The New Covenant: God’s Radical Grace

February 26, 2023
St. John’s United Church of Christ, Union, Illinois

Jeremiah 31:31-34; Luke 22:14-20[1]

Today I want to talk about “Covenant.” A covenant is an agreement between two parties, generally between people and God, stating their relationship and stipulating their future rights and responsibilities. It provides the arrangements within which ordinary life can flourish. It defines the common center of value that holds the community together and creates the conditions for free and responsible interactions.

Remember Noah and the Rainbow Covenant, where God promises to never again destroy the earth with a flood. Remember God’s covenant with Abraham, to make him the father of many nations, the ancestor of the “people of the book” as Jews, Christians, and Muslims are known.

Covenant is a powerful idea. As an arrangement created by God who makes the covenant, it is a gracious gift. God gives us the covenant as a means of providing us with peace, justice, happiness, freedom, and all of the good things in life that are priceless. The covenant stipulates a way of life based on the gift. In order to make the promises of the covenant a reality, we must respond with faith and obedience. We must live up to our obligations, take care of our responsibilities.

The covenant is a gift in the sense that it can be refused. We have to agree to the covenant. We have to choose to let God be our God. But, because it is based on our agreement, on consent rather than coercion or force, it creates a relationship between people and God where we are accountable to one another. We are in this together. For the promises of the covenant to be fulfilled, both God and people have to do their part.

God makes a covenant with us, and we receive the benefits of belonging to the people of God. God is especially concerned with justice and peace as the basis for human flourishing, and God’s promises make peace and justice a reality. We also take on some responsibilities as part of that covenant. God’s covenant with Moses and the Israelites involved a lengthy list of laws and rules about proper behavior. And that seemed to work… for a while.

But promises get broken, agreements are forgotten, and temptation draws us away from the commitments we’ve made. We all know what it is like to break a promise, or to have a promise that was made to us broken. I don’t think any of us is a stranger to that feeling of hurt, disappointment, betrayal. It breaks down our relationships. It ends friendships. It divides families. And it is so hard to build up a trust which has been lost.

All of the historical covenants appear to have been broken. It’s part of human nature, it seems. If we follow the story through the historical books of the Bible – Joshua, Judges, 1st and 2nd Kings, 1st and 2nd Samuel, etc. – we see God’s people repeatedly breaking the covenant. God, of course, gets angry with the people and so allows them to be conquered by different nations and even exiled from the “Promised Land.”

And yet… God never gives up. The prophets record the words that God speaks over and over again: “I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”[2] And the fact that after all we human beings have done to one another and to the world, God still has hope for us, is truly amazing. We hear that hope in the words of Jeremiah: “they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.”[3]

The promise, I will be your God and you shall be my people, is fulfilled in the life and destiny of Jesus Christ. The new covenant that Jesus speaks of during the Last Supper is the covenant that God writes on our hearts. It is the covenant of love that goes with us all the way to the grave and beyond. It is the promise of forgiveness, the gift of God’s grace. It is the way of the servant, giving ourselves to others in the name of the one who gave himself for all of us.

Radical grace is a term coined by the 20^th century theologian, Karl Barth. He was trying to respond to the Reformation idea of grace, proposed by John Calvin and others, that there is election or predestination. The Calvinist view of election teaches that in eternity God chose some individuals from the mass of fallen humanity to be saved without regard to any merit or foreseen faith in them, but solely based on God’s choice. Those elected are predestined to go to heaven.

Barth recognized in the church’s language of predestination an attempt to express the sovereignty of God. For him, this is the sum of the gospel—that God elects humanity and that this election is utterly unconditioned by any human merit, preparation, or disposition. But Barth’s reinterpretation of the doctrine of election rejects any form of double-predestination whereby some are elected to salvation and others to damnation.

Christ, has elected humanity for salvation. But Christ is also the one chosen before time to restore the broken covenant between God and humanity. The election of any particular person is always an election “in Christ,” and the election “in Christ” is an election of all persons for salvation and eternity. In this way, Barth removes speculation regarding the eternal destiny of any particular person and transforms it into an affirmation of radical grace. Radical grace means everyone is saved. The covenant is no longer dependent on our choice, but given no matter what.

