October 20, 2006
caedmon
The Celtic prayer book that I use from time to time tells today the story of Caedmon's death. Essentially, the poet took ill and unlike the usual drawn out and dramtic death that is so often communicated within the genre, he dies quickly. He asked if there was any wound between himself and the community. Assured that there was none, he received Communion and quietly passed away.
Here is a snippet of a poem...
Nu scylun hergan hefaenricaes uardThe lectionary readings that follow are a collection of relational passages...about personal and relational holiness.
metudæs maecti end his modgidanc
uerc uuldurfadur— sue he uundra gihuaes
eci dryctin or astelidæ
he aerist scop aelda barnum
heben til hrofe haleg scepen
tha middungeard moncynnæs uard
eci dryctin æfter tiadæ
firum foldu frea allmectig
Now [we] must honour the guardian of heaven,
the might of the architect, and his purpose,
the work of the father of glory[36]
— as he, the eternal lord, established the beginning of wonders.
He, the holy creator,
first created heaven as a roof for the children of men.[37]
Then the guardian of mankind, the eternal lord,
the lord almighty, afterwards appointed the middle earth,
the lands, for men.[38]
How do you understand personal holiness. Yes, even I get hung up on that language. To some that may be a surprise. But it's true. Holiness and righteousness are not relational in how I think about it. It's like not touching a menstruating woman because it might sully us. I don't mean to offend the Orthodox Jew among us, but that is a kind of holiness that I cannot wrap my mind around. However...
Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
This makes more sense to me. This suggests that sin exists...that we make mistakes and that life is messy. It also suggests that we have been honest with God in the process...confessed our sins if you will. It's about relational honesty and not fact sharing. God is a person, a being, and we are in relationship with God. Even though God knows our "inmost thoughts," resting on that knowledge is not enough. There is still a relationship to care for and preserve. The Golden Rule, as well, is about relational honesty and not mere fact sharing. Caedmon would not have received communion, one might argue, until he was right with his fellow monks.
To me, the relational aspect of Christian faith is what makes it work, that keeps it from becoming a list of rules and regulatons, of do's and don't's. If God is not a person, a being, an entity, then this is not possible. All we are left with are rules or guiding concerns. Holiness and righteousness are about relational honesty. Take time to be holy.
Posted by tripp at October 20, 2006 06:56 AM