S U N D A Y
Love Generosity: Week 12 of Ordinary Time
We’re more than one-third of the way through Ordinary Time! For these seven weeks, following Bobby Gross’ excellent outline for Ordinary Time, we’ll consider a cycle of God’s love that alternates between permission to love ourselves and the imperative to love our neighbor. This week we are contemplating the theme of generosity.
Sunday’s scripture: Grafted in for generosity
Isaiah 56:1–8, Psalm 67, Romans 11:13–24, Matthew 15:21–28
Today’s readings in the lectionary (year A) don’t exactly make a direct connection with the theme of financial generosity that Bobby Gross chose for this week of Ordinary Time. I love the challenge of unearthing a pattern in the four Scripture passages. As Paul contrasts the “kindness and severity” of God, we are reminded that we don’t support the root, but the root supports us.
I chose today’s artist, Sliman Mansour, because of his body of work depicting the beloved, humble olive tree.
Read a beautiful commentary on this contemporary Palestinian artist here.
See more of ’Sliman Mansour’s work on Instagram
I also found this Arab News article featuring Sliman Mansour’ artwork enlightening: How the olive tree came to symbolize Palestinian national identity
“It is not only the fruit and its oil that the olive tree contributes to the cultural and economic life of Palestine. Olive pits, the hard stones in the center of the fruit, have long been repurposed to make strings of prayer beads used by Muslims and Christians alike.
As for the leaves and branches of the trees, they are trimmed during the harvest season to be used as feed for sheep and goats, while the broad canopy of the olive grove provides animals and their shepherds with welcome shade from the relentless afternoon sun.
The wood of felled trees has also been widely used in the carving of religious icons as far back as the 16th century, and as a source of firewood before the modern profusion of gas. In fact, the glassmakers of Hebron, who are famed for their stained glass, continue to use charcoal derived from olive trees to fire their kilns.
While the quantifiably beneficial uses of the olive tree are many, perhaps what is even more valuable to Palestinians is the inspiration it has provided to poets, painters and prophets down the ages….”
Today’s song selection from The Porter’s Gate lyricizes Jesus’ invitation in John 15. We’re reminded again that we don’t support the root, but the root supports us in a slight variation of Paul’s agrarian metaphor. I’m also sharing a small excerpt about spacious hospitality from my book, The Spacious Path. I hope you’ll read in my words and in the rest of the scripture passages for this week's encouragement for generosity that follows the restful way of Jesus.