The reality of salvation can only be fully affirmed if the event is seen to come to humankind as a gift that is already actual and complete. The gift is effective whether or not it is acknowledged by the recipient. The alternative, describing salvation as in some sense dependent on a human response, would imply that salvation is a mere possibility not yet realized in human existence. The gospel would become yet another law by which humanity was condemned.

Jesus didn’t come to condemn people to eternal damnation. In John’s Gospel, we read: “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”[4] Who did Jesus condemn? No one. Who did Jesus forgive? The disciples who deserted him, the Roman soldiers who killed him, the Roman and Jewish ruling elite who condemned him to death, yes. Was he forgiving us all forever, for all our sins? This is the gospel.

Don’t give up on each other. Keep forgiving one another. Keep on loving one another, even when it is hard. Keep on serving others, even if they don’t recognize or appreciate what you are doing. Keep building the kingdom, the reality of God’s peace and justice and love that has been promised in the new covenant of Jesus Christ. Let God’s radical grace rain down upon us all.  Amen.

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[1] The scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

[2] Jeremiah 31:33.

[3] Jeremiah 31:34.

[4] John 3:17.

A Light That Remains

February 19, 2023
St. John’s United Church of Christ, Union, Illinois

Exodus 24:12-18; Matthew 17:1-9[1]

Moses had a lot on his plate. A host of people had followed him out of Egypt, away from slavery, and toward the Promised Land. Yet here, in the desert, they suffered. They needed guidance, instruction, they needed the laws and commandments of God. Moses went up on the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, and he received something more, as well. “As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.” (E 34:29) The light of God remained with him as he led the people of Israel to their new home.

The disciples had a lot to worry about. Just a few days before, they had been told by Jesus of the coming journey to Jerusalem, the suffering he would undergo at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, the imminence of his death, and they naturally were deeply troubled. Peter had even tried to convince Jesus to take some other path, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” (M 16:22)

We, too, try to avoid pain and suffering, even if we know it is for the best. I don’t think anyone really enjoys going to the dentist, or getting their blood drawn. We avoid emotional pain, too, putting off hard conversations, avoiding certain topics at the family gathering.

It may seem that, in a turbulent and troubling world, the best way to keep from being hurt is stoicism, to shut away emotion, to be indifferent to pain and pleasure. If you keep everyone at a distance, don’t get involved, and build walls around your heart, you won’t have to suffer. Don’t risk feeling wonder and you won’t risk feeling heartache. You may not experience any pain or anger, but you won’t know joy and happiness either. Your ability to feel emotions, like the use of muscles, will atrophy.

We each know the pain of loss, the suffering of friends, the illness of a child, the career that has fallen apart, the relationship that has soured. We can choose to smother the pain, to elude the suffering. But what will we lose? Do we dare risk the pain of weeping in sorrow if it means we will be able to cry out in joy when we celebrate?

Jesus isn’t a safe person to be around, if you want to be a stoic. How many people were overwhelmed with joy at the healing touch, cried out praise for being set free from evil spirits, and reached out with trembling hands to touch his? How many times were the crowds filled with awe? When he chastised the authorities, did it stir up their anger? Jesus brings out our emotions, fills our hearts to overflowing, and makes us hunger for justice, mercy, and peace.

If we walk the road with Jesus, if we look with his eyes and hear with his ears, we can’t remain stoic. If we follow the story of the first disciples, we can’t help but be moved by their experience. The amazing joy and grace and kindness that caused them to follow him on the dusty roads of Galilee. The crushing pain of the capture, trial, and crucifixion. The overwhelming joy at the resurrection. If we push down our feelings, we might not cry on Calvary, but we certainly won’t be struck with awe on the mountaintop. If we don’t open our eyes when it is dark, we will never know that light that shines in the darkness.

When J.R.R. Tolkien wrote his masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, he had known darkness and terror. He had served in the trenches of the First World War, and he understood the power of evil. Yet, he also knew the power of goodness, of hope, and of light. In the story he wrote, Frodo and his companions are charged with destroying the One Ring of power by taking it into the land of the evil Sauron. They know some of the suffering and fear that they will face. The journey will become very dark for Frodo.

