfort, with some of the hymnography on Holy Friday. I remarked that there are certainly a few sentences in there that could be tweaked. Of course, there was the typical response, which I think kind of misses the point, but it should be in there for completeness.
Anyway, this is a prelude to bringing up some unfortunate nonsense. Focused attention, of course, seems to be what the guy wants and which the people at the incident in question seemed to try hard not to give him. However, given how much racism pops up in the news these days in general, it's good to bring up that we are all one in Christ.
EDIT: more commentary
2 comments:
It's certainly troubling if we let ourselves think of those lines as "They but not us" It seems, unless I just add complications where they aren't intended, that the role of those criticisms is as a warning/reflection to those who think themselves the pious people of God. Much like Wednesday's Orthros, I don't think Judas/Jews are a scapegoat but a reflection for pedagogical reasons about our capacity to betray in the face of the infinite graces of God. It only becomes spooky if we forget to identify the Church with Israel.
(Also always blown away by "His blood be upon us and upon our children" vs. Pilate washing his hands When it is only through His Blood that we have salvation, powerful imagery of not knowing of what we speak and the bountiful graces of God despite our ignorance)
Oh, definitely, I think that is what we ought to take away from those services, we are Judas, we deny Christ, we crucify Him daily with our sins, etc. There are just a couple of those hymns that, when combined with the constant, constant focus on Judas and the Jews, seem to make it turn the corner, as it were, and color the whole thing inappropriately. It gets to you after a while. But, yes, at the end, the troparion, "By Your precious blood..." puts that bit in perspective.
Of course, this is just a personal opinion and not in the slightest a reflection on true Orthodox doctrine.
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