Sermon: Be Not Afraid

Be Not Afraid

            (Disclaimer, I preached with barely an outline on Sunday, so this is somewhat of a recreation of what I preached on Sunday)

            There is a famous quote out there that you must preach with the Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other. I go back and forth on that one, and often lean away from it—with the fast paced nature of the News, and how ephemera it all is, everyone has latched onto a story as the most important thing—only to turn to something new the next day—to tie scripture to such ephemerae can minimize God’s Word. All that to say, that’s not the foot from which I lead—but this week, the news, the week we’ve had—it is enough to shake you to your core.

            Here at St. Stephen and in South Plainfield, Pastor Charles Mingle—who had been Pastor here for 26 years—died, leaving this congregation, and frankly the whole town in shock.

            Not only that, North Korea and the United States have been playing a horrifying game of Nuclear “Chicken.” It’s enough to put anyone on edge…

            And then, yesterday down in Charlottesville, Virginia, Nazis and Confederates—White Supremacists gathered to show their strength. Counter-protestors, including clergy I know, went down to show that the Nazi’s message of hate does not represent us… that there is a better message for the world… and soon enough the clergy there were attacked, and then one of the white supremacists drove a car into a pack of the counter-protestors, killing a woman and hospitalizing another 19 people.

            To all of this—I have but one message “Be Not Afraid.”

            This is a message from God we find throughout scripture… From Genesis, where God makes a covenant with Abraham to the book of Revelation where God gives assurance to the persecuted early church—Be Not Afraid.

Prayer

            Did you know that if a conflict was to re-erupt on the Korean Peninsula 100,000 people would die in the first 15 minutes? Or that finding and securing North Korea’s Weapons of Mass destruction would require 200,000 troops occupying that country? Or that in the event of a nuclear exchange at least 10 million would die?

            Were told this is the price of being a nuclear power—of real-politik—of being a super-power.

            We’re telling a story that 100,000 people are chits, 200,000 people poker chips in a giant game, that 10 million people are the price to pay for the great game.

            It’s a scary story—inevitably it makes you ask—what about me? How un-important am I? What am I worth, if 10 million are expendable?

            But to this, Jesus tells a different story—“Be Not Afraid.”

            He comes to Peter, out there on his boat—in the midst of tumultuous waves and fear, he doesn’t abandon Peter. He comes to him, because he cares of him, he cares for Peter. And that’s Jesus’ story—the Christian story—it’s the meaning of the incarnation and the salvation we find in Christ. God shows up, in human flesh—shows up for us—more than that—dies for us—that we might have life.

            God cares that much for us, for we are beloved children of God, we are made in God’s image.

            That means 10 million dead—it is marring the very face of God. 200,000 in harm’s way—endangering the image of God—100,000 Beloved Children of God killed.

            Or—Think of Pastor Mingle—one man—yet infinitely precious in God’s sight. God would have died for him alone.

            So many praises and accolades were laid at his feet at the funeral, but it was Charlie’s son, Phillip, who summed it up best—none of those things mattered, what mattered was God’s grace, that God entered into a relationship with him, simply because God chose to—God loved him… that alone mattered.

            And in the face of 100,000, 200,000, 10 million dead as acceptable losses, it is worth knowing God does not lose a single one, but loves every one!

            Be not afraid, for you are made in the image of God and beloved of God.

            Be not afraid, as well, of you neighbor.

            These people who marched in Virginia—they did so for the sake of white supremacy—some even explicitly states they were there to make America a White, Christian, Nation.

            They saw their calling to sew division—to separate peoples, even by force.

            And it must be stated there is nothing Christian about such actions—instead there is only sin in it.

            (As a side note, I get asked why Muslims don’t condemn ISIS, the Taliban, and Al-Qaeda. I often point them to instances where violent representatives of Islam DO condemn these extreme and violent people… to which they say “Well, why don’t they stop the terrorists?”

Well, I can respond today—how did you stop these White Supremacists down in Virginia? Running people over with cars, no matter the ideology, is an act of terror. How did we Christian stop these people acting in our name?)

            To these awful acts and evil ideology—people like Bishop Bill Gohl of the Delaware Maryland Synod and Rev. Lura Groen who went down to Virginia and protested against white supremacy—respond no! There is no division—there is no room for hate, love your neighbor.

            Paul writes of making no distinction—that No One who believes will be put to shame… that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved… sometimes we get caught up on believing and calling—but Paul’s point was that his own scriptures could not be used as a sword to divide, but instead a call to unity, a reminder that it is all about God’s grace—it is never ours to divide.

            There is no division, no distinction—not on race, not on gender, not on any particular part of who you are, save that God loves you—that God is gracious!

            Within Christianity there can be no division, only love of neighbor.

            Be not afraid of your neighbor.

            And you see, all of these things in Virginia were happening while I was with my cousin Harley and his daughter Kaitlyn playing tourist in New York—We were riding this water taxi to the Statue of Liberty while I was getting these updates from my friends who were down there via social media—Bill and Lura—and it seemed like things were getting worse and worse, inching toward violence. Coke bottles filled with concrete thrown at clergy while they prayed, people beat with brass knuckles and sticks.

            I felt disconnected, kinda alone even as I was surrounded by all those people in the City.

            I felt kinda like Elijah, who cried to God “I, I alone remain.”

            He believed his whole country had committed apostasy and worshipped the false god Ba’al.

            To this God responds, “Be Not Afraid, you are not alone… there are 7,000 who refuse to bend the knee, who maintain faithfulness… you are not alone.”

            There on that boat, isolated, seeing these pictures of 1,000 of Nazis with torches marching—I got to feel despair, “What can I do?” Who can stand against violent men on the march?”

            Then we reached our destination—Lady Liberty—engraved on her plaque:

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

            Lamp lifted for the sake of neighbor…

            Be not afraid, you are not alone. There has always been a section of America’s soul seeking to do the right thing. There have always been people open handed and loving—holding out a massive torch to shine a light for those in need—shining a light of liberty and liberation.

            A light that drowns out all those false lights, those fake suns, tiki torches eclipsed by a true light.

Be not afraid—you are not alone.

Be not afraid—of your neighbor.

Be not afraid—you are made in the image of God.

Be not afraid!

Amen and alleluia.