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Date: January 11, 2009
Scriptures: Mark 1:4-11
Pastor: Rev. Kim Wells
Sermon

Part 1

How many times have we heard people say, in the face of some undeserved suffering, “It’s just my cross to bear.” A child is born with Down’s Syndrome. It’s a cross to bear. An injury leaves a person incapacitated in some way. It’s their cross to bear. A loving parent deals with a child on drugs. It’s their cross to bear. We use the expression to refer to undeserved suffering or hardship. Usually a situation in which the person suffering had little or no say in the circumstances. There is much inexplicable and undeserved suffering in this life, and it deserves compassion and empathy. And Jesus’ suffering on the cross certainly was undeserved and unjust. But when we read in the gospels Jesus’ invitation to the crowds, “Take up your cross and follow me,” we want to look more closely at the meaning and intent.

Jesus’ suffering and crucifixion was not the result of random bad luck or bad judgment. Jesus taking up the cross was a result of his complete and total faithfulness to God. He chose to align himself with the purposes of God. Each step of the way, in his ministry, he is going off to pray. This is to keep him on the path that God intends for him. This is so that he stays in on track with the wider purposes of the creator of the cosmos. Jesus eventually faces the cross because of his choice to be faithful to God, not because of random fate.

Part 2

When we hear this invitation to “Take up your cross,” we are being beckoned to live our lives consistent with the purposes of God. We are not being asked to literally pick up a heavy wooden cross. We are not being asked to suffer randomly. We are not being invited to be crucified. We are being called to completely align ourselves with God’s purposes for our lives, each one of us as individuals.

To “take up your cross” is to fulfill God’s hopes and dreams for you, that only you can realize.

Jesus took up his cross because he chose to embody God’s love, forgiveness and peace and in his situation, that led to crucifixion. The call to us to “take up our cross” is also the call to embody God’s love, forgiveness and compassion. This is an intentional choice to devote ourselves to God’s dreams for creation and the human community. “To take up your cross” is to choose to alleviate suffering, embody compassion, honesty, generosity and service. It is to choose to resist oppression, injustice, greed, violence and abuse.

The gospel invitation to “take up your cross” is an invitation to choose the Christian life, a life of service in the spirit of Christ, accepting whatever consequences that may entail.

Part 3

For Jesus, the choice to follow the will and way of God with complete devotion did lead to his actual physical death in a heinous, humiliating manner. It was capital punishment by cruel and unusual means. For most of us, the choice to “take up our cross” will not have those consequences, but there will be costs. To live by the values of the gospel, treating all people with dignity and respect, leading a life directed by the desire to give not to get, this leads to a life very different from the images that our culture espouses. In our culture, we are admonished to look out for number one, pamper ourselves, seek comfort and privilege. We are encouraged to avoid pain and suffering, and to make sure we are getting as much as we can – of money, power, of whatever else we want. Afterall, we are entitled to it. This is a far cry from the gospel perspective of what can I offer, how can I serve, how am I needed, what can I give, where is there suffering I can share, how can I live in solidarity with those who are oppressed, where can I work for justice, how can I make the world more peaceful?

When we embrace devotion to the way of God, when we “take up our cross,” we will pay a price. Maybe it will be in terms of worldly success or popularity. It may be in relationships. It may be in the way others think of us. It may be in monetary terms.
Recently someone from our church who has been unemployed for many months was offered a managerial position at a Walmart. Knowing its sketchy reputation, she did some research into the labor practices, etc. of Walmart. She decided not to take the job because she knew that as a manager, she would be responsible for making employees do things she did not believe were fair or just. This is an example of the cost that comes with taking up your cross. She gave up this job, and has not been able to find another one with commensurate pay, even after several months of looking.

Part 4

When Jesus invites us to “take up our cross,” there definitely is a cost. But the goal is not to make people suffer or be miserable. Ultimately the promise is that by taking up our cross we will save our lives. The call to the life of service, compassion, and generosity, is a call to our highest good, our deepest well being. When we devote ourselves to the will and purposes of God, we find our greatest happiness and joy. We find our healing and wholeness. We find purpose and meaning that satisfies.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. noted that serving others does not degrade a person, but ennobles a person.

For our 40th anniversary as a church, we chose the theme “Out on limb for 40 years.” We wanted a graphic to go with the theme. I spoke to our son who is an artist about the theme and doing a graphic. “Great mom. I’ll do a tree and at the end of one branch I’ll put flowers and fruits and lush leaves because when you go out on the limb, you find the good stuff, the beauty, the bounty.” This was perfect for our anniversary, for the life of our church, and as an image for the Christian life. When we “take up our cross,” we find the beauty and bounty of love and community. God does not ask us to :take up our cross” to suffer undeservedly, but to find joy and wholeness.

Dr. Karl Menninger, the famous psychiatrist, once gave a lecture on mental health followed by questions from the audience. One person asked, “What would you advise a person to do if that person felt a nervous breakdown coming on?”

Most people expected the psychiatrist to reply, “Consult a psychiatrist.” To the astonishment of the audience, Menninger responded, “Lock up your house, go across the railway tracks, find someone in need and do something to help that person.” [The Sowers Seed, p.44]

The invitation to “take up your cross,” is an invitation to life. This call to service, to give, to attend to the needs of others, is for our own good, for left to ourselves, we are so easily sucked down the whirlpool of our own self interest and self centeredness. As one person put it, “The trouble with a living sacrifice is that it keeps crawling off the altar!” [A_Z p. 115] We can so easily be taken in by the messages of entitlement promoted around us. And then we feel we are being cheated. We are not getting our due. We need to fight for ourselves. And our world gets smaller and smaller. Our souls shrivel. Our relationships dry up. It is so easy to become a victim of the tyrant selfishness, seeking our own good at the expense of others, lusting after control, desperate to dominate.

There’s a story told about a south sea island where the inhabitants trap monkeys for food. They have an ingenious way of ensnaring the primates. The people take clay jars, with long narrow necks and tie them to the trees in the habitat of the monkeys. Then the jars are filled with grain. At night the monkeys come down from the trees and reach into the jars to get the grain, but when they try to take their hands out of the jar, it is impossible because they have the fistful of grain. All the monkeys need to do is let go of the grain, and they can get their hand out of the jar. But they refuse to turn loose the grain. So, in the morning, the people find the monkeys with their hands in the jars of grain, and they are captured. [Stewardship p. 74]

To “take up your cross” frees us from being trapped by selfishness and self interest. From holding on to what ensnares us and deprives us of life full and free.

