(prayer)
My favorite scene from the
1977 body building documentary "Pumping Iron" is where Arnold
Schwarzenegger trys to (passive aggressively) intimidate Lou Ferrigno.
Watch how Arnold exploits
that Lou is not feeling well and saying how Ferrigno looks like he needed
another month to prepare.
//
//
I have been a sports fan my
whole life: of varying degrees of fanaticism
As a kid, I played hockey and soccer. I have been the dad of a daughter and sons who
have played competitive sports. And I've
been a coach.
Most sports, even
children's sports, include: (some level of) the intimidation of opponents.
*Trying to impress during warm
ups.
*Team cheers: sounding confident.
*Standing tall: looking
confident.
*Even a bit of trash taking.
I've even witnessed fellow
coaches trying to get in a referee's head with certain borderline complaints -
not expecting to win that argument, but maybe laying ground to get a favorable
call later in the game; I never felt comfortable going that far, myself.
**example**
//
You can also think about
the staredowns between boxers at the weigh in or in the ring during the
referee's instructions.
//
Intimidation is just part
of the sports game.
//
But intimidation can be
found off the fields and courts as well.
And in those places, it is NOT a game.
Intimidation is in schools,
workplaces, the street... everywhere.
Sometimes, it's pretty
minor.
Often it is an
uncomfortable powergrab.
It might simply be an
attempt for a person to compensate for a lack of confidence with the illusion
of bravado; it could be an attempt to avoid a fight, or maybe... start a
fight (some people get off on this sort
of thing); it could be a negotiating tactic; or it could be bullying or even
criminal.
//
I noticed in the news this
week, that a certain politician south of the boarder (not mentioning any names)
has responded to multiple examples unfavorable
press stories by threatening to bring lawsuits.
Threatening a lawsuit
doesn't necessarily mean that legal action will ever actually be initiated, but
the threat of suing is - at a minimum
- meant to send a message:
"You, don't want to mess with me or it will cost you! "
This kind of intimidation
can be particularly effective if there is a big difference in the power level
or economic capacities of the parties.
Sometimes a person feels they can't afford
to fight.
This same politician (in
his business life) is said to have a reputation of regularly underpaying
invoices and then challenging suppliers to just accept the newly dictated terms
or take him to court. Most couldn't
afford to fight.
//
When the parties cannot
compete fairly, intimidation (sadly) can be extremely effective.
//
//
//
In this morning's reading
from Luke, Jesus told a parable about a person seeking justice.
Jesus sets her up to be
seen as a severe underdog. First, she is
female. Women, in Jesus' day, were not
considered equal to me in the eyes of all levels of society - including in the
halls of justice. Normally, a woman
wouldn't even go seek justice... the dominant male in her life (father,
husband, brother) would make presentations on her behalf.
Jesus' parable tells us
that she had no such male advocate - she was a widow.
This could be the reason
that the judge had no desire to even listen to the merits of her case. She was ignored... with the hope that she
would just go away, along with her insignificant problem.
But, it was not
insignificant to her. And she was
determined to not play to type nor to submit to the intimidation of the judge's
power.
Jesus doesn't bother to lay
out the widow's case. He is not asking
his audience to adjudicate whether she is right or not. By doing so, we are left to assume that she
has a winning situation. The facts are
not standing in the way of justice - an indifferent (or unjust) judge is.
Jesus also doesn't give us
a window into the judge's motives, either.
Is he too busy with other
work?
Is he simply sexist?
I wonder if he had a connection
to her adversary. Was the judge
protecting a friend by ignoring the widow's case?
//
But she wouldn't play
along.
She came before the judge
everyday. No matter how many times sge
was ignored, she just wouldn't go away.
And, eventually, she got under the judge's skin.
"She just won't go away. All
right! Against my better instincts, I
will grant her justice."
This widow out-intimidated
the intimidator.
//
//
Jesus' parables always tell
a bigger message that the literal narrative.
With this story, Jesus wanted to encourage his followers to include
persistence in their lives of faith: to continually be seeking justice and
peace in their lives; to believe that God will support and uplift them in
whatever circumstance they found themselves in.
This was an important
message for the people around Jesus in the third decade of the first century...
and it was (perhaps) even more significant for the readers of the gospel of
Luke 40-plus years after Jesus would have first told this parable.
The people of Judea and
Galilee were subjects of an oppressive empire.
There were divisions between different sects of first century Judaism.
As the Christian movement
grew after the first Easter, non-hebrews were being increasingly included in
the fold. A split was becoming
increasingly apparent between the followers of Jesus' Way and the leaders of
the Jerusalem Temple.
From many directions, there
was pressure on the early Christians to abandon their newly evolving faith.
//
//
This kind of religious and
political and cultural pressure was not new.
The option of simply giving up
has often cropped up in the biblical narrative.
We also heard today from
the prophet Jeremiah. Many of the people
Judah and Jerusalem were living in exile by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
because of the imperialistic activities of the Babylonian Empire.
Two weeks ago, we read from
Lamentations and heard about the struggle of the Babylonian exile. There was deep sadness and shock that
centuries of stability were broken and the great city a day Temple were left in
ruins.
