Weekly Bible Study - Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18

23 February 2014
7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The first five books of the Bible (called the Pentateuch or Torah) describe humanity's fundamental relationship to God, the introduction of sin into our relationships, and the choosing and shaping of God’s people, Israel. The Torah is the heart upon which the rest of the Old Testament rests and extends.

And at the center of the Torah stands the Book of Leviticus. Named for Levi, the priestly clan of the twelve tribes, the book deals mainly with “cultic” matters related to the priesthood, feast day observances, sanctuary maintenance, offerings, and laws for purity and holiness. The book also addresses behavioral, ethical and economic issues. It is a kind of “handbook” that outlined and shaped the Israelite’s relationship with God and with one another.

Today’s reading is from the center of Leviticus. So in a way, today's reading stands at the very heart of the heart of the Old Testament. In our reading, God "interrupts" the recital of obligations; God slows down the flow of the lists of dos and don'ts that occupy daily life to get to the heart of the matter: “Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.” This interruption in the text reminds them (and us) that there is more to living than daily activities and ritual observances.

Isn't that just like God? Doesn't God so often "call aloud in the streets," in the daily ebb and flow of our lives to be grace and presence in our midst?

Do we let that happen? Do we embrace God's presence, in our halting ways, in those graced moments? Or do we push aside the "distraction"?

Do we see our lives as more than an accumulation of projects and rituals? God is calling us to shift our focus so we can encounter the holiness of God. When we are able to encounter God, right in the middle of our own thoughts and projects, we give God the space and time to mold us into the shape of God's own holiness--even in the midst of our activity.  Especially in the midst of our activity.

At first, the very thought of our being “holy like God” seems impossible and even a bit presumptuous. But if we think of it as God's work--and ours only to cooperate by being present to God whenever we can, then perhaps we can entertain the possibility of holiness--and even embrace it as a fun, surprising adventure.

After all, we are made in God’s image and likeness. God's grace in our lives simply invites us to reflect that image and likeness in our lives and activities. Put more simply: God calls to be who we truly are, his children. And that is holy.