4th Sunday of Pentecost

Genesis 25:19-24

The Reverend Dr. Johanna Wagner calls upon a theory that, in understanding the conflicts in culture and society, we are not to blame poverty or violence for those who suffer. Rather, there is a simple explanation: The snake born from a chicken's egg. The “Basilisco” is a mythical creature that can kill with a stare. The basilisco here is used as an idea that people can kill by using only a few words to describe someone else. People are described simply, and their humanity is then pushed out of the picture. The basilisk, although a small creature, is something to be avoided and feared at all costs. More importantly, the basilisco is meant to never be looked at or understood further.This scripture, however, is a “basilisco-busting” story. These two siblings were related and connected despite their entire history of conflict. We all have a basilisco that we tend to dehumanize. What stories have we told about them?

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