It is interesting that the motion for salvation in sign language involves the breaking of chains. The sign begins with two fists side by side. The idea is two links of a chain, bondage. Then the fists are separated and the arms raised. The chain of bondage is broken. This is salvation. It is freedom from that which keeps us in bondage. When we take up our cross by devoting ourselves to God and emulating the serving life of Jesus, we are saving our lives, we are breaking the chains that keep us bound, including the bondage to self interest.

Medical researchers and scientists have found that there are also physiological benefits to helping others and serving. They have found that doing good, volunteer work, helping others lowers blood pressure and increases the body’s immune system. [See the Healing power of doing good]

So this invitation to “take up your cross” is intended for our well being and our healing, and flourishing. It is not a sentence to drudgery and suffering and deprivation. “Take up your cross.” This is an invitation to life. This is an invitation to peace.

This Lenten season, we are exploring the way Christianity offers peace to the individual and to the world. Last week, we explored the tradition of imaging a disarmed, nonviolent God. Today we see the peace and well-being for ourselves and the world that comes with invitation to “take up your cross.”

But this teaching is not unique to Christianity. With so much benefit derived from serving others and devotion to a higher power and purpose, it is not surprising that the sentiment “take up your cross” is found in many other religions as well. The word “Islam” means submission. Islam is based on complete submission to the will of God in every aspect of life. In Buddhism, the idea is referred to as renunciation. By renouncing self centeredness and desire, the path to peace and wholeness is attained. Pema Chodron, a contemporary Buddhist teacher puts it this way: “Renunciation is realizing that our nostalgia for wanting to stay in a protected, limited, petty world is insane. Once you begin to get the feeling of how big the world is and how vast our potential for experiencing life is, then you really begin to understand renunciation.”

In the Baha’i faith, this principle of devotion to a larger reality is of significance as well. In The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i faith, we read, “O Son of Man! If you love Me, run away from yourself; and if you seek My pleasure, regard not your own; that you may die in me and I may eternally live in you.” [World Script. P. 639] In the Talmud, teachings of Judaism, we read, “Torah abides only with him who regards himself as nothing.” [P. 639]
To “take up our cross,” is not to denigrate the self, it is not an endorsement of abuse or self negation. It is honoring the image of God in each and every person, including ourselves. And affirming that image as one of compassion, mercy, generosity, love, and service.

To “take up your cross” is to choose devotion to the will and way of God and in so doing, find your highest good. For few of us will that mean facing our literal deaths, instead, for most of us, it will mean every day acts of mercy and justice offered year in and year out. To “take up your cross,” is a life long process. Preacher Fred Craddock offers this image:

We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $1,000 bill and laying it on the table – ‘Here’s my life, Lord. I’m giving it all.’
But the reality for most of us is that God sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $1,000 for quarters. We go through life putting out 25 cents here and 50 cents there. . .Usually giving our life to Christ isn’t glorious. It’s done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time.” [Quoted from Leadership, Fall 1984, in The New Interpreter’s Bible, Volume VIII, p. 629]

We are given these lives to spend. Take up your cross is the invitation to spend your life, in service to others. And so to find your highest good. As humanitarian Albert Schweitzer put it, “I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know, the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”

This Lenten season, may we take up our cross and find our truest happiness and peace.
Amen.

A reasonable effort has been made to appropriately cite materials referenced in this sermon. For additional information, please contact Lakewood United Church of Christ.

Date: Sunday October 12, 2008
Scripture: Matthew 26:6-16
Sermon: What Does Jesus Say about Wealth?
Pastor: Rev. Kim Wells

I can’t tell you how many times as a pastor I have heard, we can’t talk about money in church. People don’t like to hear about money in church. When you talk about money in church, people think of those TV preachers always begging for money. If we have to talk about money once a year at stewardship time when we make our financial commitments to the church for the coming year, well, o.k. but otherwise, stay away from talking about money. People won’t come to church. It will turn new people away.

I recently read of a church with a new fund-raising scheme for the church. Rev. Rob Hartwell, pastor of the Village Lutheran Church in Bronxville, New York was admittedly overweight. A donor promised to give $5,000 to the church for every pound Hartwell lost – if he lost at least 70 pounds. The challenge worked. Hartwell is almost 100 pounds lighter and the church received almost $400,000 in income. [See Christian Century, Sept. 23, 2008, p. 8]

It is inevitable that churches talk about money. And not just because money is needed to do the mission of the church.

When we look at the teachings of Jesus in the gospels, it’s a wonder we are not talking about money as a main topic almost every week in church because in story after story in the New Testament, Jesus is talking about money, economics, and wealth. Of the 38 parables, 16 are about money. Jesus talks more about money than about prayer, or worship, or heaven, or abortion, or marriage, or sexuality, or any number of other topics.

As Jim Forbes, recently retired pastor of the Riverside Church in New York City, pointed out in his lecture at Eckerd College Tuesday evening, we might not like what conservative Christians and propagators of the prosperity gospel are saying, but they have one thing right. Money and faith go together.

Multiple teachings of Jesus validate this. Money and faith are inextricably linked. And to ignore money, because we don’t want to turn people off to church, or because it is too worldly, or because we have inherited our culture’s discomfort with talking about money (we’d much rather talk about sex), is to short change the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So, friends, if you don’t like talking about money in church, then you probably aren’t going to like this sermon, because it is about money.

What does Jesus say about wealth?

My guess is that most of us already have a pretty good idea of what Jesus has to say about wealth and money. Jesus was from a poor family. We are told that at the rite of circumcision when Jesus was 8 days old, his family was not able to make the customary sacrifice of a lamb, but instead offered a pair of pigeons, the fall back sacrifice for those who were poor. [Luke 2:24, Lev. 12:8] We basically know that during his ministry, Jesus was poor, relied on others and the land for his material needs, and that he never owned a house or a business.

When we look at the teachings of Jesus about money, many are familiar, especially for those who attended church school, or have been regular church goers, or who have read the New Testament. There is the story of Jesus telling the rich young man to sell all he has and give to the poor. [Luke 18:18ff, Mark 10:17ff, Matthew 19:16ff] There is the saying that it is harder for a rich person to enter the realm of God than for a camel to go through the eye of the needle. [Matthew 19:23-24, Mark 10:25, Luke 18:25] There is the verse advising, if you’ve got two coats, give one away. [Matthew 5:40, Luke Luke 6:29] And the invitation not to fret about our material well-being and consider the lilies of the field. [Luke 12:22ff, Matthew 6:25ff] We may be familiar with the story of Jesus driving the money changers out of the Temple. [Matthew 21;12ff, John 2:13ff, Mark 11:15ff, Luke 19:45ff] We may remember the story about the rich man and Lazarus: the rich man dies and is burning in hell for ignoring the poor man at his gate. [Luke 16:19ff] There is Jesus’ chastisement of religious officials who wore fine robes, and lived on the pensions of widows. [Luke 20:45ff,Mark 12:38ff] There is the story of the widow who put all she had into the offering at the Temple. All she had. [Luke 21:1ff,Mark 12:41ff] There is the beatitude, blessed are the poor. [Luke 6:20] And the story about building bigger barns for storage, while your soul rots. [Luke 12:16] Perhaps we remember the story of how Zacchaeus not only climbed a tree, but paid back four fold those he had cheated and then gave half of what he had left to the poor. [Luke 19:1ff] Frankly, my guess is that we know quite a bit about the teachings of Jesus relating to money.

