“John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from the One who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before the throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a new realm, priests serving God, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will . So it is to be. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega," says God, “the beginning and the end.”
***************************************************************************
There is a scene in the Lord of the Rings stories, just near the end. Two hobbits, Frodo and Sam, have carried the One Ring of great evil all the way to Mount Doom, to the fire where it was created, and they have thrown it back into the fires where it is destroyed. They just get out before the mountain erupts - and we see them marooned on a huge rock - the pyroclastic lava flow all around them, the mountain blowing rocks and flames. They weep together about what might have been; Sam remembers Rosie Cotton, and says with tears in his eyes “If there were ever someone I would marry, it would have been her.” Frodo says to Sam “I’m glad you’re here with me, Samwise Gamgee, here at the end of all things.”
But of course, it turns out not to be the end of all things, but the beginning. There is no question that both of them have been deeply and permanently scarred by their long journey into the fires of evil, and their struggles with temptation to choose the easier way. Neither one will ever be the same again. In some senses, that moment in the movie signifies the death of both Sam and Frodo - the death of who they were.
Yet they are resurrected - carried off the rock by great eagles, returned to the home of the woodland elves, and their lives are restored. - and I don’t think it’s any accident that the author, JRR Tolkien, used the eagles in this precise place in the story.
In fact, the eagle is imbued with great spiritual meaning in many different faiths. It represents spiritual protection, carries prayers, brings strength, courage, wisdom, illumination of spirit, healing, creation, and a knowledge of magic. The eagle has an ability to see hidden spiritual truths, rising above the material to see the spiritual. It represents great power and balance, dignity with grace, a connection with higher truths, intuition and a creative spirit grace achieved through knowledge and hard work.
The dictionary of scripture and myth, describes the eagle as “A symbol of the holy spirit, which flies through the mind (the air), from the higher nature (from heaven) to the lower nature (earth), and soars aloft to the self (the sun). The eagle is symbolic of new beginnings. Have you ever noticed in many churches, the Bible is placed on a pedestal which is an eagle with wings outstretched.
In the Gospel of Matthew, we read that Magi came to King Herod looking for a new king who was to be born. Now, Herod was a lot of things, but one thing he was not was stupid. He recognised immediately that the coming of a new king could well mean the ending of his rule. Yet Herod had in many ways been a good ruler. He was the only ruler of Palestine who ever succeeded in keeping the peace and bringing order to the region for any length of time. He built the Temple in Jerusalem. He was both absolute tyrant and unusually generous. He paid the Roman taxes for his people in times of difficulty and even melted down his own gold plate to buy grain to feed the starving people in the famine twenty-five years before Jesus was born. Yet he was also insanely suspicious of anyone who might be a threat to his reign. He murdered his wife and her mother and assassinated three of his sons. He was not willing to consider the ending of his own rule. So he sends his troops to end the lives of any who might be a potential threat.
You might remember awhile back some publicity around Wal-Mart stores, and Shopper’s Drug Mart, playing Christmas music early in November. Customers were not happy. I feel the same way. Rev. David Shearman reports that in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canadian Tire had Christmas lights out in September. He says “I thought that was a bit of a record. They hadn't quite taken down their garden centre and there were the Christmas lights!”
This past week Pope Benedict published his last commentary on the life of Jesus, called "Jesus in Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives". Pope Benedict's work raises a few eyebrows, because he disconnects the birth of Jesus from the date of Christmas. Now, for those of us who have been through a seminary or a Sunday School in the more liberal theological tradition, this won’t come as any surprise. The selection of the December date had nothing to do with historical or literal accuracy, but because early missionaries wanted to reach out to Druids who celebrated the winter solstice, the longest and darkest night of the year - and what better way to do that than to offer a festival of hope and light right after the longest, darkest night?
Pope Benedict suggests that the date of Jesus birth was not based in any kind of fact but be a series of calculating errors by a 5th century monk called Dennis the Small. It is likely that Jesus was born sometime between 7 BC and 2 BC and we really don't know when. What's more, it's likely that Jesus was born in the summer and not the winter and they the idea of oxen and donkey and sheep in the stable where he was born is unlikely.
Well, how did I get from Sam and Frodo through to this? Sam and Frodo believe that time, all time, has come to an end. ...and then the eagles arrive. The psalms talk about eagle’s wings, don’t they? “I will raise you up, on eagles wings; bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun.” To rise, on wings of eagles.
The point of the other stories is to show how our sense of time is so limited - and that’s why the Book of Revelation is important.
