BROADCASTS.com

b'Brian and Shay take a look at the story of Naaman and explore how it compares to the queer experience. Why do we sometimes believe we have to make things hard on ourselves? What would it look like if we simply decided to do the easy thing instead.\\nRead the transcript (PDF)\\n2 Kings 5:1-15\\nNaaman, a general for the king of Aram, was a great man and highly regarded by his master, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. This man was a mighty warrior, but he had a skin disease. Now Aramean raiding parties had gone out and captured a young girl from the land of Israel. She served Naaman\\u2019s wife.\\nShe said to her mistress, \\u201cI wish that my master could come before the prophet who lives in Samaria. He would cure him of his skin disease.\\u201d 4 So Naaman went and told his master what the young girl from the land of Israel had said.\\nThen Aram\\u2019s king said, \\u201cGo ahead. I will send a letter to Israel\\u2019s king.\\u201d\\nSo Naaman left. He took along ten kikkars of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. He brought the letter to Israel\\u2019s king. It read, \\u201cAlong with this letter I\\u2019m sending you my servant Naaman so you can cure him of his skin disease.\\u201d\\nWhen the king of Israel read the letter, he ripped his clothes. He said, \\u201cWhat? Am I God to hand out death and life? But this king writes me, asking me to cure someone of his skin disease! You must realize that he wants to start a fight with me.\\u201d\\nWhen Elisha the man of God heard that Israel\\u2019s king had ripped his clothes, he sent word to the king: \\u201cWhy did you rip your clothes? Let the man come to me. Then he\\u2019ll know that there\\u2019s a prophet in Israel.\\u201d\\nNaaman arrived with his horses and chariots. He stopped at the door of Elisha\\u2019s house. Elisha sent out a messenger who said, \\u201cGo and wash seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored and become clean.\\u201d\\nBut Naaman went away in anger. He said, \\u201cI thought for sure that he\\u2019d come out, stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the bad spot, and cure the skin disease. Aren\\u2019t the rivers in Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all Israel\\u2019s waters? Couldn\\u2019t I wash in them and get clean?\\u201d So he turned away and proceeded to leave in anger.\\nNaaman\\u2019s servants came up to him and spoke to him: \\u201cOur father, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, wouldn\\u2019t you have done it? All he said to you was, \\u2018Wash and become clean.\\u2019\\u201d So Naaman went down and bathed in the Jordan seven times, just as the man of God had said. His skin was restored like that of a young boy, and he became clean.\\nHe returned to the man of God with all his attendants. He came and stood before Elisha, saying, \\u201cNow I know for certain that there\\u2019s no God anywhere on earth except in Israel. Please accept a gift from your servant.\\u201d\\nThe post Do the Easy Thing \\u2013 2 Kings 5:1-15 appeared first on Queer Theology.'