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Metron
I am excited for my friend Alex. He is the new Rector of St. John The Divine in Sun City Center (near Ruskin and Apollo Beach on the east side of Tampa Bay). Back when I was introduced to the diocese, Alex was the first clergy person to ask me out to lunch. We became fast friends and, flash-forward five years, we are now in Season 2 of our podcast, A Bridge Between with Alex and Dave (available on iTunes, Spotify and YouTube). I have walked with him during his time of transition – being called from Rector of a smaller parish in St. Petersburg to the larger St. John’s. He has asked me to preach at his installation service coming up on May 2nd. I am thrilled to do so.
The lessons Alex has chosen for his installation service – and the ones I will be preaching on – include a reading from the Letter to the Ephesians where the author, presumably St. Paul, writes about the gifts that God gives each person: some are apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry. As you would expect, I read the passage in Paul’s original language of Greek. There is a word in it that I’d like to share with you. The word is “metron”. It’s a fun word to say. But, there is a lot more to it than what we see at first glance. In English, metron is a description of a major city or a subway (metro); it is a device used by musicians to give time to music; and it is a repeating section, 3 to 6 syllables long, of a poetic meter. How can English have these three different definitions of the same word? In Greek, the primary use of “metron” is in measurement. We can measure a great number of things – the size of a city, of a transportation system, of music and of written word. It can all be metron-ized if you will.
Metron popped out at me because it was repeated; but, it had two entirely different English words – measure and properly. Yes, you are reading that right, metron is written in one sentence as “measure” and another sentence as “properly”. Here is the first sentence from chapter 4, verse 13: to the measure of the full stature of Christ. The second sentence from verse 16: as each part is working properly promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.
How can this be? Verse 13 – metron – according to my Greek dictionary, is described this way: “the required measure, the due, fit, measure.” Verse 16 – metron – is this: “in proportion to measure.” One is required measure, the other is measure-in-proportion. What does this mean in our life of faith?
You may have heard the phrase, “all fall short of the glory of God.” In comparison to that, we are to measure [metron] our lives with living into the full stature of Christ. That’s the goal, or, in this case, the measurement. At a funeral of a notoriously sinful person, the preacher said, “All fall short of the glory of God; the deceased fell shorter than most of the full measure of Christ.” That’s metron in action.
The second use of metron, in verse 16, I find particularly valuable. It harkens back to the Greek philosophical question of can love be measured? Love can be felt, received and given, but is love measurable? And, once one measures love, does it disappear? Perhaps in response to those questions, Paul is asserting that although love is without measurement, when people are working together in faith, in proportion [metron] love grows.
Alex and his family are feeling proportional love from their new parish home. It warms my heart and reminds me of the love the Marshall family has felt, is feeling, and will feel at All Angels. When people are working together in faith, in metron, love grows as a result.
- Rev. Dave
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