"Be Not Conformed to the Passions of Ignorance", May 8, 2011

I Peter 1:1-2 & 13-23
Luke 24:19-35

It is Mother's Day, and it is not snowing in Central New York!
It is Mothers' Day. A time to focus on joy and love and the ones who nurtured and cared for us, baking cookies and being there for us to sort out life's problems.

Ten years ago, on a Tuesday in September, a terrorist convinced others to fly fully gassed up planes into the Center of World Trade, into the Pentagon and into The Capital Building and 3,000 people died, beginning the longest war in our history. Two weeks ago, tornados blew over the face of the Midwest and another 3,500 people were killed. One week ago yesterday, NATO forces bombed the compound of Molmar Ghaddafi and while he was not there, his son and grandchildren were killed. A week ago today, Special Forces of the United States Military entered Pakistan, landed in the compound of the one who was behind the bombing of the World Trade Center and took him out. Since Adolph Hitler, there has not been one so filled with the evil of hate, with desire to kill Americans as Osama Bin Laden, and he is now dead and buried in an untraceable grave in the chaos of the ocean depths. Moments thereafter, flash mobs took to the streets to celebrate.

All throughout this time, I have prayed what to say this morning.
Routinely we follow the Lectionary, as means of preaching the variety of the Bible, as well as all Christian Churches preaching on the same passages so that when talking with your neighbors, or when your children phone this afternoon, we all had common points of reference from the Scriptures. There is no law dictating that we have to follow the Lectionary, and at times of National or International Circumstance, we often select passages fitting to the moment.

This week, I had contemplated, that while we tend to remember Charlton Heston raising his arms as the Red Sea parted and the Israelites were set free, the Book of Exodus describes that once the Israelites had escaped and Hard-hearted Pharaoh and his Chariots pursued them, Moses let down his arms and the enemy was killed. Then Moses' sister Miriam led the people in singing and dancing over the death and destruction of those who oppressed and hated the People of God.

And in the period of the Judges, in addition to Samson and Gideon, there was a General of the Canaanites named Sisera who had killed many, and being pursued by Deborah and her army, he hid himself in the bed of a woman, who herself drove a tent peg through his temple.

For a moment, I listened to the word that came through the Prophet Jonah, who hating the Ninevites, wanting to see them destroyed, sat down to watch their decimation, and the word of God came to Jonah asking “Do you do well to be angry?”

Often believers quote the Old Testament out of context, as if there were a Law demanding an Eye for an Eye and Tooth for a Tooth, justifying revenge. When what the Scriptures actually describe is that if your neighbor has blinded your one eye, the worst you are permitted to do to him is to blind his eye. At the imagination of this evil man, sons and daughters, wives and husbands, fathers and mothers were killed, and now he too is dead.

Returning to the passages appointed by the Lectionary for this day, Two of the disciples were walking to Emmaus. Where exactly Emmaus was, or what they needed there is unclear. Like us this morning, these disciples were trying to make sense of what happened and where do we go now. For the last several years, Jesus had been their Teacher and they his disciples, and now he was gone. How can you continue to be disciples, when there is no one of whom to be a disciple? They had lost their homes and families and businesses and careers over these years. They felt the sense of personal loss watching him die on the cross, burying his remains in the tomb. Just for an afternoon they wanted to get away from it all, just for an overnight to leave our responsibilities and problems in Jerusalem while we go to Emmaus. For 10 years, we have been at war, our mothers and fathers, husbands, wives, sons and daughters all have fought. At the same time, the economy has changed, and many have lost businesses, homes, dreams. Perhaps Emmaus, is not so much a particular place, as a get away. The opportunity to delve into a trashy novel, to get lost in an old movie, to wander through a garden, to go away without responsibilities for a brief moment. Yet along the way, to discover that we can never go back, and our thoughts continue to try to make sense. When suddenly, we realize there is another component to the equation.

Before September 11th, we took life for granted. One of the newscasters the other day made reference to PAX AMERICANA, playing off of the Ideal of the Roman Empire, that during the time Rome ruled a citizen of Rome could go anywhere in the world in safety and security, PAX ROMANA. But eventually their eyes were opened to the needs of people where they travelled. In addition to being at war, during the last decade we have built schools and hospitals and roads, where there were none. We have left the comfort and security of our homes, and made new relationships, friendships and commitments, we otherwise never would have made. In recent months we have learned that the schools and orphanages and hospitals built by the fortunes of Oprah and Greg Mortenson's 3 Cups of Tea, have not done all the good they set out to do. But, we were motivated to care, in ways never before; and oppressed people, who never before were given the hope of education, or healthcare, or clean water, have had hope.

I love the beginning of this Letter from Peter, TO THE EXILES OF THE DISPERSION. That is who we are as believers, is it not? Dispersed individuals who believe in God, living in a Man-made world? We are the humanity of God, those spreading compassion, in a world bent on a margin of profit, a stock portfolio, technological advancement. Gird your minds, set your hope upon the grace of Christ, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, instead be holy!

Be honest for a moment, how many have wished for, coveted, wanted one of the latest and greatest technological advancements, only to have it, and discover you have no clue how to work it? While it is helpful, it requires more time of us? While it allows us to be connected, we do not have anything important to say?

I remember when my family first moved to Skaneateles, we arrived the Friday before Christmas. Which in addition to all the expectations and turmoil of the holidays and family visiting before boxes were unpacked, meant that we had multiple worship services that Sunday morning, and Monday evening was Christmas eve. And somehow in the move, my computer had crashed, with all the sermons locked inside. I quickly recreated Sunday morning's, and the Family service. But for the life of me, I could not recall the Word that was to be preached at Midnight. Desperate, I grabbed a book, titled A Cup of Christmas Tea. It described going to visit a maiden aunt in the old part of the City. There were worries about the safety of the car on the street. Worries about taking time out of a busy life. Standing on the doorstep, waiting in the weather, as you heard shuffling inside. The door opened and there were the familiar smells, and the warmth and glow as those eyes looked up at us from behind thick glasses and suddenly recognized us for who we were. And the story went on to describe spending the late afternoon together with this one who had loved us into being, who had always accepted us, comforted us and helped us find meaning. Somehow the worries of time no longer mattered, we were ransomed from the futile ways of perishable things, like silver and gold, to consider what has been since before the foundations of kingdoms, Empires and Nations.

There is something wonderfully fitting about Mother's Day coming in the season of Easter, as our humanity and hope and faith are resurrected anew.