But it’s hard to know what to do with these teachings, because we need money to live. So, we generally prefer to put our head in the sand, and ignore these teachings. Or consider them anachronistic or idealistic. So we resort to, don’t talk about money in church. . .

But this morning, since we’re looking at “What Does Jesus Say about Wealth?” let’s ask ourselves why Jesus talks so much about money. I think the two stories that we heard this morning give us some clues. Right next to each other in the gospel of Matthew is the story of the woman who anoints Jesus’ feet using ointment worth a year’s wages. Maybe equivalent to $30,000 today. That is extravagant. Lavish. Even profligate. What about the poor???

And then there is the story about Judas betraying Jesus for just 30 pieces of silver. Maybe a month’s wages. A fairly small amount. What might be paid to purchase a disabled slave.

These stories involve a large amount of money and a fairly small amount of money. When we think about money, it is not just a medium of exchange, but it is something we use to measure value. Something that costs more is worth more in some way – either because of labor, or materials, or demand or other things that influence production costs, like energy, transportation, and taxation. And something that costs less is of less value, again usually because of labor, materials, or demand or other factors. But basically money helps us to establish the relative worth of things. I think that Jesus uses teachings about money in this way. What we do with our money shows how much value things have for us. Money is used to assess relative value. Especially regarding our spiritual lives and commitments.

In the story about the anointing, which involves a large sum of money, we see a large value placed on the gospel, a large value placed on the will of God, a large value placed on the spiritual life. The woman has no reservations that we know of about spending a year’s wages on a compassionate gesture to a friend. This pure and generous gift shows us that she was completely committed to God.

The woman with the ointment is doing God’s work. She is using her wealth, her resources in accordance with God’s will. She is offering what she has to God’s realm. She is freely giving this incredibly expensive gift away, not hoping to get anything back, not to impress anyone, but simply out of love and faithfulness. She is showing her commitment to God, and the realm of God that Jesus has shown and taught and embodied. She is showing her faith and her desire to be part of God’s hopes and dreams. So she is using her money to glorify God. She is holding nothing back from God

In the story of Judas, and the relatively smaller amount of money, we see less value placed on doing the will of God, the work of God, less commitment to the gospel. There are some who say that Judas was the most faithful disciple because only he was willing to further God’s plan that Jesus be sacrificed by turning him over to the authorities. But if Judas was so pure, I don’t think he would have taken any money. He would have done God’s will for free with no personal reward. So, I think Judas was enticed by personal gain, greed, and the desire to salve his disillusionment. His faith and commitment to the ministry of Jesus was not great enough to overcome his self interest. So his involvement with the 30 pieces of silver shows the state of his commitment to the Gospel.

So I think Jesus uses teachings about money and wealth as an indicator of the condition of one’s spiritual life. It’s not the specific amount of money involved necessarily, but what it indicates about the values of the people involved.

So these stories help us to see how Jesus talks about money. Money can be used to assess the value we place on God’s will, on our spiritual life, on our relationship with God, and on our commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The more our use of money reflects gospel values of peace and justice and compassion, the more we know that we are serious about our commitment to God and the Gospel. When we see ourselves using money in other ways, we see less of that commitment and less faith.

Jesus talks so much about money and wealth because he knows the power it has to lure us away from God’s intentions for creation and for the human family. He knows the power of money to draw us away from community values of the common good and compassion. He knows the seductive power of money to create an illusion of power, security, control, and worth. Like the serpent in the story of the garden of Eden, money can entice us away from God’s will. So Jesus knows that money and wealth are a prime indicator of the condition of a person’s spiritual life and commitment to God. So he is paying a lot of attention to matters of money and wealth.

In the story of the rich young man who comes to Jesus, he is spiritually hungry. He has fulfilled all of the commands of his faith, and he knows that still something is lacking. He still does not feel the close relationship to God that he desires. He senses that his commitment to God is still not complete. In the story, Jesus tells the rich young man to sell all that he has and come follow Jesus. The man walks away sadly, because this he cannot do. So his money stands in the way of his relationship with God. His wealth is impeding his spiritual life. This teaching of Jesus shows how what we do with our money shows the value we place on our faith and spiritual life. This man does not value his commitment to God enough to part with his money. So the story helps to show us how Jesus uses money to assess the condition of the man’s spiritual life.

We see this same kind of assessment involving money in the story of the widow who gives 2 cents to the Temple treasury. Here we see someone so committed to God that she gives all that she has. Her very last cent. How will she eat? How will she live? Yet, she holds nothing back. Her commitment to God is complete. She retains nothings. And in the story, Jesus lifts her up as a model of faithfulness far greater than those who give much more but also retain much more. Again, money is used to assess level of commitment to God and the condition of the person’s spiritual life.

So if want to assess our spiritual lives, our commitment to the gospel, our relationship with God, if we want to examine our deepest hunger and longing, we need to be willing to look at what we are doing with our money. Is our money at God’s disposal? Do we use our money in ways that bring us closer to God and our neighbor? Are we using our money in ways that work for God’s intentions that the poor be fed and everyone live in justice and peace with no victims, and the earth itself not a victim of our greed? Does our money control us? Is our money and our concern about wealth blocking fulfillment of our deepest and truest desires? A bold and courageous analysis of our use of money will show us where we are spiritually.

I think many of us don’t like talking about money in church because we don’t want to ask ourselves these questions because we are afraid of the answers we will find if we have the courage to be honest.

But that is to be expected. In today’s world, Wall Street spends, or spent, billions trying to entice us to want more, buy more, spend more. It has taken billions to mould us into consumers, whose primary mindset is of ourselves and others as economic entities. The teachings of Jesus invite us to see ourselves as God’s children, God’s family, beloved people of God. Good and beautiful. Created to be in community with God and one another for mutual enjoyment and consolation. That is not an economic entity. That is a spiritual entity. And one hour a week in church, even if we did talk about money every Sunday, is not much of an opportunity to reorient our identity, when the market is luring us the other 167 hours of the week!

