My Letter to Glenn Beck

From: Mr. Quincy Worthington
Temporary Supply Pastor of Maysville and New Store Presbyterian church
P.O. Box 221
Buckingham VA 23921


To: Mr. Glenn Beck
FOX News Network
New York, New York

March 14th, 2010


Dear Mr. Beck,

Grace and Peace to you from our Lord Jesus Christ. I trust this letter finds you well. We’ve never met each other nor do I believe that you’ve ever heard of me. I suppose I would be surprised if you had. I doubt you’ve ever heard of Buckingham VA. That isn’t to insult you or your knowledge of Virginia Geography. It’s just that I’ve met people who’ve lived near here in Richmond their entire life and have never heard of Buckingham. That’s neither here nor there. Just for reference, Buckingham is nestled between Charlottesville VA where Thomas Jefferson lived and Appomatox VA where the Civil War ended. In fact, Robert Lee rode right past my church and my front door on his way home. I didn’t live here then, of course, but one cannot help but feel the connection to the history of this country when living here. Many of the people in our church are involved in preserving the history of our area and thus enriching our understanding of what it means to be American. Many of the people in our churches have also served in the military and have proven a great dedication through both service and sacrifice to this country. I would say that we are a hard-working, about as american as you get group of people. We’re farmers, and teachers, and civil servants. We’re students, and parents, and grandparents, and retired. That’s why when people make comments about REAL Americans living in the midwest, I question their understanding of America. But I’m not writing to you to tell you about us. There is a more pressing issue on my mind, today.

Mr. Beck, I’ll be the first person to admit that I’m not a regular watcher of your show. I have more children than times I’ve watched a full episode. I have four children the last time I counted. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m far more of an NPR man than a FOX man and I know in your eyes I’ve already been condemned. It’s true, I’m college educated and I hold a Master’s Degree and I admit I went to a small liberal arts college in, of all places, Vermont. I also am very well aware of how you and some of your friends feel about college educated NPR listeners. Despite your bias against “those people” and my being one of those people, I urge to you to at least consider what I’m saying.

I’m concerned about comments you made this week urging Christians to leave their churches. Let me first note that as you are a member of the Latter Day Saints, a religion whose primary focus is conversion to its own faith, I find it almost opportunistic that you would propose such a thing. I also think this is a poor proposition for many reasons. One doesn’t abandon ship because of a disagreement in terms or understanding of theology, doctrine, and scriptural interpretation. We, at my church, are Presbyterians. We hold at the center of our communal life two ideals that differ us from many other walks of Christianity. The first is that we are Reformed and always being Reformed. This tells us that our lives and journeys in faith are never complete. It is always a process of growth. It is always a search to find how we better relate to God and to each other. I ask you, if we simply walk away from our churches and denominations over a disagreement or differing understandings, how do we hold to this tenet that has helped define who we are for nearly 500 years? If we do not allow ourselves to enter into dialogue with those who think differently than ourselves, do we give ourselves real chance to grow? I’m sorry that you and other people can find different points of view so threatening. Its sad too. Jesus offered a different way of thinking and people tortured him to death.

Mr. Beck, I find the reasons you told people to leave their church even more alarming. You said that Christians should leave their church if the Church espouses Social and Economic Justice. You say that this is a code word for Communism and even Naziism. I find it ironic because the mantra “No taxation without Representation” which was coined by the founders of this country is a plea for economic justice. Are they communists? At the root of the Civil War or The War of Northern Aggression as it’s called here was the issue of Social Justice, the same with Women’s sufferage, or the child labor law movement, and the civil rights movement. Does this mean that people like Martin Luther King or Jack Kennedy or Abraham Lincoln were Nazis?

These statements, Mr. Beck are even more troubling when you apply them to Christianity. After all, Jesus spoke to us more directly and much more often about things such as social and economic justice rather than how we define marriage or where life begins. You know, its funny. I heard what you said shortly after reading what the Lectionary passage for church this Sunday is. It is the story of the prodigal son. I find it ironic because I feel that it hits directly in the two areas that you condemn the church: both social and economic justice. We’re all familiar with this story. Its the one where the younger son leaves home and blows his inheritance on booze and whores and comes back just looking for a job. And his father welcomes him with open arms much to the chagrin of the hardworking, responsible older brother.

