Lectionary texts for the date (Sept. 28, 2008) included Exodus 17:1-7 (Moses told to "strike the rock," and water comes forth in the desert); Matt. 21:23-27 (Jesus is asked "...by what authority do you do these things?"); and Phil. 2:1-13 ("let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus....")
The year was 1917—a tall, strong farm boy from Broadway, VA [John Kline's hometown] found himself on Parris Island with the US Marines, along with a whole lot of other young men—who were training to fight & kill. But there was something different about this young fellow....
Michael Robert "Bob" Zigler's story -- the life of M.R. Zigler, founder of OEP, and the inner struggles he went through to stand up and tell the truth of who he was as a conscientious objector and pacifist while working for the YMCA [historical movement of social uplift of esp. working classes thru providing Christian recreation, religious & social services] w/the U.S. Marines on Parris Island in 1917--recreational sports & games, music, prayer services, stationery for letters home, a listening ear, a friend who's response was something more than "buck up-yer a Marine now!", etc. But conscientious objectors and pacifists were reviled in USMC. Finally spoke to commanding officer & said he was a CO. Surprisingly, found support from tough Marine colonel, who said, "Don't change. But don't tell anyone I said that until I am dead." This officer said something that continually challenged Zigler: idea that churches could prevent war if Christians agreed not to kill each other. Working through this inner struggle to speak his truth helped him find peace with himself, and also began his great work for peace in the world....I'll come back to his story.... Great creative energy for can be liberated if we face our inner demons and fears and get thru them….
Did anyone think about the question from last week: What we have to change to make Christianity itself more peaceful?
Seems contradictory, but sometimes it can be a difficult inner struggle to find and live out "the things that make for peace" in ourselves & in the wider world.
Some find themselves in a desert in the context of American Christianity; there might still be "sacred cows" in the church (maybe even University Baptist & Brethren Church!) that are bulwarks of injustice and violence against groups of people in the world—LGBT folks of course come to mind, but there are other groups as well [e.g., for women: NRSV’s changing of pronouns in Bible from “he” to “he and she”--much more to do here]. One example—what does it do to peace and justice in the world to have the history of Israel's "God-given" occupation of the Holy Land recited over and over again every year in Christian churches? [ e.g., Exodus 3:7b-8 few weeks ago: "Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.... What does it do to the world today that Israel is recognized as a people and all other people of the land as nothing?] Discussion of subject must be nuanced w/respect & tenderness love for Jews, Judaism & Jewishness, and also w/recognition of abuse of the claim to the Holy Land--& clear, new ways of interpreting Israel's conquest of Canaan. [My own story of growing up in S. Conn., near NYC, school where most of my friends were Jewish—learned meaning of kindness, friendship & forgiveness from Jewish people.]
The Bible begins with story: "There is a people that once was no people, had no identity--that once were enslaved & oppressed w/o a land of their own—had no land, no country, no standing among the nations…. God called to them and made them a people and gave them a land…" But--does this describe the Jews, ...or the Palestinians, or both?
I am hoping to go to Palestine/Israel in January—will stay with Palestinian family...what does it mean to come from a country w/tradition where I have heard unthinking recitation over and over again from the Old Testament...?] The cry of the people is also Holy Scripture; if the Bible teaches us nothing else it teaches us that.
Is it like making an assault on God?--is it like striking at Jesus Christ himself?--to try to remove some of these bulwarks of injustice that have been pillars of American Christian practice? Is this topic red hot? Are we afraid to touch it?
(Ask for some suggestions from congregation of other examples of “sacred cows” in church that are bulwarks of injustice & violence, or of how we can make Christianity itself more peaceful:)
(from congregation)
· Not look down on other faiths—all to think of selves as children of God first
· Taking Christianity not as an excuse for war
· Peace starts with loving your enemies
· Peace is connected with anger when anger moves toward love and not toward hate
· Peace starts with talking to your enemies & listening to them
· What does it mean that when people are told to do something—like wear white to a football game—that they obey? What are they/we obeying? …Important to realize faith & religion tremendously entrenched in minds of servicemen—can be the only thing that gets them thru when desperately afraid—we can’t just devalue that….
· Everyone working for a better life for their children & grandchildren
-----
A parallel has been drawn before between Jesus Christ and the rock in the desert that gave life-giving water to the Israelites (I Cor. 10:4). Jesus Christ is the one from whom living water flows.... Maybe we have to "strike the rock" again in order to have lifesaving water gush forth for people dying of thirst because of oppression in our world. I think the rock can take it.
Now, do I need to say this?--that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with Jesus that we need to correct, it doesn't mean we have to "beat up on" Jesus--just means we may have to knock off some of the old accreted notions that cling to our concepts of Jesus and let Jesus himself shine forth: the Jesus who broke rules and expectations, Jesus who shocked the "righteous" folks, the Jesus who spoke truth to powerful people who could hurt him....
Jesus was asked "by what authority" he did things that went against prevailing religious practice. In Philippians 2:1-13 Paul tells Christians to "have the same mind that was in Christ Jesus." While Paul emphasized Jesus' humility and obedience, I think we are to do the same (possibly dangerous) rocking of the pillars of injustice, hypocrisy and greed that Jesus did, and have the same authority to act on his behalf. After all Jesus said, "The works that I do, you will also do, and greater works than these" (John 14:12 paraphrase) As much as healing lepers and restoring sight to the blind, that work means rocking the foundations of un-truth that keep people oppressed and souls in prison, don't you think?
....And that all has to do with peace!
Close w/story of Michael Robert Zigler
name given to hall at Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, MD, where work goes on to teach the things that make for peace in this world: M.R. Zigler (1891-1985), Church of the Brethren executive and peace advocate. His years included work with Brethren Service, Christian Rural Overseas Program (CROP), the Heifer Project and CARE, his founding of On Earth Peace Assembly, his active and vocal participation in the World Council of Churches, from its founding, and more….
Great energy for good can be liberated when we face the things we fear and get thru them.
May God be glorified in all that we do…. Amen.
