Br Alex Swain

Beloved in Christ,

Puzzles are fun. Puzzles are challenging. Puzzles are time consuming.

Discerning why certain bible passages are strung together in the lectionary can be like a puzzle: fun, challenging, time consuming.

Every now and then I try to identify a central theme that runs between the readings. Sometimes it’s clear. Usually, it’s as clear as mud, and sometimes it feels totally random.

The purpose of the Daily Office lectionary is to take us through substantial swathes of Scripture such that we encounter much of the bible every year in daily prayer. Often, the readings, particularly the Gospel, are aligned to the liturgical season.

But trying to find a unifying motif can be a good exercise—so I thought I’d try that today.

And the theme that I landed on was… sin! (Queue confetti)

2nd Samuel is a Game of Thrones-esque scenario where individual sin stands at the forefront.

Amnon, David’s heir apparent, rapes Absalom’s sister Tamar. David is angered, but doesn’t do anything, so Absalom takes justice and vengeance into his own hands.

David’s inaction (sin); a murder (sin) takes place for the rape (sin) of a sister. The complex realities of sin are on full display.

In Acts, we see societal sin: St. Paul’s assuredness that jail and persecution await him for his spreading the good news.

St. Paul understands that even a righteous Christian is not free from the effects of sin in the world, nor the evil forces which would prevent him from spreading the good news of the Gospel. Yet he persists and prevails in spreading the Gospel, despite the realities of broken governments and corrupt states.

And in the Gospel, we see divine judgement against sin: that sin needs to be torn out and torn off; that purification comes through fire; we are the salt of the world and sin removes our saltiness. Sin dulls us, makes us flavorless, makes us ineffective (among many other things).

As Christians, we strive (very imperfectly) towards a virtuous and righteous way of living. A Christ-like way of living.

We must then begin in prayer and humility—recognizing, as our confession says, the sins of what we have done, and what we have left undone.

Divine forgiveness grants us the opportunity to stand up, and try again, on our quest towards the holy life. Thanks be to God for that!

Yours in Christ,

—Br Alex