One of the scribes came near and heard the disciples
disputing with one another,
and seeing that Jesus answered them well, the scribes asked
him,
“Which commandment is the first of all?”
Jesus answered,
“The first is,
‘Hear, O Israel:
the Lord our God,
the Lord is one;
you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your mind,
and with all your strength.’
The second is this,
‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Then the scribe said to him,
“You are right,
Teacher; you have truly said that
‘the Lord is one, and besides the Lord there is no
other’;
and ‘to love the Lord with all the heart,
and with all the understanding,
and with all the strength,’
and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’
—this is much more important than all whole burnt
offerings and sacrifices.”
When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to
him,
“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
After that no one dared to ask him any question.
SERMON (PASTOR)
Folks, I am angry. I am angry about Paris and Lebonnon, I am
angry about politics, I am angry about liberal conservative, republican
democrat, Christian Agnostic, Presbyterian or those leaving the denomination,
Eastern Oregon vs Portland - not to mention Californians clumped in as a group.
I am angry about Agriculture vs. Enviomentalism, urban vs. rural, Israel vs.
Palestine, Big Government vs. Social Programs, black vs. white, America vs.
Afghanistan, or Iraq, or even ISIS, China, Russia, fill in the blank. I am
angry about borders and walls. I am angry that every cardinal direction has not
only an identity or culture but instead a definition and with it a division.
What do you picture when I say, the South, the Northeast, the West, the Pacific
Northwest, the Midwest, and my home state, Texas, which pretends it is entirely
its own thing forgetting that six flags have flown over its land. I am angry
about the ways we define others in a word, homeless, addict, schizophrenic, gay
or lesbian, man or woman, fat or beautiful, smart or ‘frankly an idiot.’ I am
angry that the phrases which get cheers at a political rally are those which
are simply against rather than constrictively unique. Did you know that the
votes of 95% of Americans likely to cast ballots are already determined along
party lines. And those who swing from between parties has dropped from 15% in
the 1960s to a mere 5 today. I am angry because there is a constant push to
pick one side or another, and in so doing to define ourselves against the
other. I am angry because to do so dismisses acceptance, and thats how I read
the greatest commandment.
To, ‘love your neighbor as yourself,’ doesn't mean to love
them if and only if they agree with you. It doesn’t mean to love them by
attempting to change their mind. It doesn’t mean to try to convince them that
physician assisted euthanasia is wrong. It doesn’t mean to attempt to get them
to stop drinking. It doesn't mean to pressure a young couple into marriage or
an older one away from divorce. It doesn’t mean that you turn your back on
those who have left the denomination. It means you turn toward and love with
all you have. Loving your neighbor means loving them as they are and for who
they are, now matter how deep that difference runs. I think about the Christmas
truce of WWI. The trenches deep and cold and the no mans land between a ground
of certain death, and from those very trenches came the song of Silent Night
that Christmas Eve. In the morning a day of peace was garnered and men emerged
from the shell of trenches to be met with gifts and games rather than the
shells of war. I think of Mother Theresa walking into the midst of battle and the
two sides laying down their arms. I think of Mr Roger’s admonition to look for
the helpers in the midst of conflict. I think of Challenge Day at the high
school with dozens of kids from different groups crossing the line for the
hardships they have known, and coming together despite their social class or
economic station.
I think of this church, where forest service and ranchers
sit next to one another and worship. I think of this church where we can a
discussion about same sex marriage and though there exist opposing sides with
deep personal convictions, no one is angry, and certainly no one leaves the
conversation, much less the church. I think of this church and the now infamous
flags in the sanctuary debate and that after the session discussion one side
called the other the next morning, just checking in, reminding of their care.
You a a congregation that when someone gets divorced prays for both sides of a
couple. You are a congregation who celebrates the myriad of gifts and the
diversity of backgrounds. This is our church. The love runs deep. This ability
to love one another for who they are, is perhaps the most defining thing of our
congregation. I reassured a newer member the other day, who worried about how
changes in our church finances might split the body. “It wont happen I said.”
Its not who you are. You love one another and seek each other’s well being, you
are not unified in thought, but more importantly, like the commandment, you are
united in love and that, not any ideology or theology is what binds you.
First Presbyterian, we can’t go out and change our neighbors
who have become polarized, that in itself would not be loving them. We have
love people who can only see one side or the other. But what we can also do, is
hold tight to the love we have and share that love. We as first Presbyterian
can show that love have a place to remain, because it doesn’t sit on one side
or another, it is in the trenches on each side, and crosses the no mans land,
and lifts up the hymn of silent night. In this increasingly one or the other
world, may we, First Presbyterian, keep the commandment, to love our neighbors,
as ourself, even if they are very different from ourselves.
