Skip to main content

Scalia and Grace

By Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died today. You can read about him here. There is a split decision in my house as to whether or not he was a good judge. I did not care for many (most) of his opinions. His particular Constitutional interpretations may well have hewn to the framers intent- when non-white men and women of all colors were hardly people. I do not think that is the best use of God-given intellect in this present age.

Be that as it may, the man is dead. His wife is grieving. His children, their spouses, and their children are grieving. His friends, including Justice Ruth Ginsberg, are saddened.

I am no longer quite Southern enough to say, "Well, everyone's momma loves them."

I did not like Scalia in a box, with a fox, in the rain, on a train, etc. But God did (does).

God loved him, warts and all. (Which is not to imply that the Justice in question had warts or did not. It's just a phrase.) Regardless of his decision-making, his rancor, his likability, his cantankerousness, his generosity, he was still a beloved child of God. Additionally, because he was a man of some faith, we were (are?) siblings in faith. We are on the same trail behind the pioneer of our faith, Jesus the Christ.

I don't know if I could have walked up the same aisle at the opera as Antonin Scalia, so it is very hard to type out that we were on the same spiritual trail (as it were) behind the Son.

Would I dare to say his name tomorrow among the saints who are gathered to their rest? Will I dare to picture his face, among to many beloved, as present in some capacity around the table, which belongs not to me, but to Christ?

I did pray earnestly today for peace and consolation for his wife and his family and all who loved him, a host which does not include me. I was not trying to be disingenuous or even take the high road. I was just trying to acknowledge something that was in the news and that's about it.

Still, despite this man's lifework that has brought stress and grief to me and many others, I hope that he does rest in peace. I hope that his family is consoled. I hope that God's perpetual light does shine on him.

And I hope I can learn to say the above with no sarcastic endnotes.

God's grace... which covers us all... it is the very worst best thing.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

When the Body of Christ is Fat

Bitmoji Julia enjoys tea Within a very short amount of time, two people whom I love were called "fat ass". One of these slurs occurred in the church building and the other occurred in the same building and within the context of worship. Both incidents were the result of a person with already impaired judgment lashing out at the person who was in front of them, perceiving them to be unhelpful or denying aid or service. Regardless of the "why", the reality is that the name was uncalled for, hurtful, and aimed to be a deep cut. The reality is that a person who is under the influence of legal or illegal substances and often displays impaired judgment can still tell that body shaming- comments about shape, appearance, or size- is a way to lash out at someone who is frustrating you. That means those words and that way of using them are deeply rooted in our culture. An additional truth is that when we, as a congregation, attempted to console and listen to those who h...
6 comments
Read more

God on the Go Kits

Like many congregations, we have lots of members who travel during the summertime. They may spend three months fishing or camping or traveling or hiking or playing. Given Alaska's long daylight hours, making it back into town on Sunday morning or even Sunday night doesn't always happen. One could rail against that or one can ask for guidance in the Spirit for how to keep community and communion alive in these months of family and personal sabbath in the woods and wilderness. (Still, if you're in town, come on down!) Inspired by Take Out Church,  I made "God on the Go" kits for the faithful Alaskan family with kids. The kits and all their contents fit into the 64 ounce Ziplock containers with the lid snapping snugly. This should keep things watertight and just-right-sized for throwing in a duffle bag, backpack or suitcase. Or pushing under the seat of the camper. Or having at the foot of a sleeping bag. I have included below the list of items inside and the...
4 comments
Read more

God's Punctuation

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God,  who are called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28  Never place a period where God places a comma. - Gracie Allen  Some of you may be familiar with the comedy duo of George Burns and Gracie Allen, who were active together in show business in the middle of the 20th century. George played the straight man to Gracie's comic timing. They were also married and had children. They were deeply in love. When Gracie was dying and George was deeply grieved, she wrote him a final love letter. One sentence that George shared from this letter was this, "George, never place a period where God places a comma."  This was Gracie's way of reminding George that his life wasn't ending. There was a pause, but there would be more the sentence God was writing as the life of George Burns.  That sentence, which may have been a proverb before Gracie wrote it, has taken on a life of its own. The United Ch...
Post a Comment
Read more