The Fellowship has lost their leader, Gandalf, and they recuperate in the land of the elven queen Galadriel. She knows the darkness they face, perhaps better than any other. She offers the companions gifts to help them on their quest. Galadriel’s gift to Frodo was light. “She held up a small crystal phial: it glittered as she moved it, and rays of white light sprang from her hand. ‘In this phial,’ she said, ‘is caught the light of Eärendil’s star, set amid the waters of my fountain. It will shine still brighter when night is about you. May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out.”[2]

Frodo would face many terrors on the journey to Mordor, and in one terrible moment he and his friend are trapped by the giant spider, Shelob. In their darkest moment, the gift of light would embolden them, give them courage to face the monster, and guide them to their journey’s end.

Peter, James, and John were not stoics, but they weren’t masochists either. Faced with terrors ahead, they sought a way out, to avoid the suffering to come, not understanding that what was to come must be. As Jesus was transfigured before them on the mountain, they tried to hold on to this one amazing moment, to remain in the light of God’s power. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (M 17:4) Do we really have to face the future, the suffering we know is coming?

It was in that moment that God was fully present. In the voice from the cloud, they heard the reassurance of God: “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” (M 17:5) Yes, you must face what is coming. You must go back down the mountain and face the trial, the suffering, and the crucifixion. But this moment is the gift that I give to you, my presence, my light, shining through Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. My light shining in you. In all the chaos to come, the death, the loss, the fear, the confusion, I will be with you. In the bewilderment, the amazement, the hope, and the challenges to come, I will be with you. My light shines with you, and my light does not go out. I care, and I love you, and I won’t ever let you go.

We don’t get to meet Moses, Elijah, and Jesus on the mountain top. We don’t get to see, as Moses did, the appearance of the glory of the Lord, like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain. The dazzling light of Galadriel’s gift doesn’t shine for us. But when we face the world that is below the mountain, when we face the world with the suffering and fear of the cross, the world that may break us, we are not without the light of hope. The light that shone from that mountaintop can shine in our own experiences of transformation, hope, and grace. We may find the light in a sanctuary or a hospital room, on a mountain trail or the sidewalk, in a moment where when the sacred and the holy overcome our fears and give us hope.

We can choose to shut out the light, to ignore the emotions, to carry on with stoic resolve. Or we can remember that the light shines even in the dark places, that love and hope can lift us up, and we are not alone.

What happened on the mountain was God’s way of preparing the disciples for the journey they faced. They would go together, companions, a fellowship encouraging one another with memories of the light as they travelled the dark paths. The experience of knowing the true nature of Jesus, the divine light that shone from him through them, would be enough to sustain them through the crucifixion to the resurrection, and beyond.

As we enter the season of Lent, whether you take more time for reflection, sacrifice luxuries, or take on a spiritual discipline, I encourage you to experience your emotions more deeply. I entreat you to look for the light of holiness that shines even in the shadows. Remembering the transfiguration can sustain us as it did the disciples, knowing that Jesus shines a light for us when all other lights go out. We can’t avoid the sorrow and the struggle, but we can endure more than we know with the assurance that God cares, God loves us, and God has given us a light that remains.

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[1] The scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

[2] J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring (London: HarperCollins Publishers, 1954).

The Spiritual Gift of Integrity

February 12, 2023
St. John’s United Church of Christ, Union, Illinois

Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Matthew 5:33-37[1]

In our world today, integrity seems hard to find. Saying what you mean, letting your yes mean yes and your no mean no, is a virtue that is becoming more rare. The idea that “the end justifies the means” is an acceptable school of thought for many. We see it when sales people over-promise and under-deliver. We see it when business executives hide reports of pollution or toxic spills in order to keep their profits from being used to fund clean-up. We even see it in churches who post signs saying “All are welcome” yet make it clear - through side glances and shunning - that some people really are not welcome.

This is not a new problem. All the way back in the time of Moses we can read the call to live according to the values claimed by a people. “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity.”[2] Live according to the commandments, decrees, and ordinances, and your virtuous life will be rewarded. God will bless you and your descendants if you observe the law. But turn away, follow other gods and serve your own interests, and you shall not live long. Even so long ago we hear the prayer in Psalm 7, “Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me.”[3]

Integrity means “firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values.”[4] A contributor to Forbes magazine once wrote, “Integrity means doing the right thing at all times and in all circumstances, whether or not anyone is watching. It takes having the courage to do the right thing, no matter what the consequences will be. Building a reputation of integrity takes years, but it takes only a second to lose, so never allow yourself to ever do anything that would damage your integrity.”[5]

Another definition is offered by Barbara Killinger, an author and clinical psychologist in Toronto who specialized in workaholism. In a book she wrote on integrity, she said, “Integrity is a personal choice, an uncompromising and predictably consistent commitment to honour (sic) moral, ethical, spiritual, and artistic values and principles.”[6] We judge the integrity of others to the extent that they act according to the values, beliefs, and principles they claim to hold.

