Christ and Community
AM Psalm 97, 99, [100] • PM Psalm 94, [95]
Num. 16:20-35 • Rom. 4:1-12 • Matt. 19:23-30
Nicholas Mesarites, a medieval Greek church official of the Byzantine Empire, wrote what is called an ekphrasis, meaning an extended description, of a church site that does not exist anymore. However, the description of the church is so thorough that it gives a view of what the church looked like, and the impression it had. One notable passage gives attention to the dome of the church, which had an icon of Christ centered in it. The icon shows Christ gazing over everything, peering into everyone. Mesarites writes that depending on your own interior and spiritual disposition, you might see Christ’s gaze upon you in a different way—either gentle and compassionate, or harsh, judgmental, even cruel.
The scriptures for today provide a glimpse into this binary of perception as well, evident in the way God attempts to excise a spirit of rebellious and destructive leadership in the passage from Numbers, and in Matthew the way Christ compassionately teaches the disciples an eschatological reality of spiritual leadership. For the record, I do not think the aim of the icon Mesarites wrote about—nor the scriptures—is to show God as performing cruelty; the gift of the incarnation is that the embodiment of love crafted reconciliation within our hearts. I believe the difference is within the trajectory of ambition. What does obedience to God look like? It should lead us to a depth of fellowship and accountability to those around us. Obedience to God, ultimately, should bring us closer to each other in community that expresses the immutable compassion of God, where we serve one another in love, not in power. The trick, of course, is to recognize that not every rebellion is overt. Community is more fragile than it looks. Let a spirit of authentic love be what binds it together.
Written by Nathan John Haydon
Nathan earned his PhD in English studying medieval literature and languages from the University of Arkansas. He’s an Episcopal priest, adjunct professor, Benedictine oblate, and a lover of cats and coffee. In 2021 he moved from Fayetteville, Arkansas to St Louis with his super smart scientist wife, Kathryn. And while St Louis is great, he still finds himself often thinking about the community of St Paul’s.