November 14, 2004
Malachi 3:19-20 + 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12 + Luke 21:5-19
We are living among ruins.
The ruins of political systems, of formerly revered social structures,
and the ruins of economic well-being, of dreams and aspirations.
It is impossible to imagine anyone in this church not having
found themselves or their lives in ruins at least once.
There is no place on this earth where human beings dwell that does not have its ruins. It is not necessary to live at the time Luke wrote this Gospel to know about ruins. Ruined temples, wars, natural disasters, rejection by family and friends, persecutions:
these things go on all the time, in every age.
The idea that these things signify the end of time has an appeal
if for no other reason than to release us from the obligation of doing anything about it. That kind of thinking is the easy way out.
If after all, the end is really near, why bother to rebuild, restore, forgive, or expect anything else.
The temptation to dig a hole, lock the doors, hide inside, or deny it all is considerable. But that is not our option, at least, not the option of people whose lives are rooted in Jesus Christ.
There is actually a greater crises than all of those disasters.
The one we really face here in Norman, Oklahoma is, in most cases,
the converse of what Jesus foresaw.
Our crises is that nothing is happening.
It is all someone else’s problem somewhere else in the world.
We did not drive around any tanks or armored vehicles to get here.
No one dodged any bullets, and there’s no wall being built under the pretense of security.
I’ve never buried anyone who was killed for their faith.
This temple does not seem to be under any threat from a foreign army of occupation.
Precisely because nothing seems to be happening faithful people
are tempted by spiritualities and religious experiences that offer drama and entertainment.
The temptation to make religion a market commodity,
to shop around for the most convenient schedule,
to pick and choose what to believe and how to shape ones values
with the least amount of challenge, conversion, or change is highly seductive.
It’s as though we find a religion that fits us, rather than fitting ourselves into faith.
We stand in need of the same counsel Jesus gave his disciples before:
beware of being led astray, trust God, endure the boredom and emptiness that besiege us.
To the sick he says the same thing: “Your Faith will Save you.” Be strong, Endure.
The words of Jesus are sprinkled with obstinate hope
that contradict bleak surroundings and threats of disaster.
The most constant recurring theme in the Gospel of Luke is: “Do Not Fear.”
Prophets, trembling shepherds, faltering apostles hear those words again and again.
We are not promised escape.
We are promised that there is Life without end.
Endurance is not a passive state.
It is a deliberate act, a choice to rely on God’s promise.
There is no denying death, adversity, pain, sorrow, or disasters,
but these are not reason to give up. We are a people who look at life with hope.
That means, God is in charge, Providence rules the universe,
the world has been redeemed no matter how badly we mess it up
or what evil we do. We cannot finally destroy the goodness of life.
The virtue that emerges from this Gospel is Hope.
It is not the same as a wish. Those are based on flights of fancy.
Wishes may or may not come true, but God fulfills all hope.
Hope is based on a promise.
Jesus Christ wished he didn’t have to die,
but he had no real hope of avoiding the cross.
So, instead of wishing, he hoped. He hoped that his Father would keep his promise
by making something beautiful of his ugly death.
His hope was fulfilled beyond all imagination by his resurrection.
My friends, we hope because Jesus promised he would stay with us
wherever we go, whatever we do.
The sick and the frail among us who will shortly be anointed
must take courage from this gospel.
They live among us as unmistakable signs of hope.
They remind us of what the stakes are in this life as we come of age.
In our generation we can no longer confuse ignorance with bigotry,
blame poverty on laziness, excuse war as a last resort
any more than we can say that the sick are ill because of something their parents did. That thinking comes from another age.
Today we are people who live without fear,
not in hiding from the challenges of love, fidelity, and commitment,
not shopping around for entertainment or the easy way out,
but joyfully embracing Hope because Jesus remains true to his word,
and by endurance and perseverance, we shall secure our lives.