But there is good news in the gospel about money. Like the woman who anoints Jesus, we can choose to use our money for good and see the deepening of our spiritual lives and our growing commitment to God. Through investing in justice and peace, we can use our money for making God’s realm more present on this earth. There are mutual funds, and micro credit funds, and all kinds of ways of investing that are in keeping with God’s commitments to economic and social justice. People are using their investments in companies with oppressive records to transform those corporations through resolutions for change in corporate practices. Shareholder activism has increased by 68% since 1999 in the US. [Sojourners May 2008, p.12 ]

We can also use our money as an indicator of our faith commitment by investing in this church. Within the past week, I have heard these two testimonies. Someone from the community came to the church, and in the course of the conversation remarked, “This church has a reputation for accepting everyone. . .” And a woman called the church to find out where we got the “Vote No to Amendment 2” signs, and she said, “I love what your church is doing and what you stand for.” This church is making a difference. And though it is not pledging Sunday, the one Sunday you expect to be asked to support the church financially, I need to tell you that the financial support that you give to this church is a way of assessing your spiritual life. It is a way of gauging your faith and your commitment to God. If you are not satisfied with the condition of your spiritual life, then you probably need to be looking at how you are using your wealth, money and time, and chances are you need to be giving more away.

Like the people in Jesus’ day, we too have money. Our times are more complicated, and we certainly do have much more money than the average person whom Jesus addressed. So, we need to be paying more attention, not less, to what the gospels say about money, because we are more in danger of money luring us away from God’s purposes. So, really, the church, to be faithful, to be committed to the spiritual well being of people, to be proclaiming the gospel, should be talking about money, more than ever! Because our relationship with money is a measure of our spiritual life, as Jesus tells us.

Even given the complexities of our modern situation, when we ask, What Does Jesus Say about Wealth? We have to come to terms with the fact that money and faith are related. That’s why Jesus talks so much about money. And that basic fundamental has not changed.

A new movement called Bolder Giving encourages generosity for the good of the giver as well as the good of the communities, the human family and the earth. I invite you to listen to the story of Tom Hsieh, a contemporary who has made the choice to use money to reflect the importance of God and his faith commitment in his life:

When I graduated from college, God pointed out to me: 1) He has a heart for the poor, and 2) I didn’t. So I decided to place my self where I could develop a heart for the poor. I passed up lucrative job offers, joined Servant Partner’s work (where I eventually met my wife, Bree) and took an hourly job as a computer technician. But even on that salary, I made more than I needed, so God started disciplining me in giving.

When Bree and I married seven years go, we knew that we could easily slide into spending more on ourselves. So we committed to living at or below the national median household income (currently $46,000/year) as way to set a limit. I’m 36, my wife is 31, and our daughter Kadence is now one year old.

This year I co-founded a new telecommunications business, SplinterRock, Inc. We save our clients 30%-70% on their telecommunications expenses, and have a non-profit affinity program that generates recurring unrestricted revenues for our non-profit partners.

Last year I made more than $200,000 as a technology executive; our family lived on $38,000 and donated the remaining money (after taxes). Giving is easy, because we live in the second poorest community in L.A. county, where needs stare us in the face. Compared to our neighbors we are still wealthy. We have two bedrooms for the three of us, while most of our neighbors have 3 families in the same sized apartment…

Some think too much of us and think we’re saving people’s lives. But doing this giving . . .has saved my life. I could easily have lived a life that was boring and inconsequential. Now I am graced with a life of service and meaning. [boldergiving.org/inspiring_stories/profile.php?cat=ages&value=35to60&id=87]

The gospels tell us, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” [Luke 12:34, Matthew 6:21] Too often, we are waiting for the spiritual experience to lead us to give our money away. We are waiting to have enough faith to be able to part with more of our money. What Jesus tells us is that if we want a heart filled with faith, if we want the serenity that comes with trust in God, we need to put our money into God’s hands to be used for good. We need to be generous and giving. After we put our treasure where it should be, our hearts will follow. The faith will come. The security will come. The trust, like the lilies of the field will come. We will experience the unimaginable riches of the spiritual life.

So what does Jesus say about wealth? “The measure you give will be the measure you get.” [Mark 4:24, Luke 6:38 Jesus gave his life. We’re only talking about money! Amen.

A reasonable effort has been made to appropriately cite materials referenced in this sermon. For additional information, please contact Lakewood United Church of Christ.

Date: October 5, 2008
Scripture: Isaiah 2:1-4
Sermon: What Does Jesus Say about War?
Pastor: Rev. Kim Wells

It was an era of regime change. The end of the term of one ruler and the transition to new leadership. A time of relief, fear, and hope. But as so often happens in such moments of transition, the hard line holds sway. So, in 4 BCE [Before the Common Era], in the wake of the death of the tyrant Herod the Great, the King of the Jews appointed by Rome, various revolts and protests took place. To keep the Jews in line, the Romans proceeded to slaughter 3,000 people in the courts of the Temple in Jerusalem, steal 400 talents from the Temple treasury, and crucify 2,000 protesters. [My Enemy is My Guest, J. Massyngbaerde Ford, p.3]

This is the context into which Jesus was born: A society in a time of extreme unrest. Roman occupation was severe. Taxes were exorbitant and there was graft and extortion relating to taxation. People were sold into slavery due to unpaid debt, including tax debt. The Romans insisted on worship of Caesar which was an affront to Jewish religious tenets. The Roman occupying army demanded shelter, food, work animals, etc. from the indigenous Jewish population. There was class conflict between the haves and have-nots, and tension between the urban and rural populations. And add drought to all of that, and it was an extremely volatile mix. This is the context for the ministry of Jesus. [See Massyngbaerde, pp.2-6]

There were many responses to the circumstances. Some people simply minded their own business and tried to get by. Others, the Zealots, advocated violent overthrow of the Roman presence. It is thought that the disciple Judas was part of the Zealot movement. There was guerilla warfare perpetrated by those known as bandits who would kidnap, attack, and rob people. It’s not a coincidence that the story of the Good Samaritan takes place on the road to Jericho, known as a hotbed of such Robin Hood style bandits. [See John Dominic Crossan and Jonathan L. Reed, Excavating Jesus: Beneath the Stones, Behind the Texts, p. 141]

In response to the political/social context, there were also those who pursued non violent resistance. When the Romans put up a statue of the emperor to be worshipped in the Temple, the Jews presented themselves for slaughter, rather than worship the statue. They were left unharmed. [Crossan and Reed, p. 143] There were other unarmed protests. People would strike and refuse to grow crops, since so much of the harvest had to be given to the Romans. [Crossan and Reed, p. 144] There were many ways that people reacted to the presence of the oppressive Roman regime in the land of Israel.

