Righteousness
“In those days, Judah will be saved, / and Israel will dwell securely, will live in safety. / This is the Name by which they will call: / “Yahweh, God— Yahweh, God is our right relationship, our justice.’” — Jeremiah 23:6
Act II, Scene 7 of As You Like It, in that place, William Shakespeare says this (quote): “All the world’s a stage, / And all the men and women merely players: / They have their exits and their entrances; / And one..., in time..., plays many parts,....” (Slight pause.)
The sentiment that the world is a stage and we are actors was not new when Shakespeare wrote that. In fact, Shakespeare had recycled the thought.
The motto embossed on the front The Globe, Shakespeare’s own theater said “Totus mundus agit historionem”— all the world plays the actor. And the saying (quote): “almost the whole world are actors” is attributed to Petronius, a courtier during the reign of Nero— goes back a bit doesn’t it?
I think the basic reason Shakespeare’s words have become a part of our language is, without even thinking about it, we acknowledge their truth. We are all, at times and in some form, actors. We play different parts at specific times, play various roles depending on the situation.
Here’s an example of situational acting: after Bonnie and I met, she would come to visit me in New York City— down from Maine. The first time we got into a cab together she noticed right away that the manner in which I spoke somehow magically changed. I immediately took on a very “New York-ie” accent. She had never heard me speak that way before.
But, really, how else are you supposed to communicate with a New York City cabbie? An old fashioned New York City accent alone conveys that there had better be no going up the FDR Drive and over to Astoria, when you need to go across the Queensboro Bridge to Long Island City. Situational acting— like feigning an accent when you need to— really is a part of life.
It happens every day. My bet is every day tellers at NBT and cashiers at Walmart greet people with a smile and a big “hello” even though they had a spat with their spouse the previous night.
And, if they did, indeed, have that spat, it’s much more likely they’re thinking about what they did or did not say to their loved one than thinking about the job. On those occasions their primary job becomes not letting the customer know what they are really thinking. And every day people can and do suddenly become irate customers just to get attention when it’s necessary.
If truth be told, sometimes we find ourselves acting just get through difficult times, times when we can scarcely hold it together. There are arguments with a spouse or those times when someone— a friend or a child— has broken our heart.
There are those times when an aging parent is difficult, perhaps because they are dealing with a body that does not seem to be responding the way they way they think it ought to respond. There are those times when a daughter or a son is sick and relies on a parent for help and healing or has lost a job and does not know what happened to them or what to do next. And we feel devastated but we know showing that emotion is the last thing we should do.
Sometimes it is just a matter of “All the world’s a stage, / And all the men and women merely players...” Yes, sometimes, we block out the world, block out a part of reality, we refuse to shut down and we simply... act. (Slight pause.)
And these words are from the work known as the Scroll of the Prophet Jeremiah: “In those days, Judah will be saved, / and Israel will dwell securely, will live in safety. / This is the Name by which they will call: / “Yahweh, God— Yahweh, God is our right relationship, our justice.’” (Slight pause.)
When you leave the nave this morning, do head over to the Founder’s Room for coffee hour where the Lutherans will be helping out, raising funds for Hospice. [1] There you will see some of the makings of the Thanksgiving Turkey Basket Drive. [2] There you will see boxes of vegetables. You will see empty boxes waiting to be filled.
On Monday and Tuesday, slowly, it will all come together. Tables will get set up. Boxes will be filled with vegetables and stuffing and recipes. Labels will be applied to the boxes. Turkeys and rolls will arrive and be added. Volunteers from this congregation and volunteers from outside the congregation will help. (If you still want to volunteer, see Linda Oehme.)
When Tuesday afternoon arrives, people will come to get the baskets. And, something I didn’t mention earlier, the Department of Health will have a free flu clinic set up in the Mayflower Room. (Slight pause.)
Life, you see, does happen. People do live through hard times. In these last couple years, especially, life has taken a toll. One out of eight Americans now lives below the poverty level. And many others, while not below that level, live from paycheck to paycheck.
