I have by allusion compared Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts-Shori of the Episcopal Church to Pentheus in The Bacchae by Euripedes. (You all did catch that right?)
Two weeks after Hurricane Gustav (which is how one tells time in South Louisiana – “in the ninth year of Katrina yea the crawfish harvest was sore abundant”) I was driving three intelligent girls home from a youth activity. They brought up creation, Adam and Eve, how about those dinosaurs? and where prehistoric humans fit in and so on. Great stuff.
Next day I told the youth minister my colleague about this fascinating discussion and their at time brilliant (if ultimately unpersuasive) theories and interpretations. The youth minister said “boy I’m glad they didn’t ask about how God hardened pharaoh’s heart – that’s a tough one”. I shared what my seminary professor said about that.
As I was driving home – and in my Bible study with internationals we have been working through Exodus and Exodus has been showing up in the lectionary recently – it suddenly hit me.
Pharaoh. The Presiding Bishop. “And God hardened pharaoh’s heart”. Hmm.
See here is the thing. It seems cruel and violent what God did to the Egyptians. A fair concern which internationals raise. But God gave pharaoh ten chances to change direction. “Let me people go!” No! And let us see who has real power – me or this Yahweh of yours! He proceeds to oppress the people of Israel even more. Instead of progress toward freedom their situation only gets worse as pharaoh just keeps digging in more and more.
What my professor in seminary suggested is that God did not make pharaoh do anything he would not normally want to do. “Hardened his heart” means “make pharaoh more pharaoh – stubborn recalcitrant prideful oppressive and so on”.
Is this what is happening? Why the Presiding Bishop instead of seeking healing and reconciliation just digs in assumes more power and works harder to purge the Episcopal Church of all dissenters to her regime and agenda? That God is hardening her heart? (And arguably the hearts of many other bishops and their supporters.)
(Hence Pentheus. Those whom the gods destroy they first drive mad. Ultimately Pentheus is destroyed and Dionysos wins.)
And how does the story of pharaoh and the Exodus end?
It ends with the Pesach (Passover) of God. Pharaoh is defeated. The people of God are finally delivered. And Yahweh wins.
Is Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts-Schori ready for the Pesach of God?
And what will that day look like for orthodox Anglican(i)s(m)?
