04-07

CHOOSING LIFE AS INDIVIDUALS AND AS A NATION

Deuteronomy 30:19; Matthew 16:21-26  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 7/4/21 ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ ​​ 

Rev. Paul Wrightman

 

ON THIS FOURTH OF JULY 2021,

GIVEN THE ON-GOING CRISIS IN WHICH WE FIND OURSELVES

AS A NATION,

 

AND THE HUGE ROLE WHICH​​ MANY AMERICAN CHRISTIANS

HAVE PLAYED IN CREATING AND MAINTAINING THIS CRISIS,

I FEEL COMPELLED TO GIVE A POLITICAL SERMON.

 

I’M WELL-AWARE THAT

MERELY PUTTING THESE TWO WORDS TOGETHER,

POLITICAL” AND “SERMON,”

HAS ALREADY RAISED A RED FLAG IN THE MINDS OF MANY.

 

WE ARE SO ACCLIMATIZED TO THE NOTION

THAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO KEEP POLITICS AND RELIGION​​ SEPARATE

THAT WE SOMETIMES FAIL​​ TO SEE HOW EXTREMELY​​ POLITICAL

JESUS’ MINISTRY REALLY WAS.

 

THERE IS POLITICS ON EVERY PAGE OF GOSPELS,​​ 

AS THERE​​ SHOULD​​ BE,​​ 

BECAUSE POLITICS DEALS WITH HOW PEOPLE

ARE CALLED TO​​ LIVE.

 

TO MENTION JUST A FEW EXAMPLES:

 

EVERY TIME WE PRAY​​ THE​​ PETITION IN THE LORD’S PRAYER,

THY​​ KINGDOM COME,​​ THY​​ WILL BE DONE,

ON​​ EARTH​​ AS IT IS IN​​ HEAVEN,

WE ARE MAKING A POLITICAL STATEMENT.

 

WHEN​​ JESUS TELLS US TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS

AS WE LOVE OURSELVES,

HE IS MAKING A POLITICAL STATEMENT.

 

WHEN JESUS GIVES US THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN

WITH HIS RADICAL REDEFINITION OF NEIGHBOR

AS​​ ANYONE​​ IN NEED, HE IS MAKING A POLITICAL STATEMENT.

 

WHEN JESUS TELLS US THAT GOD’S JUDGMENT ​​ 

WILL BE BASED ON FEEDING THE HUNGRY

AND WELCOMING THE STRANGER,

HE IS MAKING A POLITICAL STATEMENT.

 

POLITICS AND RELIGION ARE​​ INSEPARABLE,

AND THAT FACT IS AS TRUE​​ TODAY​​ AS IT​​ ALWAYS​​ HAS BEEN.

 

WHAT DOES​​ NOT​​ FOLLOW FROM THE CLOSE RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN RELIGION AND POLITICS

IS THE IMPLICATION THAT RELIGION,​​ 

WHEN IT DOES GET POLITICAL,

HAS TO GET​​ PARTISAN.

 

WHILE LOVING ONE’S NEIGHBOR,

AT LEAST ACCORDING TO BOTH TESTAMENTS​​ 

OF THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE, IS NONNEGOTIABLE IN ITSELF,

THE SPECIFIC POLICIES ABOUT​​ 

HOW TO ACTUALLY GO ABOUT DOING THIS​​ 

ARE​​ UP FOR DISCUSSION AND DEBATE.

 

THUS,​​ CONCERNING THE NEED FOR WELFARE ASSISTANCE,

WE HAVE THE LONG-STANDING DIFFERENCE IN APPROACH

BETWEEN​​ REPUBLICANS, WHO TEND TO THINK​​ 

THAT GENEROUS​​ INDIVIDUALS​​ AND​​ NONPROFITS

SHOULD BE THE ONES PROVIDING THIS ASSISTANCE,

 

AND DEMOCRATS, WHO TEND TO THINK

THAT GENEROUS​​ GOVERNMENT​​ SHOULD BE THE ENTITY

PROVIDING THE ASSISTANCE.

 

IN REALITY,​​ BOTH​​ APPROACHES ARE NEEDED

IF WE ARE EVER GOING TO BEGIN​​ 

TO MITIGATE THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH POVERTY.

