Blessed Are the Peacemakers Sermon for 9-24-06
Scripture: Micah 4:3-7; Romans 12: 14-21, Mt. 5:1-10, 43-48.
Today I want to follow up on some of the things we talked about last Sunday. I know for some of you nonviolence, either personally or nationally as in considering war, is quite a challenge. I’m aware last week we had a lot of tears in worship but we haven’t had any jokes lately. Also some of my sermons have been a bit on the long side. That reminded me of a minister who was known for his very long sermons. One Sunday he noticed a man get up and leave during the middle of his message. The man returned just before the conclusion of the service. As the man walked out of the church the pastor asked the man where he had gone." I went to get a haircut," was the reply. "But," said the pastor, "why didn't you do that before the service started?"
"Because," the gentleman said, "I didn't need one then."
Getting back to nonviolence, most all of our religions believe in peace and compassion. A Western Buddhist woman was in India, studying with her teacher. She was riding with another woman friend in a rickshaw-like carriage, when they were attacked by a man on the street. In the end, the attacker only succeeded in frightening the women, but the Buddhist woman was quite upset by the event and told her teacher so. She asked him what she should have done - what would have been the appropriate, Buddhist response. The teacher said very simply, "You should have very mindfully and with great compassion whacked the attacker over the head with your umbrella."
Keeping in mind that it will soon be time for a new stewardship campaign, I thought I would share 4 things we never hear said in church: 1. Hey! It's my turn to sit in the front pew!2. I was so enthralled; I never noticed your sermon went 25 minutes over time. 3. I love it when we sing hymns I've never heard before! 4. Nothing inspires me and strengthens my commitment like our annual stewardship campaign!
Well, that’s my best effort for the funny side today. Now let’s turn to one of my favorite parts of the Bible, the Beatitudes. One day I would like to do a sermon series on each of them; however, today I am going to focus on Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth and Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.
I’m sure most of you know that the body has two main reactions to a threat: fight or flight. Physiologically, in the early stages of our human development, things happened to help us to protect ourselves. Even now when a threat appears, our bodies go into a fight or flight response: such as increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and blood glucose, and a change in hormones, all initiated by the sympathetic nervous system to mobilize body systems to respond, to either stay and deal with a stressor by fighting or to take flight/run away. However, there is a third way to respond when we are threatened, either individually, as a group, or as a nation. Sometimes this is called anawim, taken from the word translated meek in the Beatitudes. This is the way that Jesus chose to respond, and a way that we also can choose. Jesus did not deny the unjust treatment or violence that he saw, neither did he try to run away from it. Instead he identified with those who were suffering and said things such as Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. As I read Jesus’ words I have no doubt that he wants all of us who follow him, who call ourselves Christians, to join him on this path of solidarity and love. He says just a little bit later in this famous Sermon on the Mount, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” When Jesus refers to the meek, he is not endorsing some type of timidness or saying it’s nice to be nice and good to be good. It’s a much stronger command to recognize that we are all brothers and sisters, that as we do good or harm to one of the least of these we do it unto Christ.
Sometimes you will hear people refer to the New Testament, especially the Gospels, as the teaching of peace and the Old Testament or the Hebrew Scriptures as being the justification for war. There’s no doubt that the history of the Jewish people is filled with violence and wars; however, do you know that shalom, the Hebrew word for peace, occurs roughly 350 times in the Hebrew scriptures. Peace is the result of right relationship with God, which yields right relationship with others and the world. There are plenty of passages in the Hebrew Scriptures that condemn violence and advocate concern for the good of others. In Leviticus 19:17-18, we see a call to love one’s neighbor as oneself, which is later taken up by Jesus as the second greatest commandment. In Isaiah as well as the Micah passage that was read this morning, it is urged that swords be beaten into plowshares. Micah says “nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” Dr. Peter Gathje, Director of Peace Studies and Assistant Professor of Religion at Christian Brothers University in a lecture for the Gandhi Institute concluded that in the Judaic tradition, peace comes through God’s justice, which is right relationship between God and God’s people.