From an ethical perspective, an individual is said to possess the virtue of integrity if that person’s actions are based upon an internally consistent framework of principles. “You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything” is the line in a country song by Aaron Tippin.[7]

Yet what we stand for should also conform to reality. We must be willing to adjust our principles when they are proven to be inconsistent. If what I believe to be true is shown to be false, I must try to incorporate the truth into my internal framework. This is where our media and political systems fail us, by allowing false equivalencies to rule the day. False equivalencies give plausibility to each side even if one side is provably wrong. False equivalencies encourage one to mislead in order to maintain a narrative, even when it has been proven to be wrong.

As Christians, we adhere to the importance of loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves. And yet those values are not always reflected in how we live our day-to-day lives. As Jesus reflected on the world around him, he saw a great lack of integrity from the leaders of the people. Those charged with teaching and keeping the laws would make bold promises, swearing by heaven, earth, or Jerusalem, and then continue to lie, cheat, and steal. The laws of Moses, meant to free the people to live together in society came to be used to oppress the poor and enforce power and control over the people.

Judaism had developed a system of oaths and vows to guarantee that at least some words would be especially true. In both the Gentile and Jewish worlds, an oath invoked God to guarantee the truth of what was said, or to punish the one taking the oath if it was not true.

“You have heard that it was said…” proclaimed Jesus, “But I say to you… Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No.’”[8] Your integrity matters. Doing what you say you will do matters. Jesus paraphrases the Old Testament teaching about oaths, then commands that his followers take no oaths at all. Jesus sought to abolish the distinction between words that must be true and those that must not, between words one is compelled to stand behind and those one must not, and called for all speech to be truthful. I say that there must be truthfulness in all that we say.

The importance of integrity can be seen in the final days of Jesus’ ministry in Jerusalem. The act that set the ruling priesthood against him came when he took up a whip and angrily drove the money lenders and merchants from the grounds of the Temple. By profiteering from pilgrims coming to worship, they had corrupted the integrity of the Temple as a holy place.[9] Later, he preached a lengthy sermon condemning the Pharisees and teachers of the law as hypocrites, claiming that they and their followers obeyed the narrow letter of the law on the outside while they were corrupt, greedy, self-indulgent, and spiritually dead on the inside.[10]

For Christians, integrity and faithfulness is about more than simply following all the rules. It is about doing the work of the heart, of living up to the values we claim even when it’s hard. It is embracing the challenge to reflect God’s grace, God’s goodness, and God’s integrity in what we say and do. What Jesus was saying is that following the law is easy, but it does not transform. Living with a God-formed integrity of heart, speech, and action is what truly makes a difference in people’s lives.

Jesus calls us to have integrity in how we live. There are so many ways we separate ourselves in this world – nations war against nations; political parties slander and undermine each other; religions seek to kill one another’s followers; wealthy and poor seek to protect themselves from each other. The destruction brought about by this division is devastating. If we can begin to find our common humanity within, and begin to live, from a Christ-like heart, perhaps we can begin to heal some of the damage we have done.

Christ’s challenge is to refuse to allow ourselves to live only according to the low standard of law, but to go beyond it to living from the heart – serving, seeking justice, offering welcome and compassion, protecting the vulnerable, and preserving our rich ecological heritage on the planet. There is no question, though, that to adopt Christ’s heart-driven life can be painful and difficult. It will, however, also open the doors to life for us and others. Integrity is a spiritual gift, and through it the Spirit can empower us to change ourselves and the world.

When we allow God to capture our hearts with love, when we allow God to grow our hearts, when we live in a way consistent with Christ’s love for God and others, and allow that to guide our speech and actions – then we become those who make a healing, restoring impact on the world around us. We will find, and bring to others, fullness of life, a deeper connectedness, and a more gracious community.