 

WHAT IS​​ NOT​​ UP FOR DISCUSSION OR DEBATE,

AT LEAST FOR REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS​​ 

WHO CONSIDER THEMSELVES TO BE FOLLOWERS

OF JESUS OF NAZARETH,

IS THE FACT THAT ASSISTING ONE’S NEIGHBOR IN NEED

IS​​ NONNEGOTIABLE.

 

THUS, WHEN WE HEAR THE PHRASES​​ “CHRISTIAN DEMOCRAT”

“CHRISTIAN REPUBLICAN,” “CHRISTIAN INDEPENDENT,”​​ 

“CHRISTIAN GREEN,” “CHRISTIAN LIBERTARIAN,”​​ 

OR “CHRISTIAN​​ WHATEVER, THE DETERMINING WORD IS,

OR SHOULD BE, “CHRISTIAN.”

 

IN OTHER WORDS, A “CHRISTIAN REPUBLICAN,”​​ 

IS, OR SHOULD BE, A CHRISTIAN​​ FIRST​​ AND A REPUBLICAN​​ SECOND,

AND SO ON DOWN THE LINE.

 

THIS APPROACH MERELY REFLECTS THE EARLIEST CHRISTIAN CREED

THAT “JESUS​​ [AND ONLY JESUS!] IS LORD.”

 

THIS CREED SPRUNG UP​​ IN THE EARLIEST DAYS OF CHRISTIANITY

AS A DIRECT CHALLENGE TO​​ THE CREED OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE​​ 

THAT “CAESAR​​ IS LORD.”

 

TO SUM UP,

MY POINT IS THAT CHRISTIANITY IS, BY DEFINITION,​​ POLITICAL.

 

BUT BEING POLITICAL DOES NOT MEAN THAT CHRISTIANITY​​ 

HAS TO TAKE SIDES IN A​​ PARTISAN​​ WAY.

 

​​ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOW, FINALLY, LET’S TURN TO OUR SCRIPTURE TEXT FOR TODAY. ​​ 

THE PART OF THIS TEXT THAT I WANT TO FOCUS ON THIS MORNING

IS JESUS’ FAMOUS QUESTION AT THE​​ VERY END.

 

MORE TRADITIONAL TRANSLATIONS USE THE WORD "SOUL:"

 

WHAT GOOD WILL IT BE FOR YOU TO GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD,

YET FORFEIT YOUR​​ SOUL? ​​ (Matthew 16:26, NIV)

 

MORE CONTEMPORARY TRANSLATIONS USE THE WORD "LIFE:"

 

WHAT GOOD WILL IT PROFIT THEM IF THEY GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD

BUT FORFEIT THEIR​​ LIFE?" ​​ (Matthew 16:26, NRSV)

 

GROWING UP IN THE CHURCH,

MANY OF US WERE TAUGHT THAT THE WORD "SOUL"

REFERRED TO THE​​ "SPIRITUAL,"​​ ​​ 

NON-MATERIAL DIMENSION OF ONE'S BEING,

THE PART OF OURSELVES THAT WAS RELEASED

AND RETURNED TO GOD WITH ONE'S BODILY DEATH.

 

BIBLICAL SCHOLARS HAVE UNCOVERED THE FACT​​ 

THAT THIS DEFINITION OF "SOUL" AS IMMATERIAL​​ 

REFLECTS THE​​ GREEK​​ UNDERSTANDING OF THE HUMAN PERSON,

AND NOT THE​​ HEBREW.

 

FOR THOSE FOLLOWING THE HEBREW TRADITION,

THE WORD "SOUL" DESIGNATES THE HUMAN PERSON

IN HIS OR HER UNIQUENESS AND TOTALITY --

BODY, MIND, SPIRIT INDISSOLUBLY​​ TOGETHER.

 

THE GREEKS BELIEVED IN​​ IMMORTALITY;

THE IMMATERIAL "SOUL" WAS FREED​​ 

FROM THE CONSTRAINTS OF BODILY EXISTENCE

INTO AN IMMATERIAL IMMORTALITY.

 

THE HEBREWS -- WHEN THEIR TRADITION HAD EVOLVED

TO THE POINT OF AFFIRMING LIFE AFTER DEATH --

BELIEVED IN​​ RESURRECTION:

 

THE HUMAN PERSON WOULD LIVE ON,

NOT JUST AS MIND OR SPIRIT,

BUT IN A RENEWED​​ BODILY​​ STATE AS WELL.

