| June 7, 2009
You are welcome to reflect on this message
Now that’s something to say about somebody! Don’t you know Paul was glad to hear it? As was his custom, the passionate Apostle had gotten himself into another jam for preaching too plainly about Jesus. For anybody who’s failed to live up to God’s or anybody else’s standards, those words are like music in the ear: “We find nothing wrong...” Forgiven. Set free. Relieved. For once Paul dodged a bullet. In the context in which he was absolved, it was an evaluation during a hearing before the Jewish Sanhedrin, which was a religious court, made up of opposing parties--Sadducees and Pharisees. Like Whigs & Torries; or Democrats and Republicans; Christians and Muslims.
Once the Pharisees learned Paul was one of them, they rendered their opinion: “We find nothing wrong with this man.” And no doubt Paul was glad to just get their endorsement: Nothing wrong. A bit unusual for the one who wrote the deeply theological Book of Romans: “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God!” Ethically, all are wrong. But practically this time, he got away with it. The ideal and the real. Just like “all have sinned” applies to us all, you wish “we find nothing wrong” did likewise. But by nature, they remain separated. Behaviorally, Paul got it right in Romans and wrong in Acts because nobody gets it right all the time. All have “missed the mark” and misbehaved. That’s why they have confessional booths in Catholic tradition and the priesthood of the believer has served Baptists well.
Has it struck you lately how our society is permeated with wrongness? Like a wet blanket from coast to coast it’s like: “See how bad you’ve been!” Everybody’s wrong, wrong, wrong! Pointing fingers at others, alibing for ourselves, and blame’s the name of the game. But everyday in this kind of world, there’s an awful lot that is wrong. The people we feel most at home with are those who refuse to be defined by what they did that was wrong. Who make up for it by trying very hard to do what’s right.
I remember thinking after I preached on St. Thomas a few weeks ago. This guy’s been remembered for 2000 years for blowing it in the upper room on Easter. Ol’ “Doubting Thomas.” You know, that guy who doubted once. Fairly or unfairly, it’s been his identity ever since, in spite of all the other faith-full events in his life. And the church has been responsible for it. Another disciple who got it stuck to him by the church was “Judas the traitor.” How could they forget that it was Thomas who declared one of the boldest confessions of faith ever elicited: “My Lord and my God!” Why not “incredulous Tommy?” But the early church and all Christendom ever since was wrong to label somebody for having honest doubts. And we have to decide if we want to be God’s scorekeepers for wrongs committed or grace-givers for dispensing forgiveness.
You can tell who’s not on the side of forgiveness. People who always “yes-but it” and tack on the “consequences.” “Oh, I can forgive so-and-so, but there are consequences!” Which means: “I hope the reprobate languishes in hell!” Can’t you just see Jesus? “Father, forgive them …but remember, there’ll be consequences for this! There’s gonna be hell to pay!” Nope. “Forgiveness” is a grace-word. “Consequence” is a judgmental word. With Jesus it’s just “forgive them.” Period. No scorekeeping.
And anytime the topic is “what’s wrong,” it usually has to do with somebody else. What’s wrong with you? What about me? Ya’ll have known people who have to be “right” all the time. I’m not one of them. I identify most with those who have messed up. For I’ve done enough of that myself. It’s the pretenders, who have to be right who give me the hardest time. The “answer” people, who are so convinced of their correctness, their solutions to problems, their reading of reality, that they act like they have all the answers for everybody else.
But Paul did get it right in his love hymn: “We know in part, we see through a glass darkly...” That’s more like it. All of our answers are partial, at best. But the three least used words in our religious vocabulary are not “I was wrong,” but “I don’t know.” Especially preachers or teachers, to whom it has been given to be “answer people,” are loathe to verbalize those words. And in feasting under the tree of knowledge, we rob faith of its humanness. That’s why I take up for Thomas. He was one disciple who had the good grace to admit his lack of understanding. He wasn’t afraid to say, “I don’t know.” “Ya’ll saw him. I wasn’t here. Is Jesus really alive? I’m not sure.” That has integrity. Besides why don’t we call Peter, “Cowardly” Peter? But Peter got the “keys to the kingdom.” Thomas got a reputation.