John was writing a hundred years after the death of Jesus, in a political time where being a
Christian was not only risky but downright dangerous. Christians were being persecuted and killed by the state for their beliefs. It was much easier to just turn away from Jesus, and faith. At least you would be alive.
So John writes letters to the seven churches in Asia: Grace to you and peace from the One
who is and who was and who is to come. Then he says “He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen. "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
This is important language because it is the language of time. God was, God is and God is to come. God is the beginning and ending of all things. I wonder, if in all this, we need to hold up these words and remember God’s time, and this assurance that God is always with us. What we may perceive as the end of all things may not be; new beginnings are really part of a much larger circle, the circle of God’s time, that has no beginning and no end, that goes on forever.
Sources:
1. “Alpha and the Omega” a sermon based upon Revelation 1: 4-8, John 18:33-37. Author anonymous.
2. “Endings and Beginnings” a sermon based upon Revelation 1:4-8. Rev. David Shearman, Central-Westside United Church, Owen Sound, Ontario.
3. Tolkien, J.R. R. Lord of the Rings Trilogy: The Return of the King. Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt, Boston MA.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Two Kinds of Empire A sermon based on 2 Samuel 23:1-7 and Mark 13:1-8 (Tales of the Apocalypse) Humber United Church, November 18, 2012
David son of Jesse was the man whom God made great, whom the God of Jacob chose to be king, and who was the composer of beautiful songs for Israel. These are David's last words:
The spirit of God speaks through me; God’s message is on my lips. The God of Israel has spoken; the protector of Israel said to me: “The king who rules with justice, who rules in obedience to God, is like the sun shining on a cloudless dawn, the sun that makes the grass sparkle after rain.”
That is how God will bless my descendants, because he has made an eternal covenant with me,
an agreement that will not be broken, a promise that will not be changed. That is all I desire;
that will be my victory, and God will surely bring it about. Godless people are like thorns that are thrown away; no one can touch them barehanded. You must use an iron tool or a spear and burn them completely.
Mark 13:1-8
As Jesus was leaving the Temple, one of his disciples said, “Look, Teacher! What wonderful stones and buildings!” Jesus answered, “You see these great buildings? Not a single stone here will be left in its place; every one of them will be thrown down.” Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, across from the Temple, when Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him in private. “Tell us when this will be,” they said, “and tell us what will happen to show that the time has come for all these things to take place.” Jesus said to them, “Watch out, and don't let anyone fool you. Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will fool many people. Don't be anxious when you hear the noise of battles close by and news of battles far away. Such things must happen, but they do not mean that the end has come. Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another. There will be earthquakes everywhere, and there will be famines. These things are like the first pains of childbirth.
**************************************************************************
‘I met a traveller from an antique land
who said: - Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown
and wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
tell that its sculptor well those passions read
which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things,
the hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
the lone and level sands stretch far away.’
In English we have a saying “Famous last words”. This Sunday is the second last one for the liturgical church year - almost the last words we will say before we begin another liturgical year, on the first of Advent in two weeks' time. So it’s interesting to look back through the Bible at some last words. Moses, for instance, blesses each of the twelve tribes of Israel; he names each of them, and notes their strengths and weaknesses; he prays for each one, and that their future will be blessed. Elijah encourages his young protégé Elisha, teaching him about taking risk and growing in faith. The last words of Stephen call for forgiving grace. Jesus commends himself to God’s care, and later when he appears to the disciples, he tells them that they will always see and know him, through thick and thin.
All of these are good words. The writers and editors of the texts show us the leaders taking the broad and high road of faith and life. We are encouraged to travel lightly and trust that God opens the way, even if we cannot see very far ahead.
David’s last words don’t fall into that category at all. David began as the golden one, who killed Goliath, who played and sang for Saul, who had compassion and kindness in him. He moved on to the King David who would send a man into battle to be killed, so that David could have his wife, Bathsheba. The David who, in the end, comes to trust in empire and wealth, and kids himself that God is doing it because David is so great.
David’s last words become a kind of “teacher’s pet” exit speech; all good things flow from the throne of the king, and on down. Anyone who disagrees is a prickly pain who needs to be eliminated - uprooted and burned as garbage. There is no room here for a next generation of blessings, unless it is another royal monarch. There is no room here for a child born in a manger, a nobody from a nothing little scrap of a village called Nazareth, washer of feet, one who will endure flogging and crucifixion.
Today we have too a group of disciples who are agog and impressed at the wonderful temple, how it has been rebuilt. The home of the Jewish faith; the one place in which they put all their trust, even when the religious leaders were taking advantage of them. They remark to Jesus on how impressive it is...
