IT'S COOL TO HAVE FAITH - April 20, 2008
John 14:1-14, Acts 7:55-60
The Pit
A man fell into a pit and couldn't get himself out.
A subjective person came along and said, "I feel for you down there."
An objective person walked by and said, "It's logical that someone would fall down there."
A Pharisee said, "Only bad people fall into pits."
A mathematician calculated how he fell into the pit.
A news reporter wanted the exclusive story on the pit.
An IRS agent asked if he was paying taxes on the pit.
A self-pitying person said, "You haven't seen anything until you've seen my pit!"
A fire-and-brimstone preacher said, "You deserve your pit."
A Christian Scientist observed, "The pit is just in your mind."
A psychologist noted, "Your mother and father are to blame for your being in that pit."
A self-esteem therapist said, "Believe in yourself and you can get out of that pit."
An optimist said, "Things could be worse."
A pessimist claimed, "Things will get worse."
Jesus, seeing the man, took him by the hand and lifted him out of the pit.
(From a church bulletin in Australia)
This week, I believe Jesus has come and pulled us out of the pit.
We've passed April 15 and tax day, and we've survived!!
But more important than taxes is the visit of Pope Benedict to the United States and all that it implies. This Pope, whose election seemed inevitable and yet improbable at the time, who has seemed so intellectual and distant, has brought healing to our nation.
Pope Benedict as Cardinal Ratzinger, was the one who read all the papers regarding the sexual abuse scandals in our country -- and so is also the one who could understand the pain of those who were abused, who have been in the pit of despair and depression for many years. This Pope, so cooly intellectual, did the right thing at last and extended the hand of Jesus to bring healing, and to bring them out of the pit.
Pope Benedict visited New York, and not only celebrated mass but went to "Ground Zero" to extend his hand of sorrow, and to a synagogue to extend the hand of acceptance and understanding.
Leading intellectuals have argued that terrorist acts represent only fringe Muslims, and that Islam is a religion of peace. A Columbia University professor argued that September 11 was an act of cultic religion, and compared the Islamists involved to the Branch Davidians and the Rev. Jim Jones of Guyana. The professor stated that September 11 is a model of "the carefully planned and horrendous, pathologically motivated suicide attack and mass slaughter by a small group of deranged militants . . . the capture of big ideas by a tiny band of crazed fanatics for criminal purposes." Another professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara and a specialist on religious violence, said, "Osama bin Laden is to Islam [what] Timothy McVeigh is to Christianity."
The heat of fanaticism is what caused the stoning of Stephen. It is what caused both 9-11 and the Oklahoma bombing.
But along comes an emotionally cool, intellectual Pope who extends the hand of Christ, and we are healed.
This "Cool" faith is a faith that trusts in God, that knows that God's throne is God's, not ours. A cool faith realizes that nothing in our finite world can contain an infinite Lord -- not our nations, not our political parties, not our religions, not our churches, not our personal agendas. It's a cool vision when Stephen gazes into heaven and sees the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God (v. 56). This vision tells us that God and Jesus are in the coolness of heavenŠnot in the wrath of the hot Jerusalem crowd.
This "Cool" faith is a forgiving faith. Stephen's last words are "Lord, do not hold this sin against them" (v. 60). This may be the biggest challenge of cool faith, but it's at the heart of being a follower of Christ. As Christians, we're forgiven people so our job is to forgive -- our friends, our family members, our boyfriends and girlfriends, our brothers and sisters. Our job is to forgive our bosses, our coworkers, our opponents, our enemies, and most of all ourselves. When we offer true forgiveness, we let go of the anger that feeds hostility and violence that is ripping our world apart and sending us into the pit.
There is a story about a minister who invited a guest minister who was attending the worship service to come and say a few words to the congregation. The pastor told the congregation that the guest was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church members. An elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak, and he told this story:
"A father, his son and a friend of his son were sailing off the Pacific coast," he began, "when a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to the shore. The waves were so high that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright and the three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized."
"Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life: To which boy would he throw the other end of the life line? He only had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his son was a Christian, and he also knew that his son's friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves. As the father yelled out, 'I love you, son!' he threw out the life line to his son's friend. By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of the sea. His body was never recovered."
There were two teen-aged boys who had been playing around who were not sitting in rapt attention to the words of the old minister, who continued:
"The father knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus, and he could not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus. Therefore he sacrificed his son to save the son's friend.
"How great is the love of God that he should do the same for us! Our heavenly father sacrificed his only begotten son that we could be saved. I urge you to accept his offer to rescue you and take a hold of the life line he is throwing out to you in this service." With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room.
The pastor of the church delivered a short sermon, and immediately after the service the teenaged boys were at the old man's side.
"That was a nice story, politely stated one of them, "but I don't think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian."
"Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied, glancing down at his worn Bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face. He once again looked up at the boys and said, "It sure isn't very realistic, is it? But I'm standing here today to tell you that story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like fo God to give up his Son for me. You see, I was that father, and your pastor is my son's friend."
Jesus is the one who extends a life line to each one of us today -- a lifeline for a "Cool" faith:
A "Cool" faith that teaches us to trust in God.
A "Cool" faith that is a forgiving faith.
Grab hold of this life line that will pull us out the pit, because
"It's Cool to have faith."
Amen
Pastor Fran
