The Rev. Kenneth H. Saunders III
Trinity Episcopal Church
Towson, MD
Proper 28B - November 15, 2015
1 Samuel 2:1-10 (as a canticle)
With the immediacy of international news, internet news
reports, and social media, we cannot help but hear and be effected by the
horrific attacks on Paris this past Friday. In confusion, horror, and panic, we
look at our television or computer screens as the stories unfold and hatred and
evil rears its ugly head.
For those who want to know what I’m talking about, a
stadium, a theater, a restaurant, a popular café, and several other key
locations throughout the city of Paris, France were targeted and attacked by a
radical militant group that calls themselves the Islamic State or ISIS (not to
be confused with Islam or followers of the Prophet Muhammad called Muslims).
This is a group of extremists radical fanatics that hate anything that isn’t
like them.
In the attack, they murdered over 128 civilians and injured
over 300 others, causing complete chaos as the city was terrorized / as the
world was terrorized – not knowing if the attacks are over, or if there is yet
another fanatic with a bomb strapped to their chest lurking around the corner.
This isn’t the only attack that has taken place in recent
days… In Beirut this past week, 47 were killed in a residential and market area
during rush hour. In Kenya, in April, 147 students were murdered, and there
have been many other attacks on the innocent, only intended to create more fear
and horror.
These attacks mean to make not only those who were directly attacked
suffer, but they become a reminder of any tragedy that we have suffered… meant to
instill fear and terror in anyone that has love and compassion for humanity.
I couldn’t help but remember the events of September 11,
2001 at New York, Washington DC, Pennsylvania… the events of April 19, 1995 at
Oklahoma City, and many other tragic events just in my lifetime.
For thousands of years, hate and evil have tried to weave
there selves into the fabric of the world’s society, destroying relationships,
destroying lives, making people afraid, and angry… stirring things up and
starting wars. Confusing people about the nature of humanity and most notably
confusing people about the nature of God.
They even say out loud… and you have probably heard them… “if
God is a just God… If God is a loving God, then why do these kinds of things
happen? How can God allow such evil to exist??”
This just confounds the issue further… and does what the
evil one intended all along. This kind of thinking messes up out reasoning
skills and makes us respond out of anger and confusion. It wants us to lash out
at each other… It wants us to throw bombs and grenades at each other in
response to what we are feeling – to somehow get rid of the pain… the pain from
feeling that we can’t do anything at all to help.
That is how evil works… Evil and hate are in the fabric of
society and they have destroyed relationships with each
other and relationships with God.
I saw a post on social media yesterday. It said, “Don’t pray for Paris. Religion is the problem. Terrorism is a product of Religion. It’s time to let go of Religion…” All I did after I read this was sit there… I sat there and cried. I cried like a little baby… I cried, because in that instance, at that very minute, I realized that the evil one has gotten away with it once again... The evil one has done his due…
I saw a post on social media yesterday. It said, “Don’t pray for Paris. Religion is the problem. Terrorism is a product of Religion. It’s time to let go of Religion…” All I did after I read this was sit there… I sat there and cried. I cried like a little baby… I cried, because in that instance, at that very minute, I realized that the evil one has gotten away with it once again... The evil one has done his due…
Jesus says, “Nation will rise up against nation and kingdom
against Kingdom, yet the end is still to come…
these are but only the beginnings of the birth pangs. Bringing forth or
“birthing” the Kingdom of God while surrounded by such evil, controversy and
fear is difficult work.
It’s not the happy-clappy feel good Jesus that wants us to
be comfortable… and it’s not pie in the sky bye and bye… To be a follower, to
be a REAL disciple of Jesus Christ, means that we are part of a movement (like
the Presiding Bishop Michael Curry says) The Jesus Movement that is intended to
change the world… Change the world by infusing it with the love of God...
And that is the kind of change that is difficult… it’s messy,
challenging, heart wrenching, and it involves a commitment to radical love –
NOT radical hate…
When Jesus was walking with his disciples in Jerusalem, they
were all talking as they went along about all the fine buildings and large
stones, in the magnificent architecture that surrounded them. Symbols of power
and prestige… Noting, of course, the largest and greatest buildings of their
day and time – Herod’s temple in Jerusalem. The temple - a place of connection
to God (the divine), a place of worship, a place of sacrifice, and the center
of Jewish life…
Jesus said to them, “Do you see these great buildings? Not
one stone will be left here upon another; ALL will be thrown down.” It would
have been difficult, for the disciples to envision the complete destruction of
such a massive fortress of a building – let alone the most holy place of the
Jewish faith. Yet, that is exactly what happened in the year 70, when the Roman
empire burned it to the ground.