The culmination was an all out armed rebellion in 66 CE [Common Era], which was put down by the Romans who proceeded to destroy the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE. So Jesus was born into a context of extreme oppression, violence, and unrest.

Of course, in times of turmoil and peril, people look for a leader, a prophet, a king, a savior. The Jews turned to the scriptures with hope looking for a word of deliverance. They eagerly anticipated God sending help as Moses was sent to bring the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt. Surely God would send someone to save them from Roman oppression.

They turned to the words of the prophets. The ancient texts see war as one of the ways God shows blessing or disapproval of the Jewish people. When they are faithful, God blesses them with success in war and armed conflict. When they are unfaithful, God uses the success of the opposing army to redirect the Jews to faithfulness. So war is seen as a tool used by God to influence the life of the faith community.

In the book of the prophet Jeremiah, we see examples of the classic Hebrew perspective that God was punishing the people of Israel for their unfaithfulness by using the military conquest of others over Israel to deliver the punishment. In Jeremiah 15:13, we read, “Your wealth and your treasures I will give as plunder, without price, for all your sins, throughout all your territory, I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.” War is used as an instrument of punishment. Later in the book of Jeremiah, restoration is promised. When the people return to faithfulness, God promises, “For the days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, and I will being them back to the land that I gave to their ancestors and they shall take possession of it.” [Jeremiah 30:3] Some of the Jews of the first century were looking for such restoration.

In looking for deliverance, the Jews of the first century would have turned to the tradition of King David. The promised Messiah was to be of lineage of King David, not only by blood but in terms of power and character. And David is celebrated as the greatest King of Israel, a gifted leader of government and a heroic military leader. This is what the Jews of the first century were hoping and praying for in their difficult circumstances.

In the book of Second Samuel, we are told of some of David’s conquests as king of Israel:

Sometime afterward, David attacked the Philistines and subdued them. . .He also defeated the Moabites and, making them lie down on the ground, measured them off with a cord; he measured two lengths of cord for those who were to be put to death, and one length for those who were to be spared. And the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute. . . David also struck down King Hadadezer son of Rehob of Zobah, as he went to restore his monument at the river Euphrates. David took from him one thousand seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. . . When the Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand men of the Arameans . . . The Lord gave victory to David wherever he went. David won a name for himself. . .David reigned over all Israel; and David administered justice and equity to all his people. . . [2 Samuel 8]

It is easy to see the Jews of the first century in their situation of occupation praying for a messiah in the line of David to come and deliver them. To vanquish their enemies.

The situation in the first century was ripe for God to send a political, military leader to vanquish Roman victimization of the Jews. The people were ready for a leader who would draw upon the tradition of God’s military deliverance in the Hebrew scriptures. And lead such conquests against the Romans. Jesus knew this tradition. He was well versed in these expectations. Yet, we do not have any examples of Jesus drawing from the tradition of military conquest in Hebrew scriptures. He does not use this war tradition in his teaching. There is no support of armed resistance in the material we have about the ministry of Jesus. There were those in his day who advocated such a response to Roman rule, but we have no record of Jesus supporting those initiatives. So what does Jesus say about war? Even steeped in a tradition that saw war as a tool of God’s will, Jesus does not advocate for war or armed rebellion.

In fact, in the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem at the beginning of Holy Week, we see Jesus stage a counter military parade which he knows is leading him into the hands of those who want to kill him. He rides on a humble donkey, not a stately stallion, the preferred mount of military conquerors.

So, the fact that Jesus does not talk about war and violent resistance in a context ready to erupt in violence tells us something about what Jesus says about war. He does not advocate war. However justified it may be in that particular context, Jesus does not advocate war.

Now, as we examine the teachings and ministry of Jesus, there is more that can be noted about a perspective on war. Jesus does not just eschew armed violence. He does not just take the ethical standard, “Do no harm.”

Actually, what is seen as extraordinary about the teachings of Jesus, is that he is remembered for going beyond do no harm, to “Love your enemies,” [Matthew 5:44] “Pray for those who persecute you,” [Matthew 5:44] and “Turn the other cheek.” [Mathew 5:39] Not just don’t kill them, and don’t mistreat them, or tolerate and accept them. But actually love your enemy. Choose to do good to your enemy. Care for your enemy. Choose to behave to your enemies in ways that are kind, caring, compassionate. This is beyond don’t fight back. This is intentionally seek the good of your enemy, of those who would harm you. So what does Jesus say about war? Love your enemy. And as the bumper sticker says, “When Jesus said, ‘Love your enemy,’ he probably didn’t mean kill them.”

We see more of Jesus’ sentiments about violence and war in several stories in the gospels that involve a centurion, a Roman soldier. Given the context, the Roman soldiers were the ones enforcing the harsh occupation policies of the Roman government. So the Jews did not like the soldiers who were agents of fear and intimidation. What is Jesus’ approach to these soldiers? This can be seen as an embodiment of the dictate, “Love your enemy.” When a Roman soldier comes to Jesus begging that Jesus heal his servant, the story includes the testimony, “Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.” [Matthew 8:5ff, also Luke 7:9] This is an affirmation that the centurion, a Roman soldier, has more faith in God than the Jews of the day. This would be heard as the enemy is more on God’s wavelength, than we the chosen people, the people of Israel. This would be heard as an extreme affront.

In another story, after Jesus has died on the cross, but has not yet been removed, we are told, “Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly, this man was God’s Son.’” (Mark 15:39, also Matthew 27:54, and see Luke 23:47] So an enemy centurion voices the identity of Jesus before the disciples who have scattered, and before the women who go to the tomb. Again, this would be heard as a significant affront.

In these stories, we see that Jesus does not hold the policies of the government against those who enforce them. The stories show that there can be good even in those considered in enemy. The story of the healing of the servant shows the compassion of the solider. And that those considered enemy can be people of faith. It is almost as if the soldiers are victims like the Jewish people. So what does Jesus say about war, we are shown that he has compassion and understanding of the soldiers. And he sees them as human beings, not tools of policy, and not as statistics, or acceptable collateral damage in the resolution of conflict.

So what does Jesus say about war? Treat the soldiers like human beings. Have compassion on the soldiers for they, too, are victims. See the humanity of those caught up on systems and cultural institutions far beyond their control.

So what does Jesus say about war? Even given the context, and the tradition, we do not see Jesus advocating war or violence in any way. We see Jesus advocating love of enemy.

Now we can say this is fine utopian thinking, but just not practical and practicable in today’s world. But the time has come to rethink that, as well.

