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And in today’s scripture reading by which we consider the coming of the Lord, we’re invited to discern, in ourselves and others, the spirit of antichrist. Given the energy expended projecting the entity on popes, presidents and far-flung public figures whose names we find it difficult to pronounce, we might be surprised to see that the term only appears five times in two very short letters in the New Testament. What’s it all about?
We do well to note that the context, 1 and 2 John, are a couple of letters to communities of people who’ve sought to live and love together according to Jesus’ vision of God’s reign among us. But wherever two or more are gathered, we might say, things get complicated: “Antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come” (1 John 2:18). So we keep it plural and we keep it close to home. Abiding in the Father and the Son, as the counsel has it, means belonging to and for one another in every minute particular. Then and now, there are so many ways we avoid doing this, so many excuses we concoct to avoid even asking what such a thing might involve. Or as Kathleen Norris observes, “Each one of us acts as an Antichrist, whenever we hear the gospel and do not do it.”
Very oddly, amid the slayings and betrayals that comprise the book of Judges, we have a little parable on trying to take charge of things which, like Tolkien’s epic on the question of power, might be said to speak to the enigma of antichrist. Jotham, son of Jerubbaal, has watched his brother Abimelech hire out the slaying of all their siblings to secure the crown for himself. Having narrowly escaped with his own life, Jotham tells a story about a community of trees who seek a ruler for themselves. Neither the fig nor the olive nor the vine think it fitting to forfeit their own roles of sustaining others in exchange for swaying over others. Only the bramble accepts the charge, but upon doing so, sets fire to all trees. With this in mind, perhaps the fear that renders us eager to control or order or even fix others is at the heart of our antichrist trouble. And perhaps the work of real belonging is the more blessed task before us. We can only heal that which we belong to.
DAVID DARK
Assistant Professor of Religion & the Arts
College of Theology &Christian Ministry
We do well to note that the context, 1 and 2 John, are a couple of letters to communities of people who’ve sought to live and love together according to Jesus’ vision of God’s reign among us. But wherever two or more are gathered, we might say, things get complicated: “Antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come” (1 John 2:18). So we keep it plural and we keep it close to home. Abiding in the Father and the Son, as the counsel has it, means belonging to and for one another in every minute particular. Then and now, there are so many ways we avoid doing this, so many excuses we concoct to avoid even asking what such a thing might involve. Or as Kathleen Norris observes, “Each one of us acts as an Antichrist, whenever we hear the gospel and do not do it.”
Very oddly, amid the slayings and betrayals that comprise the book of Judges, we have a little parable on trying to take charge of things which, like Tolkien’s epic on the question of power, might be said to speak to the enigma of antichrist. Jotham, son of Jerubbaal, has watched his brother Abimelech hire out the slaying of all their siblings to secure the crown for himself. Having narrowly escaped with his own life, Jotham tells a story about a community of trees who seek a ruler for themselves. Neither the fig nor the olive nor the vine think it fitting to forfeit their own roles of sustaining others in exchange for swaying over others. Only the bramble accepts the charge, but upon doing so, sets fire to all trees. With this in mind, perhaps the fear that renders us eager to control or order or even fix others is at the heart of our antichrist trouble. And perhaps the work of real belonging is the more blessed task before us. We can only heal that which we belong to.
DAVID DARK
Assistant Professor of Religion & the Arts
College of Theology &Christian Ministry
Scripture
About this Plan
Again this year, through an intentional partnership between the College of Theology & Christian Ministry and the Office of University Ministries, we have been able to create and offer a Lenten Devotional Guide to help our campus community prepare for Easter.
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We are truly grateful for all of the individuals who have helped to make this fifth annual Lent and Holy Week guide a reality for our campus community, as it was indeed a campuswide collaboration that includes contributions from students, faculty and staff from across the campus, and even a few alumni. For more information, please visit: http://www.belmont.edu/
