Parris 4-22-13 Sermon- “For Boston and For Earth”
Good Morning church family! As we gather on another Sunday during this Easter season, it’s a blessing that we can hold fast to the resurrection of Jesus and saints like Dorcas. In our New Testament, we have a powerful witness of this resurrection power of God that can transform suffering to glory, tears to laughter and most of all, bring life and life more abundantly from death… And Brothers & sisters, in light of current events this week it is this kind of good news that makes our gospel stories about Jesus & Dorcas all the more important to us today.
If the recent newspaper headlines and news reports are any indication of the future before us, then our world is in some serious need of the Holy Spirit and it’s resurrection power now more than ever. Just a few short days ago in our country, the tragedies and destruction in places like Texas and Boston have shown us the importance of walking with our risen Lord in faith rather than fear.
Especially when we call to mind the fatal bomb explosions at the Boston Marathon that left three people dead and many more injured and afraid, it seems as if the whole world is heightened to a new sense of awareness about human vulnerability in both the domestic and international communities in which we operate. While we wrestle with the reason for such heinous attacks, some people may have wondered where is God when tragedy strikes? And where was God during those explosions and the chaos at that Boston Marathon finish line? Many people are still struggling to find answers to these questions and some people may never find any clarity or closure at all on this matter. But in the midst of competing voices and violent news reports, I believe in the gospel news that God is still working and speaking even through unfathomable circumstances and times like these. As the Presbyterian minister and tv icon Mister Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood fame once articulated:
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things on the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” To this day, especially in times of “disaster,” I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers –so many caring people in this world.”
And these words ring especially true when we think about the countless images and footage of people rushing to help and care for wounded people in the aftermath of the explosion.
While some may struggle to see a divine presence this week, I believe that I saw glimpses of God working through the HANDS of the pedestrian doctors who ran in the relay themselves and yet worked tirelessly alongside the various Boston MEDICAL TEAMS that rushed towards the explosion site to save and care for others. I saw traces of the Trinity when people dropped to their knees to pray for and hold hands with the blast victims while sharing kind and hopeful words through the first and even second explosions. And finally, Brother sisters, I see God working in each and every one of you as you worship here without fear and refuse to let violence tear you away from this church community and the work that God still wants us to do in America as the body of Christ witnessing to the slow but sure growth and manifestation of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. That single victory of faith over fear is the spiritual equivalent of a coup d’etat or TKO over and against acts of violence and terrorism in this world.
Especially when we understand the purpose of terrorism, it is clear that fear and manipulation is the goal of those bombers in Boston and the past terrorist who attacked the World Trade Center buildings right here in New York on September 11th not too many years ago. As the FBI states on its website: “There is no single, universally accepted, definition of terrorism. [BUT] Terrorism is defined in the Code of Federal Regulations as “the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.” Intimidation lies at the heart of how and why terrorism exists so it’s up to us to resist violence and especially guard our hearts against intimidation and fear during these times. When we hear the news of such violent acts as we saw in Boston, it’s natural to be afraid; yet the state of fear and intimidation is exactly what state that terrorist individuals seek for people operate within. But when we let faith triumph over fear and make the world news reports be reconciled with the good news of the gospel, WE CAN AND WILL break the cycles of violence and destruction in this world. Just like 2 Timothy 1:7 says, brothers and sisters, WE WERE NOT GIVEN THE SPIRIT OF FEAR, but of power and love and of a sound mind. And especially during this Easter season celebrating the resurrection of Jesus and his triumph over sin, the world, and death, we are invited to walk in that victory each day and be restorers of the streets and repairers of any breech that we see. Death and destruction do not have the last word in our gospel story and it should not have the last words in our community or our country as long as we follow Jesus and encourage one another as the resurrected body of Christ on Earth.
This call is especially important as this Earth is under attack by terrorists as well as various other destructive forces that don’t make it on the news but take just as much of a toll on creation and our communities. While the open violence is easy to spot, we must be aware of our own destructive behaviors such as the polluting biological attacks that we inflict on our own land, sea, and air that poisons us everyday.
As Earth Day approaches this Monday, I hope we all remember that God sees all sin with the same judgment that sent Jesus to the cross. I hope that we remember to resist violence and to also resist all the habits of greed that destroy the natural resources of the Earth. Let us bring ourselves and one another closer to the risen savior Jesus who will cleanse us of all types of unrighteousness as we repent so that our stony hearts become new. And as our hearts are made new, the entire Earth will become new too as we love one another and care for this gift of life of on Earth even more. As we open our hearts and realize the interconnectedness of all creation, we can have life and life more abundantly just as the gospel promises us. And before I close on this point, I would like to share with you the lyrics of one song by Bette Midler that reminds me of this call to open our hearts to all of creation. The song is called “From a distance, and the lyrics are as follows:
“From a distance the world looks blue and green
And the snow capped mountains white
From a distance the ocean meets the stream
And the eagle takes to flight
From a distance there is harmony
And it echoes through the land
It’s the voice of hope
It’s the voice of peace
It’s the voice of every man
From a distance we all have enough
And no one is in need
And there are no guns, no bombs and no disease
No hungry mouths to feed
From a distance we are instruments
Marching in a common band
Playing songs of hope
Playing songs of peace
They are the songs of every man
God is watching is
God is watching us
God is watching us
From a distance
From a distance you look like my friend
Even though we are at war
From a distance I just cannot comprehend
What all this fighting’s for
From a distance there is harmony
And it echoes through the land
And it’s the hope of hopes
It’s the love of loves
It’s the heart of every man…
or rather it’s the heart of human being if we are to use a more inclusive version of these lyrics for our purposes.
When all is said and done Brothers & Sisters, since God sends sunshine and fresh air on all countries and continents on this Youth Sunday in Easter, let us take these lyrics and our good news to heart. God is with us, God is watching us and instead of living in destruction and fear, we are invited to celebrate the gift of God’s handiwork, the creation of all that is. In the face of violence and diverse kinds of destruction inflicted upon God’s people and Earth, we must ask ourselves today and every day, what are we going to about it? And , brothers and sisters, I use the word “we” because it is up to each and every one of us to come together in both good times and in trying times like these and we all must work through our responses and responsibilities to this world as a faithful community. WE MUST NOT BE WEARY IN WELL-DOING, brothers & sisters… and we must encourage one another to see God more clearly, follow Jesus the Good Shepherd more closely, and love God and one another more dearly.
Today and every day we must have the faith to believe that we can and will do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Today and every day we can open our hearts more to all of creation. And today and every day, God is willing to fill us with the resurrecting Holy Spirit so that there no room for any sin and destruction that tries to cling so close. May God strengthen you to believe with your whole heart, your whole soul and your whole mind. And may you walk in Jesus Christs’ precious footsteps in both good times and bad times as you carry the gifts and mysteries of life and creation within you to the presence of God and one another. In the name of the father, the son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
msparris.com 