To say we live in a tough world might be an understatement.
A quick look at any daily paper brings home the reality of people being inhuman
to others. It's sad but true.
Even in our businesses, we often find a total disregard for human beings
as the almighty corporate dollar reigns as King! Think of the "downsizings"
of which you have heard and read, and maybe even experienced. Often
people's lives are ruined forever, as they loose their jobs at age 58, and
have nowhere else to go. The corporate tigers continue to draw blood.
And then there are the bulls and bears in the marketplace that try to persuade
us concerning their biases and wishes on the stock market. Even nations
are symbolized by animals, such as the Eagle for the United States of America,
and who could forget the Russian Bear.
Symbols such as these bring to reality today the beastly savages that are
written about in the book of Daniel. The author talks about four beasts
and creates vivid pictures of them in his 12 short chapters. And so
the beastly stories continue into our century. Weekend football games,
as much as I like them, are brutal reminders that it is win or lose, and
the rules be damned. An elbow here, a knee there, and if one can "take
out" the opposition, it is good for your team.
We do live in a dog-eat-dog world, whether or not we wish to admit it.
The beasts that spread chaos continue to rear their ugly heads even in families
and congregations today:
. . .storms that knock out power lines and destroy homes & lives;
. . .a doctor's diagnosis of Parkinson's disease;
. . .nightly news showing children starving in Africa and in Portsmouth;
. . .sins of addiction and prejudice;
. . .toxic chemicals being dumped in rivers, and the rain forest being cut
down.
The book of Genesis says that every garden has a serpent.
But there is some good news as well. We are told in Daniel that God
is going to allow us to share in a new order of peace. The Ancient
One in the book of Daniel turned over the Kingdom (the world) to someone
"like the Son of Man." These words jump out at Christians reminding
us of the passage in Mark (13:26) where Jesus talks about "...the Son of
Man coming in the clouds' with great power and glory..." But it has
a double meaning in Daniel. It also is talking about a corporate identity,
namely Israel. Israel, the body of saints, will rise up and be given
dominion, glory and kingship over all people and nations.
This certainly was good news for Israel, in and around 165BC, when this scripture
was written. It was at that time that there was bitter Jewish persecution,
and God's people needed hope! Thus the scripture points to the future
and to now...things will and are getting better. This good news is
also ours today. God promises us a new order found in Jesus.
It is through the death of Jesus and His resurrection that a new order has
come and will come to pass.
Wait and see! A new order is coming, and you will be a part of it.
However, with almost all new orders, the minds of the people go to the "big
stick" theory. You know what that is--the one with the biggest stick
gets to make the rules! Isn't that what we too often believe?
Sure there can be a new era that will be for the better, but only if we are
holding the biggest stick in the neighborhood.
This is where the scripture begins to become a burden. This is where
for those of us who live in a superpower country begin to gag a little.
Don’t we think for the world to survive and for order to come, the United
States of America must carry a big stick at times. We have done so
in Haiti, and again most recently in the Middle East. Isn't this our
mission, our duty as a superpower? It's the only way it will work....isn't
it? Peace through strength--that's the bumper sticker for the twenty-first
century.
This is a difficult part of the passage for me. For in fact, part of
me believes that peace can only come through strength. But God seems
to have another thought in mind. Namely that the new order of peace
is to be brought about by a king...a King by a new definition that leaves
me humbled.
When I think of a King, I often think of King Author and the Knights of the
Round Table, favorite stories of mine in childhood. Maybe you think
of King Henry the VIII and his many wives; or is it Louis IX, a crusader
and saint? Sweden's Carl XVI Gustav? Old King Cole? Or
is it the Burger King that comes to mind? Whatever the word "king"
congers up in your mind, it probably reminds you of one with power, mighty
armies and a noble purpose.
Yet the King that God has in mind for bringing this new order of peace is
a King that has been crucified. Oh my, you must be kidding!?
Think about it. Into a world of Chaos, God could have chosen any type
of king to save humanity. Yet God chose a person who not only could
judge impartially, but one who could restore order to a chaotic world--an
order that would last far longer than any other king, or government, or superpower
known to humanity!
The power of the King, Jesus the Christ, comes NOT from forceful power, but
rather from sacrificial love for all. That certainly turns the tables
upside down in society or in McKeithen Hall, doesn't it? Following
Christ the King calls for trust and risk taking.
You and I share existence in this special Kingdom. This Kingdom does
not draw its power from mighty armies, faster planes, bigger bombs or bigger
sticks. Rather this Kingdom draws its power from God Almighty, a God
that loved humanity so much, that the Son of Man/the Son of God was crucified
on a cross, died and was buried; and on the third day was raised from the
dead....so that you and I might have this power, share it, and live life
eternally with the Creator.
So we are left with a new Kingship with a new meaning. But what faith,
what trust that demands of us. This Kingdom demands we try to find
other ways we might meet the problems in the Middle East. It asks us
how would Jesus suggest we do it? I don't have answers for these questions;
I am only a fellow sojourner along the path of life. But together as
we follow our King, Christians are called to search for new answers to age-old
questions; we are called to risk life itself--not only our lives, but the
lives of our children and grandchildren--knowing that God continues to triumph
over a chaotic world.
Trying to interpret the book of Daniel may provide more mystery than clarity
for those studying it. However, three things are clear. First,
what you and I do in this world does matter. We will be held accountable
for how we live our lives and how we become part of the problem or part of
the solution. Second, we--you and I--do matter to God. That's
comforting to know in a dog-eat-dog world. The Creator of all things
seen and unseen does care for humanity. And third, at the end of time,
we will not walk alone. Just as God continues to walk beside us day
by day, God will be there with us always, even till the end of time.
Today we have reached the end of the church calendar year, culminating in
Christ the King Sunday, and a reminder that God is always there for us.
Next Sunday, we begin again, with a new church calendar year. And Advent
begins with the word Emmanuel...God with us. A promise made.
And so we begin, where we end; and we end where we begin.
It has been my privilege to be with you this past year as your Interim Associate
Pastor. I have grown with you in the faith, watched you care for one
another, smiled with pride as church leaders struggled to discern God’s Vision
for the future of this church, and enjoyed being with the special staff that
is here with you.
As I take my lead, remember that God’s plan for you is unfolding. God
is not done with Hidenwood Presbyterian Church. And remember our King,
Jesus the Christ, who said: "I am the Alpha, and the Omega," the beginning
and the ending. And remember that the road to God's new order does
not pass through the corporate boardroom or country capitals. It passes
through the cross.
Christ is King. Thanks be to God! Amen.
Amen.