It’s a pretty popular story among Christians and I imagine that Mormons are familiar with it as well. And there are volumes upon volumes of unique and wonderful interpretations of this story. I’m not going to rehash them all for you here, Mr. Beck. What I’d like to do is convey to you what I find to be the truth of this story and this, I hope, will explain to you the second tenet that we Presbyterians hold closely to our hearts and why I find your comments so troublesome. The second tenet is this: The church must be engaged in the Mission of Jesus Christ at all times, even at the risk of its own death.

When we read this story it seems pretty unfair. If we forget that Jesus is the one saying it and it were just some person telling us this story about two brothers we’d be pretty frustrated. We’d be frustrated because it goes against our sensibilities, especially the American Ideal of working hard and being a self-made person. But, that’s just the thing. It doesn’t seem like Justice, but its the Justice that Christ is teaching us. Its a justice that isn’t based on things like “deserve” or “merit”. Rather, its a justice thats based on unconditional love. A love that is so powerful that I think it looks into the true humanity of people and it realizes that in some way and somehow we’re all broken people. We all do or think or say horrible things. None of us are righteous people. We’ve all played the role of the prodigal from time to time. But its a justice that recognizes that its a journey. It’s a justice that sees that we are people and we all need love and we all need help and we all need, dare I say, each other.

You see, Mr. Beck, Love like that, unconditional love, is a really powerful thing because it changes people. To know you are loved like that- TO KNOW IT- doesn’t leave the person loved the same way. It’s true. This son could go right back to carousing with unsavory women and boozing it up, but when someone loves you as strongly as this father loves his son, well I think it would be hard to. It changes you. It makes you want to be a better person.

I speak about this from personal experience, Mr. Beck. I wasn’t always a bed-wetting liberal arts NPR listener. At one point in my life I was a terrible drunk. I was the person no one wanted to really be around. I was the person other people would cross the street to avoid. But there were people in my life that loved me, for whatever reason, unconditionally. And once I became aware that I was loved no matter what by people and that God loved me no matter what, once I was aware of that, I was changed. I wanted to be better. I wanted to be a better person and love people in the same way because the love given to me saved my life. That’s social justice. That doesn’t sound a lick like naziism to me. That sounds like what the church should be preaching. Love people. Love God and Love your neighbor. That’s social justice. It leads to economic justice, sure. Take care of each other. Mr. Beck, What is so wrong with that? What is so threatening about it?

I know that you’re going to cringe at this next name Mr. Beck, but I think that perhaps Reinhold Niebuhr was right. He said that people in a position of power rarely if ever will voluntarily give up their power. Is that what it is? Is that what is so threatening? That if we truly loved and cared for one-another it means a giving up of power and privilege in many cases? The strange thing is most of us only have the illusion of power and privilege. And as Christians we believe that only God has true power and our power only comes through faith in God. So, really you aren’t losing any power because the real power comes to us from God to Build the kingdom. And kingdom of God is modeled on stories like this of the prodigal son. God’s kingdom is a radically equal kingdom. One could even say, gasp, that it is a Kingdom built around social justice. That is the mission of Jesus Christ- a radically equal world where people love God and each other. That is the mission our church is charged with even to the risk of its own death- a death we will surely face if people listen to what you have said. This does not makes us communists or Nazis. It makes us Christians.

I’ll be sad if people in my church listen to you and do as you ask, because with every fiber of my being I believe in social justice. I believe in Jesus Christ. It is my faith. It is what I live my life for. I cannot stop preaching the radical message of Christ’s love and our commandment to build God’s kingdom no more than I can stop the wind from blowing. God’s love has convicted my heart. If the people of my church listen to you, I will miss them dearly because I love them. They are family to me and it would be like losing a brother, a sister or an aunt and uncle or even a parent. I would hope they would no more disown me or our church than I them. Because I believe in my heart of hearts we’re a family built on love. So that even when they disagree with me, which I’m certain in cases they do, we can respect each other and discuss our disagreements. It is how we learn from one-another.

I don’t know if what I have said has changed your mind or your heart, Mr. Beck, but I hope it has. You may continue to encourage people not to come to churches such as mine or to listen to people such as me, and that is every bit your right. I will continue to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ and God’s unconditional love and encourage people not to listen to you, which is my mine.

