Swords into Plowshares

Preached at Ascension on Advent 1, 2016.

THE WORDS ARE CARVED INTO A WALL ACROSS FROM THE UNITED NATIONS BUILDING:

THEY SHALL BEAT THEIR swords into plowshares,

AND THEIR SPEARS INTO PRUNING HOOKS;

NATION SHALL NOT LIFT UP SWORD AGAINST NATION,

NEITHER SHALL THEY LEARN WAR ANYMORE.

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL VISION. IT’S A VISION THAT WAS first SPOKEN TO A PEOPLE IN RUIN, CAPTIVE TO THEIR ENEMIES, WITH NO REASON TO EXPECT A BETTER FUTURE. IN THEIR DESPAIR, THEY HEAR A WORD OF HOPE. have those words make a difference?

THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD SEEMS TO BE A HISTORY OF WAR. IF THERE IS EVER A TIME WHEN SWORDS ARE TURNED TO PLOWSHARES, IT’S A SHORT-LIVED TIME. FOR WE SEEM TO BE HELL-BENT ON OUR OWN DESTRUCTION. WE SEEM INCAPABLE OF TOLERATING OUR ENEMIES, LET ALONE LOVE THEM. AND WE MUST ALWAYS HAVE ENEMIES. THERE MUST ALWAYS BE SOMEONE TO BLAME, SOMEONE TO HATE, SOMEONE TO SERVE AS THE OBJECT OF OUR FEAR AND ANGER.

THEY SHALL BEAT THEIR swords into plowshares. IT’S AN ABSURD IMAGE IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE WORLD WE’RE LIVING IN. FROM SYRIA TO STANDING ROCK, GOD’S VISION OF PEACE FOR THE WORLD ELUDES US. AND YET, IT’S A VISION PEOPLE UNIVERSALLY LONG FOR.

A PROJECT CALLED PALAS POR PISTOLAS WAS INITIATED IN WESTERN MEXICO AT THE EPICENTER of violent DEATHS, MOSTLY RELATED TO THE ILLEGAL DRUG TRADE, AN ARTIST WAS COMMISSIONED TO DO SOME WORK AT A BOTANICAL GARDEN. IT BEGAN WITH A LARGE-SCALE CAMPAIGN FOR PEOPLE TO VOLUNTARILY DONATE THEIR WEAPONS. GUNS WERE EXCHANGED FOR A COUPON WHICH COULD BE TRADED IN AT A LOCAL STORE FOR ELECTRONICS.

1527 WEAPONS WERE COLLECTED. 40% OF THEM WERE  military style AUTOMATIC WEAPONS. THEY WERE CRUSHED WITH A STEAMROLLER.

THEN THE PIECES WERE TAKEN TO A FOUNDRY AND MELTED. THE METAL WAS SENT TO A HARDWARE FACTORY TO PRODUCE 1527 SHOVELS.

THE 1527 SHOVELS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO A NUMBER OF ART INSTITUTIONS AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS WHERE ADULTS AND CHILDREN ENGAGED IN THE ACTION OF PLANTING 1527 TREES.

THE ARTIST SAYS HIS PURPOSE WAS TO SHOW HOW AN AGENT OF DEATH COULD BECOME AN AGENT OF LIFE.

tHERE ARE OTHER EXAMPLES OF WEAPONS BEING REPURPOSED. AFTER WW II, TANKS WERE TURNED INTO TRACTORS. AFTER SOME OF THE  WORST ACTS OF VIOLENCE OUR COUNTRY HAS EXPERIENCED IN MODERN TIMES: WITH THE AMISH CHILDREN IN PENNSYLVANIA, COLOMBINE, NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT… GUNS HAVE LITERALLY BEEN MELTED DOWN TO BECOME FARM INSTRUMENTS. THE SYMBOLISM IS POWERFUL. AND IT’S A REMINDER TO US OF THE WORDS FROM ISAIAH.

BUT TURNING SWORDS INTO PLOWSHARES ISN’T JUST A VERSE about literally turning instruments of war into instruments of peace. IT’S A VISION OF THE WORLD GOD WANTS FOR US.

AND IT’S A WORLD WE WANT FOR OURSELVES, as well. IN THE EARLY DAYS OF OUR NATION, THE WORDS OF THE SPIRITUAL SPOKE TO OUR LONGING…

I’M GONNA LAY DOWN MY SWORD AND SHIELD,

DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE.

