Christ Church, Needham
November 17, 2019
The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling
Let us pray,
In the name of Jesus, Amen.
It seems to me that Jesus is
reporting live from Jerusalem today; for in today’s gospel lesson, Jesus talks
about wars and insurrections, and I hear news about Turkey, Russia, Chile,
Haiti, and Hong Kong. Jesus claims that nations will rise against nations, and
I think about guns, bombs, and nuclear threats. Jesus says that there will be
earthquakes, famines, and plagues, and I want to ask him about the fires in
California, rising waters in Italy, if he’s ever been bitten by mosquitoes in
Massachusetts, or heard about the 200 elephants that died recently in Zimbabwe.
“There will be dreadful portents,” Jesus says. “You mean like impeachment
inquiries and allegations of bribery?” I ask him. “Where are those great signs
from heaven that you promised?” I want to know.
This past Monday, we remembered the
veterans of our wars and the people who are serving in the military forces
today. I grew up during the cold war between the United States and the Soviet
Union, when nuclear bombs were considered a real and present danger, like today
in Iran and North Korea. People were building bomb shelters in their backyards,
and stockpiling non-perishable food on their shelves. In those days, we didn’t
have fire drills at our schools; we prepared for nuclear attacks. Today we prepare
for guns.
In
our churches, synagogues, and mosques, we don’t prepare people for the coming
of Jesus or the great Judgment Day of God. “If you see something, say
something” we tell people, and then we talk about security measures, rather
than the good news of God. There are no cold wars any more, only hot spots of
violence throughout our world. These days we walk not by faith, but rather we
have learned to run in fear. We see through our glasses rather darkly.
I
imagine that some of you, if not all of you, are following the current
impeachment inquiry of our sitting president. Perhaps you are like a dog with a
bone, gnawing away at that on-going process, relishing every bit of news, and
cheering for your side. Or maybe, you are “over it” - angry that our political
leaders are not focussed on more pressing issues, like wars and insurrections,
gun violence and climate change, health care and housing, criminal justice
reform, and equal opportunities for all people.
I
read with interest an article written by the executive director of the
Wisconsin Council of Churches three years ago. “Parishioners of different
political persuasions were no longer on speaking terms. Friends were turning
into enemies, there were divisions within their churches, and so he wondered,
given their caustic political life, if Isaiah's vision of a peaceful public
square was a naïve hope?” (Christian Century, November 11, 2016)
“Like
many American Christians, I long for this eschatological image of peace to take
root in our politics,” Scott Anderson wrote. “The public square has always been
a marketplace of clashing ideas, the arena of competing value systems and
policies that grow out of them. But the intense polarization of our era has
turned the political marketplace into a toxic battleground, where political
leaders who express differing worldviews are transformed into enemies,” he
said.
No
different than the times of Isaiah and Jesus, right? Jesus talks about people
being arrested, persecuted, and handed over to the authorities, and placed in
prisons. Maybe they’ve committed a high crime and misdemeanor, or they’re
guilty of bribery or treason, perhaps even admissions fraud. Maybe they’ve lied
under oath or been accused falsely, or crossed the borders of a country
illegally. But Jesus says this will happen because of his name. “You will be
betrayed even by your own family members, and hated by relatives and friends,”
Jesus warns, “because of my name.”
Betrayal. Wow, a heavy word today, and a word
that Jesus knew well. “Weren’t you accused falsely?” I ask Him. “Didn’t you
also stand before a judge and a jury, after your religious leaders bribed Judas
to betray you? Weren’t you accused of being a traitor to your faith community
and having committed treason against Rome? After you were condemned to die like
a common criminal, did you not feel betrayed by your family, friends, and
followers? And even by your God?”
Recalling
what happened to Jesus, I get snarky. “So, how did that work for you?” I ask
Him. You, the Son of God, the true prophet, and the anointed one of Israel.
You, who was supposed to become King of the Jews, the Prince of Peace, and the
One who would save us from our enemies. You who talked about God’s love. And
yet, even You were betrayed by everyone. “How did that work for you?” I demand
of Jesus.
“Sometimes,
like you, I feel as if God has forsaken us,” I tell Him. “Maybe like you, I
wondered where God was when you hung upon the cross, when guns killed innocent
children in our schools, and bombs exploded in our houses of prayer. Who are
the true prophets among us now,” I ask Jesus, “who will not make false
promises, and will lead us faithfully into a future of hope?”
Promises,
promises, I say to myself, as the wheel of fortune turns ever more slowly,
dividing the rich from the poor, the weak from the strong, the high and mighty
from the lowly and powerless. Struggling with my faith, the political process
in our country, and the violence throughout our world, I wonder in this run up
to Advent, if the image of the wolf and the lamb is just a lovely children’s
story that we trot out at Christmas?
In
despair, rather than hope, I wonder if Isaiah’s vision of a new heaven and a
new earth is merely a fantasy game upon which we bet? Is life only an endurance
test to be survived, and then we die? Or is there another story, a more
fundamental truth, a possibility that is just too hard for us to believe? I
have a dream, I want to say, and it’s God’s dream of a new creation.
In
an on-line meditation this week, Will Oxford, asked “What does your idea of
paradise look like?” (www.d365.org) From the mountains in North Carolina, he
said, “I think if a prophet described mine, they might say: “Hey ya’ll! In this
new world, there is no such thing as humidity, all the tea is sweet, the
Carolina Panthers win the Super Bowl, and all the people I ever loved are
waiting for me in paradise!”” And I say to him, “You are a false prophet, my
friend; for in paradise the Celtics win the NBA, the Patriots win the
SuperBowl, the Bruins and Red Sox go undefeated, and my coffee is strong and
black.”
In
my paradise, I tell him, there are people from every language, tribe, and
nation who are no longer enemies or political foes but all the beloved children
of God. In this place we are free from toxic relationships and nuclear waste,
and we are living in freedom and peace. On God’s holy mountain, there are no
more sounds of guns and bombs, weeping or cries of distress. Indeed, new
vineyards are being planted every day, and life is everlasting and sweet. With
thanksgiving, we sit down for a meal, a feast of rich foods, and well-aged
wines, and no one at the Table struggles with addictions, diseases, or mental
health. There are no food fights, and plenty of food for everyone.
I
return to Jesus again and ask, “So where are those heavenly signs that you
promised?” And Jesus replies, “Look all around you; and you will see the
miracle of life that God is creating even now. The blessings and signs of God’s
presence and power and love are everywhere; indeed in you and me, within this
church in every generation, and at this Table. You just need to look and listen
with eyes and ears of faith. Pay attention. God is doing something good each
and every day. Try to be a part of it.
We
can walk by faith even now, if we choose, or we can run away in fear. Today, be
a witness to God’s love. Testify to the power of God’s amazing grace. Hold fast
to the hope that has been given to us in the life, death, and resurrection of
Jesus. Surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, let us “fight the good fight,
finish the race with perseverance, and keep the faith.” By this endurance we will gain our souls, and
our labor will not be in vain.
Isaiah 65:17-25
Canticle 9
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
Luke 21:5-19
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