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By Word or By Deed Matthew 21:23 – 32; Exodus 17:1 – 7 Thirty-five years ago I worked for the National Benevolent Association in one their children’s homes. In this particular home the children and their ‘house parents’ lived in cottages where they ate breakfast and lunch. At dinner, however, all the children and staff of the home gathered together in a large dining hall. At least once a month a certain visitor would walk in; most of the time un-announced. He would leave his driver — who was also a secret service person — outside and walk alone into the dining room seating himself at one of the tables of children. There was no fanfare and not much excitement. He would come to visit and share a meal with the children; to hear their stories and develop friendships. I don’t know how long he had visited the home before my time or how long after. I do know that he attended the Regional Assembly of Disciples that year and applauded us for the incredible ministry we were providing for children and youth, most of whom had been placed in the home by the courts. As a non-Disciple, he did state his fear that most of us did not know the impact of the church on these children nor did we take seriously what else we could be doing to under-gird that ministry. He chastised us because he knew that few Disciples ever took the time to develop friendships or any kind of relationships with either the children or the staff of the Home. Our true involvement in that ministry was minimal. That man — who was the Governor of Georgia at the time and went on to serve in the White House — sent official Presidential Inaugural invitations to some of the older children of the Southern Christian Home. None of them attended, but they did send a ‘care kit’ for him so that he might better be able to endure the stress of serving as the President of the United States. Last week I read an article about the Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia. A visitor stood in a long line to hear Jimmy Carter teach a Sunday School class. He stayed for worship and read the following notice in the bulletin: ‘Rosalynn Carter will clean the church next Saturday. Jimmy Carter will cut the grass and trim the shrubbery.’ Most Republicans and many Democrats agree that Mr. Carter was not the most successful President, mostly because of his unwillingness to play political games. History will tell on that issue. That’s not why I bring him into our thoughts today. I do believe he is an example of one who acts out his faith. One who not only talks about the shoulds of Christian life but also has regularly demonstrated the walk of his faith. Cutting the grass at his church, and eating dinner with angry, dysfunctional teenaged kids in a church home and, of course, building houses for the poor, are indicators of this for me. If we thought last week’s Gospel passage was tough on us — as an indictment of religious folks — this week’s goes the whole nine yards! It raises the issue of whether ‘talk’ is good enough for God. The religious leaders (of Jesus’ time) were getting pretty upset with Jesus. He was teaching and preaching — attracting larger and larger crowds to hear him — but he was NOT saying the ‘right’ things. He certainly was not preaching the company line. So the religious leaders asked him — bluntly — who gives you the authority to say what you are saying??!! Jesus, who was fairly wondrous at getting out of any corner or dodging the bullets of angry people responded with his own question: ‘If you guys can answer this one, then I will answer you.’ He really wasn’t being as evasive as he was trying to show them that his power — his authority — came from a source beyond them. A source that they could not even understand. Unfortunately, the authority of the religious leaders (who were so outraged at Jesus) came from the organization, the tradition, and the controlling institution that they were perpetuating. Their profession had come to be one of carrying on something that had been handed to them without the work, inspiration, and questioning that true faith demands. Tradition is important — essential, in fact. It is the vehicle that allows the transmission of history. It frees us from having to learn everything on our own. It provides structure and grounding. The traditions of faith, however, do not provide the experience or relationship we must have with the living God and with each other. They can only set the stage and provide some of the props. We have to be present — fully present — and engaged for the experience and the drama of the encounter. Stumping these religious leaders with his question, Jesus then went on with the parable. Essentially the story poses the issue of whether God is more pleased with someone who talks a good talk or someone who doesn’t necessarily say the right thing, but does the right thing. The men with whom Jesus had been conversing knew the correct answer. They must have been further outraged at Jesus, however, with the profound insult he made, indicating that tax collectors and prostitutes would get to heaven before they. This parable illumines come of our history. One-hundred-forty years ago our nation fought a horrific war, costing many, many lives and tearing families apart. Historians will tell us there were lots of issues at the root of this conflict, but basic to this strife was the interpretation of equality and whether equality was reserved only for people of light skin. The war was completed and there was acknowledgement that equality was meant for people of all skin color. Wonderful words and a glorious tradition of freedom began. Why, then, was it necessary 100 years later to pass the Civil Rights Bill? Talk was not enough. Who pleases God more: those of us who concur verbally that all those created by God are brothers and sisters and therefore equal heirs, singing songs and writing liturgies with these affirmations, or those who live their lives as if we all, indeed, are one family? It was during the times of the Civil Rights Bill in the last century — not the Civil War of the 19th century — that the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) along with many other churches realized that the emptiness of talk would not heal or make right the division of people based on the color of our skin. The Reconciliation Ministries of our church began at that time, and projects to dismantle racism began in most of our Regions. Efforts of education, of activities, which draw youth together to seek advocacy of rights guaranteed under law, were being undertaken by many urban groups. We have raised thousands of dollars to do this work and developed many, many stellar projects, but racism is still alive and well in our neighborhoods, cities, states and nation. Racism is systemic. And like any disease that is systemic, it cannot be treated either with a band-aid or a topical ointment. It has to be dismantled from its roots, from its sources, with a vision that sees much deeper than the surface concerns. And in this country it has to be seen tightly woven with issues of poverty. Hurricane Katrina taught us we still have a very long way to go. Most of us have the luxury of evacuating a city that is in a storm’s way. If we have no extra money, no credit card, no car, or no family living inland an order of evacuation is worth nothing. The issues of racism and poverty are not easily understood or redeemed. They cannot be dealt with, however, until those of us who have privilege — whether because of economics or skin color — accept that our privilege provides power in all areas of life: business, finance, government, church and community. Once we affirm that we can commence the arduous task of dismantling the systemic hold it has — not before. Laws will not change racism anymore than words or promises will suffice God’s pleasure. Thursday evening, Krista Tippett spoke to the Annual Interfaith Partnership Dinner in St. Louis. Ms. Tippett hosts the NPR program “Speaking of Faith.” A journalist and theologian, Tippett spoke of two different levels of relationships between faith groups, which could also be attributed to differences of any grouping of people whether along the lines of class, color, ethnicity, or opinions. The first level is respect, mutual recognition, kindness, conversation and tolerance. The second level involves hospitality, seeking real truth, mercy and justice. The first level can be achieved through words and speaking. The second involves action, deeds, walking in faith. We know in our minds and hearts what is the pleasure and will of God. Paying lip service to that is not enough. Seeking God’s justice and extending God’s love will not occur only because we know something in our mind and speak something from our mouth. As with any of God’s dreams, our participation cannot merely be through word but must be acted upon through the fullness of our actions and the commitment of our lives. May we be people who walk our faith, integrate our beliefs with our lives, question our traditions enough to come fully into the transforming power and possibilities of the living God. SW |
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