Scripture: John 15:9-12
Last Sunday was the 15th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on 9/11. I made brief mention of it in my sermon, but didn’t make a lot of fuss over this landmark remembrance. Part of that was the needs of the moment as our community was reeling from its own tragedies and part of it was admittedly personal preference.
I always feel a great sense of ambivalence towards the 9/11 remembrance. Like most folks, I want to remember those whose lives were lost with a sense of sorrow and solemnity. But it seems there’s always this handful (and I hope it truly is only a handful, but that may be a naive assumption) who take that day to scream at us “don’t forget what THEY did to us.” These folks turn what should be a day of quiet contemplation and turn it into a rallying cry for retribution. A cry we have answered in many and various ways over these past 15 years with no end in sight.
Memes like these pop up every 9/11
If “an eye for an eye” is the benchmark for how retributive justice is meant to work from the Old Testament, then for every “eye” lost on 9/11 we have taken two eyes, a nose, one ear, two hands, and more than our share of heads with no seeming end to our calls for more. We are no closer for it to a sense of security or justice or peace. The Middle East is awash in blood and it’s spreading.
Yet the calls continue with each passing year and with each call the definition of “they” in “don’t forget what they did to us” gets vaguer and vaguer. So the blood spreads to the streets of our cities. First it was the terrorists. Then it was all Muslims. Then it was anyone insufficiently patriotic. Then it was the liberals. The blacks. The gays. The immigrants. The non-Christians of any kind. And now we listen to the screeches of demagogues and pundits that point fingers at anyone not white, Christian, and male and say “It’s all their fault.” And there are those who act upon it.
A woman in a hijab was set on fire in Manhattan. A protester at a rally who was using oxygen was cold cocked out of nowhere. Protesters of the North Dakota pipeline have had dogs set upon them. The blood is spreading. And we are no closer to peace in our time.
There is a poison that has infected our country. It is the poison of hate. It is a poison that is bigger than one person or group. It’s bigger than Trump and Hillary. It’s bigger than the political parties and their platforms. It’s a war for the soul of a nation and a society. At what point are we going to stop and ask ourselves “is this who we truly wish to be?” When are we going to wake up and realize that what we’re doing isn’t working? It’s only making things worse. How much more blood will be spilled? How much more suffering will there be? How much more will we demand before we have our pound of flesh for those wrongs done to us both real or imagined? And who will we be when we get there?
I am reminded once again of one of my favorite quotes from Friedrich Nietzsche. “Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster... for when you gaze long into the abyss. The abyss gazes also into you.” The abyss is staring back at us, my friends. What are we going to do about it?
As followers of Christ Jesus and as citizens of this country, we often express our desire to be a “Christian nation.” But that can’t simply be a tribal identifier. It can’t simply be about monuments to Scripture, nativity scenes in our parks, and acts of piety in our schools. It can’t just be style and appearances. It has to be a perspective on life. It has to be who we are and how we behave towards others. WWJD? Hate is not on the menu.
The abyss is staring back at us, my friends. What are we going to do about it? The answer is simple. Be like Jesus.
Do we truly seek peace in our time? Justice for our society? Be like Jesus.
We have been blessed in the history of this nation, immensely blessed, to have known giants. Men and women that were not perfect by any means, but who aspired to be more than they were. I’m reminded of Abraham Lincoln, who offered grace to the Confederacy upon its defeat, and men like Robert E Lee and Ulysses Grant who carried out that grace and accepted it in defeat and victory. I am reminded of the challenge of JFK who told us to do things not because they are easy, but because they are hard. Turning back the tide of hate and enmity will NOT be easy. Grace and forgiveness are hard. Love and compassion are hard. But they are a way forward. A good way. A better way.
Jesus knew that. It’s why some of his last instructions to his disciples so focused on them. Our Gospel lesson is from the final night of his life, the “night on which he was betrayed.” His commandment to them and to us “love one another.” It’s so simple. Yet quite hard.
How do you do that? Stop assuming you know what another’s life is like. Stop judging their motives. Offer respect and dignity whether you think they deserve it or not. Do not tolerate the snide comment or indignant insinuation about another. In all things, ask yourself honestly. What would Jesus do here? How would he respond? The specifics may vary, but you can bet he would fall squarely on the side of mercy, compassion, and love.
We’ve been very blessed here at Canadochly. Over the course of these many years and decades that this church has stood, we have seen many souls grace these halls who have embodied this simple but difficult ethos. And while I suspect he might be embarrassed for me to say it so publically, one of the finest examples is the man we’ve all been thinking about and praying for this week. Mike gets it. He’s lived it. He’s done it.
But he need not be alone. Christ calls each of us to love. To be him to those in this world. What does it mean to live a Christian life? We are the saved, the elect. Our future is secure in heaven. Christ has died and lived again for our sake. Of this, we are certain. But what do we do with it? We make a better world. We make peace our primary goal. And we do that by love, care, and compassion for others. A tall order perhaps, but it is not hyperbole to say that right now the world needs us. Time to step up and bring peace through love. Amen.
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