The Biggest Lie July 16, 1019

Dear Friends

I'm trying, and with success most of the time, to "HANG LOOSE" here in Hawaii. 

 
But I must interrupt my regular blog to repeat something I have said before. Our current president's BIGGEST LIE was when he said, on the night (early morning) he was elected, that he would unite this country. The reality is that he has been a "Divider in Chief" ever since, his words tweeted and spoken over the last few days being the latest and one of the saddest examples. 

Instead of working toward "a more perfect union", instead of calling forth "our better angels", he has done just the opposite. Whoever we elect in 2020 must be a "Uniter in Chief". Unity does not mean uniformity. It is living with and learning from our differences, (however we define them), while staying in relationships of respect and recognition of others' right to the same dignity we would want for ourselves.

I am attaching my sermon from last Sunday on the parable of the Good Samaritan. I do not expect you to read the whole thing, but I have bolded the last part which is in reference to current events. At the least, read the final quote from Frederick Beuchner, witty and piercing at the same time when it comes to answering the question "Who is my neighbor?" (This sermon was written before the news of the last few days---probably a good thing!)

There is a time to "Hang Loose" but there is also a time to speak up and out. Sadly, my congressman, as of this morning, has remained silent, a silence I can only interpret as support for the continuing divisive, hurtful rhetoric coming out of the mind and mouth of our current president. Of course he is not the only one who speaks like this...from the "right" or the "left". But he holds a sacred office and has a sacred responsibility to represent the country, not just himself.

I find comfort and hope in Jesus's words, "I was a stranger and you welcomed me". All of us have been strangers at one time or another, but let us pray for and love especially those who have been considered or treated as strangers most of their lives.

John 

Proper 10 C                      All Saints’, Kaua’i                           July 14, 2019

    

      The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of those gospel stories that immediately triggers my childhood memories of Sunday school, and the teacher moving felt figures around a felt board to illustrate this lesson about caring for others.  On the surface, and compared to some other parables Jesus told, it seems so simple and easy to understand. We are to help others in need. But there is more to explore and learn.

    

      Let’s start with some good background provided by biblical scholar William Barclay:  

     

     The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was a notoriously dangerous road. It was narrow, rocky, and full of sudden turns. When Jesus told this story about the man being robbed and beaten, he was telling about the kind of thing that often happened on this highway. This man was foolish to take it.

     

     As for the priest who passed by, he may have presumed the man was already dead and recalled the law that he who touched a body would be unclean for seven days. He could lose his turn of duty at the Temple. That was more important than getting involved.

    

     As for the Levite who also passed by, he may have feared, from knowing the history of this road, that the body was just a decoy and others were waiting to attack him if he stopped to help. He wasn’t willing to take that risk.

    

     And then there was the Samaritan, a foreigner, a villain to those hearing Jesus tell this story. And while the Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans, this one seems to have been a regular traveler who was a regular visitor to the inn. He must have had good credit and the trust of the innkeeper, who was willing to let him pay later for any further expenses. The Samaritan may have been a heretic in the eyes of some, but he clearly had the love of God in his heart.

       

     So, a sermon theme on this gospel I considered, was to emphasize the way we can be surprised. Which of these three was a good neighbor? Obviously the one who showed mercy by doing something, but, in this case, it was the foreigner, the despised, the one who people trusted the least. Surprise! The perceived villain turned out to be the hero! He rose above the fears of the priest and Levite to just do it, just do the right thing. He alone, to paraphrase the words of today’s collect, knew and understood what he ought to do, and had the grace and power to do it.

     

     The name, Good Samaritan, goes well beyond the gospel. There are hospitals named after the Good Samaritan including a very large one in my Diocese of Los Angeles, fondly referred to as “Good Sams”.  There is the Good Sam RV club. Its logo has a cartoon man with a halo over his head. I guess the emergency roadside service they offer can make the connection to our parable.

