Worldly Wisdom and Foolish Grace. Barbara Carnegie Campbell
interest was such that we discussed having a parent component to the camp, but alas, that never came to be.
We had two years of Abraham’s Tent before health issues and circumstance caused Pastor Barbara and Batya (neither in their 20’s anymore) to step down from leadership roles. After that, Abraham’s Tent ceased to be, but the profound interfaith work with children and families remains.
Pastor Barbara has now retired, the building that housed St. Mark Presbyterian Church has been sold to a college for classrooms, and P’nai Or of Portland has found another home. Yet we are all inspired to continue this work of bringing our sisters and brothers together, to push past divisions and differences, and to encourage us all to be spiritual travelers together.
Batya Podos
Maggidah, Albuquerque, NM
Preface
They say that preachers preach what they most need to hear. I find that to be true. I decided to write this book, when a friend suggested the idea to me, because I knew that there were about ten lessons that Rabbi Jesus taught that I really needed to hear and be reminded of, again and again. I guess I basically wrote this book for me to hold onto, so that I could remember the hardest and truest lessons of the man I consider my Lord and friend.
As it turned out, though the ten hard lessons remained the same, the rest of the writing changed dramatically along the eight or so years that I wrote, put it away, pulled it out, wrote some more, and got distracted again and again by other things in my life. When I had finished ten chapters on the lessons themselves and convinced myself many times that those chapters might actually hold some thoughts others might find interesting, I moved into a transitional period changing the church I would be pastoring, and again the writing ceased for months. When I picked it back up later and looked at it, as I had so many times, I was convinced there was nothing of value there and decided it should not be published. I had sent out one book proposal to one publisher but had not heard back in months.
Then two marvelous things happened. First of all, as I woke up one morning, these words went through my head: “You wrote that book before Trump became POTUS. That’s what’s wrong with it!” I suddenly began to feel that the lessons were now even more important to share because the present US administration was operating out of the opposite understanding from what Rabbi Jesus taught. A few biblical words from the Apostle Paul (my least favorite biblical author, btw!), got stuck in my head: “Worldly wisdom and foolish grace!”
The other thing that occurred to me was that the book simply had to be more interfaith in nature. I did not really want to assume to be qualified to speak for my Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters but I had to figure out a way to include their voices. The world had suddenly reverted toward a new rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia and it was important to highlight our shared faith tradition.
A few weeks later, I heard from Wipf and Stock Publishers that they actually wanted to publish my book! By the time I wrote back to them accepting their offer, I had to tell them that the book had changed a bit from my original proposal. The title had gone from “Walking With Rabbi Jesus” to “Worldly Wisdom and Foolish Grace: Lessons from Abraham’s Tent.”
I began to search the lessons and stories from Jewish and Islamic texts that echoed the lessons Rabbi Jesus taught. I knew they were there. My friends had assured me time and again that Rabbi Jesus got his ideas from Torah and that Mohammad (peace be upon him, pbuh) knew both testaments of scripture well. The Elder Testament and Quran are neither short, nor easy writings to search through, however. More than once, I wanted to give up the search. Then, slowly, I began to fill in the pages that begin each chapter with three similar revelations from Abraham’s Tent. It was going to work after all!
Having just begun to study Torah and the Quran from my Abrahamic brothers and sisters, I feel unqualified to comment very deeply about the meaning behind these Jewish and Islamic texts. I have included comments by scholars from these traditions and only my brief reflections on these tests. I encourage readers to look more deeply into Torah and Quran and learn from teachers in those traditions. You will find from further study of Torah and Quran that your own faith tradition will also be enlightened.
I wish I could have included similar writings and understandings from all the major world religions and spiritual communities such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Baha’i, Indigenous Spiritual Believers, Pagan and Neo-Pagan groups and Humanism. I would have chosen to include the wisdom of those who do not profess to follow any one faith tradition, but putting together such a study would have taken me at least one more lifetime.
I still feel a bit guilty for not including words from these wise voices, fearing that it might give the idea that I think that Abraham’s Tent has a corner on the market of truth and understanding. I wish I could have written more than the brief interpretations that I attempted to add and ask forgiveness from Abraham’s Tent members for anything I may have written that is incorrect, misguiding, or offensive. I also ask that anyone from Abraham’s Tent contact me and let me know if I have done so, so that I do not spread erroneous information any further.
I knew that I also had to deal with some of the so-called “Worldly Wisdom”. Each of the lessons in the book spoke clearly to one or more current political issue and stood in opposition to the views being espoused by the Trump administration and a growing segment of our culture. Any other view, including the views held by the sacred texts that come out of Abraham’s Tent, were suddenly considered “foolishness” by many of our federal leaders.
I also heard the voices of colleagues and wise leaders who fight for justice in my community and around the world, the voices crying out for immigrant justice, the voices of diverse communities facing their own unique forms of prejudice, the voices of those working to save our planet from destruction and desecration, the voices of those pressing against gun violence, child abuse, and so many other forms of violence, fear, and greed. Those voices came to me louder than ever, instigated by the election of Donald Trump as President and subsequent administrative decisions that brought about what still feels like a resurgence of fear, prejudice and extremist nationalism throughout our beloved nation.
I invite you to take a closer look at the current political issues that these lessons throw some light on. I invite you to consider some of the worldly “wisdom” that is spread today. The world claims that their wisdom will make our lives more comfortable, safer, more efficient, and more pleasurable. Is this worldly wisdom truly wise, though?
I must include some disclaimers: I am not a political scientist or cultural sociologist. I listen to as much news as I can stomach and read what I can, but my knowledge is as a complete lay person in this regard. I hope I have been able to simply remind you of some of the social issues we have all been hearing about, so that you can see the stark contrast between how culture and politics view these situations and how people of faith are called to think differently. That contrast and contradiction of views is what makes these ten lessons seem so foolish to our cultural ears. The lessons from Abraham’s Tent seem “foolish” because they can only be understood and followed when you stand on a foundation of pure grace, pure unapologetic, undeserved, unconditional grace that allows pure love to flow.
I hope you find it inspiring, remarkable and convicting that these ten important life messages that Rabbi Jesus taught are also shared by Jews and Muslims and, for that matter, by almost every other major world religion. It is also telling that these ten lessons are some of the hardest instructions we will ever hear these great leaders telling us to follow. They are, undoubtedly, the lessons that most of the children of Abraham find most difficult to follow. I invite you to reflect bravely and boldly on the “foolish” grace that lies within the opposite and challenging lessons that Abraham’s Tent taught throughout the ages and that their disciples continue to believe are possible through living with compassion and humility.
This is not, in the end, your typical “What would Jesus do?” book. Life is complicated and these lessons will not speak to every situation we face today. They might give us a place to start, however. I hope they will encourage us to continue looking and listening for answers that will build the peaceable and beloved community. I hope you will find some comfort and guidance in these texts and be encouraged