Sermon, Sunday, 3 May 2009

Acts 4:1-12

“Houston, we have a problem.” These words, immortalized in the movie Apollo 13, have entered into the common lingo of our day as a way to say, sometimes humorously, that something is amiss. The wording, I discovered, is not exactly accurate, since both Apollo 13 crewmembers John Swigert, Jr and James Lovell said “Houston, we’ve had a problem.” The shade of difference in the meaning though means little. The problem referred to, if you remember, was a major one--life threatening in fact for the three crew members as they sped toward the moon. An electrical explosion shut down many operations in the command module including the oxygen system. “Houston, we’ve had a problem” translated by the movie into the present tense, was the start of some very tense days in 1970. After the film came out in 1995, the misquote phrase joined the popular jargon. Now-a-days, when you hear it, you know something’s not right. And so it is that the phrase comes to mind as I read the Acts lectionary text for today and think about pluralism as it stands these days.

When we became a part of The Center for Progressive Christianity several years ago, in preparation for that stance, several of us participated in an ongoing study of that organization’s eight points. The second of those eight points states:

By calling ourselves progressive, we mean that we are Christians who recognize the faithfulness of other people who have other names for the way to God's realm, and acknowledge that their ways are true for them, as our ways are true for us.

And in the light of today’s Acts reading, I want to say “Houston, we have a problem” though I wonder if Houston really cares or can do something about it.

Most of us, during that study, and I’d wager today, would affirm that 2nd point of The Center for Progressive Christianity. The thought behind this different approaches to God is known as pluralism which has a fairly major influence on us these days. No longer do we automatically discount something because it is different from us. Neither do we reflexively accept something because it is like us. We are more discerning now and more open. This, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. We are working on being open to diversity in our midst and learning how to live that out.

On the website The Journey with Jesus by Daniel Clendenin, he writes that David Barrett identified 10,000 religions in 2001 in the World Christianity Encyclopedia. Ten thousand separate religions that humanity has turned to in its attempt to understand, get closer to, and/or explain the divine. Of those 10,000, 150 of them have one million members or more. Either way you look at it, Christianity is one amongst many. And as Clendenin asks, “Is it reasonable to believe that Jesus is the only way to the only God, and that the other 9,999 religions are false?” Most of us would not take such a hardline position, I would surmise. But Clendenin goes on to make some important points to consider before we rush to a blind and wholehearted embrace of religious pluralism. (http://www.journeywithjesus.net/)

Because out there, in the world today and throughout the vast scope of our history, people have done some amazing things in the name of religion. And I’m not saying “amazing” always in the sense that they are wonderful things being done; I’m thinking too about actions and events that make us stop and shake our heads in dismay.

There have been crusades and jihads and wars, killing thousands upon thousands of people, all fought to prove that one religion’s path to God is the right one to the right God. We’ve had centuries of slavery and subjugation of entire peoples, often in the name of religion. Women have been and continue to be oppressed through religious beliefs. Some ancient Polynesian religions, I understand, had a class of slaves who were the human sacrifices to the Gods. Hinduism has long history of a complex caste system including the untouchable caste that, if you’re unlucky to be born into, you cannot escape. In the jungles of South America, Jim Jones led hundreds to their suicides in his church. Polygamy has been practiced by religious figures throughout history, including but not limited to the Mormons. which has some break-away sects that still understand their religious call to be one of multiple wives for one husband.

From Donald Wildmon of the American Family Association to Fred Phelps of “God Hates Fags” fame to Iranian Ayatollahs to Osama bin Laden to the Lord’s Resistance Army of northern Uganda to countless others today, we haven’t come far from the Crusaders marching to conquer the Moors several times a thousand years or so ago. But if we are to truly embrace pluralism, we need to recognize that it’s more than thinking warmly of the Dalai Lama or working together with a Jewish synagogue for Interfaith Hospitality Network.

And so we read today’s lectionary text from Acts in which Peter, defending himself and his colleagues, says flat out: “There is salvation in no one else [than Jesus] for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” (4:12) How do we defend our stance on religious pluralism facing such a direct statement by a true leader of the early church? Even from the words of Jesus we hear “I am the way, the truth, the life, no one comes to the Father except by me” (John 14:6) and the parable about a wide easy road and a narrow, difficult gate that is hard to get through in Matthew. (7:14)

As we did that study about becoming a member congregation of The Center for Progressive Christianity, I recall that during the session about point two, this one that I read a few moments ago about pluralism, we likened getting to God as a gate. We discussed whether there was only one path that led to that gate or whether there were multiple paths. As I remember it, we pretty much agreed that there were indeed multiple paths and we were on one of them, that path known as Christianity. We ended up with an image on newsprint with a number of lines converging from the bottom at a point near the top on a line, the space above which we had labeled “God.” It was an upside down funnel of the theological variety.