     

     Many states have Good Samaritan laws, including Hawaii. Under Hawaii law, “any person who in good faith renders emergency care without remuneration or expectation of remuneration at the scene of an accident or emergency…shall not be liable for any civil damages resulting from the person’s acts or omissions, except for such damages as may result from the person’s gross negligence or want acts or omissions.” Commenting on this in her column in the Star Bulletin several years ago, (isn’t Google wonderful?) June Watanabe noted, “it has nothing to do with legislating the aloha spirit” but is “meant to protect do-gooders and rescuers from being sued, as well as to encourage others to lend a helping hand.”  (With the Seinfeld TV comedy celebrating its 30^th anniversary a week ago Friday, some may remember the series finale when Jerry, Elaine, Kramer and George were found guilty of ignoring a small town’s Good Samaritan law requiring them to get involved, and they all land in jail!)

   

      Of course we’ve come a long way from pouring oil and wine on  a wound. And while occasionally we may have an opportunity to be the first responder and offer first, direct aid, it is more common to just call 911 and wait to let the professionals do their jobs.

     

      The key phrase that leaps out to me in today’s gospel is the question, “Who is my neighbor?”  And that question is as relevant as ever, given today’s news. It is at the heart of the current debate over immigration that is raging in this country, with more intensity than ever. 

   

       Who is my neighbor? I wish it were as simple and sweet as Mr. Rogers made it. Last summers’ documentary, “Won’t you be my neighbor?”, was wonderful and powerful.

    

       Who is my neighbor? I wish it were as easy as the storylines from those old “God to the rescue shows” such as “Highway to Heaven” or “Touched by an Angel”. A current hit in this genre, on summer break, is called “God Friended Me”. It caught my attention because the cast includes an Episcopal priest and his son. Like the other shows, it ties up things in a neat bow in 60 minutes, and in this case, it airs right after Sunday night’s 60 minutes.

      

        But, of course, it’s not always so sweet or simple or quick or tidy. The question “Who is my neighbor?”, when it comes to the issue of immigration, can be contentious and complicated and drag on forever. And who among us would want to be in charge of reconciling the spirit of one of our greatest ideals that defines who we are as a country, as expressed in Emma Lazarus’s words on the Statue of Liberty, and the letter of countless, complex, changing immigration laws, rules and codes? It’s hard, let’s be honest, to bring ideals and reality together sometimes.

    

       As people of faith, however, we should have no problem in recognizing anyone, coming or going, in this or any country, as God’s children, our siblings, our brothers and sisters. We may not be able to meet every single need of every person in need, but we can all speak of and treat all people in our direct care or not, with compassion and respect and dignity. I remember a pilgrim being as grateful for a gift of food as for being called by his name.

    

       Indeed, our baptismal covenant includes these questions: “Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?” “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being?”  And you and I have answered many, many times, “I will with God’s help”.

    

       As these words from one of our hymns, “Jesu, Jesu” remind us

Neighbors are rich and poor,

Neighbors are black and white

Neighbors are nearby and far away

These are the ones we should serve,

These are the ones we should love,

All are neighbors to us and you. 

   

        Frederick Beuchner gives us a final witty, yet piercing reminder, of who our neighbor is:

     

       “When Jesus said to love your neighbor, a lawyer who was present asked him to clarify what he meant by neighbor. He wanted a legal definition he could refer to in case the question of loving one ever happened to come up. He presumably wanted something on the order of: “A neighbor (hereinafter referred to as the party of the first part) is to be construed meaning a person of Jewish descent whose legal residence is within a radius of no more than three statute miles from one’s own legal residence, unless there is another person of Jewish descent (hereinafter referred to as the party of the second part) living closer to the party of the first part than one is oneself, in which case the party of the second part is to be construed as neighbor to the party of the first part and one is oneself relieved of all responsibility of any sort or kind whatsoever.

    

       Instead, Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan, the point of which seems to be that your neighbor is to be construed as meaning anybody who needs you.  The lawyer’s response is left unrecorded.”

    

       The question is, my friends, what is ours? AMEN.