A Theological Education at Manna House

A Theological Education at Manna House 

A seminary is one place to get a theological education, and as a professor at Memphis Theological Seminary, I think it is a pretty good place for such an education. But theological education can also happen elsewhere, and it is one of our convictions at Manna House that our guests are excellent teachers of theology. This should come as no surprise since Jesus himself has endorsed our guests as bringing his presence into our midst, “Whatever you do to the least of these you do unto me” (Matthew 25:40).
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a fine German theologian who was executed by the Nazis for his resistance to their regime, also endorsed the education we can receive from our guests when he wrote, “There remains an experience of incomparable value. We have for once learned to see the great events of world history from below, from the perspective of the outcasts, the suspects, the maltreated — in short, from the perspective of those who suffer.” Do you want to learn how our society works? Spend time with those for whom our society is not working.
On Thursday morning I learned about the resurrection from Phil, a man who recently lost his son, and in the past year has lost three additional family members. Phil himself has been told by doctors that he is a “ticking time bomb.” His heart is not good and “I’m likely to be dead in a year or two.”
In light of these realities, Phil told me, “I’m ready to die. I believe in the resurrection. I love this life, don’t get me wrong, but I’m ready for the more life of resurrection.” And then sounding a lot like St. Paul (see 1 Corinthians 15:12-19), Phil continued, “If Jesus wasn’t raised from the dead, then I’m a fool. But I ain’t no fool. I believe he did rise, and I believe we’ll rise too. There’s another better life for me and you. Yup, I’m ready.”
Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, Phil taught me about lamentation and the necessity of honesty in a life of faith. He had just learned of his son’s death. “God must really hate me,” he said, “I don’t know if I can make it through this.”
Or as the Psalmist put it, “How long O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long?” (Psalm 13:1-2).
“I don’t understand,” Phil continued, “but somehow God’s in this here. I ain’t giving up. I had to come here today. I knew you all would understand.”
Earlier in the day, Robert asked me to write him a “letter of homelessness” to an agency that required proof of his being homeless before he could receive their services. While I wrote the letter I asked him how long we had been on the streets.
“Two years now.”
Then he explained how he’s struggling under a debt that he incurred many years ago. “I keep trying to get free of it, but I can’t. It’s too much. I can never get it paid off. The interest just keeps piling up. The late fees keeping adding to what I owe.”
Robert’s plight intersected with the “word for the day” which was from Luke’s Gospel 4:18-19. Jesus begins his revolutionary work for the Kingdom of God with an announcement. Robert and I talked about this good news that Jesus read from Isaiah.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
That last part, setting at liberty those who are oppressed and proclaiming the acceptable year of the Lord, draws upon the biblical tradition of Jubilee. In Jubilee, slaves were freed and debts were forgiven (Leviticus 25:8-13).
“That’s the day I’m talking about,” said Robert, “that’s some for sure good news. I need me some of that kind of Jesus.”
“Me too,” I said to Robert, “me too.”