Fat Boy
“Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.” Ezekiel 16:49-50 NIV
Arrogant/Overfed/Unconcerned – What was Sodom’s sin? Don’t run to Genesis and decry its sexual immorality. That answer is too quick and easy. Look at what YHVH says through Ezekiel. Sodom’s sin involved a lot more than sex. “You were arrogant. You were overfed. You showed no concern for the poor and needy. You were haughty. And you did detestable things.” There are a lot of problems before you get to sexual sin. In fact, maybe the fact that the detestable things are at the end of the list should make us ask if the detestable acts are not the result of the prior attitudes and self-indulgence.
Arrogant. We get that one. We can usually tell when we encounter arrogance. But let’s not forget the cultural blinders. How would to classify contemporary politics? How about sports figures? Television evangelists? Celebrities? Do you think there’s a bit of eau d’arrogance wafting through the air? Is it possible that some of your cultural heroes and icons carry Sodom passports? And what about you? How does one fish tell the difference from another fish if they look alike? Maybe the true measure of arrogance isn’t self-examination in the mirror. Maybe it’s asking your enemy what he perceives in your character.
Overfed. Sibah lehem. Excess bread. The unmentionable religious topic. Have you ever thought that being fat might be a sin? Probably not. Fat is a multi-billion dollar industry. The food manufacturers feed us too many calories so that the denizens of diet can sell us the “cure.” No man of the cloth would dare suggest his congregants eat too much. That’s too personal. Smoking, drinking and dancing might be on the suspect list, but double Whoppers with cheese?—oh, no, that’s just a personal preference. Statistics tell us that the amount of food the first world throws in the garbage every day could satisfy the hunger of the world’s poorest two and a half billion people. Now what do you suppose God thinks about extra cream in chocolate lattes? If “fat” is a sin, how much effort are you putting into repentance?
Unconcerned. In Hebrew, shalwat hashqet. Prosperous ease. The opposite of hesed. The ethics of “me.” We live in a modern technological self-indulgence that was incomprehensible to all previous generations. We carry digital connection substitutes in our pockets that seduce us into thinking we have community, one keystroke at a time. We don’t pay attention—to the ground under our feet or the human swell of misery outside our borders. We know more about sit-com stories than we do about human genocide. Frankly, we just don’t care. And we look upon those who do with disdain (that’s what it means to be haughty). My friend, we surely look like Sodom from a heavenly point-of-view.
Topical Index: Sodom, arrogant, overfed, unconcerned, Ezekiel 16:49-50
And how did we get this way? Wasn’t it one choice at a time? What was the other choice: the other road “less traveled” that we didn’t take? Every time we turned toward self was it because we turned away from love – from connection with the other – in that place?
And what about stress? Stress is a pathalogical maladjustment to reality. In the countries that look most like Sodom and Gomorrah I have noted with interest that they are also the places that have the highest rates of stress-induced diseases, too.
I wonder if the narcissistic focus on self is a tandem phenomenon along with stress? I was reading a study this morning that focused on eating disorders and how they have a very high correlation with various stress disorders. I was reading another study that was looking at the subject of resiliency when it came to predicting who was going to wind up getting a stress disorder and who wasn’t, and the thought crossed my mind that perhaps a resilient person was one who was not self-focused. More study to do.
From my perspective, I can certainly confirm that stress induces dysfunctional behavior, one choice at a time. Unpacking the suitcases we carried since birth is often the most difficult task we will ever face.
Hosanna
As the scriptures state: “That which is flesh is [and will always remain] flesh.” The cure? “You [and I] must be born from Above.” The second birth. The regeneration and the renewal of “relationship.” As He has promised, “Behold, I make all things new.” New perspective, new priorities. Friend, “it’s is not about me.”
A man [any man-self included] wrapped up in himself makes a mighty small package. To “me” be the glory? Ha! No ma’am, no sir. It goes like this: “To God be the glory!!” – ALL of it. Again, – what do we have that we have not received? And the answer is? Nothing. Zero with the edges trimmed off. Life IS a gift. Our breathing, our breaths, from the first till the last is “on loan” from God. Ever thank Him for each breath Or the ability to taste food? Or the God-given ability to stand? to get out of bed in the morning? Or to view the sunrise? Life is a gift. My life. Your life. All of it.
And again, [when sumdumguy inquired] will we realize or recognize, “EVERY good gift and EVERY perfect gift is from Above?” EVERY, dear friend is “ALL.” God [who is good] is the Source of EVERYTHING good. He is the Giver of all good things. And. It is He who has made us – and not we ourselves. I owe.
I owe everything to Him. And. What a debt I owe! Therefore..brethren..
~ We are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ~ Twice-born people are decidedly different. True or false? How has Christ changed your life?
Life before. How I met Christ. My life ever after. What a radical difference! Do you know Him? Have you seen this Man? “Who do men say that I AM?” May I testify? He is the resurrected and reigning, saving and Sovereign LORD of all. For you see, God has given unto Him a Name. A Name which is now above every name that is named both in Heaven and in earth. His Name is Wonderful. And yes, and yet- there is more.. – so much more. Blessed is the Name of the LORD!
Who gave us His Life, an atonement for sin, and opened the life-gate that all may go in? The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; The LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.
I loved this post as well as your comment – “Unpacking the suitcases we carried since birth is often the most difficult task we will ever face.”
From my viewpoint, obesity is often the result of addictions because of unwillingness to unpack those suitcases. The other issues have the family of origin roots as well. It’s a way to escape what we don’t want to look at. The hardest part of healing the heart is coming to terms with what you don’t want to know, or think you can’t live with it if you do know.
Thanks for writing about things no one likes to talk about.
Chag Purim ,The Fast of Esther
Thursday 24 March / 14 Adar
PURIM DAY: Wednesday 23 March / 13 Adar II What a great and appropriate topic, for perpetration for the fast of Esther of Yom Purim ,the festival and expectant of Miracles , joy and joy ,in giving to the poor and charity and gift giving.
The Rabbis taught there are three things that led to insanity and heresy are :
1. contact with idol worshipers, 2. an evil spirit, 3. extreme poverty.
May we all be a blessing to those we can at this time in our own capabilities.. Pray for the time of Purim, and we can learn lessons to , Not be like the king of indulgences, vanities, priorities instant self gratifications like infancy, or indulgences like the King, no modesty exposure like the Queen Vashti and jealousy, envy, lack of understanding of Jewish things like Hamen or amelek the
evil one.. Blessing of all the Torah Scholars who teach the poor and prepare the future scholars..
Thank you Adonai for your people and ability to love and pray and to forgive and bless..Thank you Adonai for your patience with me and how you take your time in my ignorance and pride and pain and fear.. Thank you are my rock my safe place may I adore and love you more each moment in the lot i am in now.. amen
My husband has said many times that all kids in their late teens/early twenties should be required to spend one year in a third world country and be given only enough money for the first month, The rest of the time they must find their way and work. While this is impossible to require I can’t help but think of the impact that it would have. There is nothing like experience in a real world. I do wish that one day all on this email list/blog could have more than our current virtual community. We know each other in a way, however when we experience day to day life together i believe we would create hesed at a more meaningful level. Blessings to all and may we each reach out and help another.
Nice summary of what we become when we do not share our knowledge. For the same Hosea said that God is concerned because His people lack knowledge…
Share the knowledge in the breaking of the bread so that God can call and task. Think of the power the apostles received when they gathered on the first day after the Sabbath…
When God calls I do not know and cannot say, why God calls is becuase we humble ourselves to learn as said by a sister (fellow blogger) of ours the most honourable Jewish thing to do…