(Photo of March 2009 protesters in front of the U.S. White House)
Lectionary Scripture - Philippians 3:17-4:1 (NRSV)
“Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation so that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.”
Signs of the Times
Biblical commentary for the above scripture available at Homiletics Online (subscription required) notes that the Apostle Paul had great appreciation for the Philippians congregation. They had helped and supported him through many of his trials and struggles in ministry and mission. But even in that congregation, all is not well for there are people in that faith community who constitute a threat to its future. From his place of prison confinement, Paul shares these concerns and even calls the troublemakers dogs and evil (Philippians 3:2).
He urges therefore that it is important for the congregation to keep its eyes on these individuals because they are in opposition to the sacrifices that Christ demands. For rather than the way of the cross, they are driven by their own needs and desires. They glory in things that have little to do with genuine discipleship and exult in things which should be an embarrassment. They set their minds on earthly things and achieve little more than walking in the wrong direction. The commentary then notes that Paul condemns such behavior as well as the individuals involved. So he pleads with the Philippians to set their minds again on Christ and embrace his own example as a follower and apostle of Jesus. As his affection for the congregation is so great, he hopes for them to be his crowning achievement in all that he’s done on Christ’s behalf. In that regard, he comments on his own impressive past but essentially considers it garbage in comparison to the future for which we strive, i.e. God’s Peaceable Kingdom which he considers as what should matter most. Paul hopes therefore that the Philippians will see their past means nothing, however God’s future kingdom is everything and nothing must stand in its way.
I find that the above commentary brings to mind so many different individuals and situations. All of which leave me thinking that many of us have felt similarly to the Apostle Paul at some point in our faith journey. What I mean is that for any specific thing that keeps humanity at enmity with itself (and from the Peaceable Kingdom), there’s always a person or situation to embody it.
In that regard, I’m reminded of attending the “God at 2000” conference that author scholar, Marcus Borg, hosted at Oregon State University that same year. The conference was a two-day event intended to encourage interfaith dialogue and understanding. Some of the world’s most impressive minds had come together to present at the event, i.e. persons such as Karen Armstrong, Diana Eck, Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, Joan Chittister, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, and of course Marcus Borg himself.
Each of these presenters had been asked to respond to the same question which was, “Given your lifetime of study, experience, and reflection, how do you see the sacred? What have you learned about God that seems most important to you?” Their responses and presentations richly blessed the hundreds in attendance as we heard perspectives reflecting the major world religions of Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism.
The closing session of the conference served to be the best as the presenters joined together with attendees for a panel discussion. The spirit of that last session was a moment that has been in my dreams forever, a moment wherein human beings come together in peace as persons of faith in both affirmation and appreciation of the spiritual and theological diversity that comprises our planet. Diana Eck, representing Hinduism, said it best, “Perhaps the most important thing human beings can do in the coming century is commit themselves to engendering a culture of interfaith dialogue.”
Hardly a second after Diana’s remark, an outburst occurred on the main floor. It shocked everyone back to seeing how far we have to go as a young man stood and shouted, “This is all wrong. The Bible says that only Jesus is the way and the truth.” He shouted out more things and then uttered this condemnation, “You’re all going to hell.” The conference began clapping to drown out the man’s shouting and then security ushered him out.
As the conference adjourned and people left the auditorium, the man and a handful of his followers picketed outside. I saw the angry young adult more clearly now than before and noted that he was dressed in military camouflage, beet red in the face, shouting at each and every person as they went by yet never making eye contact with anyone. Off to his side, there stood a large sign labeling us as condemned blasphemers and idolaters. Another very graphic sign was also close by which read, “Accept Jesus or burn in hell.” Meanwhile, the young man continued his menacing shouts of, “You’ve just paid a trip to the devil. You’re helping to form the one world government. You’re the tools of the Anti-Christ. You’re going to burn in hell unless you repent and accept Jesus.” One young woman went up to the man and tried hugging him. I heard her telling him that she loved him. He responded by shoving her away and shouting condemnations at her.
Most everyone chose to walk on by though for me I stopped nearby for a few moments trying to sense and understand this man’s fear and hatred. In those moments, it seemed painfully obvious that the young man knew little of the Jesus who ate and drank and kept company with criminals, the oppressed, and the diseased. It seemed clear that he knew nothing of the broad expanse of God’s compassion or gracious love. Walking on to my car, I hoped and prayed that for him there would come a day when someone or something might touch his soul and heal whatever was driving his madness.
Driving away, my mind drifted back to Rabbi Kushner’s presentation at the conference and an image he shared of what matters most. He described how in different places around the world people wear different clothing according to the need they have in that place and culture. Some wear fewer clothes such as in warmer zones while others wear more in colder ones. Some clothes are colorful and full of symbol and meaning, others less so. Yet behavior is similar for most everyone when going up a mountain. At the base, temperatures are warmer and people wear less. But as they climb the mountain and pass through different temperature zones, they progressively add more and more layers to keep themselves warm and keep out the chill.
Having set this image in our minds, Rabbi Kushner then made the point of his analogy: We are all climbing the same mountain. We’re all heading the same place. We’re simply wearing different clothes.” The mountain is simply the mount of peace, a place of rich spiritual communion between you and me, our neighbors and persons of all faiths, and with the Holy One of our respective understandings.
For me, Rabbi Kushner describes a place and spirit that I believe we all shall find, a place and time and condition that will simply be God’s Just and Peaceable Kingdom for each and every living soul. There are words that I have often quoted which describe the task, words from the Catholic theologian, Hans Kung. Those words bear repeating whenever possible, “There can be no genuine world peace until there is peace among the world’s religions.”
So when evil tries to have you collude with the notion that only one religion is the right religion, or evil wants you to be satisfied with the status quo, or evil hopes you’ll focus more on your own needs and comforts and preferences, or evil wants you setting your mind on earthly things or has you glorying in that which should rightfully be an embarrassment, have courage to speak the words of Paul. Have courage to live his example rather than be a collaborator with evil. Think about Paul’s sacrifices and for God’s sake, stop walking in the wrong direction. Do and support instead what matters most rather than what is easiest and therein become a crowning achievement for the Peaceable Kingdom.
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