But I wonder now if that was only part of the picture. I wonder if there are other paths we didn’t draw in; lines that do not go to the gate we had imagined; paths that might even lead away from the top of that page where we placed God. Perhaps it’s not so much an upside down funnel as it is a mishmash of paths and lines going in all directions. What then do I do with pluralism? If I embrace and blindly accept these 9,999 other religions without much investigation into them, am I being naive and opening myself, and perhaps others, to possible movement away from God? And with so many other religions to check out, how and where does one draw the line that says “no, that is not a religion that leads to God.”

And I still have that defense from Peter to contend with. Now, mind you, circumstances between dear, old Peter and us are quite different. There was no “Christianity” then; there were a group of followers of Jesus of Nazareth, most of them Jewish. They hadn’t even gotten to the point where they were a thorn in the side of the Roman Empire yet; they were up in today’s reading before the Jewish high priests, not some imperial court. Peter was defending this sect within Judaism to the Jewish authorities. He shrewdly used a verse from Psalm 118 in his defense (the part about the rejected stone being the cornerstone) since they were indeed building a new religious edifice and that would be a verse that the priests would surely have known. Peter wasn’t talking so much about other religions in this case, but about how this new group related to Judaism.

So where does this leave us? Probably with more questions than answers. How do we approach pluralism? How do we work in interfaith situations and not seem triumphal? Where do we draw those lines about some of those other 9,999 religions? Do my lines need to match yours? Do I have to accept religions that still oppress women or gay men & lesbians or are xenophobic? Is violence such a part of religion so as to leave it to be irredeemable? And what then can be said about our own religion? How do we approach those who would say that their religious stance is the only way to that gate we see as the entrance to God? Is there no common ground? And how do I deal with other Christians who take very seriously the fact that following Jesus is the only way to approach God? Are we practicing the same religion? I’m not sure.

I fear this is one of those times at which I present more questions than answers. As we seek to find Truth however, we wonder about the truths that are out there. Indeed, Houston, we do have a problem. We have a problem in the tension between accepting other religions and acknowledging their ways as true for them while not diluting the message we are called to proclaim of God’s love and grace to the ends of the earth. We have a problem in opening ourselves up to others while understanding our call to bring the Gospel to others.

If you find yourself pondering such struggles, you are not alone. You are joined by many who seek to understand God as best they can while remaining true to the Christian faith that claims them.

© Gerry Brague, 3 May 2009

9 November 2008

Matthew 25:1-13 (& 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Some irony, huh? The Sunday after the election, in which not only did we elect the first African-American to the presidency of this nation, but we, at least those of us here in California and a couple of other states, voted, by a slim majority here, but a majority to be sure, to ban same-sex marriages…isn’t it ironic that this is the Sunday a parable arises out of the lectionary that makes us think about wedding customs—in another land and another time sure, but still the idea of a wedding, a marriage is there. And, like all parables, it’s not really about what it’s about. This parable isn’t a reminder about how to behave at a first-century, ancient Near-Eastern nuptial. Jesus tells this parable as a reminder of prudence. Be prudent, like the wise bridesmaids (or virgins as they were called in earlier translations of the Bible that many of us know); don’t be imprudent and forget to stock up on oil like those foolish bridesmaids.

But there it is. The week when I learn that millions of people in this state would deny my right to marry and probably, most assuredly, will go on to insist that Allen’s and my marriage this summer be annulled, I must think about the one thing I don’t want to think about—marriage. I’ve heard quite enough over the past several months about what a marriage is and isn’t, what constitutes a “biblical” marriage and what doesn’t. I don’t want to think about anything to do with marriage right now, thank you very much. I have to tell you that the passage of Proposition 8 dealt a body blow to me and to many others. And the thing is, I find that the “Yes on 8” folks are actually enjoying the body blow. They are exulting in their victory as they stomp on their fellow citizens’ rights.

