Down and Out:

On the Inconsequence of a Bodily Resurrection Meanwhile, a few weeks ago in Tacoma, Washington, Tiffany Kauth had taken her dog, A Commentary for the Fifth Week of the Sugar, to Ron Paceʼs Saturday morning dog Lenten Season, 2011 obedience class. Once there, the dog suddenly collapsed with a seizure. Itʼs eyes rolled back in [For context it will be extremely helpful to be familiar with the its head, and it stopped breathing. The trainer Common Lectionary Texts found at the end of this first tried chest compressions for a couple minutes commentary] on the animal. When that didnʼt do the trick, he

resorted to mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. With Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to his own lips covering those slobbery jowls and Jesus, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." … Jesus cried wet nostrils, he forced oxygen into the dogʼs out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The lungs. dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a Seconds later the dog revived! It appeared to be cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let a little frightened and bewildered at having him go." (John 11:39, 45) returned from the dead, but was otherwise okay. Holding back the tears, Tiffany later told reporters, But when you get back up on your feet again, “I was absolutely certain that I was losing my Everybody wants to be your old long-lost friend. dog.” But as it happened, Sugar was only down, Itʼs mighty strange, without a doubt, but not out. Nobody knows you when you're down and out.

Depression-era songwriter, Jimmy Cox But the best shaggy dog story recently occurred

when a cage with six pups was found dumped

outside an animal control shelter in a small town When the catastrophic tsunami swept ashore near Oklahoma City. The vet determined the along Japanʼs north coast last month, it swept so critters were too sick to survive, and the decision much flotsam and jetsam back out to sea it is was made to euthanize them all. Each dog was anticipated some of the floating debris will reach given two lethal doses of a sedative, one injected all the way across the Pacific to U.S. beaches in into the foreleg and the other into the heart. Either the coming days. dose was more than enough to kill a dog.

But two weeks after the initial destruction -- once But the next morning animal control officer Scott rescue efforts had shifted to recovery mode for Prall found one of the pups alive and well, peering the thousands upon thousands of bodies to be out of a dumpster used to dispose of the animal dug out from the mud tombs, or retrieved from the remains. "He was just prancinʼ around,” Scott sea, a helicopter twenty three miles offshore said. “He heard me drive up, and he just looked spotted a dog pacing back and forth on what was up and saw me!" once the roof of someoneʼs home. When a young girl in town (the name of the town, The rescue workers winched the mutt to safety, by the way, is Sulphur, OK … hey, you canʼt make with the entire operation caught on videotape, just up stuff this good) heard the news, she named the in time for the evening news broadcast. The dog Wall-e, and posted his story on Facebook. It dogʼs owner spotted what once was lost, but now went viral, of course, and before long thousands was found on the television screen. The tearful, of people wanted to adopt the death-defying tongue-lapping, tail-wagging reunion provided one miracle mutt who nobody wanted before. Even little story with a happy ending, in the face of so with the fresh stench of death all about him, Wall- much death and destruction. Going by the name e had more than beat the odds, to dance on his of Ban, the mutt was clearly down, but not out. own grave. If Iʼd been there to hear Wall-e a-howlinʼ, dollars wings? Or does it raise up the believer -- even to donuts I just betcha heʼd be singinʼ the blues: here, even now -- to a new life of grace; where the feet start to tap a different tune, as the heart canʼt But when you get back up on your feet again, help but leap for joy? Everybody wants to be your old long-lost friend. Said it's mighty strange, without a doubt, Nobody knows you when you're down and out. Is he the one through whom we too can find something more than merely forestalling the inconsequential Now, Johnʼs gospel offers a detailed account of what certainly sounds like a newsworthy story; inevitability of our own mortal death? If about a character named Jesus, bringing his so, then what would such believing entail? friend Lazarus back from the grave. While And … does it raise up the believer … to a Lazarus gets a mention in some of the earlier new life of grace; where the feet start to synoptic gospels, Johnʼs account develops a tap a different tune, as the heart canʼt help highly stylized Christological and cultural but leap for joy? statement of belief by this particular early

Christian community.

