“ODD COUPLES”

On/Off Series on Bible Stories for UUS
The Rev. Melanie Morel-Ensminger
First Unitarian Universalist Church of New Orleans
Sunday, March 27, 2011

This is the second in an on-going off-and-on series of sermons on Bible stories for religious liberals, to interpret them in a modern way, for the lives we live now. The first sermon in this series was based on classic stories of sibling rivalry in the Old and New Testaments; it showed us that family conflict and competition for the affection of parents and authority figures was as old as Adam and Eve’s children. We also learned of the power of forgiveness in healing broken sibling relationships.

Today’s sermon looks at some unusual and unexpected love stories, some odd couples, in the Bible. Hearing these stories with contemporary ears, we discover how very ancient it is to break out of established categories to form loving relationships of all kinds.
This service is all about strange pairings, odd couples: the owl and the pussycat as in our children’s story, and then Naomi and Ruth; David and Jonathan; Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well from the Bible. In each case, we learn of two individuals who have broken social taboos and gone beyond the hard boundaries of gender, religion, and custom.

The words we used as our Responsive Reading this morning come from the story in the Book of Ruth. There are sometimes used in wedding ceremonies, but they are not the words of one spouse or lover to another. Amazingly, they are from a daughter-in-law to her mother-on-law.

It was the tradition in those days for a widow to return to her family of origin after the death of her husband. Normally, relation-ships between daughters-in-law and mothers-in-law in ancient Palestine were so fraught with negative emotion that it makes Ernie K-Doe’s song “Mother-in-Law” sound like a love story. Daughters-in-law were supposed to serve their husband’s mother and to please her in all things; physical punishment meted out to the daughter-in-law was not at all uncommon. Most daughters-in-law were likely relieved to be sent back home after the death of their husband. If a mother-in-law had been dictatorial and cruel when a husband was there to protect the wife, imagine how dangerous it might have felt to be around her without the interposition of the husband.

But here we have something that upends the rules of society, not only at that time, but even in our pwn time. (How many times have you heard someone say defensively, “I like my mother-in-law – really, I do”?) In words that are poetic and emotionally moving, Ruth begs Naomi to allow her to stay. In the old-fashioned language of the King James version, she says, “Whither thou goest, I will go.” The word used for when Ruth clings to Naomi is the same as the one used elsewhere in the Bible to describe the union of husband and wife – she “cleaved” to her. The two women proceed to establish a household together, caring for each other and supporting each other, going against all the rules of Hebrew society at the time. (Some scholars have speculated that they may have had an even more intimate relationship, but that’s not necessary for the story to be moving and boundary-breaking.)

In the story of David and Jonathan, a young shepherd is brought to the attention of King Saul – and at the same time, to the attention of the king’s son Jonathan. Seeing and hearing David, in that moment Jonathan is instantly smitten. One translation says that Jonathan’s soul flew out of his body and joined with David’s. Jonathan is so overcome with emotion that the story says that he strips off his rich garment to give it to David – which, since ancient Hebrews had no underwear, left Jonathan standing there naked.

Some time later in the story, King Saul makes an offer to David to marry Saul’s daughter Michal, saying, “This would make you my son-in-law twice over,” clearly indicating that Saul was aware of the relationship between his son and David. And when Jonathan is killed on the field of battle, David is inspired to cry out poetically, “How the mighty are fallen!” adding, “Jonathan, your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than the love of women.” It’s hard to believe that even the most die-hard religious conservative can interpret all this as purely platonic love. The story of David and Jonathan shows us that same-sex love has occurred all throughout history, and that it has been chronicled honorably in scripture.

Perhaps the most interesting odd couple in the Bible we’re looking at this morning is Jesus and the woman at the well. While it is not in any way a conventional love story, since it does not show two people who are lovers or partners, it IS a story about the power of love to overcome difference. One of our challenges is, we religious liberals of the 21st century do not know how to hear this story; it’s a little bit like the story called “The Good Samaritan” – we have no reference to exactly how much Jews and Samaritans of the time hated and mistrusted each other, and so it doesn’t strike us as particularly revolutionary.