Is it practical to stockpile weapons that can destroy the entire world? Is it practical to spend billions of dollars maintaining those weapons? Is it practical to spend billions on weapon development for killing people when there is need for money and scientists and engineers and others to direct their efforts to meeting human need and developing new sources of energy, and medical treatments, etc.? Is it really wise to direct so much of our resources, human and financial, toward developing methods of armed conflict to solve differences? Wouldn’t it be more practical and wise to put resources into developing non violent means of resolving conflict? If we put even a fraction of the money and time and skill that we are putting into armaments, into think tanks, study, and experimentation with strategies for resolving differences without violence, we could make significant changes in our culture of violence.

In the book, God’s Politics, Jim Wallis of the Sojourners community, shares a story about Archbishop Rowan Williams, head of the Anglican Church:

. . .Archbishop [Rowan] Williams offered an observation that became for me the most insightful statement of the year-long- run-up to the war with Iraq. He said (quoting psychologist Abraham Maslow), ‘When all you have is hammers, everything looks like a nail.’

The United States has the biggest and best hammers in the world. But they are the only ‘tools’ we seem to know how to use. And all we seem able to do is look for more nails to pound.

[p. 110]

You see, we have created a culture of violence and conflict. We have chosen to teach history primarily from war to war, rather than from social advance to social advance. I know, I was a history major in college. You basically study one war after another, with some culture and social movements thrown in along the way. But it is definitely war centered. We have created this way of looking at history, and we can transform it.

We have chosen to create media that glorifies violence as entertainment – on TV in movies, and in video games. We are brought up to expect violence and war as an acceptable, justifiable, inevitable means for resolving differences, in the family, in the community, and in the world, between nations. No one blinks an eye at the Martin Luther King parade when the sanctioned vendors are selling toy guns and swords, at the event honoring a man whose core philosophy was non-violent resistance.

We have developed a culture that fully expects and accepts violence. And we can transform it into a culture of peace. This may not eliminate violence entirely, but we can intentionally promote the transformation of our culture to one of peace. We can teach history differently. We can change our media and entertainment industries. We can transform our culture to value cooperation over competition. We can celebrate everyone having what they need to live, instead of glorifying greed and wealth. We can dismantle our cultural fixation on celebrities who are rich and lift up as celebrities teachers, artists, scientists, engineers, and social workers, and people who are working for the common good. Put those kind of folks on the cover of People magazine.

And in the church, we can promote the anti-violent teachings of Jesus, instead of endorsing the current status quo of our culture of violence.

We do not have to accept this culture of violence that we have created. We have made it, we have a hand in perpetuating it, we can be agents of transformation, as well. Swords into plowshares – it’s not a new idea, but a concept to be embraced with new urgency given the monumental increase in our capacity for destruction.

Transformation is at the heart of the teachings of Jesus. He was advocating a realm where all are cared for, where resources are used to sustain and improve life. Jesus crossed the boundaries that separate and divide people, challenging greed, prejudice and the things that contribute to violence embodying a community in which every person is treated with dignity. Jesus shows us supportive community where all flourish. And Jesus delivers this message in a context of violence, oppression, and military occupation. This tells us something about war. War detracts from creating beloved community. War diverts us from pursuing the realm of God.

So, as Christians, we ask ourselves, really, what does Jesus say about war? Here we close with two quotes from the Gospels. From John: “I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” [John 10:10] And from Luke, “Forgive them, God, for they don’t know what they are doing.” [Luke 23:34] Amen.

A reasonable effort has been made to appropriately cite materials referenced in this sermon. For additional information, please contact Lakewood United Church of Christ.

Date: September 28, 2008
Scripture: Philippians 2:1-13
Sermon: Getting a Handle on Humility
Pastor: Rev. Kim Wells

Cartoons sometimes show a little devil on one shoulder of a character enticing the person to do something bad, and then an angel on the other shoulder reminding the person to do what is right. But often our choices are not exactly between good and bad, right and wrong. I imagine a little figure in me that wants to control me. This tyrant also expects me to look out for myself. Afterall, no one else will. Look out for number one. Keep an eye out for anyone trying to take advantage of me. Prove myself so that others will not mess with me and will know that I am competent. This tyrant wants me to get credit for what I do. Expect to be thanked and appreciated. This tyrant coaches me to make sure that others know when I am right and they are wrong. It advises me to parade my superiority. This tyrant is competitive and wants me to keep ahead of others, even if it means putting them down.

This tyrant also expects me to be successful and well-liked. Keep up with society’s expectations and exceed the expectations of others. Pleasing family, pleasing society, pleasing coworkers, pleasing friends.

It’s a hard life, being ruled by that tyrant. And we each have a force like that inside us. Trying to control us. And it is cultivated in many ways in our culture. Look out for yourself. Pamper yourself – you deserve it. Don’t let anyone take advantage of you. Make sure you are doing your best, proving yourself, and being properly acknowledged and rewarded – whether it be in school or in the workplace or in the family or in a volunteer organization.

It is hard to please this tyrant. You have to watch your back. And your front. Keep things in line. Live defensively. Stay in control. Keep everyone else in their place. But there is another way.

In the early Christian church, once Christianity became mainstream religion, it became imperial – associated with political power and the agenda of the state and the values of Roman society. Christianity lost much of its initial unique, counter cultural identity. This led to the movement of many Christians out to the desert to live in monastic communities and isolated communities that were interested in maintaining the heart of the Christian way of life, a way of compassion, mercy and service.

From the wisdom of those desert Christians, comes this story:

Abba Anthony said, “I saw the snares that the enemy spread out over the world and I said groaning, ‘What can get through from such snares?’ Then I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Humility.’”

[Quoted in “Gentle and Humble of Heart,” by Michael E. Williams, Weavings, May/June 2000]

Now how is it that humility can free us from the snares of the messages of society, others, and ourselves that keep us bound and struggling? The messages to keep up. To measure up.

The word humility comes from the Latin word humilis, with the root humus, not the Middle Eastern chick pea spread, but humus as in fertilizer, earth, ground. So to be humble is to be down to earth. And when you are down to earth, there is not very far to fall. So, you don’t have to keep yourself up on that pedestal, afraid of the fall.

Then we are freed to be in intimate, right relationship with ourselves, others, and God. Let’s take a moment to explore each of these relationships.

When we seek humility, we dethrone that tyrant of self centeredness. Then we can look at ourselves honestly. We can see our strengths and weaknesses. We can be self aware without fear. And we can accept ourselves as the human beings we are. To be human is to be imperfect. To make mistakes. And to have gifts and skills and talents to share. Every human being is like that. When we bring ourselves down to earth, we can see and fully appreciate ourselves as we are. We don’t need to put on airs with ourselves or others. We don’t need to maintain a mask of pretenses. We can be honest about who we are. And know that we are loved by God as we are.