One of the most prevalent attitudes since 9/11 is the attitude of fear. We are always being cautioned about the next great horrible thing that may happen to us. The level of danger goes up according to a color code. Bishop Arthur Walmsley gave be a most interesting book last week, titled Hell’s Abyss / Heaven’s Grace: War and Christian Spirituality written by Lawrence D. Hart, an Episcopal priest. (Notice our thought for reflection in the bulletin) I highly recommend this book. Hart says that “our fear fuels the engine of anger which turns the gears of vengeance. Without the fuel of fear the whole mechanism grinds to a halt…. But it is easy to see where fear and anger lead: Nazi Germany subjects Jews to unimaginable horror and death; Israel in turn oppresses and brutalizes Palestinians (with American knowledge and support, even with massacres such as at the refuge camps of Sabra and Shatila); some Arabs then resort to global terrorism, with the attack on the World Trade Center as their most heinous assault; America responds by defying the rest of the world, fabricating evidence, and attacking Iraq. Matters of cause and effect are certainly more complex than this; nevertheless there is a relationship here that is set off by fear.”[1] I agree that this sounds too simplistic; however, it does have a ring of truth in it for me.
Throughout the gospels we are told, “Do not be afraid.” As Henri Nouwen says we are called to move out of the house of fear and into the house of love. He says that each time we move out of the house of fear toward the house of love, peacemaking starts. If we keep our eyes fixed on this Jesus we just may be able to let go of fear and become free enough to live in a world without borders and be able to truly bring and receive good news throughout the world. He sees this as happening through three things:1) prayer—which puts us in the intimate presence of unconditional, unlimited love; 2)resistance to the things that lead us or others to death and destruction such as prejudice, greed, militarism; and 3) building community where we dare come together and get to know each other, forgive each other, share joy and sorrow, celebrate a vision of peace that will overcome all fear.[2]
Let me tell you a couple of true stories in closing. First, how many of you remember Ruby Bridges, an African American first grader who integrated the public school in New Orleans back in 1960. Each day Ruby had to enter and leave school through a howling mob. Robert Coles, a child psychiatrist, was fascinated by her ability to do this. He went observed as well as interviewing Ruby and her parents. Ruby told him that she was praying for the people that were yelling at her because her parents and her minister said that such people needed praying for. So Ruby prayed for these raging men and women every night before she went to bed as well as when she walked to the school. She said this to Coles, “Because if you go through what they are doing to you, you’re the one who should be praying for them…The minister said that Jesus went through a lot of trouble, and he said about the people who were causing the trouble, ‘God forgive them, because they don’t know what they’re doing.”[3] This is the faith and trust of a first grader, truly one of the blessed meek that will inherit the earth. Glory be to God. If evil and violence are to be overcome by good, we the body of Christ must be like him, emptying ourselves of fear and anger and filling ourselves with God’s love. Can we like Paul say, “It is no longer I who lives, but it is Christ who lives in me.? It’s not easy my friends but it is part of the joy and cost of discipleship.
The other story is from Muriel Lester,[4] who worked until her death in 1958 with the Fellowship of Reconciliation. She tells of a family in Vienna who believed in nonviolence and yet were initially fearful when they realized that the Russian soldiers were on their way to march into their home. They had a son who had been killed by the Russian military in the war and were left with a second son and a beautiful teenage daughter. The custom of the soldiers after winning a war was that they were allowed to do whatever they pleased for a few days. The family thought about hiding their valuables, maybe sending the daughter away. They all prayerfully considered what they should do. They decided not to hide or bury anything, not to send the daughter away, but to prepare their house for guests—thinking of the soldiers as young men far from home, conscripted into the Russian army. Let me now read to you the rest of the story:
Sometimes it is hard to imagine that there is a third way, a way of love, not hate; forgiveness and hospitality, not fear and revenge. Our speakers last Sunday talked about some of the amazing things that happen through the Peace and Reconciliation trials in South Africa. I have shared other stories with you today. If you join me on Saturday at the Peace Rally at the statehouse in Concord, you will hear many more stories of hope and promise, not just from Christians, but other faiths as well as people who consider themselves with out a faith but as people of conscience. Let us grow together in peace with justice for all. Amen and amen.
[1] Lawrence Hart, p. 43.
[2] Henri Nouwen, The Road to Peace, edited by John Dear, pp.58-64.
[3] Robert Coles, “The Inexplicable Prayers of Ruby Bridges,” Christianity Today, August 1985.
