Nothing Outside Contaminates

 First we start with the human traditions, not all of humanity, but Western civilization under the Doctrine of Discovery that basically states that any European explorer (especially from countries that were still Roman Catholic) coming upon any land and people that weren't Christian were able to claim the land and people in the name of their king and country. This created human traditions of enslavement and taking what isn't theirs which is still happening today in Sudan with diamonds, the Congo with lithium, and Palestine with natural gas. We continue to the 1980's were the wealthy were given massive tax cuts and the unions were routinely broken up and laws were put in place to make it very hard to create one in the 'Right to Work' states. Our human traditions have created once again a wealthy class that if they lost 90% of their wealth, they would still be the most wealthy people in the world. 

It probably started with philosopher Francis Bacon who helped begin the scientific method of inductive reasoning and testing theories. However, he lead humanity away from having a relationship with the world, with plants, trees, and animals, to us seeing the world as just things with no value besides what it can be of use to humanity. So today, it is no big deal to level a whole mountain in the Appalachians for coal, to make the Great Plains lifeless to produce corn and soy beans to feed our taste for beef and pork, or to pollute the air with CO2 so we can have material goods sent from China so we can look down to small screens rather than at the beauty of nature. Before industrialization, you could freely drink from almost any body of water you came across besides the salty seas. Nowadays, we have filters for even what comes out of our taps because it may not be good enough.  We value production more than life.

In today's story, Jesus is not promoting dirty hands, cups, and mats. He is not against these things, but he does call out the Pharisees for paying more attention to the human traditions than those commandments by God. He does call out the Pharisees for trying to shame others, rather than love them. Jesus comes to remind us about relationships and the ties that bind us together. Not only with other humans, but with the world and all of nature. He tells us to look at the lilies of the field and how much more splendid they look than any of us in our finest clothes. Jesus tells us that each sparrow that falls is noticed by God, each of them has value. We are told that God knows the number of grains of sand in the world and all the creatures of the deep oceans. In the second creation story, God forms each animal by hand and shows them to the human, there is a deep connection between them. Then God places Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and tells them to care for it. Again, God creates not only plants, animals, and humans, but creates a deep relationship and connection between us all. Look at the Song of Solomon, count how many references there are to nature around us. By my count this morning, I counted eleven. Yes, the Song of Solomon is a book about sex, though some commentators still claim it's a metaphor of the God who is the lover of our soul. However, it fully celebrates nature and uses metaphors of nature not as something salacious, but wonderful and affirming. 

Wendell Berry, a farmer, philosopher, and poetry writer, has spent his whole life to remind us of the connection and relationship that is between humanity and nature. His work continues to this day. He once grew tobacco, and still may on his farmland, and wrote about how can he grow a crop that will cause harm and damage to the human body. He tells us that until we, as a nation, change our priorities and focus on the health of the body, the community, and the planet, he will plant what helps his local economy and the people of Appalachia survive. 

So, what are the traditions of God that Jesus speaks of? They are, of course, the Golden Rule: To do onto others as you would have them do to you. The greatest commandment: To love God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies; and our neighbors as ourselves. It is to care for our world, the planet, and even give the land and animals a sabbath every seven years.  It is to leave something left in the fields for the wild animals. It is to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our day. It is, as Ann Russ, would tell you, to listen and look at the birds of the air, Nancy Strayer would tell you to tend and look at the flowers, and John and Barb to sit on your deck each morning and give thanks.