Respectfully,

Quincy A. Worthington
Candidate for Ministry
Presbyterian Church United States of America

Luke 9:28-36
28Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. 31They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” —not knowing what he said. 34While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. 35Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” 36When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Ok. We’re going to try something this morning. And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to do it. I’ve always wanted to try this and I think I’ve finally worked up enough courage to attempt it. Now, its Valentines day so I wanted to share something with you that I love. I love Blues Music. The more I listen to it, the more I like it. I find it to be very soulful music. It’s existential for me. It speaks to the very existence of life. Sometimes in very profound ways and sometimes in silly ways.

The thing, though, that amazes me since I’ve been listening to more and more blues is how foundational it is in all types of music and that it continues to be such a strong influence in contemporary american music. There is this foundational tradition that has been laid down, most notably perhaps by Muddy Waters in the late 40s and early 50s. He took the music he learned as a share-cropper in rural Mississippi and literally electrified it and recorded it. So, he was pulling from this rich tradition which essentially can be traced back to slavery. Blues holds this great tension between tradition and innovation. It is always rooted in its own tradition but as each artist and each generation comes along they add something to it so that it is constantly changing and evolving. It’s never a static thing but continues to grow so that it is relatable to the listener and they can continue to find meaning in the expression.

What’s amazing about it to me is that it is a classic example of a foundational philosophical thought actually. George Hegel was a German philosopher in the 19th century whose most famous idea was the Hegelian dialectic. What Hegel felt was that life was synthesis. It was a meeting between the tension of a Thesis and an Anti-thesis. Like Hope and Suffering. Life is somewhere in the middle of both or of things like Good and Evil. Hegel felt that life is lived in the middle. Both forces are in tension. It’s confusing and hard to explain. But now, and this is where I’m excited, I’m going to let you listen to a Hegelian Dialectic. I’m going to show you what I mean about the tension between two forces being held. In this case its Tradition and Innovation. So essentially I’m using 21st century technology with 20th century music to prove a 19th century philosophical thought. I know. I’m a dork. My wife tells me that enough. But sit back and relax. I’m going to play you a Blues standard called Mannish Boy. The first recording is in the mid-50s by Muddy Waters. Then it moves to the Late 50s early 60s by Bo Diddley, then into the late 60s by Jimi Hendrix and then there are two contemporary forms of the song showing how the innovation has evolved the tradition 2 different ways. So, Here we go:

PLAY SONG

Now, I’m aware that playing a hip-hop song as part of a sermon could be your last sermon in many places, but trust me that this is going somewhere. Do you hear what is happening there? By the time we get to Nas who is the hip-hop artist, the song has completely transformed but there is still this strong tonal root that it is building on. Another connection here is theme. What we find when looking at Blues and its derivatives is a thematic link. This song, Mannish Boy, is a bold declaration of manhood- the singer is asserting that he is in fact, despite all circumstances, a person. In some versions this declaration of personhood takes on a very angsty- forceful feeling and in others, like in Jimi Hendrix’s version it is an outright celebratory feel. Blues music lays down a powerful tradition of speaking directly to the human condition that is continued even today in the music it influences. It is always striving to understand the tradition from which it comes and interpret it a in a new way that is meaningful to its contemporary listeners. Good musics holds this tension- this balance between Tradition and Innovation. Hegel would be proud.

But what is even more amazing is that this is what Jesus is saying to his disciples here. Here Jesus is up on the mountain with Moses and Elijah and they are discussing what Jesus is going to do next. You see? Here Jesus is firmly linking himself in the tradition. Its unmistakable. Moses and Elijah are two of the biggest prophets in Jewish history. And here Jesus is talking with them. He is firmly established in his tradition. Its like Moses is Muddy Waters and Jesus is Nas. Jesus is taking the tradition that has been given to him, working with it and is steeply rooted in the tradition. But at the same time he is completely re-interpreting it. He’s doing something new. He’s innovating it.

He’s being informed by the tradition. You see that? He’s discussing with Moses and Elijah what he’s about to do- that he’s going to turn the whole thing on its head- and Jesus is allowing himself to be informed and guided by the tradition. But he also is about to do something new. He’s about to change the world again. But it isn’t like his radical new methods and new interpretations are out of nowhere. They are firmly rooted in the tradition in which he stands. And aren’t we asked to do the same thing? I think we are. I think that as contemporary Christians we’re asked to walk in that tension that Hegel discusses- that balance between tradition and innovation.

