In the first reading, Rehoboam is set to succeed his father Solomon. Jeroboam, whom a prophet had told would be king over most of the tribes of Israel, is nevertheless willing to cooperate with and serve Rehoboam. But Rehoboam is not interested in forgiving his father's enemies. Rather, he determines to treat them even more harshly. As a consequence, Rehoboam loses power over Jeroboam and Israel. We conclude is not interesed in building something new that belongs to both parties, but in perpetuating--even strengthening--the status quo. This is a costly strategy for Rehoboam and for his people.
James, in the second reading, holds up for us, not kings and their strategies, but the faithful patience of prophets. He points to a reality deeper than the annoyances and struggles of the present, placing us instead in the context of an invisible, but far more real, context: God.
The contrast between what is "real" to us, on the one hand, and the reality of God, on the other, is highlighted in Mark’s crucifixion account here. The bystanders expect Elijah, and interpret the meaning of Jesus' death in terms of their sacred tradition. Jesus himself faces the experience of abandonment with questions about his purpose and meaning. This is the human experience, the limit imposed on us by our very humanity itself. Yet, in the deepest moment of human un-knowing and complete powerlessness, God speaks the unimaginable.
How can these passages speak to today's environmental situation? I think it brings this message: In clinging to our version of what the future, we sometimes put that very future at risk. Rather than hanging on harder to our own way, to maintain the status quo (that benefits us), it might be a good idea to look at what it would mean to cooperate with the disenfranchised. In each of these readings, it is clear that God is not envisioning more of the same, but working a new thing.