 

SO WHEN JESUS, SPEAKING VERY MUCH AS A HEBREW,

ASKS THE QUESTION:

WHAT GOOD IS IT FOR YOU TO GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD,

YET FORFEIT YOUR​​ SOUL?",

 

HE IS​​ REALLY ASKING:

WHAT GOOD IS IT FOR YOU TO GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD,

YET LOSE YOUR VERY SELF -- BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT?

 

THIS IS THE MOST​​ SERIOUS​​ QUESTION THAT JESUS EVER ASKED.

 

IT ARISES FROM THE CONTEXT OF JESUS'​​ OWN​​ SUFFERING

IN HIS COMMITMENT TO BRINGING ABOUT​​ 

THE KINGDOM, RULE, OR REIGN OF GOD:

 

GOD'S​​ KINGDOM OF COMPASSION, TRUTH, JUSTICE, NONVIOLENCE,

AND LOVE.

 

IN THIS QUESTION JESUS SIMPLY TAKES IT FOR GRANTED

THAT HIS FOLLOWERS WILL ACTUALLY​​ FOLLOW​​ HIS​​ LEAD

AND LIVE LIVES COMMITED TO BRINGING ABOUT​​ 

THE KINGDOM OF GOD:

 

IF ANY WANT TO BECOME MY FOLLOWERS,

LET THEM DENY THEMSELVES

AND TAKE UP THEIR CROSS AND FOLLOW ME.

(Matthew 16:24)

 

OUR​​ QUESTION,

WHAT GOOD IS IT FOR YOU TO GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD,

LET LOSE YOUR VERY SELF -- BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT?​​ --

 

CONTAINS​​ SEVERAL​​ OFTEN OVERLOOKED ASSUMPTIONS,

 

ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THE NATURE OF REALITY

THAT ARE ROUNDLY​​ REJECTED​​ BY MANY IN OUR COUNTRY TODAY.

 

THESE ASSUMPTIONS ARE:

 

1. ​​ THERE​​ ARE​​ ETERNAL VALUES, SUCH AS TRUTH, JUSTICE,​​ 

NONVIOLENCE, AND LOVE.

 

2. ​​ HUMAN BEINGS BEING CREATURES CREATED​​ IN GOD'S IMAGE,

GOD EXPECTS US TO​​ LIVE​​ OUT​​ THESE VALUES

IN OUR OWN LIVES.

 

IN OTHER WORDS, THE WAY WE LIVE​​ MATTERS.​​ 

MORALITY​​ MATTERS.

 

3. ​​ THE WAY WE LIVE MATTERS SO MUCH

THAT IT DETERMINES OUR​​ ETERNAL​​ DESTINY.

 

WHOA, WAIT A MINUTE HERE –​​ PASTOR PAUL,​​ YOU’RE ACTUALLY

GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE NOTION OF OUR ETERNAL DESTINY,

IN MORE TRADITIONAL LANGUAGE,

THE CHRISTIAN​​ UNDERSTANDING​​ OF HEAVEN AND HELL? ​​ --I AM.

 

BUT​​ I WANT TO SAY RIGHT OFF THE BAT

THAT ACCORDING TO THE DEEPEST INSIGHTS

OF JUDAEO-CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY,

GOD​​ NEVER, EVER CONDEMNS ANYBODY.

 

GOD'S JOB-DESCRIPTION, SO TO SPEAK,

IS TO BE LIKE THE SHEPHERD JESUS TELLS US ABOUT

WHO GOES CHASING AFTER THAT ONE LOST SHEEP

AND WHO WILL NOT TURN BACK​​ UNTIL​​ IT IS FOUND

AND BROUGHT HOME.

 

SO ON GOD'S SIDE IT IS​​ NEVER​​ ABOUT CONDEMNATION,

AND​​ ALWAYS​​ ABOUT COMPASSION, FORGIVENESS, AND LOVE.

 

FROM GOD'S SIDE,​​ COMPASSION, FORGIVENESS, AND LOVE

ARE​​ CHARACTER TRAITS​​ SO ESSENTIAL TO GOD'S VERY NATURE

THAT​​ GOD WOULD NOT BE GOD WITHOUT THEM.

