The Rev. William Archibald Spooner [1844-1930] was a beloved and much respected colleague at New College, Oxford University during his over sixty year tenure. Earning highest honors in Classics (particularly Aristotle), he went on to become a fellow, lecturer, tutor, dean, and eventually warden of the college. Meanwhile, he also was ordained a deacon and then priest of the Church of England, later serving as a chaplain to his Grace, the Most Rev. Archibald William Tait, Archbishop of Canterbury. Spooner was highly regarded not only for his academic prowess but for his tremendous kindness and generosity. Sir Henry Roy Forbes Harrod, a noted economist, described him as exceeding “…all the heads of Oxford and Cambridge colleges he had known ‘having regard to his scholarship, devotion to duty, and wisdom,’” the Great Oracle Wikipedia ® reveals. He also was one of the most absent-minded individuals in a profession which seems to attract such folks, often befuddled in speech with a tendency to transpose syllables in the words he spoke with surprising, even funny results. Although these garbled phrases now known as Spoonerisms exasperated him to no end, many others were later falsely attributed to him. Still, they remain part of his charm. One of his most famous, documented utterances was his announcement of a hymn following the sermon, encouraging his flock to sing Kinkering Congs Their Titles Take [Conquering Kings Their Titles Take], The Church Hymnal, revised, 1898. Always the gracious host, it was claimed that he, when assisting a woman in finding a pew not already claimed, offered to “sew her to another sheet” [show her to another seat].
The Rev. Spooner has provided me over the years with the pleasant distraction of discovering Spoonerisms in unexpected places. Being the cook in our home, food receives my inordinate attention. It was a happy day when I first thought of “keys and parrots” [peas and carrots]. Since coming to Mt. Horeb, the Farm Boy’s BBQ sign down the road has added to my culinary diversions. First, I challenge myself each week to guess the “Special.” I practically have memorized their menu rotations so usually I’m correct. The other which struck me one Sunday morning was “spoonerizing” the specials. Several have yielded thirty, and sixty, and even a hundred fold delights [with no apologies to Mark 4:8b]. Certainly, “fat quiche stew” [catfish stew] is an honest assessment of the calories and cholesterol lurking in some of their offerings. My happiest discovery, however, was “givers and lizards” [livers and gizzards], which more recently has given me pause for thought.
Givers and lizards is, in fact, worthy of consideration because the spoonerific transformation of Farm Boy’s menu items reflects rather well the baptismal transformation which refashions us as children of God and disciples of Jesus worthy of the calling. Lizards themselves are not the brightest lightbulbs on the planet. Indeed, zoologists tell us that their brains seem specifically hardwired for their limbic system, “…the seat of emotion, addiction, mood, and lots of other mental and emotional processes. It is the part of the brain that is phylogenetically very primitive…” [“Your Lizard Brain,” Dr. Joseph Troncale, M.D., Psychology Today, April 22, 2014]. Folks in rehab for addiction or under other medical care tend to address “fight or flight” kneejerk reactions which complicate their lives as “…their lizard brain in control of them.” Dr. Troncale describes “lizard brains” being in charge of fight, flight, feeding, fear, freezing up, and fornication. Does that sound like the Seven Deadly Sins to you?
The plight of folks whose lizard brains rule the roost is an automatic behavioral tendency shared more or less by every human: “…to do what we don’t want to do, and we are powerless about certain behaviors.” It is the same frustration the Apostle Paul bemoans in his extended reflection on the Law and God’s grace: For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin.I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good.But in fact it is no longer I who do it but sin that dwells within me.For I know that the good does not dwell within me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do the good lies close at hand, but not the ability.For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it but sin that dwells within me [Romans 7:14-20].
Sunday’s readings present several perspectives on how God has fashioned the salvific mission of the risen Christ. The saving work of God, the cleverer parts of our multifaceted brain tell us, is something we simply cannot accomplish. Jesus is careful to reiterate the extent of the divine, sacrificial love which transforms us lizards into hospitable, loving givers and sharers of that same holy love. Our cleverer brain parts implore us to be patient, open, and trusting, acknowledging that God is very much at work even when our inner lizards insist that we get the heck outa Dodge, crawl under a rock, and wait until the threat passes. Nevertheless, the slings and arrows of life, like poverty, suffering, sickness, doubt, and confusion are always with us, just as Matthew 26:10-13 suggests in part. Part of God’s holy, saving work is to give us the gifts necessary for addressing the difficulties of life which induce lizards to slither the other direction. Rather, like Thomas whose doubts and questions could have caused him great fear, even “freezing up,” [Dr. Troncale, Psychology Today], instead prompted him to step up to the plate in honesty. Thomas didn’t bluster, lie, or beat around the bush. He just asked his Lord to show him the wounds which Jesus had willingly done for the rest of the disciples earlier. Such openness and trust even in the midst of doubt and uncertainty is exactly what I John 3 presents to us: See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are… Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as [the Lord] is righteous [I John 3:1, 7].
Thomas and so many others through the ages are reconnected with Jesus through the faith community whenever their cleverer brain parts guide and shape their thoughts and emotions. Certainly, we still don’t entirely fathom what God in Christ by the Spirit’s power has done – that mirror of St. Paul’s is still pretty murky [I Cor 13:12], but it does afford a glimpse of the blessed life we have been welcomed to. Such is the stuff of repentance – never first nor only an enumeration of all of our nastiest wrongdoings in order to receive a “Get Out of Jail Free” card from Jesus. Metanoia, the Greek word for repentance – is first and foremost a change of perspective, of vision, of desire for more of Jesus’ Good News. To become those folks who do “…what is right [which] is righteous” is never frenzied work on our part in lizard-like isolation. Rather, it is an abiding trust in the God of love who makes it possible to shed the lizard skin which traps us to emerge the caring, giving, loving, and praising people of God, our baptismal inheritance. This open, outwardly directed life God calls us to and gifts us for is Christ Jesus’s mission, or as the Rev. Spooner might have said, reveals him particularly in this season to be our “shoving leopard,” or perhaps more clearly phrased, our loving Shepherd day by day. Thanks be to God!