Today it’s the “power of the press.” Publicity in the media is determinative a whole lot of the time. TV and newspapers have more power to influence certain outcomes than rational reason and fair debate. Richard Nixon could identify with Thomas, remembered more for Watergate than opening doors to China. And George Custer, “Custer’s Last Stand,” made famous for his defeat at the Little Big Horn, rather than for being the youngest general in the Union Army. Now Babe Ruth, he got off easy like Peter, memorialized as “the Home Run King;” the Sultan of Swat -- even though he holds the dubious distinction of also being the “Strike Out King.” What publicity can do.
But I wish we could just celebrate Thomas’ willingness to express his doubts and leave it at that. If genuine faith is belief held in the presence of doubts, rather than to remove all doubt, then the church isn’t just a bunch of people with all the answers. Aren’t we more like Thomas, with a measure of faith, despite our uncertainties? It seems to me that God isn’t as interested in us serving him perfectly, but serving him visibly; allowing people to watch us rise and fall and learn whatever they can from it; because faith is more relational than doctrinal; and God is found in right relationships, not right ideas. But we keep selling out to the ideas. Because Jesus died instead of ushering in the messianic age, Paul got himself in hot water for preaching the idea of atonement. Because the early Christians turned out to be no better behaved than anyone else, St. Augustine came up with the idea of original sin. Hey, we’re so bad we must’ve been born wrong.
If we weren’t so afraid of being wrong, we might even develop a church with a more human face. If we were more like St. Thomas, our faith would have nothing to do with certitude, and everything to do with trusting God to accept us, when we’re not sure of anything. Beyond these church doors, the world is so negative, in identifying us by and punishing us for our wrongs. But not torture. These days we hear a lot about how wrong America is; responsible for a lot of the world’s ills. No doubt we deserve it in some cases. But what about all the good we’ve done, and Americans who’ve given their lives in Somalia, Kosovo, Kuwait, Iraq. D-Day in Normandy? How come the good we do gets overlooked? Lord knows, there’s a lot that’s wrong in this land. Yeah, America, like France or Israel or Saudi Arabia or Russia or China or Korea could all stand to repent.
But what about all that’s right with America? Freedom of expression or religious liberty? What about all the good that takes place in the church? Instead we allow the church’s faults to be just another excuse for not going to worship. Where else can we go and hear: “We find nothing wrong with this man?” Our world is full of resentment and is always going to be asking: “What’s wrong with you?” You’re hardly noticed till you hit the lottery or make a mistake.
In here, the church says: “You are accepted.” We need a place to cope with always being under the gun, pounced upon by the do-rights, a place where we can hear that what matters most to God is not your past, but your future. Famous wrong-doers like Bill Clinton, John Edwards, Arod, Lady Di, Nancy Pelosi, Simon Peter, the Apostle Paul, Judas are popularly chastised. The rest of us are so anonymous we can get away with ours. But nobody should be remembered or defined by their sins. We’re mean enough we could all use a second chance. But the likelihood of getting one out there where the paparazzi and vindictiveness rule is nil. It’s always going to be “something’s wrong with you.” And they make it their business to make it known. Publicize it and let that do its ugly work.
In here, we’re defined by a congregation’s acceptance and God’s forgiveness, that allows us to live up to our best selves. What we can do that’s right, more than what we’ve done that’s wrong. Like sending kids on a work mission to Latin America. Or collecting food for the poor. Or when the world economy is in the tank, our giving is holding up. What about that? What good can do to evil is far more powerful than what wrong can do to right. What people need is a fresh start, not a kick in the rear! When the world says: “What’s wrong with you?” The church says: “Nothing that God can’t fix!”
Providence Prayers: (6/7/09)
We acknowledge our daily failure to live up to Thy divine standards. Help us to be understanding even though we don’t understand why the world is stacked in favor of evil and against goodness. May this worship remind us that every human interaction offers us a chance to make things better or make things worse. Bless our church’s attempts to make things better, but to realize it will cost us bundles in self-interest. To make things worse feels a lot more powerful. As we gather around your table, we remember how much you love us and that we are called to be faithful not powerful.
Give us a lively sense of mission, the ability to choose priorities, the grace to deal constructively with differences, the hope that belongs to the gospel, the faith to believe, when to doubt or disbelieve is the easier road. For all who feel they have lost Thee in a swiftly changing world that won’t stand still, help us to know Thee again, as the same from age to age, a faithful presence of the God who keeps his promises. In the name of Jesus, “who made himself of no reputation” we pray. Amen. |