 

THE​​ KICKER, HOWEVER, IS THIS:

FROM GOD'S SIDE,​​ FREEDOM​​ IS​​ ALSO​​ AN ABSOLUTE.

 

JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN FAITH MAINTAINS

THAT GOD HAS​​ CREATED​​ OUR WORLD IN SUCH A WAY

THAT FOR REALITIES SUCH AS FORGIVENESS AND LOVE TO​​ TAKE,

TO BECOME​​ REAL, THEY MUST BE ACCEPTED IN FREEDOM.

 

ETERNAL VALUES​​ SUCH AS FORGIVENESS AND LOVE​​ 

ARE SO​​ PERSONAL​​ AND​​ RELATIONAL​​ 

THAT THEY CAN'T EXIST WITHOUT BEING​​ MUTUAL.

 

GOD CAN'T​​ FORCE​​ US​​ TO EMBRACE FORGIVENESS AND LOVE

BECAUSE FORCED FORGIVENESS AND FORCED LOVE

ARE NOT FORGIVENESS AND LOVE AT ALL,

BUT HIDEOUS CARICATURES OF THEMSELVES.

 

IF​​ BOTH​​ GOD'S FORGIVENESS ​​ 

AND​​ THE​​ HUMAN FREEDOM​​ TO ACCEPT OR REJECT

GOD'S FORGIVENESS​​ HAVE TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT --

​​ 

AND THE JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS

MAINTAIN STAUNCHLY THAT THEY ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT --

​​ 

IT FOLLOWS THAT EACH​​ OF THESE ABSOLUTES

MUST INFORM THE OTHER.

 

FOR EXAMPLE,​​ WE CAN'T​​ STRETCH​​ GOD'S FORGIVENESS​​ 

TO COVER INDIVIDUALS WHO WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH IT,

WHO FEEL THAT THEY ARE FINE AND SELF-SUFFICIENT AS IT IS,

AND HAVE NOTHING TO BE FORGIVEN​​ FOR.

 

WHILE STILL​​ ABSOLUTES​​ ON​​ GOD'S​​ SIDE,

FORGIVENESS​​ AND LOVE​​ CANNOT BECOME​​ EFFECTIVE,​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ 

CANNOT BECOME​​ REAL​​ FOR​​ US,

UNTIL EMBRACED ON​​ OUR​​ SIDE.

 

A POWERFUL LITERARY EXAMPLE OF THIS DYNAMIC

IS C. S. LEWIS' BOOK​​ THE GREAT DIVORCE.

 

IN THIS BOOK, HELL AS A PLACE OF SEPARATION​​ 

FROM GOD AND OTHERS IS​​ REAL.

 

IT IS NOT, HOWEVER, A PLACE THAT​​ GOD​​ SENDS PEOPLE TO

AS​​ PUNISHMENT,​​ 

 

BUT A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE​​ CHOOSE​​ TO GO​​ THEMSELVES.

 

WHY?

 

--BECAUSE IN THEIR FREEDOM THESE PEOPLE​​ WANT NOTHING TO DO,

OR AT LEAST NOTHING​​ POSITIVE​​ TO DO,

WITH GOD OR OTHERS.

 

GOD KEEPS SENDING BUSES FROM HEAVEN TO HELL,

INVITING THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE ASSIGNED THEMSELVES TO HELL

TO GET OUT OF HELL FOR GOOD.

 

THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE PEOPLE IN HELL​​ WANT​​ TO BE THERE!

​​ 

THEY​​ ARE SO NARCISSISTIC, SO SELF-ABSORBED,​​ 

SO IN LOVE WITH THEIR OWN POWER,

SO FEARFUL OF ANYONE ELSE TAKING ANY OF THAT POWER

AWAY FROM THEM,

SO INTO DEFINING REALITY IN TERMS OF THEMSELVES,

 

THAT THEY SEE GOD'S ACT OF COMPASSION AND LOVE

IN SENDING BUSES TO BRING THEM HOME

AS AN ACT OF​​ AGGRESSION​​ ON GOD'S PART --

 

GOD IS TRYING TO​​ DESTROY​​ THEM AND​​ FORCE​​ THEM INTO HEAVEN.