This story ends with that unanswered question, As such, they were a generation or two removed when Jesus turns to the crowd of onlookers and from any eyewitness accounts of what might have delivers that wonderful line, “Unbind him, and let been an original version of a common human him go.” Let him go to do what? circumstance that later evolved into this wonderful mythic tale; meant to convey some profound Whatever becomes of Lazarus? What will gospel truths, over against any unbelievable Lazarus do in the meantime – the days to follow, supernatural feats of magic. between his premature death and his eventual

demise – with this emancipation act Jesus has In Johnʼs telling of this story, this Jesus is not just declared, and the new life given him? a miracle worker who (previously) heals the sick and restores sight to the blind. Reading back into It seems to me that is the question for each of us this story from what was a post-resurrection to figure out; if we would believe in the experience of faith, this Jesus now professes to transformative power of Godʼs truth and grace, be the living, breathing reality of God that once made manifest in the way of life Jesus embodies dwelt among us; and still remains among his for us. subsequent believers in fresh and transformative new ways. “I am resurrection, and I am life,” is Again, donʼt get hung up on the believe-ability or the claim attributed to him. un-believe-ability of the too-good-to-be-true part of

this story, which temporarily reverses and delays It is this Jesus who has forged the new frontier the inevitability of Lazarusʼ death. I say this with and crossed the great divide for those who will some understanding and appreciation of the fear have to decide whether or not they believe he is and pain, the grief and loss and suffering that can the messiah of God. Is this Jesus the Christ? Is almost overwhelm those who grieve. he the one through whom we too can find something more than merely forestalling the “If only youʼd been here,” Martha plaintively says inconsequential inevitability of our own mortal to Jesus, when he finally shows up a day late and death? a dollar short. I suspect this is the cleaned up

version of the original, which was probably closer If so, then what would such believing entail? to, “where the hell have you been?” What is the consequence of such belief? Is it merely some false comfort and cold assent, which There is not one of us who would not have wished simply leaves one stiff as a corpse, awaiting such the death of a loved one -- and our own painful childish fantasies as the grim reaper, St. Peterʼs loss -- could not have somehow been avoided or interrogation, pearly gates, harps and angelʼs reversed; when in our grief, the lingering phantom presence of the one who is dead and gone was And, more than just a graphic detail for the sake sometimes as palpable as our own breath of emphasis, there is almost a throwaway line between two heartbeats. that, if retrieved, can lead us to understanding the deeper message in this story; and to which the But if you have any inclination to want to hang miraculous raising of the one who is dead and everything you believe to be true on a literal gone only points us. Namely, the stench of death reading of this story, the other scripture story we had already taken over. read about Ezekielʼs vision of an entire valley of dry bones getting reconstituted with flesh and And, whereas everybody but Jesus had already sinew can test the limits of this approach. (Ezekiel moved on to the important and painful process of 37:1-14) All but the most diehard literalist would grieving the loss of what was no more, the other understand the old prophetʼs descriptive story is fact of the matter was this: No one was too keen not to be taken as an objective reporter describing on getting too close to what had become of a factually verifiable event. It should more than Lazarus. suffice to convince us of the inconsequential importance of a physical resurrection. Talk about down and out!

