The first chapter of the first book of the Bible has long been misinterpreted as a clarion call for the first man and first woman – and their heirs — to dominate Creation: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth” (Genesis 1:28). For millennia people in power have cited this passage as biblical justification for domination, superiority, and privilege over creation and one another. We are in charge. We know more. We rule.
Several times in my life I have found myself in positions of subtle, and in some cases, overt domination. When I lived in Japan for two years after college, my primary role was that of an English teacher. Teacher, sensei in Japanese, carries with it a lot of clout. And since most of my conversations were in English, I could dominate most every encounter with Japanese people who were speaking in their second language. I harbored the illusion that I was smarter. And since I was taller than most of the people I met, I felt I was stronger.
And while I tried to dismiss my perceived dominance, I rather liked it. One of my teaching gigs was at a Junior Women’s College. When I went from one class to another the young women in the hallways would always bow to me as I walked by. Uncomfortable at first by this display of cultural respect, I began to feel fed by it, and I found myself taking longer routes from one classroom to another so I could receive their obeisance. Many decades later I became a bishop – and had all sorts of status, privilege and authority conferred on me –accompanied by various symbols of power. I tried to minimize the grandeur of it all, while at the same time finding myself being a bit annoyed when I didn’t receive the degree of respect that a visiting bishop should expect.
The desire for dominance can be intoxicating. Once one has been given a role of dominance, the temptation is to want more. And when one becomes drunk with dominance, it is nearly impossible to let go, especially when one lives with the conviction that scripture demands it.
Which is what we are experiencing now. Last week President Trump issued an executive order that rolled back nearly every restriction on auto emissions. Having repeatedly called climate change a hoax, the president has demonstrated yet again his need for dominance “over every living thing that moves on the earth.” It is an ongoing litany: dominion over science, the rights of immigrants, the judiciary, over decency. Anything and anyone is fodder for his dominance, which he clearly enjoys and desperately desires to be celebrated for it. The consequences of his dominance does not seem to factor into his thinking, nor of those who are urging him on.
The first chapter of Genesis is not about dominance. It is about stewardship. The writer acknowledges that man and woman have a unique capacity: to think, to make use of our prehensile thumbs, the combination of which confers on us the responsibility of taking care of the rest of creation. To take leadership, yes, but to resist the need to dominate, so that all of the species can live in eco balance; and to create environments where we can learn from one another. That sense of stewardship is being blatantly and brutally threatened by the blitzkrieg of Executive orders.
Religious traditions have long set aside seasons for spiritual stewardship, to bring us in harmony with God, with creation and one another. On Wednesday, February 18, two of those traditions, Christianity and Islam, begin the season of preparation on the same day – Lent and Ramadan — a calendar coincidence that happens once every thirty years or so. Both mark the season with an invitation to fast: for Muslims it is a daily fast during daylight; for Christians, it is often a fast of one day a week – be it food, entertainment, or something important. In different but similar ways, Lent and Ramadan are involve involve a season of disciplined preparation.
Braver Faith, a department of Braver Angels, is going to honor the beginning of Lent and Ramadan with a webinar event on Wednesday, February 18 at 8 pm et. The event will mark how religious difference can come together through silence, reflection, and music. An explanation and registration for the event can be found here. https://tinyurl.com/4x34kkwp
The ancient seasons of Lent and Ramadan have been designed over the centuries to help its adherents prepare for the season of joy and hope – Easter for Christians, and the Revelation of the Qur’an for Muslims. Each involves unique practices that remind us of God’s presence in our lives. This year, as I did last year, I am going to fast every Wednesday from one of the most dominant dimensions of our common life: the media. For so many of us, the media, in its many platforms, has dominated our thinking, our feelings, even our faith. Stepping away from it for a day a week can, I hope, help make us better stewards of the gifts we receive from creation and better prepare us in all the ways we can resist unbridled dominance. Feel free to join me.