 

IN C. S. LEWIS' BOOK, ONLY A COUPLE OF PEOPLE

ARE ABLE TO CHOOSE TO GET ON GOD'S BUS

AND BE DONE WITH THE HELL OF THEIR OWN CREATING.

 

HOW DID THEY DO IT -- HOW DID THEY ESCAPE?

 

ALL IT TOOK WAS FOR THEM TO CHOOSE​​ 

TO BE IN RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE AND SOMETHING

BIGGER AND BETTER THAN THEMSELVES.

 

THE MOMENT THEY MADE THIS CHOICE

THEY WERE ABLE TO CONNECT TO OTHERS AND TO GOD

AND TO MAKE GOOD THEIR ESCAPE.

 

THE BOOK​​ THE GREAT DIVORCE​​ POWERFULLY MAKES THE POINT

THAT HELL IS NOT A PLACE THAT GOD HAS MADE​​ 

TO SEND PEOPLE TO FOR PUNISHMENT.

 

HELL IS SELF-CHOSEN AND SELF-CREATED.

 

THE ONLY PEOPLE THERE ARE THOSE WHO REFUSE TO LEAVE!

 

BY THE WAY, THIS UNUSUAL DEPICTION OF HELL BY LEWIS

IS BASED ON AN INTRIGUING VERSE IN THE FIRST LETTER OF PETER

WHICH TELLS US THAT ON HOLY SATURDAY,

THE DAY AFTER JESUS' DEATH,

JESUS DESCENDED TO HELL TO PREACH THE GOOD NEWS

TO THOSE IMPRISONED THERE.

(See 1 Peter 3:19-20.)

 

FROM​​ GOD​​ 'S​​ DIRECTION, THEN,

LOVE AND COMPASSION ARE RELENTLESS AND UNCONDITIONAL.

 

GOD WILL NEVER GIVE UP ON ANYONE.

 

FROM​​ OUR​​ DIRECTION, HOWEVER, THE​​ HUMAN​​ DIRECTION,

WE CAN ONLY CONNECT WITH GOD'S COMPASSION AND LOVE

IF WE CHOOSE TO​​ MAKE THEM​​ OUR​​ OWN.

 

ALTHOUGH MANY FORMS​​ 

OF CLASSIC AND CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIANITY

HAVE WATERED-DOWN JESUS' ORIGINAL MESSAGE

AND MADE OUR ETERNAL DESTINY A MATTER OF​​ DOCTRINE,

BELIEVING​​ THE RIGHT STUFF​​ ABOUT​​ JESUS,

 

JESUS​​ HIMSELF​​ NEVER WENT DOWN THIS ROAD,

CONSIDERING IT TO BE A DEAD-END.

 

INSTEAD, JESUS EMPHASIZES RIGHT​​ ACTING,

RIGHT​​ DOING, RIGHT​​ LIVING.

 

FOR HIM -- AND WE SEE THIS OPERATIVE​​ 

IN OUR QUESTION FOR TODAY --

 

WHAT GOOD IS IT IF YOU GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD

YET​​ FORFEIT YOUR LIFE​​ --

 

IT IS THE WAY WE DO OR DON'T CONNECT WITH GOD AND OTHERS

THAT DETERMINES OUR ETERNAL DESTINY.

 

AGAIN,​​ FROM​​ GOD'S​​ SIDE, COMPASSION IS AN ABSOLUTE.

 

GIVEN GOD'S NATURE, GOD CANNOT STOP​​ 

OR HOLD BACK COMPASSION FROM ANYONE,

SINCE THIS IS GOD'S NATURE.

 

BUT FROM​​ OUR​​ SIDE, FROM THE​​ HUMAN​​ SIDE,

WE NEED TO​​ MEET, TO​​ ACCEPT, TO​​ EMBRACE​​ 

GOD'S COMPASSION AND LOVE FOR THEM​​ 

TO BECOME REAL AND EFFECTIVE REALITIES FOR US PERSONALLY.

 

JESUS MAKES THE NECESSITY OF PERSONAL PARTICIPATION

CRYSTAL CLEAR IN MANY OF HIS MOST IMPORTANT TEACHINGS.

