Pentecost 17 Year A

Pentecost 17 Year A Romans 13: 8-14 September 7. 2008 The Rev.Benton Quest

You know, this week we remember the seventh anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. There are some of us that will never forget the exact place we were when we heard the news. But there is also a new generation that has no memory of the event. But whether we remember or not, that attack of terrorism has become a part of our lives. Our lives are different now than they were seven years ago. Life is more difficult now than it was seven years ago. I almost got stuck in Canada a couple of weeks ago because I didn’t have my birth certificate with me when we were trying to cross the border. Back in 90’s I remember crossing) the border with my driver’s license and my word that I was an American. Now… No way! Even now we cannot return to that feeling of being safe that we had before the attack. We now have to take our shoes off to get on an airplane and it takes hours to get through security.
On that day, our view of the world changed. We had to look at the world with new eyes. We had to take a more accurate view of the world. And what is really sad is that the tragedy that we experienced seven years ago is just a taste of what many places in the world experience on an almost daily basis. This is not to minimize the losses that we experienced; but I wonder if the attack really did what the terrorists wanted. The terrorist were trying to get something, but all that they got for their hate was more hate in return. What we can learn from this event, seven years ago, is “Hate enacted results in more hate.”
When people lash out in hate, it never changes the situation. All hates seems to do is to just create more hate. I mean, just think about it: I hate you so I punch you. Now, do you say, “Wow, I just got punched. I must be a jerk! I better change my ways and follow a new path. Thank-you for punching me and pointing out my character flaws!”? I really doubt it. If I punch you in the eye, you are probably going to punch me back. Then I punch you and so on until one or both of us are lying on the floor. And, you know, nothing really got solved, although now we will probably never speak to each other ever again. And our children will probably never speak to each other. Or their children, or their children…
So you see, if we cat out of hatred, all we do is cause more hatred. When we act with revenge, all we do is propagate more violence, more disdain, more distance. Often we feel we are “owed” some kind of revenge. We have the law of the Old Testament, “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” We have the right, THE DUTY, to strike back. When we acted upon in hatred, we feel we are feel we are totally justified in returning the pain for the pain inflicted. We feel we OWE it to them.
We may feel this, but in today’s reading from Romans, we are told differently. As Christians, we should not owe anyone anything, except to love one another. We are not to find ways of seeking revenge. We are not to repay evil with evil. We are not owed an eye for an eye. We are not owed a tooth for a tooth. We are not to take revenge upon others. We are to love one another.
At this time, it is easier to come up with what this love doesn’t look like. It doesn’t wish to heap pain upon the perpetrators of crimes or their families. It doesn’t seek out ways to humiliate the perpetrator or the family of the perpetrator. Our obligation is not to beat the other to a pulp.
But we, as Christians, are obligated to love. Now remember, love is not just that warm, squishy, furry teddy bear feeling. It is not the head-in-the-clouds, walking-on-air kind of feeling. Actually, love is not a feeling at all. Love is a choice. Love is a series of actions. Love is our energy placed into motion for the good of the other. Love is working to make the life of the other as joyful as possible.
In working to make the life of the other joyful, this doesn’t mean we are to become doormats. We are not supposed to just take everything that comes our way. That is not love either. Quite often, Christ’s teachings are difficult and painful. Jesus does not say, “If a member of the church sins, just gloss over it and don’t embarrass that person. We would not want to have the person think we are prying into his business.” That approach would not be loving either. To allow a person to wallow in sin is not loving at all. And we are not to stop at trying once; we are to try again! And this time, when we try again, we are supposed to being more people. And what are we supposed to do if the person does come around after the second try? We can quit, right? Isn’t that what Jesus meant when he said we were to treat the person as a Gentile or a Tax Collector?
Not hardly! How did Jesus treat the Gentiles and the Tax Collectors? Jesus healed the gentiles. Jesus ate with the tax collectors. Jesus did not send the gentiles and the tax collectors away, he stayed within their midst. So, too, are we to treat those that are in sin. We are to love them and invite them in. We are to continue to love them, even those we would consider our enemies.
As followers of Christ, we are to look to Christ as our role model. Christ loed us and died for us even when we were unrepentant and downright cruel. We were subjecting this man to a cruel, humiliating, and painful death, and his thoughts were for our forgiveness, for we knew not what we were doing. Christ didn’t seek revenge or retribution. Christ didn’t seek a life for a life. Even as he was dying for our sins, his love was still with us. That is the model of love that we are to follow. That is the path our leader blazed.
This is not an easy thing to do. I am not going to stand here and tell you that it is. But it is the path that leads to life and joy and freedom. It is the path to the kingdom of God. It is in loving others that we can find peace in our lives. I had heard it said that holding a grudge is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die. Christ didn’t die so we could remain bound to our sin and our petty hates and grudges. Christ died so we could have a full life, here and now! And that full life comes when we release what we feel we are owed and move toward realizing what we can give. We can receive this full life when we reach out to our enemies, not to punch them in the eye, but to love them in whatever way we can.
For most of us, the anger of seven years ago has probably subsided. But I am sure there are other people who you can call to mind that pique your anger. Those people may be co-workers, family members, or maybe even a spouse. Even though we feel these people may have tried to hurt us, should we try to hurt them in return? Should we continue with the petty bickering that may exist between us and those whom we interact on a daily basis? Should we continue to seek revenge that in the end serves no one?
Or can we be true disciples? Can we love those who we may consider our enemies? Can we wish the best to those who would wish us the worst? I think we may be able to for a while, but I think that without help, we are destined to fail.
Having said that, I do believe that the Christ that exists in you and the Christ that exists in me can give us the strength to choose to love over choosing to hate. I do believe that the Christ that exit in you and that exists in me will give us the wisdom to work for healing instead of working for the continuation of pain. I do believe that the Christ that exists in you and that Christ that exists in me and the Christ that exists in President Bush and the Christ that exist in Senators McCain and Obama and that aggressive driver on the interstate can move us to places we have never dreamed. Revenge is death. Love, love is life! As true followers of Christ, and through His strength, lets remind the world of the powerful love that we have been given through our Savior. The love that is there for all, just waiting to be embraced.