Jesus never told us it would be easy. I
think we Lutherans are having a particularly rough time these days trying to
decide how to be the Church in the midst of the contentious weirdness of
American society. I mean, in this week’s Gospel (Matthew 5:13-20) Jesus tells
us to let our light shine so people can see our good works (v. 5:16). But we’re
not comfortable with that. We’re naturally reserved, shy folks who like to sit humbly
in the back of the church. Besides, didn’t Jesus just tell us last week that
the meek will inherit the earth (v. 5:5)?
And isn’t he going to tell us in Matthew 6 to beware of practicing our piety
before others, and that we should do our good deeds in secret?
There just seems to be too many
frustrating contradictions here. We even have a problem with the Hebrew
scripture lesson appointed to accompany the Gospel text (Isaiah 58:1-12). How
are we supposed to shout out to the people and announce their rebellion when
Jesus told us last week that the peacemakers
are blessed? Why should we go around stirring the pot? Isn’t there enough
controversy already?
And—not for nothing—being merciful to the
poor and marginalized is all well and good, but do we have the money in the
church budget to do it?
And shouldn’t I, as a pastor, be about the
business of providing comfort and refuge from the craziness and vitriol of
current events? After all, you can’t even turn on the TV or the radio or log
onto the internet without learning of anger, protests, and discontent with the
new administration. The mayor of Philadelphia is challenging the president.
There are demonstrators clogging Market Street and at the Philadelphia
International Airport. People are having vicious debates on social media.
Commentators are barfing out their opinions, and I’m guessing many of us are
just looking for a safe, “politics-free” zone where we can rest and let our
blood pressure return to normal.
Jesus never told us this would be easy.
If the last thing you want to read about
in a religious blog is political controversy, maybe you should click on something
else now.
Okay. Here’s what I can’t do: I can’t tell
you how to vote when there’s an election. That’s against IRS rules. If I stand
in the pulpit and say “Vote for this guy or this party,” that officially makes
the church a political action committee and violates our tax-exempt status. Here’s
what I shouldn’t do: I shouldn’t get you so riled up about social
controversies that you don’t hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And here’s what I won’t
do: I won’t pretend that social issues and values don’t exist. I won’t let you
live “love thy neighbor” on Sunday and “every man for himself” Monday through
Saturday.
What good is knowledge of the Gospel—of God’s
saving and all-inclusive love—if we don’t put it into action? If we keep our
lamp of truth under a bushel, it’s going to go out. In these times, with the
rhetoric being what it is, it is more important than ever that we find expression
for our faith. If we really believe that Jesus loves the poor and values the
stranger, then it’s time to put that belief into action. I’m not suggesting
that we all go out and march and protest, but I think we have to seek ways to
express our convictions to those in authority.
Last Sunday, my congregation voted to
begin work on a community garden on our church property. The purpose of the
garden is to provide fresh vegetables to the more than 2000 families registered
for food assistance through our local Lutheran food cupboard, Feast of Justice. Today,
I am reaching out to one of the directors of the Muslim Youth Center of
Philadelphia which has committed to help resettle refugees from the violence in
Syria. I do not know what assistance we can offer, but I feel the gesture is
important. This summer Faith Lutheran of Philadelphia will again shelter
homeless families through our partnership with Interfaith Hospitality Network.
To date we have helped some fourteen families find permanent housing. These
actions are not major feats, but they are tiny ways through which we can let
the light of Christ shine. We need to make up our minds to do something. A letter to a congressman, a
signed petition, a new volunteer opportunity, a charitable donation, or a word
of gentle rebuke to a racist comment. Something. Anything. Faith without works
is dead (James 2:17).
Finally, let me use this forum to express
some things which are dear to my heart. As some of my readers know, my sister
died of cancer in 2014. She had no employer-provided health care and was
receiving assistance through a women’s health center in Tacoma, WA. The center
did not have the equipment to accurately diagnose her condition. By the time
she presented with cancer symptoms, it was too late. The notion of further
defunding women’s health institutes or replacing Medicare or Medicaid with risky
block grants is extremely painful to me. Healthcare is not a commodity. It is a
basic human right and an imperative in my faith (See Luther’s explanation to
the Fifth Commandment).
Similarly, as a Lutheran and a former
public school teacher, I do not see the education of our children as a
free-market enterprise. It is the duty
of the society to provide education adequately for every child. (Luther also
expressed this eloquently in his Letter to the Councilmen of All Cities in Germany,
1524). If the president wishes to spend twelve to fifteen billion dollars of
our tax money building something, I’d be much happier if he’d spend it building
new schools or repairing existing educational centers.
Christians, there is a time to be silent
and a time to speak (Ecclesiastes 3:7b). Now, I believe, is the time to speak
our values. Now is a good time to put our faith into volunteer action and let
our light shine. We’ve been under the bushel too long.
No comments:
Post a Comment