Do not be lead astray. “Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying and holding fast to the Lord; for that means life to you and length of days.” Live a life of integrity, and the world will be transformed.  Amen.

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[1] The scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

[2] Deuteronomy 30:15.

[3] Psalm 7:8.

[4] Webster’s Dictionary online, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/integrity.

[5] Amy Rees Anderson, “Success Will Come and Go, But Integrity Is Forever” November 28, 2012, online: https://www.forbes.com/.

[6] Killinger, Barbara, Integrity: Doing the Right Thing for the Right Reason. McGill-Queen's University Press, 2010, P.12.

[7] Aaron Tippin, “You’ve God to Stand for Something” on You've Got to Stand for Something, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 1990.

[8] Matthew 5:33-37, selected.

[9] See: Matthew 21:12-13.

[10] See: Matthew 23:1-39.

Raise Up the Foundations

February 5, 2023
St. John’s United Church of Christ, Union, Illinois

Isaiah 58:1-12; Matthew 5:13-20[1]

I used to read science fiction comedy by Douglas Adams, about this average guy from a town in England who discovers his best friend is actually from another planet. In one of the novels, they have to park their spaceship in a town on Earth near a sporting event. In order to keep the spaceship from being seen, they have to use an invisibility shield. They wrap the ship in an energy field called “Somebody Else’s Problem.”[2] You see, when it’s somebody else’s problem, you don’t really notice what’s going on and you can ignore it.

Now, as Americans, we enjoy certain inalienable rights; and individual freedom and opportunity are protected in our laws. The value that our society places on the individual enables us to achieve incredible things, allows us to do and be our best, and promises that every person has value – no one is expendable.

Those who serve our country and protect those rights, particularly those in uniform, know what it means to “Be all you can be.” And they deserve our thanks for their service. Several years ago, I read an article by General Stanley McChrystal, U.S. Army, retired, former Commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan. The article, “Step Up for Your Country,” was published in the January 31^st, 2011 copy of Newsweek. McChrystal raised an important point about our rights and freedoms. He says, “As important as those inalienable rights are, there are also inalienable responsibilities that we must accept and fulfill.”[3]

A soldier knows a great deal about responsibility. If the unit doesn’t perform as a team, or if any member of the unit fails to do their job, someone is going to die, and it won’t be the enemy. There can be life or death consequences if anyone thinks something is somebody else’s problem. And the tremendous responsibility that comes with command in the armed forces has given McChrystal an important perspective on what many of us might dismiss as somebody else’s problem. He wrote, “We have let the concept of service become dangerously narrow, often associated only with the military.”[4] He continued, “This allows most Americans to avoid the sense of responsibility essential for us to care for our nation – and for each other.”[5]

Are there any Boy or Girl Scouts here today? You know something about responsibility as well. “‘Do a Good Turn Daily’ is a core Scouting precept. Scouting encourages young people to recognize the needs of others and take action accordingly. Scouting works through neighborhoods, volunteer organizations, and faith-based organizations to help young people appreciate and respond to the needs of others.”[6]

Shared responsibility for the well-being of our neighbors, our community, and our world is not as clearly defined in our laws. It is, however, quite clearly defined in our scriptures.

Isaiah’s people are trying to figure out what led to their exile in Babylon. They believe that they must have angered God, who punished them, and so they focus with zeal on worshiping God and over-observance of religious ritual. “Isaiah’s people appear to be very religious. They not only go to worship daily; they also fast frequently. The people complain that they have observed the fasts, but God has not answered their prayers. Isaiah has to point out that the wealthy are fasting on the holy days, but their employees still have to work.”[7] “Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day, and oppress all your workers.”[8] Their energy is misdirected, they are missing the point, and their fasting serves no purpose. “Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself?”[9]

Isaiah suggests that observing the letter of the law misses the spirit of the law. Worship is supposed to fill us with the power of the Holy Spirit, and charge us to go forth to bring the “Day of the Lord” or the “Kingdom of God” to fruition. Worship should remind us of our responsibility to our fellow family members, the children of God. Fasting is supposed to free up resources that could be used to serve others in the community. “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?”[10]

Both Isaiah and Jesus make the point that worship of God is about more than faithful observance of ritual. When Jesus says “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven,”[11] he means that there is something more important than obsessive observance of the letter of the law. What God desires, offering food to the hungry, satisfying the needs of the afflicted, is what gets missed when our focus is on ourselves rather than on our responsibility to our neighbors.