I’M GONNA STUDY WAR NO MORE.

the longing continues. i think of the words of the songwriter:

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion, too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Ironically, the man who wrote those words, john lennon, was gunned down in the streets of new York city. the dream eludes us. and yet, we can’t let it go.

WE’RE PREOCCUPIED WITH VIOLENCE IN OUR Country. (sex, too, but that’s a topic for another day. i’ll be sure to let you know when it’s coming.) OUR ATTACHMENT TO GUNS IS IRRATIONAL. OUR PARANOIA OVER TERRORISTS IS CRIPPLING US. AND OUR MisUNDERSTANDING OF the use and abuse of POWER THREATENS TO DESTROY US.

EVERY HOUR OF EVERY DAY, TAXPAYERS IN THE UNITED STATES ARE PAYING 8.36 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE TOTAL COST OF WARS SINCE 2001. I THINK I NEED TO SAY THAT AGAIN SO IT CAN SINK IN. EVERY HOUR OF EVERY DAY, TAXPAYERS IN THE UNITED STATES ARE PAYING 8.36 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE TOTAL COST OF WARS SINCE 2001.

DOESN’T THAT MAKE YOU SICK TO YOUR STOMACH? CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE IF WE BEAT THOSE SWORDS INTO plowshares? CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW WE MIGHT FUND HEALTHCARE, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, TEACHERS SALARIES, REBUILDING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, JOBS, FOOD PROGRAMS FOR THE HUNGRY, SCHOLARSHIPS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS?

WE’RE STILL RECOVERING FROM A CONTENTIOUS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. I VOTED, BUT I HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE that THe person I voted for doesn't share my values when it comes to peace and violence. THE SAD REALITY IS THAT a person who shares my values could NEVER BE ELECTED president of the united states.

I’ve been hearing the word nationalism used a lot lately and it scares me. There is a difference between patriotism and nationalism. Patriotism is a love for your country. Nationalism insists that your country is superior to other countries…our lives are worth more than the lives of people in other countries…our country is always on the side of good, and any country who is against us is evil. and, of course, god is always on our side. It’s nationalism that takes nations to war and i suspect it probably goes without saying that nationalism has no place in the church.

when we talk about how our country is the greatest country on earth, i hope we realize that people of every country think their country is the greatest country on earth. but objectively, what does it mean to say that? it’s an emotional statement. what empirical evidence do we have to support it? That depends upon how you measure what it means to be great, doesn't it?

If we measure greatness by military strength, there is no doubt that the us is number one. We spend more money on our military than the next eight countries combined. But is that what makes a nation great? Is that what we would learn from the scriptures? Is that what we learn from Jesus?

THIS YEAR A GLOBAL THINK TANK FOR ECONoMICS AND PEACE RELEASED THEIR FINDINGS OF THE MOST PEACEFUL NATIONS ON EARTH. THEY LOOKED AT 23 FACTORS RELATED TO PEACEFULNESS, INCLUDING each country’s involvement in internal and external conflicts; crime, terrorist activity, violent demonstrations, relations with other countries, stability of politics, proportion of the population being internally displaced or made refugees, and levels of militarization. the authors OF THE STUDY define peace as “the harmony achieved by the absence of violence or the fear of violence.”

THEY LOOKED AT 163 AREAS OF THE WORLD. OF THOSE, OUR COUNTRY RANKED 100th. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE MOST PEACEFUL COUNTRY IN THE WORLD IS? ICELAND.

WELL, WE DON’T LIVE IN ICELAND. WE LIVE HERE. AND, IF WE LONG FOR THE WORLD THAT ISAIAH DESCRIBES - a WORLD WHERE NATION SHALL NOT LIFT UP SWORD AGAINST NATION, NEITHER SHALL THEY LEARN WAR ANYMORE – if we long for a world like that, it's hard to know what we can do about it.  

Isaiah's vision is not unlike what Jesus was talking about when he called us to be a part of the reign of God. WHEN WE Live withIN THe reign of god, WE DON’T STRIKE OUT IN VENGEANCE at THOSE WHO DO US HARM. WE PRAY FOR THEM, WE TURN THE OTHER CHEEK. AND LET’S BE CLEAR. THIS IS NOT PASSIVE SUBMISSION TO THOSE WHO THREATEN US. IT IS RESISTENCE. IT’S A REFUSAL TO GIVE IN TO THE WAYS OF THE WORLD THAT DRAW US FROM THE WAYS OF GOD.

this might be a good time to remind us all of the radical way of life we enter into through the waters of baptism as we recall the words of our baptismal liturgy. every time a person is baptized in our congregation, the pastor asks three very pointed questions of the congregation.  