...and Jesus replies that not one of those stones will survive, that everything will come down. It is a clear comment on the differences between human empire, and God’s realm.
There will be wars and rumours of wars before the end of time. There will be all kinds of false prophets, those who set themselves up above others. But, Jesus says it does not mean the *end* of time has come, it means the end of that kind of thinking has come, and a new way of living with God’s blessings is about to appear.
Even though Advent hasn’t officially started yet, we are hearing Christmas Carols already!
“Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, born is the King of Israel.”
“This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing . . . “
“Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King . . . “
“Peace on the earth, good will to men, from heaven’s all gracious King . . . “
You can probably think of several others that, if you haven’t heard already, you will soon hear, or will be singing pretty soon. The common theme in these carols is that Jesus comes as the King.
What does it mean for Jesus to come as King?
The cycle of the church year begins and ends with the affirmation of Jesus as King. At the beginning of Advent last year, we looked forward to the coming King. Today we reach the end of the year, and point to the reign and rule of Christ, the King.
One of my favourite shows is “Law and Order”. One reason I like the show is that it addresses social issues from a variety of perspectives. How we, as a society, treat those with mental illness, for instance, or how corporate fraud affects the lives of every day people. Since the story takes place in New York City, several episodes have addressed the long term impact of September 11, 2001. The shows also raises the legal dilemmas facing our courts and those who enforce laws. One episode may address freedom of speech while another may explore the limits of the free exercise of religion.
Some of the recurring legal issues have been when and where and who and how plea bargains are used and the role of politics in our court system. And while they portray them as contemporary topics, those two issues are not unique to our court system, nor are they unique to modern history.
In fact, both politics and plea bargains are at play in the trial of Jesus – if you can call it a trial. In a system where the accused are presumed guilty and the court simply imposes the sentence, Pilate finds himself caught between a rock and a hard place. He looks for a way out, but cannot find one. If we continued in our reading today, we would hear Pilate concluding that Jesus is innocent, but claiming his hands are tied (Jn 18:38; 19:12). He will try to offer to punish another man, in a plea bargain-like proposal, but the opportunity will be denied him (Jn 18:39-40).
Pilate, who serves at the whim of the Emperor in Rome, is trying to appease the local citizenry. He has the authority to condemn or to set free but he does not have the political will to use his authority.
There is a strong irony in the comparison of the two readings today. David the King who rules y authority, while Jesus speaks with authority. David rules with power and might and violence; the other rules with truth and love and peace. David has no true wisdom, Jesus does. David rules his own little corner of the world with violence; Jesus raises no army and commits no crimes, yet is put to death for saying his kingdom is no of this world.
For David, a Kingdom required borders and troops and taxes. For David, a King held absolute power, a King was sovereign. For Jesus, the focus is not on the King, but on the Kingdom. Jewish law was clear that the role of the King was to care for the people – much as a shepherd takes care of the sheep. The King was not sovereign, but ruled under the direction of God (Dt 17:14-20).
Jesus turns nowhere but to the absolutes of truth and righteousness and the will of God. As sovereign, he willingly lays his life down for the sake of those who desire to live in his realm.
For us to acclaim Jesus as King is to suggest that we are both the focus of God’s concern and the beneficiaries of God’s providence.
Yet even so there are some who see God as a tyrant-King, someone of whom we are not just in awe, but full of fear - a God with all power, who executes justice based on the standards of perfection and sinlessness.
And the world has seen its share of tyrant-Kings and dictators who rule with only one concern – their own self importance and power. In the end, David was one of those kings, who put more stock in the power of human physical empire, and missed what God hoped for him and for his descendants.
Like David, Pilate, Herod, Caesar, these rulers really derive their power from the fear of the people over whom they wield their sword. In contrast, Jesus derives his power from God in heaven and uses that power to grant grace and forgiveness, even before we aware of our need..
Jesus fulfills the role of the Jewish ideal for a King. His concern is for the people, and the realm over which he has been given authority, and his authority comes from God, hence he does not need palaces and armies. Since this empire has no geographic borders, those who enter come of their own free will.
I began this sermon with the poem - called Ozymandias of Egypt, by Percy Bysshe Shelley. When we listen to David’s bragging in his last words, and then look at Jesus words about all the stones being torn down, nothing remaining, - and then the poem “My name is Ozymandias, king of Kings; look on my works, ye mighty, and despair.”
And Shelley finished the poem ‘Nothing beside remains: round the decay
of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
the lone and level sands stretch far away.’
