Throughout the Bible, intertwined in church history, pulsing through American history, and boiling over into today, it always seems to be – there are voices of hate who speak opinions in the name of God. It’s as if there is a feel of representation of God, like one of the prophets. Interestingly enough, many of those voices are “prophets” who happily call out anyone who doesn’t believe like them. It’s always a pointing of fingers in a show of how bad “they” are. Maybe it is so they can also feel justified in their anger. Certainly if someone doesn’t believe exactly as we have interpreted the Bible, those are grounds for calling them out, maybe even hating them?
These voices are very loud. They bounce off the walls of our hearts and minds. They fill our sanctuaries, our offices, our shopping places and everywhere in between. They fill our TVs and our phones. They speak loudly. And it seems the voices always scream hatred, or at least some twisted version of the love of God. It can be easy to fall right in line with those voices. They are everywhere. And they can make everyone who believes the same feel empowered. But ultimately, that’s what it’s about, right? It really is all about power (with maybe some greed thrown in). Believe like me…or else…
There are still other voices, though. There are voices of love which often become whispers because the others are drowning them out. The whispers of love let those who have been harmed, removed, beat down, excluded, and shut out know there is still a safe place. There is still love here. It may be whispers, but those whispers are kind. Those whispers speak words of welcome. Those whispers remind the forgotten and the discarded there is love still here. The shouts of hate do not always win. The whispers of love just continue to envelope those who need it.
I know because unknowingly, throughout my life, I have been uninvited to tables. I have heard the phrase… “if anyone believes like that, they better not sit at my table.” The group didn’t know that meant I was no longer invited, though. I have had the slap on the back of the group who are ready to call out the sins of others (that would be the sins of other people, not their own sins). I have heard the snide remarks from those I love so dearly, not knowing I didn’t agree. I have been in rooms where I was not welcome, only the voices didn’t know me. And, understand clearly, all the voices were doing this in the name of Jesus or faith or God or Christianity. The voices weren’t intending to do anything except make sure “those” folks knew how wrong they were and how they were going to hell and they better get their life straight, correct their beliefs and start believing the “right” way. Of course, the right way is the way we read and interpret, right?
My personal saving grace has been found in the whispers of love. It is hard to hear them. They are faint. I’ve almost missed them, but they are there. And they tell me there are still tables I am welcome. Some of those whispers even speak the name of Jesus.
If you feel abandoned, hurt, excluded or generally beaten down, stop and listen. There are still the whispers of love. They will never be completely drowned out by the loudest of voices. They are there…we are there. You are not alone. Welcome to the table, abandoned, forgotten, displaced. Welcome.
It can be really difficult for us to hear the call to put down our stones. While on the surface, it sounds so easy – give up your anger, rage, hatred, and divisions. Give all of that up and gather together to work for the good of those called according to God’s purpose. It sounds great – even makes me feel great to write it. But for some, it is the most frightening thing that could be asked of many Christians.
Our faith can easily become defined by the stones we carry. We hold so tight to those stones that when pushed, they make our hands bleed – but we would never consider putting them down. Stones make us comfortable. They are our security pieces. They have made us who we are and how dare we become challenged to give that up. Stones become our closest friends. And when pushed, we just gather bigger stones until our hands are full and we feel good about ourselves.
Stones enable us to feel better about ourselves. If I can condemn you and show you all the things you do wrong, then I feel better about me. We begin to think… “at least I am not doing that” or “look at how wrong he is”. I become the hero, the good one, the chosen. We begin to sit from our mighty stone thrones and cast judgment on those who don’t follow our rules. We banish people who refuse to carry our stones. The stones have become the bedrock of our faith – not Jesus. But this was not the original intention.
I often have people tell me that I should preach more about hell and less about love. I am always taken back at this comment, no matter how many times I hear it. But I get it – condemnation is comforting for those who feel good about where they are sitting. And it helps others feel bad for not agreeing. But for me, I have to look at the life of Jesus. I don’t recall Jesus gathering prostitutes, tax collectors and sinners around the table to tell them to get their life straight or they were going to hell. It seems to me that the fact he was even willing to sit around the table speaks more welcome than anything else. And all the words to them speak abundant love. I don’t hear condemnation or judgment. I hear love. Where I do hear Jesus get angry is at the religious folk – those carrying stones. I do hear Jesus telling them they can’t hear his message because they are so stuck in theirs. I hear Jesus tell those who dragged a woman before him to put down their stones of contempt and judgment. And I hear non-judgment for the woman. I hear love.