Do you renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God?

And you all very boldly respond: I renounce them.

Do you renounce the powers of this world that rebel against God?

And you all say: I renounce them.

Do you renounce the ways of sin that draw you from God?

I renounce them.

ISAIAH’S WORDS DESCRIBE A WORLD THAT MAY SEEM ABSURD TO US BECAUSE IT’S SO CONTRARY TO THE WORLD WE’VE COME TO KNOW. do we renounce the ways of that world, really?

HOW DO WE RECEIVE ISAIAH’S vision of a world at peace? Is it NOTHING MORE THAN WISHFUL THINKING FOR US? Or DOes it CHALLENGE US TO WORK FOR SOMETHING MORE?

Following the Jesus Way in a Trumped America

I am a proud American citizen. But I am also a person of faith, and my faith happens to be Christian. As a Christian, it’s my greatest desire to follow the way of Jesus as best as I can in a world that defies it at every turn. So the fact is, I rarely have had the opportunity to vote for a presidential candidate who shares my values. I am always compromising, in a sense. 

Like other Christians, I try to weigh my desire to follow the Jesus Way against what the candidates seem to stand for. I realize that we all put that weight on different issues. We may not come to the same conclusion, so I cannot dictate to other Christians how they should vote. I can only vote responsibly for myself. 

As I read the Scriptures, I see that God is all about mercy and justice. And by justice, I don’t mean that in a law-and-order kind of way. God’s justice can’t be separated from God’s mercy and compassion. God’s justice is about leveling the playing field. Lifting the lowly and toppling the mighty ones from their thrones. So, God’s justice has a bias—a bias for those on the bottom. Jesus embodied that bias in his life, from the manger to the cross. That’s why, for me, following the Jesus Way means standing on the side of the poor and marginalized. 

All that being said, it should be fairly obvious which presidential candidate I could not vote for and which one I did. And mine was the losing choice. I’m not happy about the outcome, but I can’t change it. So, what I need to determine now is how I will continue to follow the Jesus Way in an America where Donald Trump will serve as President. 

As one doing the best I can to follow the Jesus Way under a Trump presidency, here's what I intend to do:

I will pray for our President. I will neither delight in his failure nor resent his success. I will pray that he becomes the kind of president our nation needs. I will give him the benefit of a doubt and the opportunity to prove himself. I will be open to the possibility that he could do a good job. I will do this, not just because it’s a good idea as a citizen of the United States of America, but I will do it as the follower of the one who teaches me that vengeance is destructive and the way to peace is not to do to others as they have done to us. I will pray for President-elect Trump because the Jesus Way—the way of healing, for ourselves and others—is turning the other cheek and praying even for those who would do us harm.

That is not to say that I will roll over and play dead in the face of injustice. I will not allow intimidation or fear to silence me. I will not look the other way when injustice is done to the most vulnerable among us. I will continue to stand with those I have stood with for so long: the LGBTQ community, persons of color, refugees, the disabled, children in poverty; people who could lose everything, including their lives, when they become sick; victims of sexism, ageism and religious intolerance. 

It might be easy to put my head down for the next four years and ride this out. After all, I’m the beneficiary of a privileged life. I have a stable job, health insurance, a nice pension plan, a home, and a pedigree that seems to guarantee me more of the same. I could point to those who voted for Trump, smugly fold my hands over my chest and say, “Good luck with that.” But I can’t. Why? Because I follow Jesus. No matter who our President may be, that’s not going to change.

Election day blog revisited

24 hours ago, I wrote this blog. I was so sure Hillary Clinton would win the election that I didn't even entertain the alternative...

Once when my son was a little boy, I noticed he was crying and I wasn’t sure about the source of his tears. “Ben, why are you crying?” I asked him. He was quick to inform me, “I’m not crying. Water just keeps coming from my eyes.” That’s the kind of day I’m having today. Water just keeps coming from my eyes. 

Why? I’m not sure exactly, but it’s an experience that’s not unfamiliar to me. I recognize the same sensation from other times in my life. When Obama was elected president. When LGBTQ friends were finally given the right to legally marry. And now, here I go again. 