When we pursue humility, we find that it affects our relationships with others. Down to earth, gentle with ourselves, we learn to be more accepting of others. We expect others to have strengths and weaknesses as we do. We expect others to be imperfect and make mistakes. When we cultivate humility, we don’t have to prove ourselves or maintain our position over others, or try to be better than others. So, we might find that our friendships deepen. That our relationships become more intimate. We are no longer protecting ourselves and holding ourselves back, and others don’t feel judged by us. And so they feel more free to be themselves. We will no longer be driven by the desire to control others and get them to do what we want. Humility fosters community and appreciation for others. It fosters deeper relationships with family, friends, and our sisters and brothers in the church.

When we pursue humility, we find ourselves more aware and sensitive to God’s presence in our lives and in the world. Instead of seeing only ourselves and looking out for our own interests, we see God’s hand at work. We sense God’s presence in us, because we are not filled with our own self centeredness.

Now it is all well and good to see the positive side of humility, but how do we pursue this humility? It’s nice to say conceptually that we want to be humble. But how do we go about it? How do we dethrone the tyrant on self centeredness and pride and control that can hold sway over us?

Here the writer of Philippians helps us. “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. . . look not to your own interests but to the interests of others.” [Philippians 2:3-4] The sure cure for pride and the tyranny of looking out for number one, is humility. And we can pursue humility, not as some philosophical ideal, but concretely, but putting others first, and looking for the good in others.

The writer of the letter to the Philippians is concerned about the harmony and unity in that faith community. Evidently, there are competing leaders and competing agendas. People are fighting to stay on top, as the one with the most insight, the one with correct beliefs, the one with the more important spiritual gifts, etc. See, they, too, are being driven by those tyrants of self-centeredness. Stay on top. Don’t let anyone get past you. Maintain your position. We’ve heard those voices.

And the writer proceeds to tell the people in the church what will diffuse this destructive spirit. Consciously choose to focus on the interests, the needs, the well being of others. This is what can help us to depose the tyrant of self centeredness so that we can relish the wholeness of humility.

Now some of us have been taught that humility is pathetic, weak, and servile. That was the attitude in the ancient world of the first century. Humility was not a virtue in the Greco Roman world. But if we look closer, we can see that humility has a strength all its own. Moses laid aside his self interest, his desires and hopes that he would lead a quiet shepherding life in the provinces. He went back to Egypt to do God’s bidding and stand up to Pharaoh. Moses ended up leading his band of slaves out from under the control of the most powerful ruler on earth at the time. That’s hardly weak and pathetic and servile. Yet, it is humble, because Moses was not doing his own bidding, but the bidding of God on behalf of those who were oppressed. That’s where God’s strength is revealed.

Jesus was completely humble. He was not at all ruled by the tyrant of self interest. We see this in the story of the temptation in the wilderness and in his willingness to be subject to the authorities of his day that resulted in his crucifixion. We see it in his eating with the lowly and the poor. Washing the feet of his disciples. Healing those who were lame, outcast, and dirty. Jesus was completely filled with God, and ruled by God’s will, not the tyrant of self interest. And he continues to influence the lives of millions of followers and to impact the world today. That is hardly pathetic weakness.

Mahatma Gandhi is remembered for his simple, humble ways. Wearing simple clothing, eating basic food. Living as a poor person. In 1931, Gandhi went to visit Benito Mussolini, the dictator of Italy. At that time, Gandhi had a goat that he took around with him. Mussolini’s children saw this poorly dressed man and his goat and laughed. They were reprimanded by their father: “That man and his goat are shaking the British empire.” [The Little Brown Book of Anecdotes, edited by Clifton Fadiman, page 230]

Humility is not weak and servile. Humility deposes the tyrant of self will. We are no longer controlled by our own desires and pride and fickle interests, which can never be satisfied. We no longer have to be in control of things. We don’t have to prove ourselves. We don’t have to maintain our superiority. We don’t have to pander for praise. Through humility, we wrest ourselves from the tyrant that tells us to look out for number one, and keep everything under control. When we embrace humility, we dethrone that tyrant. We are free. We become agents available to be used by God to embody love in the world.

We will find that when we pursue humility, by investing ourselves in the interests of others, we find the sense of purpose, and fulfillment that truly satisfy. We don’t become no one, we are not negated or erased by humility. Humility fills our lives with new power and purpose. We find that God wants to use us for far greater purposes. Humility frees us to be part of God’s hopes and dreams for us and our world. We become part of something so much bigger than just ourselves.

But it can’t happen when self interest controls us. We must stay on the look out for that tyrant, and invest ourselves not in judging others but in investing in the interests of others. Then we become so much more than we were. Because humble, down to earth, we no longer live in fear of falling or being put down. We are more secure and can take bigger risks.

Dag Hammarskjold, former Secretary General of the United Nations penned these lines:

Thou takest the pen – and the lines dance.

Thou takest the flute – and the notes shimmer.

Thou takest the brush – and the colors sing.

So all things have meaning and beauty in that space beyond time where Thou art.

How, then, can I hold back anything from Thee?

This is the life of humility. Dethroning the tyrant of self interest and control. Living in ways that do not take advantage of others. Living that is not at the expense of the well being of others. Investing in others. Looking out for the interests of others. Seeking the greatness of others. Placing ourselves, our skills, our strengths, our abilities, and our weakness, in the hands of God. Trusting God to use even us fulfill God’s designs and dreams for this world.

Amen.

A reasonable effort has been made to appropriately cite materials referenced in this sermon. For additional information, please contact Lakewood United Church of Christ.

Date: April 27, 2008
Scripture: Genesis 11:1-9
Sermon: Divinity and Diversity
Pastor: Rev. Kim Wells

A massive new study by Robert Putnam, best known for his 2000 book Bowling Alone shows that the greater the level of diversity in a community, the less people will vote or volunteer, give to charity or work on community projects. “People living in ethnically diverse settings appear to ‘hunker down’ – that is, to pull in like a turtle,” Putnam writes. Some commentators think that the findings undermine arguments for diversity or multiculturalism – a conclusion that Putnam feared. Others argue that di-versity is a fact of life and that ultimately diversity aids problem solving, since people from different cultures bring different perspectives. (Boston Globe, August 5)

Anxiety is the heightened sense of fear, apprehension, threat or danger. It is a natural response, partic-ularly to stressful situations. It can motivate a person to focus and respond appropriately. Test anxiety can lead to greater preparation and focus. Anxiety produced by a threatening situation can lead to the appropriate fight or flight response.