In that Newsweek article,[12] General McChrystal described a situation he saw in Afghanistan. In that harsh environment, agriculture was sustained by a complex and extensive irrigation system using underground tunnels. This system was essential, and required labor-intensive maintenance. The members of the community understood their responsibility to do the work necessary to keep the system flowing. It was a shared task.

When the Soviet Union invaded in 1979, the system was damaged. Ironically, this resulted in private individuals digging their own wells and setting up their own systems, disrupting the community dynamic. What had been a unifying responsibility for all was now a source of wealth for a few – and yet another source of frustration for the rest.

In our own country, it is often more efficient and cost-effective to hire professionals to complete a project, but not if our objective is to shape our society with a sense of shared responsibility.[13]

Snow removal is a perfect example of this type of shared responsibility. Clearing the sidewalks so children can safely walk to school is the responsibility of all of us. And it’s more than just the sidewalk in front of my house – if the path ends in a snow-bank where it meets my property line, that’s a dead-end, not a safe and clear passage. Now, I have a deal with my neighbor, who has a bad back and a snow-blower, that I can use the machine and clear the snow from both properties. But ultimately our responsibility goes all the way to both corners. When it snows, if my neighbors and I work together, there will be a clear path by the next morning.

There are other examples, things that members of this congregation are already involved in. Serving at the MORE Food Pantry, or the Food Pantry in Huntley. Raking leaves and shoveling show for our neighbor with a bad back is one way our family takes responsibility for others. Loosing the bonds of injustice and letting the oppressed go free are more difficult duties, but not beyond the ability of people in this room, particularly if we work together.

Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.”[14] Worship of God means to bring salt to the world. Salt is that spice that brings out the flavor of food. A life lived in worship of God can enhance our experience of the world, and help us bring out the best in others. Salt also preserves food. A worshipful life helps us hold onto our heritage and all that has made us who we are. Salt makes us thirsty. Worship of God can give us a thirst for justice and the desire to end oppression.

“You are the light of the world.”[15] To be told we are the light of the world encourages us to share our gifts and talents with others. “However, there is another reason for light to shine. There is darkness in life – external and internal.”[16] “The light is not given for our own personal enjoyment.”[17] We are given the light in order to go into the darkness, “to engage and walk through it, so that, in time, the light can overcome it.”[18]

To be the light of the world is to take on the responsibility to rebuild the ancient ruins, to raise up the foundations of many generations. To be the light of the world means that we repair the breach, we restore the streets to live in. To be the light of the world means that we recognize our shared responsibility for the well-being of our world in the commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves. To be the light of the world means that we see through what seems to be somebody else’s problem, and understand that we have a responsibility to serve one another in the name of Jesus Christ.

When we bring salt and light to the world, we raise up the foundations of something better. We bring glory to God and raise up the foundations of the City of God![19]  Amen.

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[1] The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[2] Douglas Adam, Life, the Universe and Everything (Harmony Books, 1982).

[3] Stanley McChrystal, “Step Up for Your Country,” Newsweek, 31 January, 2011, 36.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Boy Scouts of America, from http://www.scouting.org/Visitor/WhyScouting/ServingOthers.aspx (accessed 2/7/2011).

[7] Brett Younger, “Homiletical Perspective” on Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12), in Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Year A, Volume 1 (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010), 319.

[8] Isaiah 58:3b.

[9] Isaiah 58:5a.

[10] Isaiah 58:6-7.

[11] Matthew 5:20.

[12] McChrystal, 36, 38.

[13] Ibid., 38.

[14] Matthew 5:13.

[15] Matthew 5:14.

[16] Charles James Cook, “Pastoral Perspective” on Matthew 5:13-20, in Feasting, 336.

[17] Ibid.

[18] Ibid.

[19] The worship service concluded with the singing of the hymn “You Are Salt for the Earth, O People,” paraphrase by Marty Haugen, 1986, alt.; in The New Century Hymnal (Cleveland: The Pilgrim Press, 1995), 181.