Proper 17 Year B

Proper 17

Deuteronomy 4.1-2, 6-9
James 1. 17-27
Mark 7. 1-8, 15, 21-23

We rather value versatility and unpredictability in people. To say that someone is predictable is to imply that they are boring and hidebound. I suspect that this actually reflects the comparative security and dependability of a lot of our lives in the West. Most of us know where our next meal is coming from, when our next holiday will be, even quite accurately when our next baby will be born. We can afford the luxury of finding predictability boring. But that is still not the case for most of the world. Unpredictable weather can spell death, and an unplanned pregnancy starvation. No wonder that many cultures value God’s immutability so highly. Even we, who think we like variety, may actually be unexpectedly hurt by friends or partners who leave us for someone new and more exciting...

Taken from Lectionary Reflections – Year B by Jane Williams