12 PENTECOST, PROPER 16
SERMON PREACHED AT CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, NORWAY, MAINE
THE REV. ANNE G. STANLEY
23 AUGUST 2009
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1 Kings 8:1,6,10-11, 20-30, 41-43; Ps.84; Ephesians 6:10-2-; John 6:56-69
This is the final Sunday in the string of gospel readings from John, in which Jesus promises that he is the sustaining bread of life.
Today also gives us the last in the series of readings from the Letter to the Ephesians. The writer of this letter has been giving instructions to the early Christians on how to live lives of faith. Teachings for them and for us.
It is the reading from Ephesians that I want to focus on today. Today’s chapter is a primer on the specific work of confronting evil. How to deal with the evil around us. Not our personal enemies and how to whup them or take out people who annoy us. But cosmic evil, systemic evil, the sinister principalities and powers that penetrate and try to control our lives. The systems that compete with God and try to control God. The evil that seeks to destroy God’s ultimate purposes of establishing justice and peace. As Nobel Peace winner Betty Perkins Williams put it in her work in Northern Ireland, “Without peace there is no justice; without justice there is no peace.” The evil which the author of Ephesians is talking about tries to destroy both God’s justice and peace.
We know these powers, these systems, as racism, economic and class oppression, oppression of whole groups of people deemed less than worthy, class warfare. “Cosmic powers of present darkness,” is how the author of Ephesians puts it, “the rulers and authorities” who perpetuate those powers.
Waging war against systemic evil is God’s work. The writer to the Ephesians suggests that we are to leave the actual battle to God. We are involved, but our work is different from God’s work. “Put on the armor of God,” we are told. Wear what God wears: God’s armor, God’s belt, God’s helmet, God’s breastplate, God’s spiritual sword. Dress like God.
But notice this battle dress. Except for the “sword of the Spirit,” these items are all defensive weapons. Armor, helmet, breastplate, belt. We put them on and we are protected. “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing,” says the hymn. God’s armor is a defensive weapon. The only offense in God’s armor is righteousness, truth, salvation, and the gospel of peace. These are the “weapons” we are instructed to use: being wily and smart in using them but not offensively violent. Ultimately God will prevail against cosmic evil. Meanwhile, we will be defended by God as we work against evil the way God demands we do, in righteousness and speaking truth and promoting real peace.
But how often we humans forget what this author teaches us. How often we redefine God’s “armor.” In our quest to be right and to prevail and win, we change the definition of God’s armor or we create entirely new weapons. God’s arsenal does not include the weapons we humans come up with: weapons of war and violence, weapons of behavior, like shading the truth for personal advantage, cheating, one-up-manship, bullying (I heard the other day that something like one in five children are bullied by classmates), jealously, insults, personal vendettas . All of that has become commonplace in our human lives, even, I’ve observed lately, in our town governments.
I sat in on a terrible local meeting last week of the Norway/Paris Solid Waste Board. Our own Al Soule helped to establish this joint town board back in 1982. As someone mentioned in the parking lot after the meeting, Al Soule would have been aghast at what had just transpired. I know Al would have been dumfounded at this Board and the way its business was conducted and the way it interacted with the public who had come to listen and to speak during public comment time.
The clothing of God’s arsenal does not include weapons carried to Town Hall meetings on Health Care reform either. Pistols strapped to thighs, guns tucked into clothing, machine guns slung across the shoulders. “Put on the armor of God.” Can you imagine? These Town Meetings have been organized as a way for people to come together to discuss and learn about proposed legislation to promote affordable, accessible, quality health care for all Americans---surely a way to live out God’s plan for justice and peace on earth. What on earth do GUNS have to do with health care?
You know, sometimes animals can teach us humans things that we have a hard time getting across with words. Sometimes creatures are our best instructors.
Last Sunday night I took our black labs outside, late. Angus dashed back to our old pear tree to look for drops. Paco shuffled off behind him Paco is nearly thirteen. I lagged behind with my flashlight. Suddenly angus slammed on his breaks and let out a volley of barks. “Oh drats,” I said. “A skunk.” I shined my torch and sure enough, sticking up from the scruff under the tree waved a glorious, plumed black and white tail. Angus circled round and round the tail, barking furiously. He paid no attention to my demands that he cease and desist immediately. Paco plodded on and arrived at the tree. He began searching for pears. I stayed well back by the barn. I gave up, but went over the list of things on our shelves. Cans of tomatoes---any left?
Angus gave up his barking. You can’t eat pears and bark at the same time. I couldn’t smell skunk spray but I could still see the tail.
I waited.
Eventually Angus drifted off to one side, peed and joined me at the barn. I took him into the house.
Back under the tree, old Paco still rummaged around for drops, next to the tail. Eventually the tail and its handsome, striped body moved out and waddled over to the stone wall. Paco moved towards me, relieved himself and together we went into the house.
Three animals munching pears together, no great friends, even perceived as enemies at first, at least by Angus, but seekers after a common goal. Abiding in the same space. Sharing a meal at the table, side by side. No fights. No winning or losing. No insults. No spray. Putting up with one another.
A parable for the whole armor of God, for the reign of justice of peace on earth. A teaching from three of God’s creatures to us, that we might go and do likewise.