We’re living in a time where people are saying that the church is ceasing to be relevant in the life of society and culture. People aren’t going to church anymore because it has ceased to be relevant and meaningful in their lives. So, they think it no longer matters. And I think what that points to is that the church, not just this particular church, but the big picture church for the most part, has forgotten that what we need is a balance. We need to find ways to become relevant in the lives of people again- both in our worship and in our living. It’s uncomfortable sure. Its change. Change is always uncomfortable. But we can’t go on doing “church” as always because “church as always” isn’t always working.

Now, that doesn’t mean that we throw tradition out the window. I’m not advocating that we slap up some large-screen tvs in here. And tear out the pulpit or take down the cross lest it offends someone or seems too “religious” for them. I’ve heard of some churches getting rid of the time for confession because they don’t want to upset anyone. But I for one find deep meaning in that action. I don’t think we should take our focus away from God or from the word of God at the risk of a new format. Some places do. Opposite of relying on tradition too heavily- they go the exact opposite way of relying on innovation too heavily- pushing church to be more entertaining than sustaining. And that doesn’t work either. Maybe for a bit... but after awhile the novelty will wear off.

No, I think what is asked of us is to remain rooted in our tradition but attempt to find ways of interpreting it that has meaning to people today. It doesn’t mean throwing tradition out the window. In fact, its the exact opposite. It means understanding and respecting our tradition in a deeper way than perhaps we ever had. It also means understanding and respecting our current situation as humanity in a deeper sense too. It’s a fine line to walk. It’s a hard balance. But if the church is going to continue we should find ways of expressing our faith and love of God in ways meaningful to both where we are and where we come from.

We as Christians have to find ways to speak meaningfully about our relationship with God and act on it- not only in worship but in our lives. It may mean giving up some of the language that we traditionally associate with our faith. And that’s okay. It’s okay because in searching for ways to better relate our faith to others we seek to find language that captures what we are trying to express through words and deeds and worship. When we do that we begin to better understand what it is we actually believe. It doesn’t mean giving up tradition. As we witness here in the transfiguration- Jesus is firmly rooted in tradition, but we should also be willing to grow, push, and innovate what our understanding of that tradition is and how it relates to us here and now.

Amen.

Hope

Romans 8:12-25
So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. 18I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.


Lets not kid ourselves here. Lets be honest with each other Wayside. We live in difficult times. We live in a world that is begging deliverance from its current situation. And its hard. It’s hard because we see what the world is going through and we also see what we’re going through. Where I live in Buckingham VA, you don’t have to look far to see that things are bad.

Groaning...That’s the word Paul uses. Groaning. What do you think when I say that? Groaning. Can you hear it? Can you hear the groaning? I drive to the dump to take my trash and at the corner gas station stands a man and his young daughter. She’s ringing her hands and he’s holding a sign heading to Louisville looking for work. Another car drives by and he groans.

Can you hear it? One member of my congregation has been a cattle farmer his whole life with skin like leather and he can barely stand up straight or use his left arm anymore because of his back. He’s 45 and looks like he’s 65. He drinks for the pain that he can’t afford to have because cattle prices have plummeted while feed and gas prices skyrocket. So, the health insurance he needs to have the operation is out of reach. He works 14 hour days and calls me drunk at night to handle his pain both physically and spiritually and he groans.

Do you hear it? She shows up some Sundays looking vacant and lost and you can tell throughout the whole service she’s somewhere else. She’s left lost and conflicted. She loves him so much and yet has no idea where he’s gone or when he’ll come back. And she sits at home watching the news and sees what is horribly called collateral damage. She sees the bombs in the market places and the faces of another mother’s son who is training to kill hers. She loves him so much. She knows every hair on his head and yet she is left with vague phone calls and no details. And she hangs up the phone, looks at her husband, and she groans.

Can you picture it? A straight “A” student and dedicated church goer. A heart that bleeds compassion and a mind of a pastor. And he feels his call so deeply its as though God whispers it in his ear every night. He’s sat with people as they die. He’s comforted those that are left behind. He holds their hands and wipes their tears. He knows the Bible so well its almost as though he’s written it himself. Everyone at seminary thinks highly of him and respects him. And yet after he’s given of himself so completely to the will of God and what God is calling him to do there won’t be and ordination service because he’s told that who he loves is sinful, wrong, and even an abomination. He walks away from the meeting with the committee and, wiping the tears he can no longer control, he groans.

