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Midrash- The Living Word

September 10, 2021

These past few weeks have really been a whirlwind!


Some of us are taught to read scripture as a bunch of do’s and don’ts or worse, a roadmap for avoiding going to hell. If you grew up with that, I am sorry you were spiritually abused. The text was not meant to clobber you over the head or shame you.


Others of us were taught to approach scripture intellectually, with an eye toward analysis and interpretation. Over-intellectualizing can be hard to set aside. We can be like those people who analyze the special effects of a movie out loud while others try to immerse themselves in the story.


Few of us were taught to read it mystically: to invite it to speak to our hearts and souls. Yet I find this is the most profound and powerful approach of all.

I set out to write this book as a simple guide to faith-rooted activism. When I decided to structure it along the outline of the Bible, I found myself guided in new and unexpected ways by stories I had heard all my life. These stories continue to work in me!


One of the approaches I use is called Midrash--a rabbinic practice of reaching scripture imaginatively. Through Midrash, readers explore the gaps in the story, the missing voices, the silences, the wondering that is sparked. This enables the text to speak to you today and stir your soul.


In Midrash, scripture is sometimes described as black fire on white fire. Black fire is the words on the page. Midrash illuminates white fire, the spaces between the words that are written (See The Soul of a Pilgrim: Eight Practices for the Journey Within by Christine Valters Paintner).


St. Ignatius, a Spanish mystic and founder of the Jesuit order, also used a process like this, suggesting we have conversations with the characters to see what they might say to us.


As I read the book of Exodus, I was struck that the first chapter of this very familiar text is all about women who I barely heard of as a child. In fact, they were women of different religions and social classes. I read between the lines and listened to the questions stirring in my spirit.  Could it be that they were in cahoots? Were they forging a cross-race, cross-class coalition -- just like Stacey Abrams in Georgia is doing today? Is this how tyranny is defeated? What were their challenges? How did they see new possibilities? I noted their humor, their trickery, their imagination. I noticed how God doesn’t even appear until chapter two, and I wondered “Is God made present by our resistance and coalition building?”



Looking at the Midrash I did in my book, I continue to see layers of meaning in the text as it speaks to my own life and activism -- questions like this one from a book group I spoke with:  “When you wrote about Sheba wrestling with her power, it made me wonder if you wrestle with power working as you do in Washington.” I realized what God has been telling me as I answered the question! My struggle to stay grounded is rooted in my experience of vulnerability as a mother -- the same awareness I lend Sheba in that Midrash. When I lose my footing, I need to return to that sense of compassion and vulnerability.


The more I ground in scripture as a catalyst for liberation, the more meaning and inspiration I discover in the text. Tyrants and empires hijack faith and interpret texts wrongly in order to control us. Slaveholders in the American South actually created a Slave Bible to prevent enslaved Africans from reading the text and rebelling as they had done in Barbados. Tyrants have to control religion in order to control us.



The Bible is radical. It can live in us, inspire us and guide us. Don’t let anyone take it from you!


Try this ancient way of reading scripture and let me know what you discover!



  1. Center yourself before approaching the text.
  2. Read the text slowly and take the time to really imagine the story. Put yourself in it and let yourself enter into the perspective of each of the characters in the story.
  3. Hear the story as if for the first time. Avoid getting caught up in theological interpretation and doctrine.
  4. Have a conversation with the lead characters. How did they feel? What were they thinking? Do they have any wisdom for you on your journey?
  5. Pay attention to the part of the story which stirs the most curiosity or energy for you.  What questions arise? Why does this resonate or provoke you?
  6. Write down your response in prose or poetry. Do not try to perfect anything you write. Instead, stay with your insights and feelings.

Text Options:


Genesis 3:14-24

22 And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side[e] of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.


Exodus 1:15-18

15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” 17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. 18 Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”


Luke 8:43

43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years,[a] but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.


45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”


Photo by Kinga Cichewicz on Unsplash

Prayer


God, you are our great parent and guide.

We ask for healing in our nation

Where spiritual abuse and manipulation is rampant

And where we are distanced from you

Because of hatred and the hijacking of your word

Help us to reclaim scripture

And  discern your will

So that we may know you

And your desire for us to live justly

And walk humbly with you

Knowing we will never have full knowledge

Or wisdom without our connection to you

Connection with community,

And the connection to our own hearts.

Help us to speak the truth

And grow deeper in our love for you

And love for our neighbors.

As you have commanded.


Amen


Action

  1. Take this method and apply it to other scriptural passages with your friends and family. See what surfaces and if you learn something new about what God is doing in the present moment.
  2. Learn more about Midrash here from a Black, womanist perspective. It's my understanding that Black women have an important positioning in the struggle for collective liberation, so I am exploring Midrash with that in mind with the Rev. Wil Gafney as my guide.
  3. Support Jewish learning, coalition building, and movement work here with Jews for Economic and Racial Justice and here with Bend the Arc Jewish Action. Here's a specific piece related to intersectional and justice-oriented midrashic work.
  4. Let me know what you think and comment below!

