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“Of course God loves the lost, the disobedient, the fearful.

“Who else is there?”

—Street, as quoted in The Epistle to the Arkansans

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I imagine the ten lepers as a play in three scenes. One is the night before and the 10 people are talking in the dark about their hopes and fears. Two is their encounter with Jesus. Three is the reaction of each of them as they are on their way to the priests. One wants to turn back and say thanks, but is afraid to jinx it. Maybe the Samaritan is arguing with a companion who is very rule based, and he says something like, "yes I will go show myself to the priests, but Jesus healed me right now and I have to say thank you first". I'm not sure what each former leper would say but it would be fun to work out.

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Nadia, your columns and letters are shared among 3 of my 5 siblings. I write you that because often I tell them of the light you are and why I support you. And I don't tell you. So here I am telling you. Your writing is delightful and most helpful to me. I do not share your gift of faith, and you have my unfailing love and financial support. Tom Dietvorst

PS: I don't particularly love Luther either (-:) and I will take his teaching on the 8th commandment to heart and practice it.

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Oct 11, 2022Liked by Nadia Bolz-Weber

I was talking to my friend this weekend about low self esteem. This reminds me of that. Because not only do we judge others but we judge ourselves by those same lies. We think "that person is to short" so if we are short, then "we are to short" too. Therefore we are not worthy either. So we cause our own low self esteem. I find when I stop judging others (when I catch myself doing it) that it helps me because then that is one less thing I will judge myself for too. Hopefully that made sense lol.

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Oct 10, 2022·edited Oct 10, 2022

I adore your sermons. Always a refreshing edge. I've never heard much spoken about FAE. I googled and now better recognize the attributions and biases I have. And apparently I have a lot!

In this piece and in so much of Jesus gospels, we don't know the full back story. Jesus always leaves a hook.. "Go and sin no more"... "don't look back"... "give all you have away"... And then we are left with coming to our own conclusions which is where FAE comes in. Maybe in this back story the other 9 were so thrilled that they ran off and told all their friends. Maybe the other 9 weren't taught how to say 'thank you'. Maybe some were young and ran off to skip and play and be children again. There are a lot of maybes in Jesus stories. And like another commented below, I also wonder why the one who came back was identified as a 'Samaritan'. Could have been written 'the black guy' came back and said thank you. Or the 'queer' or the 'only woman' in the group. In the story, the Samaritan was 'the marginalized'.

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I can't get over how your exegesis, no matter the subject, is always so suffused with love and sensitivity and a sense of societal realism. It's a true art, Nadia.

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Thanks for this message… powerful thoughts in a time where we need to set ourselves and others free to relax!!

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Fundamental Attribution Error. I am so that person. Thank you for naming it. So many words and thoughts stuck, provoked, made me nod my head and encourage me to be the better angel of my nature.

Grateful for your teaching and encouraging guide rails. Grateful and need to say that to all the people in my life that are encouragers. I try to assume good will and this reminds me so much to do that.

“Because to trust that God is God and we are not, means we are free from the bondage of having to fill in the blank when it comes to other people. That’s some healing right there.” Amen. I kind of love you😎💛

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I am so grateful you have the words and spread the goodness!

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Yap. God is love - no strings of expectation attached. Let's avoid reducing God to the image of an old aunt or uncle expecting a polite "Thank You" with a perfect curtsy from a well educated, mannerly kid. Just love!

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I love these words….“it’s to free us from the designations others may have put on us.” So true.

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Oct 10, 2022·edited Oct 10, 2022

(early words sticking with me:

".....at least we weren't alone....")

(I'd be joyfully spearheading a high spirited march to the nearest happy hour for a snoot-full with my leper buddies).

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I thought about them too. Wondered if they considered themselves a minyon and were bold to pray, Samaritans and Jews together.

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Thank you, Nadia. I have a friend who always says, "the literature says a grateful addict will never use". I read and reread all the literature and told him that it doesn't say that anywhere. He laughed and said, " Got you to read the books though". My experience in God's infinite grace and love has proven that statement true. Sometimes I wonder if one can truly appreciate grace if one has not been a "leper"...

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Nadia, i love how you challenge us to look beyond what we think we know. To look beyond experiences, teachings, culture, etc

I can’t stop thinking about the Samaritan. Would the Samaritan even have been allowed to hang out with Jewish people with leprosy? Maybe the Samaritan was in the ‘corners’, watching from a hidden place, not even daring to hope that healing and wholeness would be offered, let alone, given freely to him/her. I imagine it was utter joy, astonishment, and part disbelief … suddenly the corners outcast was loved! I imagine the Samaritan overcome and falling to the ground in gratitude. While the others fulfilled their lawful duty….maybe not even grasping the mercy given to them. Was this another lesson to the disciples that the messiah is for all. Thanks be to God.

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Thank you Nadia. I read this and thought of how we apply labels to people in the rooms as well, even though we’re not really supposed to do that. Its a reminder for me (which I need, often) to extend grace to those in the rooms I might want to label, or blame. Or who I might avoid. This grace was extended to me after all, and it saved my life. Yet I still often worry, way too much, about what people think of me, what label they’ve applied to me, and it’s exhausting. I love the idea of “relaxing” from having to label people (and be labeled). All are welcome, always, thank God.

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