Why I Am A Christian

This is a fairly old rift of mine that I'm suddenly considering in an entirely new light.

Attending church as a little boy, my anglo-catholic Episcopal parish had the tradition of reciting a verse of scripture as the congregation was lined up at the altar, preparing to receive Holy Communion. Together we would say, "Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst come under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed." This was taken from the 8th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, wherein is described an encounter between Jesus and a Roman general...

Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented."

And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him."

The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,’ and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."

When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you." And his servant was healed that same hour. (NKJV version)

When I was in my 20's, I read a book by John J. MacNeil, a gay man, a Christian, and a scripture scholar. MacNeil claimed that the Aramaic word used for 'servant' was not the usual word used in New Testament writings (which was actually the term for 'slave'). Rather, it was unique in the Scriptures, but was used elsewhere in Greek writing of that era to describe the younger male lover of an older Greek man.

Learning this was powerful and profound. As far as I am aware, Christianity is unique among world religions in that the foundational text offers an affirmation and a blessing of Love Like Mine.

Wow.

But here's something else. I wonder if the relationship between the 'younger male lover' and an 'older Greek man' was a Master-slave relationship, as was normative in the First Century? Could it be that the relationship that Christ was affirming was not just a loving, sexual relationship between two men (significant in and of itself), but a loving, sexual, Master-slave relationship between two men?

I don't know how I come down on the issue of whether homosexuality is a recent social construct (as queer theorists argue), or whether from time immemorial there have been men and women for whom same-sex attraction was a key component of their identity (that under totalitarian political framework that mandated heterosexuality would force them into a sub-culture with other men or women similarly situated. The past, as they say, is a foreign country. But whatever the case, here we have two men who are part of the Kingdom of God, and the fellowship of faith.


I wonder if there is a good book available on the dynamics of slavery in the greco-roman world? Something I'd like to read up on. The Mr. Benson variety of slavery has always been something in which I can't see myself reflected. (For starters, I'm not fabulously wealthy. Or even fabulous.) But, more and more I'm drawn to the idea of owning a slave. I had an interesting conversation with a Master I met at Inferno this evening. He described how his early life experiences have left him with care-taking tendencies, and this is an obstacle to a fulfilling and rewarding Master-slave relationship that he very much wants. (I described it as a challenge similar to an alcoholic working as a bartender. You've got to be really strong in your sobriety...) But, it's seeming more and more possible that I could come to a way of being a Master that would work for me.

Doubtless, more later on this. But now, it's tomorrow already. And I've got to be up early on a street corner helping elect a Democrat to the State Senate. I forgot about this aspect of working in politics...