When we become defined as Christians by our judgment, condemnation and divisiveness in the name of our faith – we have a faith built with stones. Jesus said we should be known by our love. The only way is to let those stones crumble to dust right before your eyes. This is only done with the love of Christ. It will be hard. It will challenge us to our core. It will change how we approach our faith. It is not about compromising what we believe – it is about finding out how those beliefs are wrapped in love.
May our stones crumble to dust – and may others see our love. May we welcome to the table. We don’t need those stones, Christians. Our hearts can be filled with the love of Christ. Live as the beloved.
Focus Scripture:
Luke 18:9-14
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
When is enough really enough? When do we call out in loud exclamations of ENOUGH!? How many people have to die at the hands of those who feel superior because of the color of their skin or the location of their upbringing or their sexuality? When do we, as the church, stand up and proclaim the way of Jesus – which doesn’t look anything like any of this!? When do we really make movements to show this is not okay? Are we waiting for a time that it affects us? Are we waiting for a time when we feel threatened? Are we simply passing the buck because it isn’t our homes that are terrorized?
As a white male, I am aware of white privilege and those heavily influenced by white supremacy. I am aware that I am looked at differently because of the color of my skin and being a heterosexual male. I understand that I pastor a mostly white church that operates as a white church in an area where the majority of the population is not white. I get that I have the freedom to move about without worry because I was born here. As someone that exercises outside, I am aware that I can run or bike in pretty much any area without being looked at as suspicious for the color of my skin. I am even more aware of these privileges when I consider what is happening on a regular basis in this country and even perpetuated by key leadership that look like me.
So why mention this as a white heterosexual male minister with privilege in a worship service on a Sunday that is Mother’s Day in the middle of a pandemic, no less? Why not? When does it become a good time? When is it appropriate? Many non-white churches and places of worship have been speaking of this for years and years. How many people have to die before it is a good time for the church to call this out? How much has to happen before enough really is enough for the predominately white church? What has to happen before white people call out our privilege and begin to work towards a different world? And I speak of non-white because it is the African American community – but it is also the community that is non-white or different – Hispanic, Jewish, LGBTQ, Muslim and more.
Sure, the conversation is uncomfortable, terrifying at times, and quite difficult. I can hear people speaking right now…Pastor Brad – you know I am not racist. If everyone that says they are not racist weren’t actually racist, we wouldn’t need to have the conversation. What if racism is so built into our society and into our churches…white privilege so ingrained in our lives…that we don’t even notice when it is being used? What if it isn’t just about being blatantly racist but about embedded racism that rears its ugly head on a regular basis, often unnoticed by those who use it?
With this, I think the time is now. It is Mother’s Day and I cannot imagine the fear a non-white mother must have as she sends her non-white children out into the world, giving them instructions on how to avoid even appearing to do anything wrong. I cannot image giving them directions on the best way to get places so that they are in places where they should not be. What about giving them guidance so that the white people won’t think they are dangerous or a threat? I can’t imagine because I am white. What I can say is that enough is enough.
And I don’t know where else to start when enough is enough than the Bible. I don’t know how else to find direction and guidance than God’s instructions for life – God’s instructions that show love and peace and kindness without any difference. I don’t know any other place to begin than with the grace that is so freely given. I can only begin with the life of Jesus – a non-white person that led the way to love.