I had a preview of this day when I went to early vote. I was there the morning of the first day in my new state of Maryland. I wanted to get it over with because at least once in my life I never made it to the polls on election day when life got in the way. (As it turns out, I’m in NYC with Nick today, November 8, so I would not have been home on election day.) It was quick for me this year. After walking a couple blocks from the church to the election site, I waited in line a few minutes and was back at work within a half hour. 

I have to admit that whenever I vote, even in less consequential elections, I get all choked up as I stand in line with other citizens and consider the awesome privilege we’re exercising. All of them are complete strangers to me, and yet we’re united because we’re Americans and this is what Americans do. And no matter who we are, no matter what our marital status, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity… no matter what our color, age, religion or background…no matter how educated or accomplished…no matter what our socioeconomic status may be. We each get one vote. No more, no less. 

Yes, I’m something of a patriotic sap when I vote. I get the same way when I’m at a sporting event and they play the national anthem. It always surprises me a bit because I don’t consider myself a flag-waver. Often, I’m disappointed in my country. But the idea of America is something I cling to. And when, in the midst of my disappointment, the idea of America shows itself, I feel like someone is squeezing me around the throat and I have trouble swallowing. 

This year, as I voted early, I emerged from the voting booth with damp canals marking my cheeks. Those tears surprised me. In my head I knew it was because I was voting for the first woman who will become president, but I didn’t realize how deeply this would affect my heart. 

Today, as I wait for the rest of the country to vote and anticipate the moment this nerve-wracking election is finally over, all I can do is weep. The results haven’t been revealed yet and the tears are already flowing. Now that my tear ducts have been uncorked, there’s no stopping the water that keeps coming from my eyes. I’m a goner, probably for the next few days.

Why do I get like this? Well, here’s how I see it… I grow to accept the world as it is, and although I might like to believe things can change, I resign myself to the hard cold truth that they never will. And then, kaboom! A seismic shift in the universe jars my reality. Suddenly the world, as I thought it could never be, becomes the world that is. The enormity of the moment is too much for me to hold within myself and it’s released through water that just keeps coming from me eyes. 

And so, here I am with tissues on hand waiting for the evening to unfold. 

Well, as we all know now, it didn't go the way I had expected. Somewhere in the midst of the election results I took my blog down. It seemed inappropriate, under the circumstances. Any tears I shed last night were not tears of joy; they were tears of grief. Actually, there weren't many tears at all because I was mostly in shock. 

As I've been processing what happened, I recognize that I'm going through the stages of grief. Disbelief, anger, bargaining... I'm running through all of them. At the moment, I'm somewhere between depression and acceptance. 

I've been analyzing the election results ad nauseum, and I can't stand it any more. It doesn't really matter why it happened, who is to blame, or how it might have turned out differently if only. The American people have elected a President. 

I'm grateful that it's over. There was no need to subject ourselves to recounts or take this to the Supreme Court. For the most part, the system worked the way it was designed to work. Now we have a President Elect and his name is Donald Trump. 

Our country has a dreadful history of holding grudges over things like this. When I think about the way those who voted against President Obama intentionally stood in the way of everything he tried to do, I'm hoping and praying that doesn't happen this time. With the level of contentiousness from this campaign, I fear that it may, and I'm not sure our country can survive more of the same divisiveness that got us here.  

Donald Trump will be our next president. I've already begun to pray for him. I pray that he will rise to become the kind of President our country needs right now. I pray that, despite his campaign rhetoric, as our President, he will be transformed, and he will govern with wisdom and equity for all Americans. I intend to give him a chance to be our President. Mr. Trump, show us what you've got!

And I'll continue to spend my life as I always have. I won't put my trust in limited human beings who are sure to make mistakes (including myself). I'll trust in the God of limitless love and strive to follow the way of Jesus. That means I'll speak up for those who have no voice and advocate on behalf of the poor and marginalized among us. If necessary, I will speak truth to power, no matter where that power may be located, including the Oval Office. 

In the end, I still believe in the idea of America, and I know that the future of our nation doesn't depend on the efforts of one human being. It's up to me, and you, and all of us. We're stronger together. Hillary Clinton definitely got that part right. 

I'm still grieving today, but by January 20 I'm praying I'll be ready to move forward. My country needs me.