Christian Leaders Continue Opposition to ReAwaken America Tour — at Trump Resort | Word & Way

May 12, 2023
Rev. Jen Butler in Word & Way Local faith leaders gathered at the First Baptist Church of Madison Tuesday to discuss their role in countering white Christian nationalism. Members say Christian nationalism is becoming a resurgent problem throughout the nation. They say Christian nationalism runs contrary to all of their faith traditions and want to do what they can to unite against it.

How (Not) to Miss Resurrection

May 2, 2023
We get so accustomed to thinking Easter is just one Sunday, but in the church calendar, Easter is a whole season that transpires over several Sundays and with good reason: it turns out that Easter or resurrection takes time to recognize. Why is resurrection so hard to spot when we are so anxious to see it? The Easter texts explore this in depth. A few weeks ago, the Easter text focused on the story of Mary Magdalene – one of the first to proclaim Jesus had risen. You can read about how I “met” her in Oxford here. Unlike many of Jesus’ other disciples, she kept going even when all looked lost. Her resolute commitment despite the odds enabled her to see. Our response to injustice or tragedy is often one of either denial or obsession. Mary did neither-- she confronted the reality of death while refusing to ignore the possibility of witnessing a miracle. The text for the third Sunday of Easter follows two of Jesus’ disciples who took a little longer to recognize resurrection. (Luke 24:13-35) The same day that Mary Magdalene and the other women announce Jesus has risen, two of the disciples are walking toward Emmaus, downcast and replaying the events of the crucifixion. A stranger approaches and asks what they are discussing. Frustrated with the man’s ignorance of the Messiah’s torture and death, they lash out. The man listens, then admonishes them for not seeing how all of this was foretold in the liberation stories of Moses and the prophets. The man who walks with them is Jesus, but their fear and grief prevents them from seeing that their friend and leader has risen. If you are reading this, I doubt you are in denial, but you might, like me, let anxiety rather than possibility govern your perception when threats abound. Scientists tell us that the brain naturally works this way. In times of crisis, the “reptilian brain,” the part of the brain that directs our primal instincts, takes over, putting us in fight or flight mode. These days all of our reptilian brains are on overdrive. There’s a war going on in Ukraine. Christian nationalism is rapidly spreading, hijacking faith, fueling violence and destabilizing democracy. We are seeing alarming rates of gun violence driven not just by widespread weapons of war but a culture of violence that grants permission to shoot children for simply mistaking an address. The disciples on the road to Emmaus may look like fools for not recognizing what was right in front of them, but I can relate. Threats on the horizon can prevent me from seeing the possibility of resurrection. The moment Jesus breaks bread is the moment they recognize him. Their eyes are opened through the powerful ritual of communion, the meal that Jesus urged them to celebrate in anticipation of liberation. Through sharing food and connecting face to face, they are building community that enables them to stop spinning in fear. Perhaps one spiritual practice for us in these difficult times is to build or deepen a community around us that can help us witness resurrection. Hold each other accountable to celebrating the possibilities of our future together, so that we can have the courage to advance human flourishing even in the face of death and destruction. We will need help to see things that are nearly invisible, like the first green buds of spring on a seemingly dead limb.
Image text: Magdalene's Unfailing Hope: Witnessing Resurrection

Magdalene's Unfailing Hope

April 14, 2023
A few weeks ago, I had the absolute privilege of leaving the country. I was in Oxford, England with a group of religious leaders tackling white Christian nationalism. Despite the heavy topic, I felt a lift. Getting the heck out of dodge, out of the muck of ongoing culture wars and the barrage of misinformation spewing from a former president, made me feel like I could breathe again. I wandered the historic town of Oxford during breaks. On one of these breaks, I wandered alone into a 12th century church that sat perilously between two busy avenues on a small triangle beckoning like an oasis. It was the St. Mary Magdalen Church. I’d never seen a single church named for this early church woman leader and stood in awe. The sign in the entryway was extensive. It read: St. Mary Magdalen is known as the Apostle to the Apostles because she was chosen to witness and spread the news of Jesus’ resurrection. She is one of the very few followers of Jesus who stayed with him at his death and then went to his tomb early on Easter morning to anoint his body.
Resources to Counter White Christian Nationalism

Resources to Counter White Christian Nationalism

March 30, 2023
As I’ve met pastors, clergy and other faith leaders across the country, one question has come up over and over: “What can my congregation do to counter white Christian nationalism?” We have a unique opportunity in this moment to organize our faith communities to reclaim our spiritual practices and protect our democracy. I have compiled the following resources to support you in this work.

