I may have been on the tail end of the time when Wednesday evenings had their fair share of rituals to almost rival that of Sunday mornings. Now, it may seem blasphemous to type out, but as much as I appreciated going from handbell to vocal choir rehearsals in the precious church building sanctuary (which still held its fair share of soothing aura on darkened nights), I craved getting home in time to tune my bedroom television to NBC at 9pm. The West Wing grabbed my attention from its episodic infancy with its seemingly supreme acting and somewhat novel walk-and-talks (where actors wouldn’t stay in one room for most dialogues) and even captivating orchestral background music and serene lighting. The television drama in its seven seasons went on to win 26 Emmys with the famed Martin Sheen leading the way as the fictitious President Josiah Bartlett.
In recent weeks, I’ve gone back to rewatching that nostalgic series. Perhaps there’s some ulterior motive in attempting to avoid the embarrassment of human behavior reigniting in political ads and debates, but regardless…there’s this one scene where the “President” is conversing with a famous radio-vangelist, setting up a rather tongue-and-cheek diatribe not just against some made-up Hollywood character, but for all of us who struggle with just how far we can apply the Bible to all the earthly circumstances.
President Josiah Bartlett (Martin Sheen): I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I had you here. I’m interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She’s a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be?
While thinking about that, can I ask another? My Chief of Staff Leo McGarry insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or is it okay to call the police?
Here’s one that’s really important 'cause we’ve got a lot of sports fans in this town: touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point?
Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side by side?
Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions, would you?
Of course, there’s some added drama to this, to say the least, as footballs aren’t actually made from dead pig skin, for starters, but minor detail. Regardless, it reminded me of something I heard in a Bible study a few years ago. Someone was struggling with a theological-take book we were reading, and the leader of the group insisted that the author was “cherry-picking” certain verses from Scripture to support his take. That he would almost toss all the other portions of the Bible aside.
But the truth is…we all do that, right? We cannot exactly apply all the wisdom of Biblical times to our current context…right? And not just with the specific Hebrew Bible (aka The Old Testament) laws established for the wandering Israelites. We have to recognize the Biblical writers/shapers did not get slavery and the role of women exactly right all the time. We can grow in the wisdom as blessed to us by the Holy Spirit and still value the (sometimes) soothing aura of the Biblical account.
There are those who still fist-pump over this scene over two decades after it first aired on network television: a soaring fist-pump against those in organized religion who attempt to relegate all of earthly life with what they high-and-mightily believe to be absolutely right for all. But it isn’t just for the acting and the lighting and the camera angles. It’s about a dramatic connection to personal experience: when guilt and shame were unleashed by someone of “the church,” someone who wasn’t on a Biblical page or from a radio host or on a television set, but from someone in their own life that they thought God supremely valued.
The initial gut-reaction for many ritual Sunday morning and maybe even Wedneseday evening children of God is to immediately jump into action to defend the Scripture that has been a most vital part not just for two days a week, but so many more times throughout our life. Of course, we can do that to a certain degree, maybe not so much in a high-and-mighty defense, but to grow in wisdom through group Bible studies, for example, in wondering not just what was going on with the ancient Israelites and Galileans, but how it should all apply to today. But we also should ensure that a bit of a soothing aura of a space is provided for those who experienced the Biblical story and the church and the ritual-ers in a different way. After all, with God’s ultimate sanctuary in Jesus Christ, he insists on opening his soothing heart to absolutely everyone. Thanks be to God, indeed!
In Christ,
Pastor Brad
For the short video clip, please click: West Wing - Bartlet & the Bible (youtube.com)