Empires. Two kings, two kinds of empire. One is an empire of human wealth, military power, fear and punishment. A king who has lost track of what is truly important. The other empire one of peace, harmony, grace, forgiveness - and a King who stoops to wash the feet of others, whose call is to service.
Where do we put our faith?
Sources:
1. “Two Kings, Two Kingdoms” a sermon based on John 18:33-37 by Rev. Randy Quinn.
2. P. B. Shelley “Ozymandias of Egypt”
3. Rev. G. Malcolm Sinclair, in “Feasting on the Word”. Westminster John Knox Press, 2009,
The spirit of God speaks through me; God’s message is on my lips. The God of Israel has spoken; the protector of Israel said to me: “The king who rules with justice, who rules in obedience to God, is like the sun shining on a cloudless dawn, the sun that makes the grass sparkle after rain.”
That is how God will bless my descendants, because he has made an eternal covenant with me,
an agreement that will not be broken, a promise that will not be changed. That is all I desire;
that will be my victory, and God will surely bring it about. Godless people are like thorns that are thrown away; no one can touch them barehanded. You must use an iron tool or a spear and burn them completely.
Mark 13:1-8
As Jesus was leaving the Temple, one of his disciples said, “Look, Teacher! What wonderful stones and buildings!” Jesus answered, “You see these great buildings? Not a single stone here will be left in its place; every one of them will be thrown down.” Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, across from the Temple, when Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him in private. “Tell us when this will be,” they said, “and tell us what will happen to show that the time has come for all these things to take place.” Jesus said to them, “Watch out, and don't let anyone fool you. Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will fool many people. Don't be anxious when you hear the noise of battles close by and news of battles far away. Such things must happen, but they do not mean that the end has come. Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another. There will be earthquakes everywhere, and there will be famines. These things are like the first pains of childbirth.
**************************************************************************
‘I met a traveller from an antique land
who said: - Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown
and wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
tell that its sculptor well those passions read
which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things,
the hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains: round the decay
of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
the lone and level sands stretch far away.’
In English we have a saying “Famous last words”. This Sunday is the second last one for the liturgical church year - almost the last words we will say before we begin another liturgical year, on the first of Advent in two weeks' time. So it’s interesting to look back through the Bible at some last words. Moses, for instance, blesses each of the twelve tribes of Israel; he names each of them, and notes their strengths and weaknesses; he prays for each one, and that their future will be blessed. Elijah encourages his young protégé Elisha, teaching him about taking risk and growing in faith. The last words of Stephen call for forgiving grace. Jesus commends himself to God’s care, and later when he appears to the disciples, he tells them that they will always see and know him, through thick and thin.
All of these are good words. The writers and editors of the texts show us the leaders taking the broad and high road of faith and life. We are encouraged to travel lightly and trust that God opens the way, even if we cannot see very far ahead.
David’s last words don’t fall into that category at all. David began as the golden one, who killed Goliath, who played and sang for Saul, who had compassion and kindness in him. He moved on to the King David who would send a man into battle to be killed, so that David could have his wife, Bathsheba. The David who, in the end, comes to trust in empire and wealth, and kids himself that God is doing it because David is so great.
David’s last words become a kind of “teacher’s pet” exit speech; all good things flow from the throne of the king, and on down. Anyone who disagrees is a prickly pain who needs to be eliminated - uprooted and burned as garbage. There is no room here for a next generation of blessings, unless it is another royal monarch. There is no room here for a child born in a manger, a nobody from a nothing little scrap of a village called Nazareth, washer of feet, one who will endure flogging and crucifixion.
Today we have too a group of disciples who are agog and impressed at the wonderful temple, how it has been rebuilt. The home of the Jewish faith; the one place in which they put all their trust, even when the religious leaders were taking advantage of them. They remark to Jesus on how impressive it is...
...and Jesus replies that not one of those stones will survive, that everything will come down. It is a clear comment on the differences between human empire, and God’s realm.
There will be wars and rumours of wars before the end of time. There will be all kinds of false prophets, those who set themselves up above others. But, Jesus says it does not mean the *end* of time has come, it means the end of that kind of thinking has come, and a new way of living with God’s blessings is about to appear.
Even though Advent hasn’t officially started yet, we are hearing Christmas Carols already!
“Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel, born is the King of Israel.”
“This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing . . . “
“Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King . . . “
“Peace on the earth, good will to men, from heaven’s all gracious King . . . “
You can probably think of several others that, if you haven’t heard already, you will soon hear, or will be singing pretty soon. The common theme in these carols is that Jesus comes as the King.
