And I will take you for my wife forever; I will take you for my wife in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will take you for my wife in faithfulness, and you shall know the Lord. Hosea 2:19–20
“A study of Christian materiality exhibits a convergence of two realities. On the one hand, the Bible itself is preoccupied, as I have shown, with matters material. It is a misreading of the Bible to imagine otherwise. On the other hand, our lives are preoccupied with matters material that claim most of our energy and imagination and that evoke for us, variously, hope and anxiety. To imagine otherwise about our lives is an illusion. The convergence of the materiality of our lives and the materiality of the Bible commends us to think honestly, critically, and faithfully about the material dimensions of our lives according to the purposes and promises of the God of the gospel.
We can readily identify five key terms of covenantal fidelity that fully characterize the way in which we may love God and love neighbor. God’s self-giving vow to God’s covenantal partner, Israel, goes like this: I will take you for my wife forever; I will take you for my wife in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. I will take you for my wife in faithfulness; and you shall know the LORD. (Hosea 2:19–20; italics added)
This vow voiced by God, albeit in deeply patriarchal terms, pivots on five words. In this text these five terms—righteousness, justice, steadfast love, mercy, and faithfulness — indicate God’s way with us. But the same terms pertain when we respond to God. We are to practice justice, righteousness, steadfast love, mercy, and faithfulness as an act of fidelity toward God.
When we consider this as a way of loving neighbor, however, it is clear that we show this way of fidelity through the material dimensions of our life together. Thus mature materiality is the practice of justice, righteousness, steadfast love, mercy, and faithfulness with the neighbor with reference to such matters as money, food, bodily health, time, and place. In order for this practice to be durable intentionally, honestly, and knowingly, it is essential that we develop disciplines and practices that will sustain this way of being in a culture that is elementally adverse to such a practice.”
Walter Brueggemann in Materiality As Resistance: Five Elements for Moral Action in the Real World (Louisville: WJKP, 2020), 77-78.
A study of Hosea reveals a picture of God’s relationship with humanity. He married Gomer, the harlot, and demonstrated all manner of goodness toward her, despite her brokenness. That’s you and me.
Brueggemann, a prolific Old Testament scholar who went home to be with the Lord earlier this year, shows us clearly that with regard to materiality. We are Gomer, the unfaithful harlot, for following the world’s ways.
Yet, God loves us. He wants more for us. He wants our lives to demonstrated justice, righteousness, steadfast love, mercy, and faithfulness toward our neighbor as He has shown those amazing traits toward us.
Ponder as you start a new week, the disciplines and practices God wants you to cultivate to live in a culture that is “elementally adverse” to such practices. Perhaps pick one of the five words?
Ask God what it would look like for your materiality to demonstrate maturity in justice, righteousness, steadfast love, mercy, or faithfulness. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you live out this change for the glory of Jesus.
And I am safely home from Colombia. Wait a day for the trip report as my coworkers stayed slightly longer to wrap things up.