Can you see it? He looks out his window from his desk as he pauses while writing a letter to a church he hopes to visit. He’s struggles to find just the right word and just the right image that will fit into his point. He sees the suffering and the persecution. He understands what they are up against. How can he testify to the utter amazingness that he experiences of of God? What can he say of the hope that he sees in all of the world around him in times so precarious as these? When people are scared to say who they are and what they believe? When those he calls beloved are being beaten and tortured and killed? How does he show them a God of grace amidst the sufferings of this life? And then it comes to him. The groans they are experiencing now, give way. They are labor pains. The suffering that they endure is made all worthwhile if they endure and expect the Kingdom - if they hang in there and keep working toward. It’s like childbirth. There is pain and suffering but they are birthing pains that give way to hope. And so Paul pens it down, “All of creation groans in Labor pains.”

Groaning... That’s what Paul calls it. And there’s enough of it to go around these days Wayside. And I wish it were the kind of groaning we do after my dad tells us a joke, but the truth is, its a groaning that comes from suffering. So, actually it may be the kind of groaning you do when My dad tells a joke... And it seems there’s an overabundance of suffering these days. You know, if we look around we can see it and if we listen we can hear it. Its hard not to if we view the world in human terms. And Paul was painfully aware of the groanings around him too.

And while Paul suffers and sees the church suffering - and while I suffer and you suffer - and the cause of it all is always something different - Paul reminds us that we don’t suffer alone. We are never alone. All of creation groans with us. Our sufferings aren’t quantified or qualified. There aren’t different gradations of suffering, as it were. It’s all linked together. The painful part of the whole thing is when it seems like it isn’t going to end. That it just won’t stop - that our suffering will go on and on. And yet, Paul reminds us that this too shall pass. The pain comes and it subsides. We groan but it gives way. What is crucial and where the English is misleading is where Paul tells us to Wait with patience. The greek isn’t as passive. It tells us to expect and endure. Expect God’s Kingdom and endure the work to be done or even endure our present situation. Expect what comes next and endure through the moment. And I don’t know about you, but to me that sounds exactly like childbirth to me.

I’ve never physically had a baby, but I’ve seen it. And I’ve seen it done the hard way. My wife Beverly, for those of you who don’t know her, is... well, she’s just not normal. She decided to have natural childbirth. Which incidentally, looks to me like the most unnatural thing to do. “Natural childbirth” I found out means no pain medication... For either of us. And even though they both had this in common, the births of my children that I witnessed were two entirely different things. Olivia, the one year old, came out no problem. In fact, Beverly my wife was so calm about it that she insisted on doing some laundry before we left. I was in a panic.

Isaac, our 2 year old, was induced. So, that morning we took our time packing our bags and arranging babysitters. We had time to get settled once we got to the hospital and the whole thing was pretty laid back. I was worried. I’d been watching the Discovery Channel and their birthing shows. So I had some idea of what to expect. I knew that babies looked like eggplants smothered in butter when they first come out. And although God has blessed me with many things, a stomach of steal was not one of them. I can get kind of queezy at gross things. So, I was worried.

My plan was to be there for Isaac’s birth, but I just kind of figured I would hover around Beverly’s head and maybe wipe her brow and not really pay attention to what was... uh... going on at the other end. It was a good plan. But the time came pretty quickly. The doctor asked for a test push and then quickly told the nurse to grab everything. That baby was coming. The first hint to me that this wasn’t going to be quite what I expected was when they started to set up like they were going to paint the room. They put tarps over everything. But, I moved myself into my planned position at the head of the bed looking at my wife. But that nurse... Maybe they were short handed, maybe she hated me, I don’t know, but you can imagine my shock when she turned to me and said those awful words, “Would you mind helping hold up her leg?” All the way up here? I thought. No she wanted me to do it all the way down there. Front row seat. I began groaning.

Now, Beverly “politely” urged me to do what the nurse was asking. Then she started screaming. Not groaning, but screaming. I was groaning. My hand was being crushed. But she was screaming. If you can picture it, I had one hand holding her leg and the other hand I believe my wife was trying to liquify. And she was screaming. I’ll spare you all the details of what happened next but... uh.. the people who want to tell you about the beauty of childbirth or even the groans of labor pains are wrong. It was by far the scariest thing I have ever seen in my entire life.