What does it mean for Jesus to come as King?
The cycle of the church year begins and ends with the affirmation of Jesus as King. At the beginning of Advent last year, we looked forward to the coming King. Today we reach the end of the year, and point to the reign and rule of Christ, the King.
One of my favourite shows is “Law and Order”. One reason I like the show is that it addresses social issues from a variety of perspectives. How we, as a society, treat those with mental illness, for instance, or how corporate fraud affects the lives of every day people. Since the story takes place in New York City, several episodes have addressed the long term impact of September 11, 2001. The shows also raises the legal dilemmas facing our courts and those who enforce laws. One episode may address freedom of speech while another may explore the limits of the free exercise of religion.
Some of the recurring legal issues have been when and where and who and how plea bargains are used and the role of politics in our court system. And while they portray them as contemporary topics, those two issues are not unique to our court system, nor are they unique to modern history.
In fact, both politics and plea bargains are at play in the trial of Jesus – if you can call it a trial. In a system where the accused are presumed guilty and the court simply imposes the sentence, Pilate finds himself caught between a rock and a hard place. He looks for a way out, but cannot find one. If we continued in our reading today, we would hear Pilate concluding that Jesus is innocent, but claiming his hands are tied (Jn 18:38; 19:12). He will try to offer to punish another man, in a plea bargain-like proposal, but the opportunity will be denied him (Jn 18:39-40).
Pilate, who serves at the whim of the Emperor in Rome, is trying to appease the local citizenry. He has the authority to condemn or to set free but he does not have the political will to use his authority.
There is a strong irony in the comparison of the two readings today. David the King who rules y authority, while Jesus speaks with authority. David rules with power and might and violence; the other rules with truth and love and peace. David has no true wisdom, Jesus does. David rules his own little corner of the world with violence; Jesus raises no army and commits no crimes, yet is put to death for saying his kingdom is no of this world.
For David, a Kingdom required borders and troops and taxes. For David, a King held absolute power, a King was sovereign. For Jesus, the focus is not on the King, but on the Kingdom. Jewish law was clear that the role of the King was to care for the people – much as a shepherd takes care of the sheep. The King was not sovereign, but ruled under the direction of God (Dt 17:14-20).
Jesus turns nowhere but to the absolutes of truth and righteousness and the will of God. As sovereign, he willingly lays his life down for the sake of those who desire to live in his realm.
For us to acclaim Jesus as King is to suggest that we are both the focus of God’s concern and the beneficiaries of God’s providence.
Yet even so there are some who see God as a tyrant-King, someone of whom we are not just in awe, but full of fear - a God with all power, who executes justice based on the standards of perfection and sinlessness.
And the world has seen its share of tyrant-Kings and dictators who rule with only one concern – their own self importance and power. In the end, David was one of those kings, who put more stock in the power of human physical empire, and missed what God hoped for him and for his descendants.
Like David, Pilate, Herod, Caesar, these rulers really derive their power from the fear of the people over whom they wield their sword. In contrast, Jesus derives his power from God in heaven and uses that power to grant grace and forgiveness, even before we aware of our need..
Jesus fulfills the role of the Jewish ideal for a King. His concern is for the people, and the realm over which he has been given authority, and his authority comes from God, hence he does not need palaces and armies. Since this empire has no geographic borders, those who enter come of their own free will.
I began this sermon with the poem - called Ozymandias of Egypt, by Percy Bysshe Shelley. When we listen to David’s bragging in his last words, and then look at Jesus words about all the stones being torn down, nothing remaining, - and then the poem “My name is Ozymandias, king of Kings; look on my works, ye mighty, and despair.”
And Shelley finished the poem ‘Nothing beside remains: round the decay
of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
the lone and level sands stretch far away.’
Empires. Two kings, two kinds of empire. One is an empire of human wealth, military power, fear and punishment. A king who has lost track of what is truly important. The other empire one of peace, harmony, grace, forgiveness - and a King who stoops to wash the feet of others, whose call is to service.
Where do we put our faith?
Sources:
1. “Two Kings, Two Kingdoms” a sermon based on John 18:33-37 by Rev. Randy Quinn.
2. P. B. Shelley “Ozymandias of Egypt”
3. Rev. G. Malcolm Sinclair, in “Feasting on the Word”. Westminster John Knox Press, 2009,
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Flesh and Blood Saints Humber United Church November 11, 2012 Remembrance Day
Mark 12:38-44
He continued teaching. “Watch out for the religion scholars and leaders. They love to walk around in academic gowns and long robes, preening in the radiance of public flattery, basking in prominent positions, sitting at the head table at every church function. All the time they are exploiting the weak and helpless. The longer their prayers, the worse they are; but it will catch them in the end.”