[4] “Tales from Vienna”, in Peace is the Way, edited by Walter Wink, pp. 260-1.
Today I want to follow up on some of the things we talked about last Sunday. I know for some of you nonviolence, either personally or nationally as in considering war, is quite a challenge. I’m aware last week we had a lot of tears in worship but we haven’t had any jokes lately. Also some of my sermons have been a bit on the long side. That reminded me of a minister who was known for his very long sermons. One Sunday he noticed a man get up and leave during the middle of his message. The man returned just before the conclusion of the service. As the man walked out of the church the pastor asked the man where he had gone." I went to get a haircut," was the reply. "But," said the pastor, "why didn't you do that before the service started?"
"Because," the gentleman said, "I didn't need one then."
Getting back to nonviolence, most all of our religions believe in peace and compassion. A Western Buddhist woman was in India, studying with her teacher. She was riding with another woman friend in a rickshaw-like carriage, when they were attacked by a man on the street. In the end, the attacker only succeeded in frightening the women, but the Buddhist woman was quite upset by the event and told her teacher so. She asked him what she should have done - what would have been the appropriate, Buddhist response. The teacher said very simply, "You should have very mindfully and with great compassion whacked the attacker over the head with your umbrella."
Keeping in mind that it will soon be time for a new stewardship campaign, I thought I would share 4 things we never hear said in church: 1. Hey! It's my turn to sit in the front pew!2. I was so enthralled; I never noticed your sermon went 25 minutes over time. 3. I love it when we sing hymns I've never heard before! 4. Nothing inspires me and strengthens my commitment like our annual stewardship campaign!
Well, that’s my best effort for the funny side today. Now let’s turn to one of my favorite parts of the Bible, the Beatitudes. One day I would like to do a sermon series on each of them; however, today I am going to focus on Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth and Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.
I’m sure most of you know that the body has two main reactions to a threat: fight or flight. Physiologically, in the early stages of our human development, things happened to help us to protect ourselves. Even now when a threat appears, our bodies go into a fight or flight response: such as increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and blood glucose, and a change in hormones, all initiated by the sympathetic nervous system to mobilize body systems to respond, to either stay and deal with a stressor by fighting or to take flight/run away. However, there is a third way to respond when we are threatened, either individually, as a group, or as a nation. Sometimes this is called anawim, taken from the word translated meek in the Beatitudes. This is the way that Jesus chose to respond, and a way that we also can choose. Jesus did not deny the unjust treatment or violence that he saw, neither did he try to run away from it. Instead he identified with those who were suffering and said things such as Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. As I read Jesus’ words I have no doubt that he wants all of us who follow him, who call ourselves Christians, to join him on this path of solidarity and love. He says just a little bit later in this famous Sermon on the Mount, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” When Jesus refers to the meek, he is not endorsing some type of timidness or saying it’s nice to be nice and good to be good. It’s a much stronger command to recognize that we are all brothers and sisters, that as we do good or harm to one of the least of these we do it unto Christ.
Sometimes you will hear people refer to the New Testament, especially the Gospels, as the teaching of peace and the Old Testament or the Hebrew Scriptures as being the justification for war. There’s no doubt that the history of the Jewish people is filled with violence and wars; however, do you know that shalom, the Hebrew word for peace, occurs roughly 350 times in the Hebrew scriptures. Peace is the result of right relationship with God, which yields right relationship with others and the world. There are plenty of passages in the Hebrew Scriptures that condemn violence and advocate concern for the good of others. In Leviticus 19:17-18, we see a call to love one’s neighbor as oneself, which is later taken up by Jesus as the second greatest commandment. In Isaiah as well as the Micah passage that was read this morning, it is urged that swords be beaten into plowshares. Micah says “nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” Dr. Peter Gathje, Director of Peace Studies and Assistant Professor of Religion at Christian Brothers University in a lecture for the Gandhi Institute concluded that in the Judaic tradition, peace comes through God’s justice, which is right relationship between God and God’s people.