And so, what do we do? What are we to do? What should we do? We try to help. (Slight pause.) I have been watching people pick up baskets for lo, these 14 years I’ve been here. And someone comes to pick one up and they smile and say “hello.” And one of our volunteers will smile back and be helpful. And none of that is an act. It’s real. It’s genuine.
And it’s got to be hard. And they are grateful. And their gratefulness is not an act. It is real. It is genuine. And our volunteers are helpful. It is not an act. It is real. It is genuine. (Slight pause.)
Throughout all Scripture one reality is overwhelming. God is a God who strives to be in relationship with us. Often the way we explain that is we say, “God loves us.” But, in some ways, that limits the description of the relationship for which God hopes.
The reading from Jeremiah expresses the relationship with what I believe to be some accuracy. This relationship is a “right” relationship. It is a relationship that requires no acting. It is a real relationship, an honest relationship.
But there is even more to it. Being a “right” relationship, it is a relationship which invites us to justice. This is not the justice of the state. This is not individual justice. This is justice as it is seen by God, justice which asks “what is right for everyone?”
This is a mode of justice where all the children of God are not hungry. This is the kind of justice where all the children of God do not go homeless. This is a method of justice where all the children of God are afforded both necessary and preventive healthcare. These are the kinds of right relationships which are within the realm of justice as seen by God— relationships of equity. (Slight pause.)
I have good news and bad news. The good news is this: our goal, as the people of God, is to strive to fulfill the realm of right relationship to which we are invited by God. And what we do together this week works toward that goal.
The bad news is we humans are not perfect. As many as we help, there are more who will fall through the cracks— for whom equity is unavailable. So, we are invited to remain constantly vigilant and strive toward the justice God seeks. (Slight pause.)
In the thought for meditation today, I used a quote from Episcopal theologian and a member of the laity, Diana Butler Bass. (Quote): “Do the creeds use ‘credo’ or ‘opinor’?” she asks. “‘Credo’... means ‘I give my heart to,’ or ‘I treasure,’ or ‘My loyalty belongs to.’ Credo holds within it a relational, experiential dimension.”
So, when we in Christianity say, “I believe,” this is not mean to be a set of propositions defining God. “I believe” is meant to express what we feel about God. “I believe” is meant to express our relationship with God.
So, God invites us to a right relationship with God and a right relationship with one another. And in those relationships we are invited to trusting, peaceful, joyous, hope filled relationships. Real— no acting involved. Amen.
11/21/2010
United Church of Christ, First Congregational, Norwich, New York
ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Benediction. This, then, is an précis of what the pastor said before the blessing: “No, we did not choose that closing hymn because we knew Lutherans were going to be with us today. Choosing that hymn was done months ago before we ever knew that was going to be true. And, yes, we constantly use metaphors to describe God, such as ‘a mighty fortress is our God.’ But we do also need to get beyond metaphors, even beyond language. Indeed, sometimes language becomes a way to separate us from how we are to one another and how we are to love God. Perhaps that believing with our heart stuff requires more than language. Perhaps believing with our hearts requires action.”
BENEDICTION
Let us walk in the light God provides. Let us thank God for reaching out to us in love. Let us be daily recreated in the image of God who wants us to live with justice as our guide and freedom as our goal. And may the peace of Christ which surpasses our understanding keep our hearts and minds in the companionship of the Holy Spirit and the love of God this day and evermore. Amen.
[1] Members of Christ Lutheran Church (ELCA) were with us n this day and did coffee hour and asked fort voluntary contributions for what they served. The money is sent to the denomination which, through one of the National Level foundations sends back $1.50 for each dollar sent in. This is a case of not only neighbors helping neighbors but doing so to help those outside the church, a fine example of justice the justice God would have us pursue in action.
[2] The church does a “thanksgiving Turkey Basket Drive. We act as coordinators for churches throughout the community. These churches will distribute 474 baskets this week. This church will distribute 190.
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