Sitting across from the offering box, Jesus was observing how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions. Then he observed one poor widow who came up and put in two small coins—a measly two cents. Jesus called his disciples over and said, “The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all.”
******************************************************************************
Picture with me the temple scene: scribes and priests in festive and very expensive vestments, wealthy merchants, and prominent members of the community, all the pomp, the splendour, the rites and rituals. The pleats of their robes were neatly folded and the tassels were in their proper place. They wanted to look impressive as they paraded through the outer courtyards into the court of Israel. They continuously checked the ornate bags in which they carried their temple offerings to make sure that they had the proper coins and that the amount was sufficient for persons of their rank and standing.
At the same time, and very much in contrast to this scene, we see a little old widow getting ready for worship. She had been bargaining and scraping all week to have something for the temple. After all, she couldn't approach the house of God empty-handed. At the moment, she lived to give her offering to God. She wanted to tell God, "I'm thankful I still have you."
In spite of the insignificance of her temple tithe--two pennies--,Jesus lifts this woman up as an example: "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had". Jesus is not romanticizing poverty. There is nothing sacred about being hungry, cold, homeless, or powerless. The presence of the poor illustrates the need for church and its mission. But sometimes people who live near the edge of existence see things more clearly than those of us who have plenty. They see without impairment what is essential.
Today is Remembrance Day, a day set aside for us to remember those who gave everything they had - right to their very lives - to prevent world-wide disaster. The people who served in the First and Second World Wars are veterans, heroes, in the flesh. I might even go so far as to include those young men who went off to Viet Nam, and those who have gone to Afghanistan, or Bosnia.
On Friday, I attended the Remembrance Day assembly at Humber Elementary, and learned about young Corporal Brian Pinksen, who was all of 20 when he lost his life to injuries received in Kandahar. It reminded me of the young men I saw sitting in the chapel on the Tan Son Nhut Airbase in Viet Nam - from my perspective even in 1972 - they were barely old enough to shave - and compared them with the smart-aleck military commanders I met, who spoke about the local Vietnamese as “gooks”, and strutted around with their chests covered in medals, who stayed behind the scenes while the young ones went into battle. I thought about the young men who went home in body bags - and I thought about those unsung heroes, the doctors and nurses of the Mobile surgical hospital at the front who gave everything, but are forgotten.
I need to say, I am not now, nor have I ever been, a supporter of war. In the First and Second World Wars there were serious threats, and there is a part of me which says those wars were justified. I can’t be persuaded that all wars are justified - and every time I see a photo of a young person lost in war, I become emotional. I can’t say that the violence between Israel and Palestine is justified; I can’t really say the violence in Afghanistan is justified.
The problem I have is that there are so many other heroes, and part of me gets angry around Remembrance Day because of the people who are not remembered.. When Norio and I left Viet Nam, there were three other families who were good friends - all were Vietnamese men who had western wives. One was married to an Australian, one to a New Zealander, and one to an American. The wives and children were able to leave the country just before everything closed down in 1975. The men had to stay. We never found out if they were able to leave until years later when we were able to reconnect again.- and they would have had to pay large amounts of money to get away. They struggled within their country - a couple of them were highly placed in the government - and as our friend Duyet in Australia said “I was director of postal services in Viet Nam, now I lick stamps at the local post office.”
In the course of the war in Viet Nam, some 60,000 soldiers died. Over two million Vietnamese died. Estimates at the end of the war in 1975 were that 500,000 children were born with birth defects attributed to the widespread use of Agent Orange as a defoliant. Except that Agent Orange doesn’t break down, either in the environment or in the body. Once it’s there, it’s there.
You might remember a photo during the war in Viet Nam, of a little girl running naked down a road, with other children, when her village was hit by napalm. Phan Thi Kim Phuc survived the attack, but remembers running down the road crying “too hot, too hot”, as her back was burned by the napalm. She is a graduate of the University of Havana in Cuba, and is now a UNESCO world ambassador. She is one of those flesh-and-blood heroes, for me - someone who lived through such incredible times and is not afraid to speak out against war and violence. That’s here, of course. Kim Phuc now lives just outside Toronto.
There were those who chose not to leave at the end in 1975. They made the decision that even after the North Vietnamese took over, their expertise would be needed. Tailors, farmers, medical personnel, religious leaders - made a conscious choice to remain, to help their country rebuild. There to me they are the flesh and blood saints of the world - the ones who go on after the fighting is over.