8 Christian Women Shaping the Church in 2023 | Sojourners

March 9, 2023
Rev. Jen Butler in Sojourners For the past seven years, Sojourners has celebrated Women’s History Month by highlighting women whose work who has inspired us with their visions for a more just world — and church. The women in this year’s list include authors and reporters; activists and advocates; professors and pastors, but they’re all united by their commitment to tell radical, inclusive stories and their belief that shaping the church and world starts in one’s own community. These women teach, speak, podcast, and organize on behalf of many causes and communities, including reproductive health rights; multi-faith, multiracial democracy; garment workers; and Black liberation. We offer gratitude for their public leadership and passionate witness. We asked each leader to share why their work is so important, describe their vision of justice, and offer a prayer or blessings for 2023. We hope you’ll be blessed by their prayers and encouraged by their work.
Help! My Dad has gone down the QAnon rabbit hole!

Loving our “Enemies” in an age of Conspiracy Theories and Christian Nationalism

February 27, 2023
Many of us see the impact of rising support for Christian nationalism and QAnon as people we know get pulled into these dangerous belief systems. How can we help when friends, family or co-workers have been drawn to such beliefs? This month, nineteen faith organizations in Wisconsin came together to host my Faith in Democracy Tour and this is one of the important topics we covered. Challenging fear-based ideologies is critical to saving our democracy and Wisconsin has found itself at the epicenter as a battleground state. With one in five Americans caught up in QAnon and over fifty percent of Republican voters adhering or sympathetic to Christian nationalism, it’s time we figure this out. We can’t afford NOT to reach those in our orbit. Research shows that relationships and trust are the only way to reach people pulled into extremism. We often have more power than we know to influence the people in our lives away from these destructive ideologies. As one who has had more than my share of knock-down-drag-out debates at family gatherings, I have been wrestling over the years with what to do when I encounter this ideology taking root in the souls of people I am deeply connected to. I recognize that the suggestion we can even have healing conversations with those who embrace antisemitic, racist and sexist ideologies may seem strange or even offensive, particularly if you are the target of such views. I speak to white Christians in particular when I say we need to pull our people out, and I recognize this work is not for everyone. How do we “pull people out?” Most of us want to tackle wrong beliefs with facts and logic. Instead, psychologists have found that we must first address the underlying fear, anxiety or anger that has driven the person into the hands of a dangerous worldview. We need to understand the psychology behind extremism. Research shows that people are most vulnerable to conspiracy theories and violent extremism when their cultural worldview--the beliefs, values and structures that give meaning and structure to one’s life--is shattered. “Social domains” are the institutions and social structures that hold a worldview in place. They include religion, culture/media/Hollywood, government, science, gender roles, the economy, education, ideas about race and class and many more. When these domains are shattered, people become psychologically vulnerable. You can imagine some of the challenges to these social domains in recent years: sex scandals in religious institutions and Hollywood, a pandemic and a strained medical system that leave many feeling neglected and doubting science, rapidly changing social norms and structures and growing economic inequality that threatens livelihoods. As a person’s social domains unravel, they experience anger, anxiety and lack of trust. Conspiracy theories and violent worldviews offer a sense of belonging, meaning and purpose. They appeal not through logic but through meeting emotional needs. QAnon, for example, offered a community that bonded over pursuing clues left by “Q” who was believed to be a high-placed government official seeking to dismantle a cabal of elites who trafficked children. In order to disrupt or dismantle dangerous beliefs, we must first address the same underlying emotional needs that these beliefs appear to meet.

Minister warns Wisconsinites about 'destructive worldview' of white Christian nationalism | Raw Story

February 10, 2023
Rev. Jen Butler in Raw Story For three days this week, the Rev. Jennifer Butler has toured Wisconsin, warning against the resurgence of white Christian nationalism in politics and religion alike. White Christian nationalism is as old as the nation, says Butler. “It’s a deliberate attempt to conflate religious identity with ethnic and national identity,” she says, “to say that America is a nation that was founded by and for white Christians, and primarily for men to be in charge.”

Video: Local faith leaders gathered at the First Baptist Church of Madison to discuss their role in countering White Christian Nationalism | WKOW

February 8, 2023
Faith in Democracy Tour on WKOW Local faith leaders gathered at the First Baptist Church of Madison to discuss their role in countering White Christian Nationalism

Local faith leaders discuss their role in countering white Christian nationalism | WKOW

February 7, 2023
Rev. Jen Butler on WKOW Local faith leaders gathered at the First Baptist Church of Madison Tuesday to discuss their role in countering white Christian nationalism. Members say Christian nationalism is becoming a resurgent problem throughout the nation. They say Christian nationalism runs contrary to all of their faith traditions and want to do what they can to unite against it.

Warning Wisconsin people of faith about white Christian nationalism | Wisconsin Examiner

February 7, 2023
Rev. Jen Butler in The Wisconsin Examiner For three days this week, the Rev. Jennifer Butler has toured Wisconsin, warning against the resurgence of white Christian nationalism in politics and religion alike.  White Christian nationalism is as old as the nation, says Butler. “It’s a deliberate attempt to conflate religious identity with ethnic and national identity,” she says, “to say that America is a nation that was founded by and for white Christians, and primarily for men to be in charge.”
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