 

IN THE​​ CONCLUSION TO HIS​​ SERMON ON THE MOUNT, FOR EXAMPLE,

JESUS STATES BLUNTLY:

 

NOT EVERYONE WHO SAYS TO ME, 'LORD, LORD,'​​ 

WILL ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN,

BUT ONLY THOSE WHO​​ DO​​ THE WILL OF MY FATHER

WHO IS IN HEAVEN.

(Matthew 7:21)

 

SEVERAL TIMES IN THE GOSPELS JESUS IS ASKED, POINT-BLANK,

"WHAT MUST I DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?"

 

JESUS' OWN ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION​​ 

HAS​​ NOTHING​​ TO DO WITH BELIEVING THE RIGHT STUFF ABOUT HIM,

AND​​ EVERYTHING​​ TO DO WITH THE WAY ONE​​ LOVES

GOD AND NEIGHBOR.

 

AND HERE WE MUST REMEMBER THAT LOVE, FOR JESUS,

IS NOT A ROMANTIC​​ FEELING,

BUT​​ LIVING​​ A LIFE OF COMPASSION, FORGIVENESS,​​ 

JUSTICE, AND NONVIOLENCE.

 

IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THAT A LOT​​ 

OF CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIANS,

IN​​ SHIFTING​​ THE ORIGINAL FOCUS OF JESUS

ON HOW WE​​ RESPOND​​ TO THOSE IN​​ NEED

 

TO THE MUCH. MUCH EASIER CRITERION

OF BELIEVING THE RIGHT DOCTRINES ABOUT JESUS

 

HAVE CREATED AN INAUTHENTIC,​​ 

COUNTERFEIT FORM OF CHRISTIANITY.

 

A CHRISTIANITY THAT RESPONDS TO GUN VIOLENCE

WITH THE PLATITUDE OF​​ 

"OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU"

IS NO LONGER REAL CHRISTIANITY.

 

A CHRISTIANITY THAT ENCOURAGES FEAR OF THE OTHER,

ESPECIALLY FEAR OF THE OTHER IN DESPERATE NEED,

IS NO LONGER​​ CONNECTED TO CHRIST.

 

A CHRISTIANITY THAT BOWS TO WHITE SUPREMACY

IS NO LONGER REAL CHRISTIANITY.

 

A CHRISTIANITY THAT FOSTERS DIVISIVENESS AND HATE

IS NO LONGER​​ CONNECTED TO CHRIST.

 

A CHRISTIANITY MORE INTO PRESERVING ITS OWN POWER

THAN IN SERVING OTHERS

IS NO LONGER REAL CHRISTIANITY.

 

A QUESTION THAT INEVITABLY ARISES AT THIS POINT IS:

 

IS THERE A​​ STANDARD, A​​ GUIDE​​ BY WHICH WE CAN DISCERN

HOW GOD WOULD HAVE US LIVE?

 

IN OUR CRAZY, MIXED-UP WORLD SO FILLED WITH SELFISHNESS,

VIOLENCE, FEAR, HATE,​​ AND LIES,

HOW CAN WE POSSIBLY LEARN TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS​​ CLOSE​​ TO GOD'S OWN HEART,

AND BETWEEN ATTITUDES AND ACTIONS THAT​​ BREAK​​ GOD'S HEART?

 

A SCUBA DIVER ONCE TOLD ME

THAT HE HAD BEEN IN WATER SO DEEP AND DARK

THAT IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP FROM BECOMING

DISORIENTED.

 

WHAT A TERRIFYING FEELING --

BEING UNDERWATER,​​ 

UNABLE TO SEE YOUR HANDS IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE,

NOT KNOWING WHICH WAY IS UP,

PANIC ENGULFING YOU.

 

I ASKED MY FRIEND, "SO WHAT DO YOU DO?"

 

"FEEL THE BUBBLES," HE SAID.

 

"FEEL THE BUBBLES?" I ASKED.

 

"THAT'S RIGHT," HE SAID.

 

"WHEN IT'S PITCH-BLACK

AND YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHICH WAY TO GO,

YOU REACH UP WITH YOUR HAND AND FEEL THE BUBBLES.

 

THE BUBBLES ALWAYS RISE TO THE SURFACE.

 

WHEN YOU CAN'T TRUST YOUR FEELINGS OR JUDGMENT,

YOU CAN ALWAYS TRUST THE BUBBLES​​ 

TO GET YOU BACK TO THE TOP."