I was supposed to cut Isaac’s umbilical cord. But when he came out, there was a little bit of chaos and rushing around. Now, like I said I had been watching the Discovery Channel and the birth shows. So, I was ready for what a new-born baby looked like. And I also knew they cry right away. But Isaac didn’t cry. They hurriedly cut the cord because it was wrapped around his neck and rushed him over to the incubator thingy. And time stopped.

I stood there as they grabbed the paddles from the crash cart. I stood there as they pulled out the mask and bag to pump air into him. I stood there in eternity as galaxies rose and fell. Nothing existing outside of this moment. They were were trying to tell me everything was okay. But nothing else exists in a world where time stops. It was just me and that baby. I though we were stuck in this moment of anguish forever and I began to groan.

Then one of the nurses slapped his foot. He started to wail. Only a moment had passed. Just a moment. And that’s when I almost passed out. Time sped forward trying to catch up and it nearly blew me over. It was a moment of pure panic that scared me to the depths of my soul, and yet it gave way to total relief. Then it was peaceful, calm, serene. And I looked into my son’s eyes and saw past the dirty diapers, and the chocolate syrup on the kitchen wall, and the coloring on himself and his little sister and the terrible 2s and the scraped knees that have already come. And I saw past the bad report cards, and crashed cars and sleepless nights worrying, and all the stresses and frustrations that will inevitably come with being a parent. I looked into his new eyes and saw all the hopes and dreams of a new world and a new life. I thought of how truly remarkable our God is. I thought about what an amazing privilege and responsibility it is to help guide and direct this new hope into fruition. To make this world better for him. And to build him up to make it even better. And then I thought, “Oh Crap.” But, I held that little baby boy like I was never going to let go... in some ways I’m not sure I really have.

I’ve never known a peace inwardly and outwardly so serene as those moments after a child is born. All the chaos and screams and pain and suffering give way to this moment where nothing else in the entire world exists or matters - as you stand there staring into these new eyes seeing the world for the first time. I cannot imagine any greater hope or any better definition of the Hebrew word shalom. It is a peace like no other peace I’ve found. I bet is was the same feeling on a morning over 2000 years ago in a very different part of the world. All of creation is groaning in labor pains asking to be delivered. Can you hear it? Can you hear the groans? Creation is groaning in labor pains and we are asked to deliver Christ.

Deserve has nothing to do with it

Matthew 25:31-46 31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.'

37 Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' 40 And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' 44 Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' 45 Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

I just want to give you a little background on the Job reading for this morning. Many of us probably know the story of Job. It’s interesting, the Hebrew Bible, our old testament, is organized differently. In the Jewish faith it has three sections. It has Torah or the Law which are the first five books, then the Prophets, and at the end is a section called the Wisdom Literature. That includes books like Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and interestingly enough the book Job. It’s considered wisdom literature in the Jewish faith.

Job was considered a righteous and wealthy man and he loved the lord. And God and the holy counsel were together talking one day when the Adversary- not the devil or satan as some translations suggest, but what in Hebrew is better understood as the Adversary- suggests that if God took away everything from Job, Job would curse God- that the only reason Job loved God was because of God’s blessing. So, God and the adversary make a bet essentially and The Adversary basically takes everything and everyone away from Job. Job’s friends try to comfort him by telling him that he must have done something to deserve this, Job’s wife tell him to curse God and die, but Job has none of it.

Where this reading picks up, Job has asked God why this has happened to him. A young man Elihu tries to answer Job, but then God enters the scene in a whirl wind. And God gives a long long answer that goes on for chapters. I’m just going to read this chapter which is where God first answers. I’m going to read the whole chapter. Its beautiful. You can read along but just try to listen to it:

38Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: 2“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me.
4“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? 6On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone 7when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy? 8“Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb?— 9when I made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band, 10and prescribed bounds for it, and set bars and doors, 11and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stopped’?
12“Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place, 13so that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it? 14It is changed like clay under the seal, and it is dyed like a garment. 15Light is withheld from the wicked, and their uplifted arm is broken. 16“Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep? 17Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? 18Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Declare, if you know all this. 19“Where is the way to the dwelling of light, and where is the place of darkness, 20that you may take it to its territory and that you may discern the paths to its home? 21Surely you know, for you were born then, and the number of your days is great! 22“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, 23which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war? 24What is the way to the place where the light is distributed, or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth?
25“Who has cut a channel for the torrents of rain, and a way for the thunderbolt, 26to bring rain on a land where no one lives, on the desert, which is empty of human life, 27to satisfy the waste and desolate land, and to make the ground put forth grass? 28“Has the rain a father, or who has begotten the drops of dew? 29From whose womb did the ice come forth, and who has given birth to the hoarfrost of heaven? 30The waters become hard like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. 31“Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the cords of Orion? 32Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season, or can you guide the Bear with its children? 33Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule on the earth? 34“Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, so that a flood of waters may cover you? 35Can you send forth lightnings, so that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’? 36Who has put wisdom in the inward parts, or given understanding to the mind? 37Who has the wisdom to number the clouds? Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens, 38when the dust runs into a mass and the clods cling together? 39“Can you hunt the prey for the lion, or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, 40when they crouch in their dens, or lie in wait in their covert? 41Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God, and wander about for lack of food?

Its probably the most unsatisfactory answer I’ve ever heard to why bad things happen. This one that God gives right here in the Bible. God tells us we can’t always know. That we won’t always know. We’re raised to believe that “I don’t know” is never a good answer. It isn’t satisfactory. And yet after this week. After praying and reading and studying. After about 10 years of religious education. The only answer I could give you if you asked me why this has happened would be I don’t know.

I don’t know why this happened. Some people have sought to answer this question. And they have answered it with dispicable, disgraceful, and unchristian answers. Pat Robertson wants to say that this has happened because Haiti made a pact with the devil? He suggests that these people have done something to deserve this tragedy? I say I’ve had enough. I say that he doesn’t speak for me or my faith. I say that is a disgusting answer.

I wonder if Pat Robertson ever read the book of Job. If he took time to understand what was going on in this story. The people that God is angry with in this story are Job’s friends. Job ends up getting everything back 10 fold, but his friends really get it. They told Job he did something to deserve it.

I wonder if Pat Robertson ever read this passage from Matthew. If he understands the nuance. For instance where Jesus says I was in prison and you visited me. There isn’t any talk of justice or whether the person deserved to be there. What is asked is that our CHRISTIAN presence is there anyways. There isn’t judgment in determine why someone is thirsty or if God afflicted them with the sickness. It’s ironic because Christ came and healed so many people who were afflicted and often times they were thought to be afflicted by God. Yet, Christ dispelled those rumors by bringing healing, not judgment, through God’s grace. Yes, I wonder sometimes if Pat Robertson understands the God of Grace.

It seems to me that perhaps those who purport to speak for Christianity should spend more time with passages like this in Matthew and the book of Job. After all, Job did nothing to deserve what came to him. He was a righteous and God-fearing man. He didn’t make a deal with the devil. He didn’t curse God or do many of the things we think of that would cause God to reign down hellfire. And to be honest, I find that a comfort. I find it a comfort that many times, more often than not, deserve’s got nothing to do with it.

Because if deserving has something to do with it, I’d be in a lot of trouble. It works both ways too. I don’t deserve the family I have. I don’t deserve to be your pastor. I don’t deserve many of the good things that have come to me. Because I’m no angel. I’m not a perfect person. I’m not even sure that someone could call me righteous like they called Job. I’m glad that deserving has nothing to do with.

I’m also glad because it means that when horrible and tragic things happen to me, or to anyone, that they didn’t deserve it either. Can you imagine, can you picture what it would be like to know that you deserved all the horrible things that can happen to you? What kind of God works on that basis? How would that God stand against the grief of a mother who lost her child? How would that God ever be called a God of love by the Jewish community after the Holocaust? How could we even say there is a God of Grace if we believe that the people of Haiti had done something to deserve this horrible tragedy?

I know that its hard to find words that speak to a God of grace in times like these. It doesn’t matter if it is personal or public, familial or societal suffering. It can be hard to see the God of Grace. But I believe that it is the God of Grace that is there. The preacher William Sloane Coffin said just after his son died in a car accident, that God gives us minimum protection but Maximum Support. And I believe that. That even among these tragedies, even among the wreckage of countries, or lives, or health, we have a God who moves among us, who supports us and who strengthens us and this God loves us no matter what we’ve done or what we deserve.

The truth is we don’t know why these things happen. We may never know. It may not be for us to know. Yet somehow we have to trust that God takes these tragedies and uses them so that some good may come if we are open it. What has happened has happened. That’s all there really is to it. The question becomes, then, what is our response to it? How do we go forward from here? To me it seems to cast blame or responsibility or to say that what has happened was deserved is to allow darkness to continue in our world. And as Christians we are asked to be the light amid the darkness. The light that shines in the darkness.