Believe me, they are exulting. I’ve gotten caught up in a blog on the internet lately. For those without computer connections, a blog is sort of an online journal that someone, a blogger, writes publicly, for all to read. I happened upon one late this past week in which the person writing the blog commented on the protests and riots that were occurring in Los Angeles following the passage of Prop 8 and stating his opinion that Prop 8 is wrong and misguided. He’s gotten many comments in the past few days about his entry (on many blogs, anyone can respond and comment, usually anonymously). He was lambasted for supporting those unnatural and evil homosexuals. (I have no idea of the sexual orientation of the blogger who posted the original entry.) But here is a small taste of some of the responses that he got: [Note: I have not corrected the spelling, punctuation, grammatical errors of the following posts. But there are so many, that I can't add "sic" after each one.]

One person wrote: You must be gay or brain washed in to believeing that this moral degradation is “normal”. The drop in moral standards that have kept this country on it’s feet has degraded due to liberalism but the fact of the matter is homosexuality is a choice and therefore not subject to “Equal Rights”. It is not a race of people which are deserving of equal rights, it is a choice. The majority of people in Califormnia have spoken so it should be left as it is. let them go to Vermont or some other unholy state that allows it and quit trying to shove it down everyone else’s throat. Now, go ahead and claim that the other groups are the ones trying to ram there morality down the gays throat but I can promise you, the “normals” were here first and have made this country giving it stability. You won’t get that with gay marriages. I believe it was the first gay marriage in Vermont has already ended in divorce due to infidelity, etc. I could go on and on but it is a waste of breath since the people have spoken. The outrage is your support for it.

Another wrote: Well, I am glad to see that America didn’t lose everything, on election day!! I suppose we had to choose between who should we allow to riot, huh? 2500 homosexuals or 25 million blacks! You can tell a corrupt cause when the supporters are willing to behave like animals and destroy their own. THAT is the outrage, not Prop 8!!

[Racism mixed with homophobia; are any of us surprised?]

A third wrote: I think a “marriage” as defined by ancient law, the Bible, and by GOD, should be the union between one man and one woman. This is not about freedoms, or rights, or whatever the heck else the bleeding heart liberals want to call the funny business between two people of the same sex. It should have stayed in the closet where it belongs, instead of in our faces on every other TV program on the air today. We just banned same-sex unions in Florida to the point that it is now written into the State Constitution. Don’t get me wrong… I don’t condemn these people, and count some among my closest friends., I just think that it should NOT enjoy all the EXTRA molly-coddling these people enjoy just because they’re different. Where is this country going??

And on it went. I’ve read only three of many comments here. There were some, of course, that I agreed with; they weren’t all so vitriolic. But others, most in fact, were venomous, fear-based, and exhibited any lack of comprehension that this is an extremely complicated topic, relying, I felt, on tired arguments and spoon-fed thinking. Somewhere along the line, I, perhaps foolishly, entered the fray. But creating my own user name, I wrote:

Wow, if reading the responses to this blog is to be believed, there is a lot more ignorance and hatred in our society than I thought there was. The majority is not always in the right: the majority of Americans believed in slavery; the majority of Americans thought women should be second-class citizens. The majority is merely strength and power…not right not morally correct. The rights of the minority (be it an ethnic minority, sexual minority, cultural minority, economic minority, etc.) needs to be protected and that is why there are constitutions and laws, ineffective as they often are, which attempt to do just that. This vote to make discrimination a part of the CA state constitution subverts the ethical right and mandate to protect the few from the many.

I then went on to talk about how even if “Biblical marriage” existed, we probably wouldn’t want it. There are examples of polygamous, misogynistic, and lust-induced marriages throughout the Bible. Women had no rights, of course; they were merely property being exchanged in “Biblical marriages.”

Of course, after my post, I got attacked too. In fact, someone tried to turn my opening statement about ignorance on me and called me “ignorant.” Ah well. I just pointed out in my reply that I said that I had found that there was ignorance in our culture and the person who answered me felt a need to label me as ignorant and then asked him why he felt the need to denigrate. I’m sure I haven’t won many friends here; at least not among Ernie, ontheroc, Art and the man who answered my post.

And through it all, through all of this chatter about the fait-accompli that is Prop 8, there I was thinking about ancient marital practices; practices and traditions that Jesus obviously knew about and in fact was able to use in his parable, but that are lost to us today. Why were those bridesmaids, those virgins, waiting around for the groom? Why does the bridegroom show up all of a sudden at midnight? Why are the lamps so important? They’re so important, in fact, that the foolish ones felt they had to go and buy more oil? And then they’re locked out? Why is the door locked and no one is admitted? I just admit that I don’t get it and I don’t think this is a hetero vs homo-sexual thing. It’s clearly a cultural thing.