 

SOMETIMES IN LIFE WE GET DISORIENTED AND DESPERATE.

 

AT OTHER TIMES, WE FIND OURSELVES DRIFTING AIMLESSLY.

 

GOD KNEW WE WOULD NEED ADVICE AND INSTRUCTION​​ 

ABOUT HOW TO LIVE.

 

GOD KNEW THAT THE​​ BEST​​ TEACHER IS NOT A​​ BOOK​​ BUT A​​ PERSON.

 

SO GOD SENT JESUS TO SHOW US HOW IT'S DONE!

 

WE HAVE ENOUGH TRUE STORIES FROM THE LIFE OF JESUS

THAT WE CAN TURN TO THEM FOR GUIDANCE

ON HOW GOD WOULD HAVE US LIVE.

 

WHEN TEMPTED TO CAVE IN TO OUR OWN NEED FOR COMFORT,

WE CAN REMIND OURSELVES OF

THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN.

 

WHEN​​ TEMPTED TO PUT DOCTRINE BEFORE ACTION

WE CAN REMIND OURSELVES THAT THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT

ACCORDING TO JESUS IS LOVE OF GOD AND NEIGHBOR,

 

AND THAT FOR JESUS IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO LOVE GOD

WITHOUT LOVING ONE'S NEIGHBOR AS WELL.

 

IF WE WANT TO LIMIT OUR DEFINITION OF "NEIGHBOR"

TO "THE PERSON LIVING NEXT DOOR,"

WE CAN GO BACK TO THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN,

 

WHERE JESUS SHATTERS THIS NARROW DEFINITIONOF NEIGHBOR

AND EXPANDS IT TO INCLUDE ANYONE, ANYWHERE IN NEED.

 

WHEN FEELING SELF-SATISFIED AND SELF-IMPORTANT,

WE CAN MEASURE THAT SELF-SATISFACTION AND SELF-IMPORTANCE​​ 

AGAINST JESUS' LIFE OF SERVICE AND SACRIFICE.

 

I’D LIKE TO END ON A HOPEFUL NOTE. ​​ 

 

NEIL HOWE AND WILLIAM STRAUSS, BOTH HISTORIANS,  ​​​​ 

HAVE WRITTEN AN AMAZING BOOK CALLED​​ THE FOURTH TURNING.

 

IT DETAILS HOW APPROXIMATELY EVERY EIGHTY YEARS

AMERICA HAS FACED AN UNPRECEDENTED CRISIS

AND EVENTUALLY EMERGED FROM THAT​​ CRISIS

AS A FAIRER AND MORE DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY.

 

YOU CAN EASILY GUESS THE FIRST THREE TURNINGS:

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, THE CIVIL WAR,​​ 

THE COMBINATION OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND WORLD WAR II.

 

ACCORDING TO HOWE AND STRAUSS,​​ 

WE ARE NOW IN THE MIDST OF THE FOURTH TURNING,

A BATTLE FOR THE VERY SOUL OF AMERICA

WHICH WILL DETERMINE IF WE BECOME A ​​ FAILED​​ DEMOCRACY

OR AN​​ ENHANCED​​ DEMOCRACY.

 

THEY ARE CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC THAT JUST AS WE HAD

THE STRENGTH OF CHARACTER TO SUCCESSFULLY MAKE IT THROUGH

THE FIRST THREE TURNINGS,

 

WE WILL EMERGE FROM THIS FOURTH TURNING

AS A STRONGER, MORE JUST AND MORE INCLUSIVE NATION.

 

THE BEST THING WE CAN DO AS CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS OR CHRISTIAN REPUBLICANS OR CHRISTIAN INDEPENDENTS

TO HELP OUR COUNTRY SUCCESSFULLY NEGOTIATE

THIS FOURTH GREAT TURNING IS TO RECOMMIT OURSELVES

TO MAKE “CHRISTIAN” THE OPERATIVE WORD​​ 

IN OUR HEARTS, MINDS, AND ESPECIALLY THE WAY WE LIVE.

 

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

 

AMEN.

 

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

 

  • How have you understood​​ the relationship between religion and politics?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • What do you think of C.S. Lewis’ take on hell in​​ The Great Divorce?

 

 

 

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Independent and United Church of Christ