Be Careful for What You Wish
by
Rick Wilson
From the Gospel of Matthew, we hear this story: A wealthy man asked Jesus what was necessary to receive eternal life. Jesus responds, “You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. You shall not defraud. Honor your father and mother.’” The man claimed to have upheld these since childhood. Jesus said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” The man went away grieving. I wonder if he may have desired to hear from Jesus, “Well then you are in.” If so, it might have been a case of “Be careful what you wish for.”
On Thursday, our country celebrated July 4th as Independence Day, observed as a legal holiday in commemoration of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. According to an article in the online reference tool Britannica, it [the Independence Day] remains a potent symbol of national power and of specifically American qualities—even the freedom to stay at home and barbecue. I don’t know what you did for the 4th, but we stayed at home!
Part of our country’s beauty is its vast diversity. People from all over the world have made their home here. Of course, the only true natives are the First People, also known as Native Americans. Everyone brings gifts to our country from traditions of their previous homelands. I especially like the variety of foods, baklava being at the top with lasagna at a close second. Former President Jimmy Carter said, “We have become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.” What a majesty diversity brings!
Part of our diversity is religious. There are so many different faith traditions and there are many people without a faith tradition. Thomas Jefferson, in a letter written in 1802 basing his views on the establishment clause of the First Amendment saying there should be “no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” stated there must be a “wall of separation” that clearly limited the involvement of religious denominations and religious leaders in matters related to national governance. Some would want us to be a Christian nation but if that is the case, we need to be careful what we wish for.
Why? Well, what would a Christian nation look like? At the time of World War II, nearly all of Germany was Christian. Her citizens belonged either to Roman Catholic (ca. 20 million members) or Protestant (ca. 40 million members) churches. In the German Evangelical Church – the largest Protestant church in Germany – there were two factions – one favoring Nazism and the other the Confessing Church and its followers of Christ opposing Nazism. My question: how could a Christian support the genocide of Jewish people or the genocide of any people?
In the 25th Chapter of Matthew, Jesus shares the story of the Coming of the Son of Man and the accountability that is part of that story. ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’
A Christian nation would ensure no one is hungry. A Christian nation would ensure no one is thirsty. And horrors like what occurred in Flint, Michigan, with its water supply, would be corrected immediately. A Christian nation would welcome strangers in their land. For those wanting to enter our country, conversations would occur to see what is possible. Respecting another’s dignity is necessary for a Christian nation, even if one disagrees with others.
In a Christian nation, no one would be without clothing; no one freezing to death or dying from heat exhaustion because of inadequate clothing or lack of shelter. In a Christian nation, there would be health care making treatment possible for any sickness. A Christian nation would have people who have broken the law experience rehabilitation to help them become productive members of society, not confined to punishment in substandard institutions. So, do we really wish to be a Christian nation, doing what we are to do as followers of Christ?
Jesus taught in the synagogue on the Sabbath in his old neighborhood. His former neighbors were perplexed. “Seriously? This is Mary’s kid?” They were unwilling to hear him because they thought they knew him. Jesus said, “Prophets are not without honor except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” Moving to other villages, Jesus empowers his disciples as apostles – sent out to proclaim Jesus’ message and to heal those who were sick. We are to be empowered to continue Jesus’ mission.
An American who is also a follower of Christ has two citizenships. One is a citizen of a country that just celebrated over 246 years of independence from a foreign power. Another citizenship is of the reign of God Jesus proclaimed, which grows through being compassionate, just, and loving – not loving as a sentiment but loving as extending oneself for the good of others. It is a reign unrestricted to any certain group; rather, it is for all humankind.
Over 2600 years ago, the prophet Ezekiel was instructed by God to deliver a message to the people of Judah around the time of the great exile to Babylonia. In this message, God assured Ezekiel their response was not his responsibility. The prophet addressed his audience. The message was to challenge and strengthen the listeners, with the hope they would not only hear but listen.
This land is your land, this land is my land from California to the New York Island, from the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters; this land was made for you and me. Thank you, Woody Guthrie!
God bless America! Our country has such great potential! Our history has shown marvelous things being done. Our history also shows some ugly things being done such as the forced resettling of this continent’s native people, the dehumanizing enslavement of people from Africa, and the discriminatory treatment of Asians as they became part of the American story. We can be so much more than that!
The American who is a follower of Christ can be a prophetic voice in our nation calling us to be a people who sees all as bearing the image of God. The American who is a follower of Christ can be a Jesus presence, encouraging everyone to respect the dignity of all human beings and to strive for peace and justice among all people. When our citizenship as Americans is empowered by our citizenship within the reign of God, truly wonderful things can happen. Celebrate who you are as an American but don’t forget to celebrate who you are as a citizen of the reign of God. Amen.
©2024 Rick Wilson
Rev. Rick Wilson, Rector, Episcopal Church of St. Matthew, Tucson AZ.
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