a reflection on theological language
Alan sends in this article by Charles Sherlock (here he is again!):
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How do you respond when asked to sing this? (The tune is a rousing march, emphasising ‘arise!’)
We live, we live, his breath is in us,
Arise, a mighty army, we arise!It makes a neat switch from Ezekiel’s vision (Ezekiel 37) to the congregation as an army. This ‘army’ is then invited to ‘march upon the land’ in a contemporary version of Joshua’s conquests.
Military language has been used in liturgy for a very, very long time. Miriam led Israel in singing to celebrate the Lord’s victory over Egypt:Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously!
Horse and rider he has thrown into the sea. (Exodus 15:21, expanded in 1a-18).[1]Such imagery expresses vividly the sense of deliverance into freedom which undergirded Israel’s faith. Christians of every variety delight to celebrate the power of God, particularly in lifting up the downcast and rescuing those oppressed by sin, guilt or injustice. Military imagery is prevalent in baptismal rites, and in hymns it is widely employed to express this sense of celebration. Many contemporary choruses sing of fighting the devil and evil, and as exorcism has come back into fashion, so has the language of ’spiritual warfare’.[2] Many still use terms such as ’soul-winning’, ‘crusades’, or ‘prayer warriors’. And liberation theologians (including many feminists) use the terms of revolutionary conflict: ’struggle’, ‘overcoming’ and the like.”
Read the full article here