Last week, we heard the
prophet Jeremiah encouraging the exiles to put down roots in Babylon, to build
houses, plant gardens and grow their families.
They were to maintain more than their individual lives. They were to keep their cultural and
religious identity alive for generations to come - with the promise (as we read
from Jeremiah three weeks ago) that one day the fields of Judah would be bought
and sold by Judeans again.
Today, the theme continues.
The faithful persistence of
the people would allow them to maintain their religious and cultural
identity. So strong would their faith be
that no one would need to read about God.
The law of God will be part of each person -- written on the heart.
//
//
//
Canada and many other
countries have declared that - within our society - there is to be a freedom of
religious practices and expression.
There is no official religion or church in Canada. It is simply wrong to call Canada a
"Christian Nation". Adhering
to any faith is not a prerequisite to visiting or living in Canada. It is not a test for citizenship. You are free to believe or not believe as you
see fit.
It may have been more
common years ago, but it can still be true that, in certain communities, or
within some families, there may be imposed expectations for what a person to
believe and how to practice. But,
legally, there is no right for force your beliefs or practices on anyone else.
Having said that, no right is absolute. Like all of the precepts within the Canadian
Bill of Rights, there are times that rights can conflict with each other - when
that happens the courts are asked to determine where the edges of particular
rights are.
The fact is that, as long
as your practice is not abusive or criminal, the freedom of religion is pretty
broad. Religious bodies even have some
liberty to practice discrimination around membership and proclamations under
the rubric of religious freedom.
People of faith, agnostics and
atheists are free to express their beliefs.
//
Just because a person is
free to believe as they see fit, it doesn’t mean there is no pressure on the
faithful.
//
Things have changed a lot over the last
several decades when it comes to the place and prominence of the church
society. There was a time when you would
have stood out if you didn't go to church.
Ironically, now you stand out if you do.
As people of faith, we might have to embarassingly justify 'why' we might be
interested in church at all.
"Church" has a number of reputations
that we have earned over our 2000 years of existence. One of which is that we are stuck in time...
overly traditional, out of touch... especially given the scientific
advancements of the last 100-plus years.
Last evening, a number of us watched
the movie Spotlight about a team of
investigative journalists writing articles about systematic child abuse in
Boston churches that had been going on for decades but had managed to be swept
under the rug by confidential out of court settlements and the resettlement of
abusive priests.
When the team started working on the
story (before they had any idea how big the conspiracy was), it was noted to
the editor that they would need to be ready for resistance: from both the
church hierarchy and the public. The
church does not address change easily - 'the church moves in centuries', the
editor was told.
//
Ten years ago, the United Church of
Canada engaged in a program (called emerging
Spirit) - it addressed a modern approach to be welcoming in the
church.
To begin with it was important to
accept some realities of the context we live in.
To truly embrace the essense of
religious freedom, gone are the days of all non-church activities being
postponed everything being closed on Sundays.
People are not given time (officially by society) to attend church. Church is a choice in the truest sense of the
word.
I know some people lament this
change. I embrace it. Living out one's faith should require choice
and effort.
//
Another modern reality of the church's
centuries old reputation is that (for people with a new interest in coming to
church) church can be intimidating. Do
you have to behave a certain way, look a certain way, sign on to a series of
hard beliefs? Understandably, people can be shy about how they will be viewed
as a newcomer. Will they be seen as
"less" by the regulars?
//
And so, as church, we start at a
disadvantage... we have a reputation to either live up to or refute.
For the church of Jesus' followers to
have any relevance in the world of 2016, we must seek to embody what is truly
important to who we want to be.
//
And so, the question becomes... who do
we (as church) want to be? Who can we
be? Who should we be?
To borrow a phrase from Jeremiah: What
will be written on our hearts?
//
//
Jesus was once asked a question about
priorities. What is the most important commandment in the law?
He picked two.
Dt6: Love God with all your heart, soul and strength. and
Lv19: Love your neighbour as yourself.
All
of the law is summed up in these two, Jesus said.
//
To love is more than blind
adoration. It involves a desire to know
and understand. To accept imperfection
and disappointment and yet be open to deeper commitment. To love is to be open to change for the sake
of richer connections.
To love is to accept that someone else
might look beyond our biggest faults and find our most secret graces.
To love is to be an explorer.
//
Can we set aside the reputation of
intimidation and expectation and simply set out on a expedition of sacred
discovery?
//
Write that on our hearts.
//
Be open to discovering God in our
midst... and not be bogged down by what others say.
Be open to seeing strangers as
neighbour... and allowing ourselves the privilege of being the neighbour to
others.
//
As our hymn said earlier: we are varied members of a choir... who all
have a place. God invites us to find
harmony singing the song of life.
//
//
Let us live out (to the best of our
abilities and desires), the faith we have today.
Let us find and know and share peace,
hope, joy and love.
As we do that, justice will reign.
//
//
Let us pray:
God of Justice, strengthen our hope
for a better world. May our experience
with you inspire our actions for justice.
Amen.
#701VU “What Does the Lord Require”
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