One of the most prevalent attitudes since 9/11 is the attitude of fear. We are always being cautioned about the next great horrible thing that may happen to us. The level of danger goes up according to a color code. Bishop Arthur Walmsley gave be a most interesting book last week, titled Hell’s Abyss / Heaven’s Grace: War and Christian Spirituality written by Lawrence D. Hart, an Episcopal priest. (Notice our thought for reflection in the bulletin) I highly recommend this book. Hart says that “our fear fuels the engine of anger which turns the gears of vengeance. Without the fuel of fear the whole mechanism grinds to a halt…. But it is easy to see where fear and anger lead: Nazi Germany subjects Jews to unimaginable horror and death; Israel in turn oppresses and brutalizes Palestinians (with American knowledge and support, even with massacres such as at the refuge camps of Sabra and Shatila); some Arabs then resort to global terrorism, with the attack on the World Trade Center as their most heinous assault; America responds by defying the rest of the world, fabricating evidence, and attacking Iraq. Matters of cause and effect are certainly more complex than this; nevertheless there is a relationship here that is set off by fear.”[1] I agree that this sounds too simplistic; however, it does have a ring of truth in it for me.
Throughout the gospels we are told, “Do not be afraid.” As Henri Nouwen says we are called to move out of the house of fear and into the house of love. He says that each time we move out of the house of fear toward the house of love, peacemaking starts. If we keep our eyes fixed on this Jesus we just may be able to let go of fear and become free enough to live in a world without borders and be able to truly bring and receive good news throughout the world. He sees this as happening through three things:1) prayer—which puts us in the intimate presence of unconditional, unlimited love; 2)resistance to the things that lead us or others to death and destruction such as prejudice, greed, militarism; and 3) building community where we dare come together and get to know each other, forgive each other, share joy and sorrow, celebrate a vision of peace that will overcome all fear.[2]
Let me tell you a couple of true stories in closing. First, how many of you remember Ruby Bridges, an African American first grader who integrated the public school in New Orleans back in 1960. Each day Ruby had to enter and leave school through a howling mob. Robert Coles, a child psychiatrist, was fascinated by her ability to do this. He went observed as well as interviewing Ruby and her parents. Ruby told him that she was praying for the people that were yelling at her because her parents and her minister said that such people needed praying for. So Ruby prayed for these raging men and women every night before she went to bed as well as when she walked to the school. She said this to Coles, “Because if you go through what they are doing to you, you’re the one who should be praying for them…The minister said that Jesus went through a lot of trouble, and he said about the people who were causing the trouble, ‘God forgive them, because they don’t know what they’re doing.”[3] This is the faith and trust of a first grader, truly one of the blessed meek that will inherit the earth. Glory be to God. If evil and violence are to be overcome by good, we the body of Christ must be like him, emptying ourselves of fear and anger and filling ourselves with God’s love. Can we like Paul say, “It is no longer I who lives, but it is Christ who lives in me.? It’s not easy my friends but it is part of the joy and cost of discipleship.
The other story is from Muriel Lester,[4] who worked until her death in 1958 with the Fellowship of Reconciliation. She tells of a family in Vienna who believed in nonviolence and yet were initially fearful when they realized that the Russian soldiers were on their way to march into their home. They had a son who had been killed by the Russian military in the war and were left with a second son and a beautiful teenage daughter. The custom of the soldiers after winning a war was that they were allowed to do whatever they pleased for a few days. The family thought about hiding their valuables, maybe sending the daughter away. They all prayerfully considered what they should do. They decided not to hide or bury anything, not to send the daughter away, but to prepare their house for guests—thinking of the soldiers as young men far from home, conscripted into the Russian army. Let me now read to you the rest of the story:
Sometimes it is hard to imagine that there is a third way, a way of love, not hate; forgiveness and hospitality, not fear and revenge. Our speakers last Sunday talked about some of the amazing things that happen through the Peace and Reconciliation trials in South Africa. I have shared other stories with you today. If you join me on Saturday at the Peace Rally at the statehouse in Concord, you will hear many more stories of hope and promise, not just from Christians, but other faiths as well as people who consider themselves with out a faith but as people of conscience. Let us grow together in peace with justice for all. Amen and amen.
[1] Lawrence Hart, p. 43.
[2] Henri Nouwen, The Road to Peace, edited by John Dear, pp.58-64.
[3] Robert Coles, “The Inexplicable Prayers of Ruby Bridges,” Christianity Today, August 1985.
[4] “Tales from Vienna”, in Peace is the Way, edited by Walter Wink, pp. 260-1.
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