My day job in Viet Nam, besides having two small children, was as office administrator for the YMCA Refugee Services. One of our projects was a co-operative village. Many of the refugees were farmers who had been pretty well napalmed off their land; they had to begin again, building homes in the jungle and finding a way to make a living. With the help of the YMCA, they were able to do that - build homes, and begin cooperative community projects. They raised pigs for food, but also for sale in the market. When the animals were sold, all the money went back into the community pot for the good of everyone. They grew crops, to feed themselves and sell in the market - and once again the proceeds went into the community pot. The director of the YMCA Services, Yukio Miyazaki, is in my mind one of those living flesh and blood saints who needs to be remembered on this day - because he was willing to give everything he had to make a positive difference in the lives of those people who had no way to get away, and no other way to survive.
In 2001, a movie called “Kandahar” was released. The story was written by an Afghani-Canadian journalist, Nilofer Pazira; it chronicles the story of a journalist living in Canada who returns to Afghanistan to save her suicidal sister. Some of it is her own story, and she returned to Afghanistan at great risk to herself, as she was the star of the movie as well, and had to go back into the burqa to be able to move around. In this movie we see the lives of Afghani women, and men, who are willing to fight back against oppression by any means possible. There is one scene where a group of women are walking together - and every singe one of them is wearing the most brightly-coloured burqa possible - every colour of the rainbow. No black burqas for these women - they are the flash and blood saints who find ways to survive even under the Taliban.
So where am I going with this?
Remembrance Day is important. There is no question that it is. But if we do not learn the lessons of war, or if we end up glorifying ourselves or our military, or acts of war, we lose. And I am afraid that if we do not continue to remind others of the deep and long-lasting effects of war, the world loses. As I sat listening and watching at the school on Friday, I could not help but think of the many people who are always left behind, who have nothing left to give but maybe two pennies and some commitment. These are the flesh and blood saints, the silent heroes, who should also be remembered at this time - those people who have suffered because of the actions of others, yet who continue to give whatever they can because it’s important.
Sources:
1. Nothing Left To Give? A sermon by Rev. Frank Schaefer
He continued teaching. “Watch out for the religion scholars and leaders. They love to walk around in academic gowns and long robes, preening in the radiance of public flattery, basking in prominent positions, sitting at the head table at every church function. All the time they are exploiting the weak and helpless. The longer their prayers, the worse they are; but it will catch them in the end.”
Sitting across from the offering box, Jesus was observing how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions. Then he observed one poor widow who came up and put in two small coins—a measly two cents. Jesus called his disciples over and said, “The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all.”
******************************************************************************
Picture with me the temple scene: scribes and priests in festive and very expensive vestments, wealthy merchants, and prominent members of the community, all the pomp, the splendour, the rites and rituals. The pleats of their robes were neatly folded and the tassels were in their proper place. They wanted to look impressive as they paraded through the outer courtyards into the court of Israel. They continuously checked the ornate bags in which they carried their temple offerings to make sure that they had the proper coins and that the amount was sufficient for persons of their rank and standing.
At the same time, and very much in contrast to this scene, we see a little old widow getting ready for worship. She had been bargaining and scraping all week to have something for the temple. After all, she couldn't approach the house of God empty-handed. At the moment, she lived to give her offering to God. She wanted to tell God, "I'm thankful I still have you."
In spite of the insignificance of her temple tithe--two pennies--,Jesus lifts this woman up as an example: "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had". Jesus is not romanticizing poverty. There is nothing sacred about being hungry, cold, homeless, or powerless. The presence of the poor illustrates the need for church and its mission. But sometimes people who live near the edge of existence see things more clearly than those of us who have plenty. They see without impairment what is essential.
Today is Remembrance Day, a day set aside for us to remember those who gave everything they had - right to their very lives - to prevent world-wide disaster. The people who served in the First and Second World Wars are veterans, heroes, in the flesh. I might even go so far as to include those young men who went off to Viet Nam, and those who have gone to Afghanistan, or Bosnia.
On Friday, I attended the Remembrance Day assembly at Humber Elementary, and learned about young Corporal Brian Pinksen, who was all of 20 when he lost his life to injuries received in Kandahar. It reminded me of the young men I saw sitting in the chapel on the Tan Son Nhut Airbase in Viet Nam - from my perspective even in 1972 - they were barely old enough to shave - and compared them with the smart-aleck military commanders I met, who spoke about the local Vietnamese as “gooks”, and strutted around with their chests covered in medals, who stayed behind the scenes while the young ones went into battle. I thought about the young men who went home in body bags - and I thought about those unsung heroes, the doctors and nurses of the Mobile surgical hospital at the front who gave everything, but are forgotten.