To get a better feel for how this story would have struck the disciples and other people of the time, Biblical scholar Helene Russell suggests that we try imagining this woman in contemporary terms, to picture her wearing tight jeans, a blouse that reveals too much bosom, her hair ratted up or maybe sloppily put up in sponge rollers, wearing too much make-up, chewing and popping her gum, possibly smoking a cigarette. Now, are YOU comfortable talking to her? Can you see why the disciples are astounded and uncomfortable when they find Jesus talking to her? Now can you see why the story is subversive?

And it’s not only her looks that are a problem. This woman has attitude to spare. Even though hospitality in this desert region is a cultural imperative, at first she resists giving the thirsty stranger a drink of water. Water from the hand of a Samaritan would be taboo for a Jew, and she knows it; she teases him about it. When Jesus tells her he can give her “living water,” she waxes sarcastic. “Yeah, gimme some of that so I don’t have to come down here and lug these jugs,” she laughs. She jousts with him over the religious differences between Jews and Samaritans, and Jesus tells her a time is coming, and in fact has already arrived, when those differences will not matter. And then Jesus throws her the biggest curve of all.

“Go get your husband,” he says slyly, and she replies, “I have none.” Jesus’ answer is, in effect, “Gotcha!” No, indeed, she has no husband, but she’s had 5, and the guy she’s living with now is not married to her. (The translation is ambiguous – it’s possible this man is actually married to someone else.) As anyone would be under the circumstances, the woman is amazed, and maybe a little afraid. After calling Jesus a prophet, she becomes a kind of prophet herself, running back to her village to proclaim the man who told her everything about herself. Amazingly, since Jesus does not even tell his disciples this, he reveals to her that he is the Messiah. What can it mean that he chooses THIS person for this revelation? How boundary-breaking is that?

Odd couples. A bird and a feline form a romantic attachment and run away together. A mother-in-law and daughter-in-law defy stereotypes and make a tender life together. Two men love each other truly, deeply, madly. A great teacher reaches out in compassion to someone whose gender, religion, ethnicity, and class are almost unsurmountable barriers to right relationship. What is the common theme?
Dr. Helene Tallon Russell, assistant professor of theology at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, says the stories show that clearly God is not interested in categories. God’s love and acceptance is extended to all, overcoming all the boxes we human beings put ourselves and each other in.

Put another way, the force that binds the universe binds us all. Transforming love, in all its forms, is what matters, not anything else. Not rules, not traditions, and certainly not social ideas of race, class, gender, religion, or ethnicity.
Why am I telling a bunch of rational Unitarian Universalists these old old stories? I want you to know these stories because the Bible is part of our heritage and our culture. But more importantly, I want you to be familiar with these stories because for far too long the Bible has been misused and misquoted and misinterpreted, to the detriment of women, gay and lesbian people, and religious liberals. Isn’t it great to have stories from the Bible that WE can use to support our positions on equality and diversity and justice?

The most important reason I want us to know these stories and integrate them into our religious life is that they are liberating. Isn’t it surprising and wonderful to learn that the Bible has such stories, stories that drive home the lesson that Divine Love crosses all boundaries, stories that remind us that the categories and customs that keep us separate and apart can be overcome?

God’s love or Divine Love or the force that moves the Universe unites all people across everything that serves to alienate us one from another. This lesson can be found in the Bible just as much as it can be found in the scriptures treasured and read by religious liberals. In fact, it can be said that this message is found in the other source partially because it was first found in the Bible. Let us take this lesson to heart and strive to be boundary-breakers in the name of love and liberation. So might this be! AMEN – ASHE – SHALOM – SALAAM – NAMASTE – BLESSED BE!