Above is the video of my homily from this morning, February 1. Here are the three scriptures I preached on - and below you'll find the text of my homily.
Imagine
if the question of granting immigrants and refugees entrance to our country -
were actually as simple as the two sides in the current debate would suggest.
One side, in the
name of law, order, and economic fairness, wants to build walls to keep out the
many - and to tighten the process by which the few might be welcomed in.
The other side,
in the name of mercy, compassion, and justice would welcome all - and provide
for their housing, health, and education.
What gets easily
lost in this debate is the truth that law, justice, order, compassion,
economic fairness, and mercy are not only (all of them) the proper
categories to consider -- but indeed, each of them compliments, modifies,
enhances, and enables the others.
The various
categories proposed by each side in the debate do not stand in opposition to
one another. In fact, considered together, they provide a firm basis for making
sound judgments and policy - both for immigrants and refugees, and, for those
whose borders they seek to cross.
And these are
categories that can be considered by anyone in puzzling out today's
crisis: anyone with a sense of justice and a spirit of humane good will -
anyone.
But what about
us? We are not just anyone, you and I.
We go by the name Christian - and our faith in Christ draws us beyond
the terms of blind justice. Our faith calls us to a sacrificial love deeper
than simple neighborly concern.
While all of the
categories I've mentioned are more than worthy of our attention - anyone's
attention - we Christians follow Jesus, who introduces his own categories.
In the gospel this morning, we heard Jesus preach what we call “the beatitudes”
- the “blessed are those” sayings.
The beatitudes
are the Lord's Executive Orders - signed
in the ink of his blood. And so they are our - marching orders - for
living our lives as Christians. And those orders are these. You heard them.
• Blessed are the
poor in spirit - for theirs is the kingdom.
• Blessed are
they who mourn - they will be comforted.
• Blessed are the
meek - they will inherit the land.
• Blessed are
they who hunger and thirst for justice - they will be satisfied.
• Blessed are the
merciful - for they will be shown mercy.
• Blessed the
clean of heart - they will see God.
• Blessed are the
peacemakers - they will be called children of God.
• Blessed are
they who are falsely accused and persecuted for the sake of justice - for they
will have the first places in the kingdom of heaven.
Now, let's not - even
for a moment - suggest that Jesus meant all of this only in some spiritual
way. Look at his language here: his categories, his nitty-gritty
vocabulary: poverty; loss and comfort; rights to the ownership of land;
hunger for justice; thirst for mercy; persecution; false testimony; the hard
work of making peace…
That's the real
stuff. It's not pious fluff.
Nor should we - even
for a moment - pretend that the beatitudes are legislative solutions to
the pain and problems of our time.
Well, then, what IS Jesus saying when he preaches like
this?
What he's doing is
shaping and molding and orienting our hearts to provide a firm
foundation on which we might stand. He's giving us his perspective on
life's realities - the perspective from which we are called to reflect on,
to discern, respond to the issues of our day and the burdens our neighbors
carry.
Christians are
those who begin their deliberation on the news of the day - not with the
text of the Constitution - as worthy a text as that is. Christians begin with
the word of Jesus and begin by bringing that word to bear on the grittiest
of life's circumstances.
Now, like the
chosen people in today's first scripture, we are called to be that
faithful remnant: those who hold onto, who announce and live, the wisdom
and the truth of God's Word - in a society that may speak a different language,
a society, a culture that may define reality by different standards.
Neither can we be
like the Corinthians, the folks Paul addressed in today's second scripture. We
can't be those who simply subscribe to the conventional wisdom. We're
called to be those who first consult the wisdom of Jesus - and
lean on his word as the standard for our moral decision making.
I can't tell you
where that wisdom will lead you - or how it will shape your words and deeds,
your choices, your decisions. All I can tell you, and what I'm commissioned,
what I'm bound to tell you - is that for us Christians, the only
beginning place is the wisdom, the truth, the word of Jesus. We can't
skip over it or run through it quickly to other categories. We're called to be
the people who take Jesus seriously - take him seriously when he turns upside
down and inside out all the things that we presume.
Jesus says it's
the poor who are blessed. It's the meek to whom the land belongs.
It's the hungry and thirsty who should be satisfied first. It's to those
who are persecuted and falsely accused - for acting mercifully and working for
peace - it's to them that the kingdom of God belongs.
It's not easy.
It's hard.
It demands personal
sacrifice to take on the mind and heart of Jesus.
As we think
through the complex issues of our day, we certainly need the Lord's own help in
even trying to do this. And I believe it's the kind of help that comes from prayer.
So in that spirit, I'm going to invite you to pray with me here. If it helps,
you might close your eyes…
What have we to
offer you, Lord?
How shall we
pray?
• Shall we lift
up our hands in angry gestures?
• Shall we send
up prayers laced with vulgarity?
• Shall we hate
those who disagree with us? Shall we hate those you love - regardless of where
they stand?
• Shall we bless
your name on Sunday and curse our opponent on Monday? • Shall we open our
hearts to you on the Sabbath - and the rest of the week, close them to those in
need?
• Shall we
pretend to give you the glory while we swagger in our pride?
• Shall we pray
for relief and deny it to others?
• Shall we put
our faith in human persons, political opinions, in the power of wealth and
institutions - forgetting that only you can save us?
So help us, Lord,
help us to pray what you would have us pray…
Help us to pray
for the mending of a divided America;
• for the healing
of our nation's soul;
• for the calming
of our country's spirit;
• for justice done
as you would have it;
• for freedom
tempered with sacrifice;
• for liberty
crowned with self-restraint;
• for compassion in
those who govern us and in our own hearts too;
• for integrity in
our words and deeds;
• for the courage
of our convictions;
• for solidarity
with all, and for hearts wide open to serve your tired, your poor, your
huddled masses, yearning to breathe free.
Help us, Lord, to
be instruments of your peace and channels of your mercy.
Help us to be, to
become people after your own heart.
Help us to be
those who are blessed, those who rejoice, who are glad - those whose reward
will be great in heaven.
Help us, Lord, to
pray.
Amen.
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