I need to say, I am not now, nor have I ever been, a supporter of war. In the First and Second World Wars there were serious threats, and there is a part of me which says those wars were justified. I can’t be persuaded that all wars are justified - and every time I see a photo of a young person lost in war, I become emotional. I can’t say that the violence between Israel and Palestine is justified; I can’t really say the violence in Afghanistan is justified.
The problem I have is that there are so many other heroes, and part of me gets angry around Remembrance Day because of the people who are not remembered.. When Norio and I left Viet Nam, there were three other families who were good friends - all were Vietnamese men who had western wives. One was married to an Australian, one to a New Zealander, and one to an American. The wives and children were able to leave the country just before everything closed down in 1975. The men had to stay. We never found out if they were able to leave until years later when we were able to reconnect again.- and they would have had to pay large amounts of money to get away. They struggled within their country - a couple of them were highly placed in the government - and as our friend Duyet in Australia said “I was director of postal services in Viet Nam, now I lick stamps at the local post office.”
In the course of the war in Viet Nam, some 60,000 soldiers died. Over two million Vietnamese died. Estimates at the end of the war in 1975 were that 500,000 children were born with birth defects attributed to the widespread use of Agent Orange as a defoliant. Except that Agent Orange doesn’t break down, either in the environment or in the body. Once it’s there, it’s there.
You might remember a photo during the war in Viet Nam, of a little girl running naked down a road, with other children, when her village was hit by napalm. Phan Thi Kim Phuc survived the attack, but remembers running down the road crying “too hot, too hot”, as her back was burned by the napalm. She is a graduate of the University of Havana in Cuba, and is now a UNESCO world ambassador. She is one of those flesh-and-blood heroes, for me - someone who lived through such incredible times and is not afraid to speak out against war and violence. That’s here, of course. Kim Phuc now lives just outside Toronto.
There were those who chose not to leave at the end in 1975. They made the decision that even after the North Vietnamese took over, their expertise would be needed. Tailors, farmers, medical personnel, religious leaders - made a conscious choice to remain, to help their country rebuild. There to me they are the flesh and blood saints of the world - the ones who go on after the fighting is over.
My day job in Viet Nam, besides having two small children, was as office administrator for the YMCA Refugee Services. One of our projects was a co-operative village. Many of the refugees were farmers who had been pretty well napalmed off their land; they had to begin again, building homes in the jungle and finding a way to make a living. With the help of the YMCA, they were able to do that - build homes, and begin cooperative community projects. They raised pigs for food, but also for sale in the market. When the animals were sold, all the money went back into the community pot for the good of everyone. They grew crops, to feed themselves and sell in the market - and once again the proceeds went into the community pot. The director of the YMCA Services, Yukio Miyazaki, is in my mind one of those living flesh and blood saints who needs to be remembered on this day - because he was willing to give everything he had to make a positive difference in the lives of those people who had no way to get away, and no other way to survive.
In 2001, a movie called “Kandahar” was released. The story was written by an Afghani-Canadian journalist, Nilofer Pazira; it chronicles the story of a journalist living in Canada who returns to Afghanistan to save her suicidal sister. Some of it is her own story, and she returned to Afghanistan at great risk to herself, as she was the star of the movie as well, and had to go back into the burqa to be able to move around. In this movie we see the lives of Afghani women, and men, who are willing to fight back against oppression by any means possible. There is one scene where a group of women are walking together - and every singe one of them is wearing the most brightly-coloured burqa possible - every colour of the rainbow. No black burqas for these women - they are the flash and blood saints who find ways to survive even under the Taliban.
So where am I going with this?
Remembrance Day is important. There is no question that it is. But if we do not learn the lessons of war, or if we end up glorifying ourselves or our military, or acts of war, we lose. And I am afraid that if we do not continue to remind others of the deep and long-lasting effects of war, the world loses. As I sat listening and watching at the school on Friday, I could not help but think of the many people who are always left behind, who have nothing left to give but maybe two pennies and some commitment. These are the flesh and blood saints, the silent heroes, who should also be remembered at this time - those people who have suffered because of the actions of others, yet who continue to give whatever they can because it’s important.
Sources:
1. Nothing Left To Give? A sermon by Rev. Frank Schaefer
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)