Similarly, the Lazarus story is not meant to convince us of an extraordinary rescue from the And, whereas everybody but Jesus had clutches of what could otherwise be considered already moved on … the fact of the matter certain death (like Ban the dog). was this: No one was too keen on getting too close to what had become of Lazarus. Nor should we feel the need to domesticate what Talk about down and out! may seem miraculous as a medically explainable near-death experience (like the dog trainer performing canine CPR). Blues singer first recorded Jimmy Coxʼs Nobody knows you when you're down and And neither should we simply be expected to out in 1923, but it did not reach popularity until the stand dumbfounded before an inexplicable, death- Great Depression. Its wider acceptance was not defying feat, beating all the odds (like Wall-e the due to its use as a lively dance step, but rather a miracle mutt). common experience that would suggest a boom- to- bust kind of a life with which a whole The gospel tale not only wants to point out to generation of people would identify. everyone that Jesus could have intervened earlier, when there was still time; but that the Of course everyone hadnʼt gone from riches to great divide between the living and the dead had rags. There were already plenty of folks would already been traversed in the case of Lazarus. have been singing Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime That includes anyone who could be a Lazarus. had it been written before the Crash of ʻ29. But if you listen to old timers still talk about an era that Jesus doesnʼt wait until itʼs almost too late, when was defined as not having two nickels to rub the bodyʼs still warm and somehow salvageable. together, you can still hear a sense of fear and By the time he gets to Bethany, Lazarus is long loss behind those lessons on frugality and self- dead and buried. He wasnʼt almost dead, playing sufficiency. dead or quaintly slumbering. The storyteller goes out of his way to emphasize this point; first with Similarly, during these more recent days of the Jesusʼ intentional post-mortem arrival, and then Great Recession, youʼll sometimes hear some the two sisterʼs repeated “if-only” regrets. Lazarus tight-fisted fair-weather friends who are not only was really, really dead; and decomposition of the on the other side of a widening chasm between corpse had already set in. the rich and the poor; but are more than ready to give up on the lost and forsaken, as well. In the The body that once held the life of someone near end, itʼs simply hubris and self-interest and dear to them had already begun its journey masquerading as sensible austerity and fiscal back to the elements from which it was formed. responsibility.

But itʼs also interesting to note that Bessie Smith Looking back once more at this gospel tale, the not only recorded Jimmy Coxʼs song in 1923, long false distinction sometimes made between what before the Great Depression; but that she wasnʼt becomes of Lazarusʼ empty tomb in this story and the last to find the song worth singing. In every the one found Easter morning in the garden, is decade since, numerous musical artists have re- sometimes portrayed as the difference between recorded their own version of that song. resuscitation and something beyond the pale, called resurrection. Among them some of the more familiar names you might recognize include Count Basie, But now I see with new eyes. Itʼs all resurrection, Leadbelly, and Odetta, José whether itʼs a second chance with what was once Feliciano, the Chad Mitchell Trio, and oneʼs former life, or the inexplicable mystery Liza Minnelli, John Lennon, BB King, the Allman about a deeper truth to be told; and, which only brothers, , Billy Joel, Don McLean, such mythic tales can try to tell us about. and . To be honest, I have little practical use for any In fact, Nobody knows ʻya was one of the first notion of a resurrection -- or any such belief in the songs I myself learned to play on the guitar in my hereafter, for that matter -- if I canʼt have a youth, while attending a prestigious boarding glimpse of it this side of the grave. school. What could I possibly know about being so down and out, so lost and forsaken, so beyond Here and now, the resurrected life has flesh and the pale? All I can say is that sometimes it takes bone, with hands to strum and feet to dance to a a little while to really learn how to sing the blues. different tune; with the belief that – by the grace of God – one will still want to know me when Iʼm Every one of those musicians (with the exception down and out. of myself, of course) achieved some degree of fame and stardom; and in most cases above average material wealth. Again, what could they © 2011 by John William Bennison, Rel.D. All rights reserved. know about being down and out? Sure the This article should only be used or reproduced with proper credit. entertainment business reportedly has more than To read more commentaries by John Bennison from the itʼs share of cutthroats and fair-weather friends. perspective of progressive Christianity and spirituality go to But Iʼd suggest the broad appeal of the song just the Words & Ways Archives: may extend to something more universal in all of us.

Who, or what, will be there if, and when, one is ever irretrievably lost, and no one can see any reasonable, practical point in rolling back to the stone when one is deemed to be as good as dead and gone?

Iʼd suggest the broad appeal of the song just may extend to something more universal in all of us. Who, or what, will be there if, and when, one is ever irretrievably lost, and no one can see any reasonable, practical point in rolling back to the stone when one is deemed to be as good as dead and gone?

