Oxcart (Ordinary Time - Day 22)

1 Samuel 6:1-16

A few years ago, Texas governor Rick Perry called the state into a time of prayer. A severe drought was drying up the state, and the annual crop yield was reduced dramatically. He asked Texans to pray for the healing of the land and an end to the drought. Yet, the drought got even worse and some experts say that we are still in it. 

When the earthquake stifled Haiti, a controversial pastor attributed the disaster to God's curse on the people for making a pact with the devil a long time ago. 

When I first decided to enter into a relationship with my current girlfriend, who was married at the time, I attributed my desires and feelings to God. It was God's doing. I had no control over it. 

When I couldn't stop drinking, I inwardly accepted that God had punished me with a drinking problem and eventually accepted it was supposed to be that way. 

So often, we take our problems and define them as some kind of curse from the heavens. This has been happening for millenia, across cultures, time, and religion. From ancient animal sacrifices to the sun god, to the present day connections between God and famine. We as humans have this innate tendency to take ourselves completely out of the equation when it comes to blessings and curses. 

In today's passage, the Philistine leaders are at a loss on what to do with this chest of God that is seemingly bringing curse upon curse to the people. So, they call together the religious experts to find out how to get rid of it without causing any more problems. The religious experts of Dagonism tell them to make five gold tumors and five gold rats, and attach them to an oxcart. Then, grab to cows and hitch them to the cart. Send them on their way to Beth Sheshem. Here's the kicker: If the cows head home, then they know all the devastation has been divine judgment. If the cows don't head home, it's all been an accident. 

What's the problem with this theory? They are avoiding their own responsibility, their own parts in the chaos that has happened throughout the country. They instead like to think that it's either a product of the gods or a product of coincidence. 

The cows end up heading home, and as soon as the people of Beth Sheshem see the oxcart, they celebrate. They take apart the oxcart, sacrifice the cows, and worship all day on top of a boulder. They are ecstatic about receiving back the chest of God. They know that something good has arrived. 

Yet, two towns over the people are suffering greatly because they attribute their disease and death to the same chest of God that is invoking celebration in Beth Shemesh. 

What is going on here? 

The people of Beth Shemesh view the chest of God as sacred and beautiful, something that brings good things. The Philistines view the chest of God as cursed and tormenting, something that brings catastrophe. 

It's easy to completely write blessings and curses off as God's doing without recognizing even the slightest, insignificant parts that we play in the process. We act as if droughts are signs from the gods, while we neglect the land. On the other hand, we act as if getting over drinking or any other addiction was solely done by God. 

Whether it's blessings or curses, we play a part in both. We get to choose whether we want to create or destroy, and we do both. I don't believe God is in a box or a chest. God is working and active among us, looking for someone - maybe just a few willing people - to play a part in what is going on. I don't think God's looking for people who don't accept responsibility in blessings and curses. I think God wants us to acknowledge first that we have a role to play in the unfolding drama, then to take a role. Whatever the role entails, we act. 

We are invited to work with God, not see ourselves as robots, as beneficiaries of divine judgments and blessings. We play a part in both. What is our part today?

Today's Action: Whenever something good happens today, thank God. Then, name one thing we did to help make the good thing happen. Whenever something bad happens today, thank God. Then, name one thing we did to help make the bad thing happen.