But the point is that Jesus was trying to make a point. And if I get caught up in the details about cultural traditions and nuptial mores in a place and time so foreign to me that I can even begin to imagine it, none-the-less understand it, then I’m missing the forest for the trees. Jesus, that radical, was telling his listeners that we don’t know when God is going to be around noticing what we’re doing so we’d just better be always prepared for any eventuality, even a bridegroom showing up late and taking everyone by surprise.

We have to remember the original audience of Matthew’s gospel as well as those new Christians in Thessalonica who received the letter from Paul, part of which we heard this morning. They believed with absolute conviction that Jesus was returning to earth…soon. He had said it prior to his ascension. Jesus would come back. 1st Thessalonians was written before Matthew’s gospel; anywhere from a decade to five decades earlier perhaps. But the concern on every early Christian’s mind was about when Jesus would return. Jesus had died, resurrected, and ascended at least 20 years prior to either of these books being put down in black and white. Time was marching on and people were starting to wonder when this return was going to happen.

Paul was busy quelling concerns about those good faithful people who had died in the interim—between the ascension and the promised return. “What would happen to them?” loved ones wondered and Paul assured them that Jesus would gather all the faithful together. Matthew’s hearers also were certainly anxious for Jesus to come back and FINALLY show that nasty old Roman empire just who was in charge. And who can blame them? I probably do not need to recount here the difficulty of living under Roman rule, especially if you were a follower of the Way.

But with upturned eyes, followers across the geography over which this young, struggling movement had spread scanned the heavens. With upturned eyes, hopes were lifted and prayers ascended. With upturned eyes, early Christians expected relief from misery and oppression by the appearance of the one who would do it.

In the context of these hopes and expectations and hearts that yearned for release, that wedding story makes some sense. Be prudent, plan ahead, don’t get caught off guard. The end times will come, but when you least expect them, Matthew reminded.

We, in the mainline tradition, don’t tend to focus on the end times much. We don’t worry much about Jesus’ coming again. That thought, eschatology is the big word for it, has been completely subsumed by those with a more conservative bent among the Christian faithful. There are books, extremely popular books and book series, and video games and movies devoted to the end times. There is a fascination among fundamentalists with Jesus’ second coming, that we don’t consider much.

But that’s the only way to understand today’s readings from the Christian Testament, with upturned eyes and a knowledge, no a certainty, that Jesus will come and care for us, relieving heart ache and misery and oppression. And you know, that’s almost exactly what I need right now.

Admittedly the constitutional amendment that Proposition 8 brings into being will not likely affect most of your lives much at all. Life will go on. In fact, on the surface, it’s not going to affect Allen’s and my lives a lot. No one is going to come in, as happened to gay men and lesbians throughout Nazi Germany, and drag us apart and force us into concentration camps, wearing pink triangles on our outfits to identify us as sexual deviants. (There are those in our culture, I’m sure, who would do exactly that though.) But no one is going to force us into marriages with women. The worst of it, really, is that things will go back to how they were; how they were for the 18 years that we have been together as a couple and even further back than that. And I will aver until my dying day that I am indeed married.

But, as I said, the vote on this proposition was a body blow to many of us. The fact is the state is at the mercy of a majority that seeks to impose its will and beliefs. The passage of Proposition 8 brought to the surface once again, at least for me, the fear that every lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered person has felt in their life; a fear for safety and not just emotional safety. I’m talking about the fear for physical safety that most in our culture take for granted.

So with upturned eyes, I seek comfort and security and affirmation, not just for myself but also for all my brothers and sisters who are harmed by this voice of the majority. With those same upturned eyes that searched the heavens for the first glimpse of a returning, triumphant Jesus centuries ago, I too hunt for signs of hope in the midst of shock and oppression. And in the sweeping election of someone whose skin color would have prevented him from even voting not that many decades ago, I find that hope. And in the fact that the vote on Proposition 8 was won by a slim majority, reducing the difference between the yeses and the nos from a 20% spread eight years ago to just a few percentage points this past Tuesday, I find that hope. And as I stand with upturned eyes, Jesus does appear; but not in the heavens and not descending on a cloud. No, Jesus appears in the faces of those who have faithfully fought the good fight. Jesus appears to me right here in the midst of a community that embraces and cares. Jesus appears to each of us, personally and lovingly appears to each person here in the midst of whatever is going on; in your life or in the world. Make sure you’re prepared; be certain you’re ready. Be wise.