But anxiety can also result from social alienation, bullying, perceived threats, insecurity about the future, terrorism, global warming, crime, unemployment. The fomenting of fear contributes to the anxi-ety in our culture. According to the National Institutes of Health 40 million people in the United States over the age of 18 suffer from clinically diagnosed anxiety. That’s 18% of the population. And 8-10 out of every 100 children and adolescents suffer from diagnosed anxiety. There has been a sig-nificant increase in anxiety among children, and college students of today compared with students of the 1950s. (University of Maryland.edu) With the increase in the drugs used to treat anxiety, it has become a Common parlance in the fare of comedians: Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Kloapin, Xanax, Valium, Ativan. Anxiety in our culture is real and it is growing.

In the story of the tower of Babel, the people are afraid and anxious. They have been instructed to disperse and populate the earth. But they are afraid. They want to stay together. Security in numbers. They migrate together and find a suitable place to settle and get started. “Come, let us build ourselves a city otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” (Gen. 11:4) Their response to their fear is to build a city, a sturdy, solid city of bricks. To dig in and become established so they won’t have to spread out and populate the whole earth – The tower will symbolize their power. They will be secure. They will be entrenched.

We have explored why the people built the tower and what it represents. Now let us turn to why the language of the people was confused and the people were scattered. One view is that this can be seen as punishment for their pride and arrogance. They think they know best and ignore God’s commands – to populate the whole earth. They want to make a name for themselves. Soar above their mundane existence to celestial heights. They want to transcend the limits of their creaturely condition. They are self-satisfied with their accomplishments. So in punishment for their arrogance, pride, and self-centeredness, they are scattered.

This effort to build the tower is also symbolic of concentration of power, centralization, control, and hierarchy. This inevitably leads to abuse of power, oppression and corruption. As British historian, Lord Acton of the 19th century has said, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” So the language is confused and the people scattered to prevent the corruption that accompanies hierarchy and the centralization and concentration of power.

This is an interesting indictment for us to consider, when we live in a country that prides itself on free-dom and democracy, the sharing of power, while spreading the American way of life worldwide, com-plete with Wal-Mart and McDonald’s. We are exporting our pre-packaged culture, products, lifestyle, and language, fostering uniformity. This movement was symbolized by the destruction of the World Trade Towers. This uniformity and centralization is the very thing that is destroyed in the Babel story because it will inevitably become corrupt and lead to tyranny. You can believe that Osama bin Laden knows scripture.

Another answer to the question, why was the language confused and the people scattered in the Babel story involves honor and reverence for God. These people felt they could take care of themselves. They could take themselves to God, if they desired; they did not need to wait for God to come to them. They did not need God. They had technology, thank you very much. Which can be extremely dangerous unless accompanied by reverence for God and God’s moral vision – ask the people of Afghanistan and Iraq for a start.

So as we reflect on the story, we see God confusing the language and scattering the people really to save them from themselves. But there is more.

In the creation story of Genesis chapter one, after creating the human creature, God instructs, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” In other words, spread out, scatter. God wants humans to care for all creation. To do that, they must soar throughout the earth to protect and keep it all.

After the story of Noah and the flood, God instructs Noah and his family, “Be fruitful and multiply, abound on the earth, multiply in it.” Again, God’s desire is for humans to spread over all the earth to tend and nurture it. To preserve all of creation.

Then comes the story of the tower of Babel. The people have one language. They migrate together. They find a good place to settle. And they desire to build a city with a tower and live there so that they will not be scattered across the face of the earth. (Gen 11:4) So the very thing God wants them to do, for the good of all creation, they are refusing to do. The well-being of the whole creation depends on the people inhabiting the whole earth to tend and keep it and they are refusing.

The creation itself is characterized by vast diversity – in the land forms and contours in the waters, in the climates and biomes, in the life forms. There is diversity beyond our wildest dreams. When hu-manity spreads it will have to diversify to live in the differing areas, and widely ranging circumstances. The polar regions with extreme cold and extreme darkness and light require a lifestyle vastly different from adaptation to life in the tropics, and those in between. So spreading around the world necessitates that humanity diversify.

This not only ensures the perpetuation of the human species, but it potentially may prevent the other problems like concentrated power associated with the building of the city and the tower. Spreading and diversifying could stem pride and arrogance. It could dampen the tendency for widespread domi-nation and control. It could lessen the developing of the illusion of independence and isolation from God leading to dependence on human ability and technology with a higher moral authority.

Spreading and diversifying was meant to curb the human impulses that could lead to destruction and put creation at risk. Diversity is also intended to give humans more of a sense of the richness of God and creation. No one language alone captures it all. No one culture fully expresses the divine image in the human creature. One view of the world expressed in one language is far too limited to communi-cate the glory of God and creation.

In the story of Babel, the language is confused and the people scattered. This may look like the work of an angry, punishing God. But the greater purpose is ensuring the future of the whole creation. Di-versity is not intended as a burden producing conflict and strife. It is intended as a gift to protect all of creation; to enrich human existence; and to glorify the sacred – in the many ways it may be named or known. Diversity is a blessing given by a love that is greater than all we will ever know and, sadly, we have squandered the gift, and used it to oppress and destroy not only our own species, but the whole of creation. We have used this glorious gift to promote anxiety and fear.

KIM, I DON’T KNOW WHERE TO GO FROM HERE SO I WILL CONTINUE AND THEN YOU CAN CUT AND PASTE.

This must bring great sadness to God. As author Jonathan Swift has said, “We have just enough reli-gion to make us hate, but not enough religion to make us love one another”

As Christian people, followers of Jesus, we must promote God’s vision of the blessing of diversity. We must be committed to this vision. We must be dogged in our efforts to value, affirm, and appreciate the vast diversity God intends not only in the land, plants, protysts, fungi, and non-human animals. But we must particularly celebrate the miraculous diversity of the human species and culture.

There are those who maintain that if we tolerate differences, appreciate diversity, celebrate multicultu-ralism – we have no convictions. If you have an open mind, they say, your brains fall out. On the contrary – to have an open mind about diversity and difference is to have deep moral conviction, faith, and belief. It is a commitment to God’s vast vision for all of creation. It is praise of God’s glory!

There are those who would make us afraid of the “other,” of those who are different, “foreign.” An-xiety is created over the diversifying of the United States. The greater fear should be the fear of ho-mogeneity, uniformity, and centralization as Empire, which has far more potential for destruction. It is in direct conflict with the vision of God. There is a bumper sticker that says, “I love my country…but I think we should start seeing other people.” If you want to reduce your anxiety and anxiety in this world, don’t circle in isolation. Look out. Seek out people who are different than you. Learn about another culture. Study another religion. Learn a new language. Relish the richness of creation. Cele-brate God’s wondrous imagination and glorious vision for creation! And we may reduce the need for Prozac.

Amen