The Theme for the Fifth Week of Lenten Season, 2011 – Earthen Vessels: Jesus and Lazarus

Three depictions of the gospel story of Jesus and Lazarus, as expressed in different times and places, from left to right: The Raising of Lazarus, Fresco located in Scrovegni Chapel in Padua (Italy) by Giotto, (1266?-1337). Second image: mid-12th century image located in the Cappella Palatina di Palermo (Italy). Third image: “Jesus raises Lazarus to Life,” JESUS MAFA is a response to the New Testament readings from the Lectionary by a Christian community in Cameroon, Africa. Each of the readings were selected and adapted to dramatic interpretation by the community members. Photographs of their interpretations were made, and these were then transcribed to paintings. and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. Then First Reading: from the Jewish scriptures, the he said to me, "Mortal, these bones are the book of Ezekiel (37:1-14) whole house of Israel. They say, `Our bones The prophet has a vision of the bones of a dead and hopeless people restored to new life in their former are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off homeland. completely.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he open your graves, and bring you up from your brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and graves, O my people; and I will bring you back set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I of bones. He led me all around them; there am the LORD, when I open your graves, and were very many lying in the valley, and they bring you up from your graves, O my people. I were very dry. He said to me, "Mortal, can will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord GOD, and I will place you on your own soil; then you you know." Then he said to me, "Prophesy to shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, will act," says the LORD. hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the

Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to from the Christian scriptures, enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews Gospel Reading the Gospel of John (11:1-44) on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, From Johnʼs gospel, reflective of his early faith and you shall live; and you shall know that I am community of believers, the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. the LORD." So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and was the one who anointed the Lord with there were sinews on them, and flesh had perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her come upon them, and skin had covered them; brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a but there was no breath in them. Then he said message to Jesus, "Lord, he whom you love is to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, ill." But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the illness does not lead to death; rather it is for Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O God's glory, so that the Son of God may be breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they glorified through it." Accordingly, though Jesus may live." I prophesied as he commanded me, loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after and the breath came into them, and they lived, having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. here, my brother would not have died." When Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who go to Judea again." The disciples said to him, came with her also weeping, he was greatly "Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, you, and are you going there again?" Jesus "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, answered, "Are there not twelve hours of "Lord, come and see." Jesus began to weep. daylight? Those who walk during the day do not So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But stumble, because they see the light of this some of them said, "Could not he who opened world. But those who walk at night stumble, the eyes of the blind man have kept this man because the light is not in them." After saying from dying?" Then Jesus, again greatly this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, "Take him." The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead fallen asleep, he will be all right." Jesus, man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a however, had been speaking about his death, stench because he has been dead four days." but they thought that he was referring merely to Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus believed, you would see the glory of God?" So is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not they took away the stone. And Jesus looked there, so that you may believe. But let us go to upward and said, "Father, I thank you for him." Thomas, who was called the Twin, said having heard me. I knew that you always hear to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we me, but I have said this for the sake of the may die with him." When Jesus arrived, he crowd standing here, so that they may believe found that Lazarus had already been in the that you sent me." When he had said this, he tomb four days. Now Bethany was near cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of The dead man came out, his hands and feet the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped console them about their brother. When in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went let him go." and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But Nobody Knows You even now I know that God will give you When Youʼre Down and Out whatever you ask of him." Jesus said to her, by Jimmy Cox, 1923 "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the Once I lived the life of a millionaire, resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, Spent all my money, I just did not care. "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who Took all my friends out for a good time, believe in me, even though they die, will live, Bought bootleg whisky, champagne and wine. and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to Then I began to fall so low, him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Lost all my good friends, nowhere to go. Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into I get my hands on a dollar again, the world." When she had said this, she went I'm gonna hang on to it till that eagle grins. back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for 'Cause no, no, nobody knows you you." And when she heard it, she got up When you're down and out. quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not In your pocket, not one penny, And as for friends, you don't have any. yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who When you finally get back up on your feet again, were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Everybody wants to be your old long-lost friend. Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed Said it's mighty strange, without a doubt, her because they thought that she was going to Nobody knows you when you're down and out. the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been