There are many places we can go from here. Jesus ate with sinners and tax collectors when that was not okay – not only shunned but dangerous. Jesus went and sat down with a Samaritan woman in order to show her love in a time and place that was not acceptable. He taught a parable about who was our neighbor using someone from a different culture and was despised by those he spoke. Jesus gave examples of inviting all people to the table and welcoming the forgotten and the oppressed. He died for all people and gives us the command to love God and love others, regardless. And we have turned that, all too often, into loving people like us. If you don’t believe me, look at those that have been accused of these hate crimes over the years…those that claim faith, that claim to be a part of a church, that also claim superiority and fear of someone different taking over. Wasn’t Jesus hung for similar reasons – fear of someone else taking over and superiority? We tend to forget that Jesus wasn’t a white male American – or the fact that he wasn’t white at all.
In Bible Study this week, we looked at 1 Peter 2:2-10. I want to revisit a particular few verses of this scripture – and for some of us, introduce it for just a moment. Verses 9-10 read, “2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
2:10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” One people, holy to God. That people is not a color or an origin or a sex. One people because we are God’s people. This does not mean white people. This is God’s people.
If indeed, we are to work to become more like Christ, to be one people, where do we begin? As white Christians, I have to believe we begin with repentance. We begin with acknowledgement where we have misunderstood, where we have fallen short, where we have taken advantage of our privilege without fighting for true equality. We acknowledge that our privilege has held others down. We begin to understand that we have allowed our fears to direct our actions. We begin by asking for forgiveness – both from God and from our brothers and sisters that have a different skin color or origin than us. Forgiveness is hard because it is uncomfortable and causes us to confront the issues we have that we might not otherwise acknowledge. Being repentant means we don’t want it to be like that any longer – meaning as white heterosexual people, we are willing to release our power and privilege and fight for the rights of those not like us. Repentance means that we do the frightening work of having conversations of where others have been wronged. When we are willing to sit down and hear the voices of other people unlike us, we can begin to work towards something different.
I want to offer one more scripture as I bring this to a beginning (though nearing the end of the message, I pray the beginning of a new start)
Colossians 1:9-20
9 For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s[d] will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled[e] you[f] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.[g]
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in[h]him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in[i] him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
There is a lot packed in this scripture, but I hear the desire to live a life worthy of the gospel. I want to live fully pleasing to God. I want to have my eyes opened to the truth – even when it hurts. I want to enter conversations that challenge my thoughts and actions so that I can see where I have gone wrong. I want to follow Christ wherever he leads me and his church. I want to lift up my brothers and sisters, as we begin to ask for forgiveness, a small step in moving forward. My prayer is that God would be glorified in it all. I pray that hearts would begin to heal, efforts would be made towards justice, and lives would be changed. I pray my life begins to show the love of God for all of his children.
Church – will you begin with me?
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.
I often get surprised when I read Facebook. It is an open forum where people can post anything – regardless of whether they should have said it or not. I often wonder if people actually read their words before they post them. What bothers me is that I think people really do read what they post and still do it. There seems to be so much hate expressed lately. One post in particular really got to me recently. It was from a person that I know seeks to follow Christ. The post, though, was filled with hate for something that they didn’t agree with. The image was disturbing. I am not saying that as Christians, we should not post how we feel. I am not saying we are not entitled to our opinions. I am saying that we should filter what we post through the lens of Christ. I try to follow the same advice when I speak. I struggle keeping my mouth closed quite a bit. But, I really find no excuse not to filter what I post since I can read and consider it before I actually press the post button.
To be honest, that isn’t even what disturbs me the most. What really gets to me is that Christians actually feel and believe the things that we post. The whole idea of loving God and loving neighbor seems to really be an issue. It is so easy to say but when there is hate in our heart, it doesn’t leave room for love. Jesus tells us to love our neighbor – and doesn’t say that we get to pick the neighbor we love. He doesn’t say we have to agree with our neighbor. He doesn’t say that we have to be like our neighbor. But, he does say that we are to love our neighbor. And, putting things on Facebook that display hate is just not okay – EVER. It isn’t loving our neighbor. Even if it is a joke and it is “funny” it is NEVER okay. Hate eats away at us. Hate fills the places that are reserved for God. Hate leads us to take actions that are not at all where Christ would lead.
Maybe we should spend a few extra moments – pray before we post – and let God lead. I don’t know…seems to be what we should do with our whole lives. I don’t think our Facebook account is exempt. And, may it begin with me.
SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY 
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