I admit from the start that I am not a biblical scholar. In fact, I am the thing most biblical scholars fear most- a pastor who attempts to interpret scripture outside of the carefully defined boundaries of the pulpit. So with apologies to my biblical scholar friends and no intention whatsoever of giving up this enterprise, I want to share a few words about a biblical figure and a modern prophet who figure centrally into my life and ministry at the moment. The apostle Judas and Lady Gaga.
That sound you hear is the branch of my job creaking beneath me!
In a recent article posted on the Huffington Post, theologian Patrick Cheng wrote about the theological nature of Lady Gaga’s new video for her song Judas. I have not seen the video, but I did have an a-ha moment while reading Cheng’s article. These two figures (or at least what they have come to mean for me) have begun to figure into my ministry recently in some important ways.
Let’s start with Judas. (Amazing when that is the safer place to start!) I have a soft spot in my heart for Judas. I have not forgotten what I was taught in Sunday school and even seminary about Judas and his betrayal of Jesus and the idea that he stands for the triumph of greed over principle and faithlessness over faithfulness. I remember well the instruction to not be or do like Judas. But, I can’t help myself.
The more time I spend in ministry the more I realize how Judas must have felt. Hedging his bets, trying to get a feel for what was to come and working the angles to minimize the damage, thinking preservation before proclamation. Far too often I will print a first draft of a sermon that is bold and daring and almost shouts from the mountain top right off the page just to pick up the red pen of pragmatism and start the editing.
“Nope, can’t say that. Stewardship season is coming up.”
“Can’t say that either. Got in trouble for that one a few weeks ago.”
“I might be able to say that one, but only if X,Y and Z are all on vacation at the same time.”
“Sorry, Jesus, I know you called us to be bold and proclaim these things, you know that whole ‘Go therefore…’ bit from Matthew, but I need to pay the mortgage. Can't afford to lose this gig in THIS economy. Let's talk when the Dow recovers."
I don’t think any of us who betray Jesus like this do it out of a desire to become “a Judas.” I think we do it for the same reason Judas did; fear. We are afraid of what will happen if we don’t hedge a little or if we let things get too controversial. We fear what might happen if we get too far off script.
Of course the truth is, at least if we believe Augustine's account of things, it is not a matter of just choosing to betray Jesus or failing to live into our calling as disciples. As my grandmother would say, bless our hearts we can't help it. Thanks to our first parents Adam and Eve, we were born that way.
Enter Lady Gaga-prophetess. (I’m going to pay for that.)
Made a phenomenon by a recent episode of Glee, Lady Gaga's song BornThis Way has become a new anthem for a generation of young people; especially GLBTQ youth. In a nutshell, the song says I am who I am and I am lovable and loved just the way I am made. When the Glee cast performed the song, each cast member wore a t-shirt with a word or phrase that summed up what that individual found least lovable about the way they were made. Together they performed the song as an homage to their differentness and to the things they had difficulty accepting about themselves.
My shirt would say "scared." Of the legion of faults that find a home in me, that is the one I most try to hide from the world and especially from God. Of course I am only kidding myself. God sees it. Hell, the whole world sees it. Every time I give Christ the "Judas kiss" by my silence or my reticence or my plain old cowardice. It is right out there for the world to see. I guess I was just born that way. And yet, despite my inability to hide it, my friends, my family and my God love me anyway.
That was my a-ha moment reading Cheng's article; my Judas/Gaga epiphany. Yes, I am born that way; the Judas way. We all are. It is our human condition or, as Calvin said, our total depravity. But at the same time you and I and everyone of God's children are born another way. We are born loved. Born loved by God. And whatever else is true about us, whatever fault we print on our t-shirt, nothing in the world can or will change the fact that we are beloved children of God.
Bless our hearts.
We cant help it.
We're just born that way
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