While these things happen in our world we must remain steadfast in our faith that our God is a God of Grace. That, as Paul tells us all things work towards good for those who love God and we are called to be that good. The Christian response to this tragedy, to any tragedy, is to be present. It is to represent the light. We are called by our faith to help in any way we can. And in situations like the one in Haiti help will be needed for quite some time.

For now, we cannot underestimate the power of prayer. We cannot underestimate even the smallest thing we can do. We can not underestimate the change that even our gratitude for our lives here may have. Let this allow us to become more grateful for what we do have. Let this allow us to treasure our loved ones that much more. Let this allow us to draw closer to God. Pray for Haiti. Pray for all those who suffer today even in our own midst. Pray and remember that even though we do not understand why these things happen we have a God of grace who supports us, who loves us, and who strengthens us.
Amen

Woah

So, I wanted to assure you, if you're still here, that I am in fact alive.  The semester has come to a conclusion.  I made it through. Don't know how I did but I'm pretty sure I passed.  So, things are hopefully going to slow down now.  Olivia is now three months old and is fast asleep at the moment.  Isaac has just stolen his brother's Pop-tart while his brother is at school.  And instead of paying attention to Barney I figured I would just drop in and pop up a note.  I will try to write more if you are still here...

Deep Impact

Listen, I know that everyone is going to be writing about the election.  So, I'll let more qualified people and more articulate writers to write about the impact of such things.  Yet, I've been thinking about things lately.  I've been thinking about, and God I'm a little tired of the word, change.  But, I think that more of what I'm thinking of is the ability to impact people.  In a way that is change and yet on other levels its different. 

I've been wondering how it is that we, or more specifically I, can and/or do impact people.  I used to think that I had to do something extraordinary in order to make  a difference.  I had to go get a PhD or get this certification or publish something or write the next great American sermons (Are there such things?) and that I had to impact people in some broad and profound way.  But, the more I've been thinking about it and the more I've been meditating on it, the more I realize that impacting myself may be the best and only thing that I can do.  Maybe the only life that I can profoundly change for the better is my own...

And for me, this day, it means being okay in the moment.  I know, I know, it sounds like new age b.s....  But for me, it becomes something profoundly real if I decide not to prepare myself for some goal tomorrow or some level of completion that I have to reach and realize that today, at this moment, I'm already equipped to make a difference in my own life.  And I can accept that.  I've already found what I am good at (somewhat) and what fulfills me (mostly).  So, why am I looking to do other greater (if not greater, more complex) things that may or may not prepare me to affect people I may or may not come in contact with?  Just silly... Baby Crying Gotta Go!

Mr. Poates, I'll see you at the beach

I am writing a new blog post because I have a second and I can.  Wow... Life is busy.  I am tired.  I feel like this is becoming a broken record.  Anyways, life travels on and I am getting closer to deadlines that I thought I would never make it to.

I go up for candidacy in the Presbyterian Church (USA) on Tuesday.  I don't know how I feel about that.  Right now, I figure whatever is going to happen is going to happen.  Yet, I still find myself making back-up plans.... It would be funny to me to get an M.Div and not have the endorsement of a church.  However, that does feel like my life- always having part of the puzzle and not the whole thing.

That leads me to my studies on Anxiety, Ego, and Ontology.  I always feel like I have it right here in front of me.  All the pieces are there.  And I'm just not smart enough to put them together.  The answer is somewhere in this jumbled and muddled mess and if I were a little more disciplined, a little more intelligent, I could actually use the time I have to put them together in order to make the picture come through.  Oh, well... I need a vacation... 

I talked with this gentleman the other day before he died.  In fact, I was the last person he talked to...  And I asked him if he could go anywhere, wher

e would it be.  He said the beach.  He'd never been.  I asked him what he thought the sand would be like.  And he said gross and boring.  So I asked him about the water. And he said cold and uncomfortable.  So, I asked him why he wanted to go to the beach.  He told me, "Because I imagine there are a lot of people there." "You like people, Mr. Poates?"  "Oh yes," he told me.  "I like to watch them.  I just want to sit at the beach on a bench and watch all those people..."

I'll see you at the beach, Mr. Poates.... 

 May you rest well with the saints on your vacation