We, too, can scarcely conceive of a time when the important
places and structures we know and love will be “thrown down.” Yet that’s what’s
happening all around us. The temple of our soul is being destroyed by the evils
of this world. The evils of this world that tell us that we don’t need each
other… that we don’t need God... Our soul is being attacked by the evil one,
and we cower in fear and confusion, questioning our need for God or religion.
In Jesus’ teaching today, he reminds us that this world is
NOT permanent: “will ALL be thrown down.” God has placed a deep-seated need
within us to desire something that will transcend this mortal life. Jesus cuts
straight to our deep-seated desire for immortality with his deeply challenging
words – No doubt this passage helps ease the pain a bit, knowing and trusting
that the Kingdom is over the horizon. If we continue to live in love, God’s
purpose will be worked out.
There is no question that the anxiety level of disciples was
great, as they pressed Jesus even harder for answers by asking, “Lord, when
will this be? Tell us when these things will happen!” In Jesus’ day, and even
in this day, there are plenty who look for signs, as if knowing WHEN the end
will come will somehow change its coming. Many have claimed that this is it!!
Just looking at the world around us and all the destruction, they say that the
end is near!! And I am sure that there are pastors in pulpits today, using the
events of this past week to instill more fear and cause more panic and
confusion.
Our faith, logical reason, and even science tells us that there
will be a time when ALL things will come to an end; knowing exactly when that will
happen does not give us any control or mastery over it. Even Jesus doesn’t give
them specifics as to when the end will come, nor does he even tell them exactly
what will happen. Remember this was 2000 years ago. He tells them there will be
upheavals of many kinds, but he clearly says these are the beginnings of the
birth pangs – not the signs of the end of all things.
We might wonder when the birth pangs will be done. I have a
feeling that the birth pangs will be done when we stop letting evil win. The
birth pangs will be done when we embrace or start to re-embrace our God… our
God of relationship and love and be participants in the mission and start to
usher in the Kingdom.
But, we are afraid… We are afraid of terrorism; We are
afraid of the economy collapsing; We are afraid of losing our jobs; We are
afraid of losing our health; We afraid of losing our economic security; We
afraid for our children’s future; We afraid of rejection. The list of fears is
endless.
We live in fear that our neatly constructed lives will somehow
be “all be thrown down” so we live in imprisoned by that fear, and when we live
imprisoned by fear, we never live!
Instead of being fearful, which ultimately lets the evil one
win and has us question the good in humanity and has us question God… We should
connect… Connect to the things that help us make since of this world, Connect
to the things that help us look forward to something better yet to come…
In the context of Mark’s gospel, the reading today is a
portion of the story just before Jesus enters Jerusalem, and is arrested, put
through a mock trial and handed over to the evils of this world to be
crucified. “All will be thrown down” is
a promise that ALL the things of this world, its’ structures, systems, and yes
– even its’ evils will fall apart, disintegrate and die.
Jesus reminds us that our job isn’t to know exactly what
will happen, how it will happen, or even when it will happen; rather our job is
to be faithful, be patient and keep awake… watch therefore, because God is
working out the plan of salvation… The Kingdom of God is being brought forth
and God has not abandoned us.
It will be all right because God is in charge. I’m not
saying that it will be easy and that there won’t be hardships and distress. This
isn’t empty optimism that promises things will get better for our lives; we
don’t know - they may or may not. However, It is a promise that God is in
charge… regardless of what it may look like. Jesus promises us that things will
be all right… everything will work out for those who trust and believe because
God ALWAYS has the last word! When death on the cross appears to be the end for
Jesus, God has the last word and brings forth an empty tomb and a risen Christ!
Throughout our lives, we have already experienced death and
resurrection many times over as the neatly arranged constructs of our lives are
ALL thrown down. Jesus’ words remind us to hang on and to place our trust in
something more than ourselves, or our possessions, or our health, or our capabilities
or our even our intellect.
It is to place our faith and ultimate trust in the One from
whom all of these things come. It is to accept our own mortality and have a
radical trust in God’s unchangeable grace, God’s gracious goodness, and God’
abundant love… So that we can inevitably be free from the imprisonment of
anxious fear and finally live fully and freely as children of God.
1 comment:
Awesome!
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