Dionysus on a Bike

Leviticus 26:3-20 – 7/13/2026

The God of the Hebrew Scriptures, especially these text that point to the people of Israel’s early history, is an agricultural deity in a way that is lost on us today. In addition to being the creator God and the God of the covenant with Abraham, in addition to giving the law and protecting the people, this was a God of the harvest, the God who provided the natural means of basic sustenance. The seasons, the rains, the fruitfulness of the grain and vine, these were all the provenance of the same God who commanded Moses and led the people out of slavery in Egypt.

Modern life for a vast majority of people in the so-called developed world are disconnected from the natural processes and human intervention that make up our food systems. Never has there been a time in human history when so many people are divorced from agriculture and the natural world. We have little experience of where our food comes from.

This alienation from our food and its conditions for existence affects our relationship with the creator. It rarely occurs to us to care about the rains and the seasons and where our crops are planted and grown. This alienation affects us deeply and should be considered a great loss to humanity. I believe we would do well to returning to our agricultural roots and connecting with the God of the soil and the rains, the fruit of the vine and the bread of our toil.

Revised Common Lectionary Readings for 7/13/2026:
Leviticus 26:3-20
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
Psalm 92

Reflections of a Dionysian Lutheran, comments on the daily readings of the Revised Common Lectionary by Justin Marquis