Mtr Mary Trainor

Dear friend,

Jesus goes on a tirade in the temple.* His Father’s house has become corrupt, then profaned, by commercialism, seemingly necessary systems that support worship—animals for sacrifice, people to provide correct currency. If one were going to observe rules of worship, these activities seem essential.

I am stumped by the contradictions here—decades of worship practice that have been meaningful are now under attack. What has changed?

Jewish leaders are stumped, too. “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

Raze. And raise. Jesus is speaking of himself, we know. Knock him down and in three he will rise up. Raze. And raise.

***

Sometimes a change is needed. We can resist it, or we can go with it. We are called to put one thing down in order to pick up another. Raze. And raise.

***

I am a woman of three vocations. Maybe more if I factor in some transitional activity. But, for certain, three distinct callings: newspaper editor, schools administrator, Episcopal priest. Each one of these was unique, meaning that moving from one to the other required an intentional act of separating, one from the other. Lay one down, pick one up.

These were good transitions for me, each the right step at the right time. Of course, I know that only from a backward look. In the moment, there were doubts and fears, as there are in most transitions.

It is frightening when chapters end. Will the next one be as meaningful, as exciting?

We know it to have been worrisome at least to witness Jesus tearing up the temple, upsetting the routine, andwith such criticism. It was just another Passover for them. They had no way of knowing that something powerful was on the loose. The same God who once embraced a temple was now doing a new thing.

Raze. And raise. New wineskins for new wine.

Mtr Mary

*John 2:13-22