A New Destiny, January 3, 2010

Letter to the Ephesians 1:1-14
John 1:1-18

How we perceive our Beginning is important.
According to the Rules of Literature, the Beginning introduces who the characters are and the plot.
According to Philosophy, if we accept the Foundational Principles, then we must accept what follows.
According to Geometry, if we accept the Givens, the Conclusions are self-evident.
The New Year gives us opportunity for a Fresh Beginning, a New Destiny.

Recently, something caught my attention, that I had not seen before, which seems to change everything.
This morning's date is what: January 3, 2010
Now the Terrorist Attack on the World Trade Center was September 11, 2001
And yet, earlier times: World War II was December 7, 1941-1945, Prohibition was the 1920s,
The War Between the States was 1860-1865, Our Revolutionary War was 1776 and following
Luther's Nailing the 95 Theses was October 31, 1517
The Great Schism under Pope Leo IX between the Eastern and Western Orthodox Churches was 1054
Throughout human history from the Roman Empire to the last decade we have referenced time by Hundreds and Tens and Years, 10-54, 17-76, 18-60, 19-45; until we began the current Century.
In the first Decade of this era, we began Two Thousand and One, rather than continuing 20 and One.
The argument is made more clear in other languages, where instead of thousands, they have referenced every place marker and Zeros as described as “Ought”, so we have been living in the year: ought nine.
I propose a new beginning this morning, a time without OUGHTS, when we continue the beginning begun at the birth of Christ and this instead of Two Thousand and Ten, is the year 20-10.

The Gospel of John is different from the other Gospels, not only because there is greater reference to miracles, different parables and a different timetable through Jesus' Suffering Death on the Cross. John's Gospel does not set out as Matthew to tell the Genealogy of Jesus of Nazareth, or as Mark the Call of Jesus, or even as Luke the Birth of Jesus. John understands that God has done something fresh and new in the birth of Jesus, Jesus is the INCARNATION of God in Humanity. John is telling the Gospel of God!

The Ancient World from Abraham through the Greeks believed in DUALISM. There were understood to be Two Realities: Good and Evil. Divine and Human. Right and Wrong. Black and White. But God has done a new and different thing, the INCARNATION is God entering into Human reality. The Light in the Darkness, the Divine in the World. No longer are there separate realities, but time and space and reality have been collapsed and integrated and transformed all at once. According to John's Gospel, no longer can we describe Isaiah lifting his vision from above the pageantry of Kings in the Temple to the Kingdom of God where he says “Woe is Me, for I am a Man of UnClean Lips”, because God became human. No longer need we tell the Story of Job, where God and Satan discuss what would happen to a man who had always been faithful if the blessings were removed, because God and the Man are One. No longer need we tell the tale of Jonah the Prophet being sent by God to Ninevah, because God has come to all humanity.

The Passover Seder of Judaism begins with a prayer at the lighting of the Candles: Elohim, Adonai, Elahanu: “Blessed are You, Lord, our God, who makes us Holy with Your Commandments and commands us to light the festival lights.”
Throughout the meal, every element that is offered is introduced with a similar prayer of Blessing, so that by the end, the visitor at the table and the youngest child can recite: “Blessed are You, Lord, God!”
Instead of beginning, FORGIVE ME FATHER FOR I HAVE SINNED, or GRACIOUS GOD GRANT, which start with our sins or our needs and desires, Ancient prayers and the Letter to the Ephesians began by Blessing God, giving thanks for What God has Done.

Does it make a difference, our beginning? Our starting the year Blessing God for what God has done? Our expectation that the world is different because God is the Incarnation of Jesus?
Recently, we saw the film “Invictus” which is a wonderful film about South Africa in 1995, Nelson Mandella and the Game of Rugby. The part I had to continue to remind myself throughout the film, was that this was taking place in 1995. At one point a Commercial Airplane flies directly at a Stadium and the thought in our minds in 2010 is that this is a Terrorist Attack, but in 1995 airlines had not been used as weapons. At another point, a Black child comes up to a police car with Caucasian Officers, and the child begins searching in his paper bag while looking out of the corner of his eye at the police. In an age of suicide bombings and children used as guerilla soldiers, my heart was in my chest, only to realize that child is taking out cans of Pepsi to offer to the men in exchange for his listening to their radio. We are jaded, our experience has been altered by the constant reports of bombings and hate. How different our Destiny if we believe God is in all things, for the salvation of all, than if we live in fear!

The intriguing nature of this is appreciation that as described by Ephesians and understood in John, God has a Plan for the Universe. A Plan for every element, from the spider web, to the snow falling and blowing outside, from our falling in love, through the break-up that eventually allows us to fall in love all over again, in a love that allows us to stand beside and sit beside, and make decisions for a spouse who is dying. The intriguing nature of this plan is as named by John, that God knew Humanity would turn away! While Judaism knows the Old Testament to be their Full Scripture; and we as Christians can hear and accept the teachings of the First, we can also witness to the reality of the Incarnation that God has lived among a people who reject God, and still God would give up life for us, not only for those we love, but for those who hate us as well.

Recently, I was told a horrible tale, of a woman who had been born with severe Autism and Retardation her family recognizing their limitations, when she was born in the 1950s and had her institutionalized. She had spent over 50 years in an institution. At her best, she was able to color with crayons. She had no knowledge of numbers, no understanding of letters. Rarely did she know to recognize another person. Recently, she had had a blockage in her heart, and the surgeons did a valve transplant and bypass surgery. She had had to have a tracheotomy, which eventually was able to be reversed. And the question that was asked, was should all this have been done? Medically there was no question, these were treatable circumstances. But this is not a person who can communicate. Not a person who can contribute to the society. Not a person who can pay taxes or work at a job. And the point of the INCARNATION is all life is sacred. We cannot discriminate because God is in that other person.

What a different Destiny, if we did not fear; if we did not take life for granted as known; if we did not expect terrorist acts; if we did not need to weigh the costs and benefits, but could perceive God as present in all things and all life as being a mystery.