Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Receptivity

“I tell you the truth; anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”   
 (The Gospel of Mark 10:15)
Grace:
The phrase “Kingdom of God” reverberates through Christian scriptures in the teachings of Jesus. Some Christians understand God’s kingdom to refer strictly to a heavenly realm beyond this earthly life; others understand it to refer also to an ideal state of being on this earth, in which human beings find union with God and one another.  In reading this text, I am struck especially by the simplicity of the verb receive. I recently heard someone of another faith tradition say that “One who cannot see God in all, cannot see God at all.” I suspect this is exactly what Jesus wanted his listeners to understand when he spoke of the need to be “born again” in order to receive the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)  How do your sacred scriptures invite you to see God and to receive God’s kingdom?

Yasmina:
In Islam the term “seeing God in others” is not used. Instead, Muslims recognize a person’s piety by how much their actions reflect their respect for God’s commands. This stems from the view that belief in God must be coupled with righteous deeds: “O mankind! We created you from a single [pair] of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other [not that ye may despise each other]. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is [he who is] the most righteous of you.” (al-Hujurat 49:13) As a Muslim, I view myself as a minute being in God’s kingdom, which encompasses the heavens, the earth and all that lies between them. I am reminded to always act with humility because achieving righteousness is a lifelong journey; only God can judge and invite whom He wills, with His grace and mercy, into the final abode of peace.

Tziporah:
To answer your question, Grace, I turn not to the “sacred scriptures,” but to the early rabbinic literature and the writings of Maimonides (1135-1204).  Many of Jesus’ parables about the kingdom of God have parallels in Jewish texts, which use this exact phrase, as well as the phrase olam ha-ba, “the world to come,” to refer to the messianic era. The rabbis of the Talmud suggest that all righteous people, including non-Jews who follow the Noachide Laws,[1] will inherit a portion in the world to come. In Maimonides’ lifetime, there was much controversy about whether olam ha-ba referred to an actual place in the physical realm.  In his treatise on the tenth chapter of Mishnah Sanhedrin, Maimonides describes the world to come as follows: “The Garden of Eden is a fertile place containing the choicest of the earth’s resources, numerous rivers, and fruit-bearing trees. God will disclose it to man some day. He will teach man the way to it, and men will be happy there.”[2] Jews are urged to be righteous and fulfill the commandments, not only to receive our portion in the world to come but also to live well in this world.


[1] Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 56a
[2] Here is a link to a PDF translation of this work.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Giving

“those who spend their wealth to increase in self-purification (yatazakka)”
(al-Layl 92:18)

Yasmina:
Giving of one’s wealth is not unique to Islam, but the Arabic word yatazakka—from zakat, which means both to purify and grow—has a particularly beautiful connotation. Zakat is often compared to the pruning of a shrub, where the trimming actually causes the plant to grow stronger. Similarly, the trimming of wealth through the giving of alms purifies and strengthens the soul. In Islam, to use the trust given by Godhere, personal wealthin the proper manner helps rid a person of his/her worldly attachments. The Quran describes this quest to purify one’s soul, tazqiyat an-nufoos, as a lifelong process: “To a happy state shall indeed attain he who causes [this self] to grow in purity, and truly lost is he who buries it in darkness.” (al-Shams 91:9-10) The examination of one’s heart, practices and desires leads a person to see tribulations as opportunities for the cleansing of the soul and the attainment of insight and understanding. I cannot but marvel at the beauty of the Arabic language, in which one word in the Quran encompasses the complex concept of spiritual growth.

Grace:
It is interesting, I think, that Christian scriptures almost always pair discussions of wealth with cautionary warnings, such as, “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:25; Matthew 19:24; Luke 18:25) Similar to the Quranic text you cite, Yasmina, this verse does not condemn wealth, but warns against worldly attachments. In a particularly poignant illustration, Jesus speaks of a poor widow who placed two small copper coins in the Temple’s alms basin. Contrasting her with those who gave more but did so ostentatiously, Jesus observed, “This poor widow has put in more than all the others, [for she] put in all she had.” (Luke 21:3) Yatazakka seems an apt description of those who, in quiet generosity and humble sacrifice, discover the meaning of heavenly treasure.

Tziporah:
It will not surprise you that the Jewish concept of charity, tzedakah, is similar to zakat as you explain it, Yasmina, and to the verses of the Gospels that you quote, Grace. While the English word “charity” derives from the Latin root for love and caring, tzedakah is from the biblical Hebrew root for righteousness.  Tzedakah is the obligation in Jewish law to share a portion of one’s wealth with others in need.* Inherent in this commandment is the recognition that everything we possess—both tangible things like money and intangible things like intelligence—is on loan to us for the duration of our lives.  God allows us to feel as though we personally possess these gifts, as long as we strive to share and distribute them fairly among the entire community. When we give tzedakah, we are restoring righteousness in the world by returning the gift to its rightful owner.

* For example: “Because there will not stop being indigent [people] in the land; on account of this I command you, saying, you shall open your hand to your brother, to your poor and indigent in your land.”  (Deuteronomy 15:11)

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Time to Reflect

This week we are taking a little extra time to reflect, and we expect to post our reflections next Wednesday morning, May 2nd. Meanwhile, we invite you to share your responses to our more than thirty posts in the archive. Which text or conversation did you find to be provocative? Did any strike you as insightful or interesting, or make you uncomfortable? Do you have any questions or comments for us?

We would love for you join our discussion: Just click on the title above! Please remember to frame your comments as personal reflections, using the first-person singular, as we aim to preserve She Answers Abraham as a safe space for these sacred conversations.