Accountable
/Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’ -1Samuel 3:10
In this familiar story, the very young prophet Samuel first learns that he has a close connection with God if he listens with an open heart. In the story, he hears someone calling his name in the night. Three times he hears someone calling his name in the middle of the night, and all three times, Samuel assumes it must be Eli, his teacher. But it is really God talking to him. Whenever I read this story, I think about how it is really everyone’s story. God is always speaking to our hearts, waiting for us to listen, but like young Samuel, we can miss or confuse the voices we hear - even mistake the voice of God.
Last week our nation was shaken by the angry words and actions of those seeking power outside of our common social contract as a democratic society. They spoke and acted with violence and blood was shed. Some of the rioters who invaded our national capital building and threatened our national leaders carried signs and flags indicating that they believed that by doing so they were following Christ’s will. It was painful for me, as a Christian, to see the name of Jesus used as justification for these abusive actions by religious nationalists in Washington DC last week. Those who claim to be our siblings in Christ used Christian words and symbols to justify their abusive actions. But they, unlike Samuel, are not children, and they need to be held accountable for using faith for mistaken purposes. We must speak out about their grievous error, for they are using the name of Jesus to threaten our nation’s well-being. To hurt instead of heal. To foment chaos instead of building community. To project power and inflict fear instead of seeking the way of love. I unequivocally state that their actions last week were not an example of following in the way of Jesus.
There are many different threads and emphases in the Christian tradition, and especially in the United states, there are many different denominations. Some denominations, like our own, focus more on the grace and love of God, while others are more concerned with salvation, heaven and hell. I have often said that we can’t even begin to imagine the fullness of our rich religious tradition unless the gifts of each different thread is woven together into a whole cloth. No one thread can fully hold the mysteries of our deep tradition. However, it is also possible to use the good faith of any religious tradition for ones own personal gain, power or advantage. It is possible for religious leaders to lead others astray in their interpretation of our Scriptures and tradition. It is possible to veer off into serious sin in this life, as we all know, and to begin to be a part of a different cloth entirely.
Our faith is not a possession. It is a gift given to us to steward - meant to bring light, love and justice into this world which is so often mired in the opposite. If anything is done in the name of Christ that falls down into the mire of earthly power and control, or does not respect the dignity of every human being or treat others as Christ, it has gone off course and is mistakenly worshiping and listening to a different voice than Christ’s.
We are all painfully aware that we all fall short and err, and we certainly do not want to throw stones when we know our own failings. We also we want everyone to have freedom of their faith expression and understand people see tings differently. However, when abusive language or violent actions become a feature of any group’s proclaimed Christianity, it is time to get back to the basics and remember just what Christianity is.
Love is always the measuring stick. St. Paul tells us that the gifts of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. He mentions that the works of the fallen world include things like: using others for our own pleasure or gain, licentiousness, idolatry, hostility, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing and other things like these. Our faith is measured by our fruits. By our fruits we will be known. The fruits of the spirit indicate the embrace of Christ’s presence. The works of the world too often indicate a rejection of it.
There are many working now on the legal ramifications of last week’s events, but what are the spiritual ramifications? It is difficult to know how to faithfully hold others accountable when they are hurting the fabric of our common community and faith. Our tradition tells us that praying for them and speaking the truth in love is a way to begin.
