Sunday Sermon - 21 September

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been having a tough time this week trying to reconcile everything that is going on with God’s place and purpose for me in this broken and ever more shattered world.  

On Tuesday, the United Nations officially declared the war in Gaza a genocide, noting that four of the five criteria for genocide required under international law have been met. 

The assassination of Charlie Kirk, a conservative social-media influencer, has dominated the news and deepened the political divisions in America (and Canada for that matter).

The war in Ukraine seems to continue to escalate despite the world leaders calling for cease fire and peace talks.  

Those are the three that have dominated the news recently but, in addition to these issues, there are many conflicts and civil wars that we don’t hear as much about but are causing immense humanitarian crises. Not to mention the smaller isolated incidents of violence that occur daily throughout the world. 

Then there are other battles that we speak of using war-like language: the war on drugs, the war against tech addiction, the battle against climate change etc.

It is clear that violence, wars and battles, literally and figuratively, are waging all around us and this fact has especially preoccupied me this week and today in particular. Today, September 21, is declared by the United Nations as the International Day of Peace. The theme of this year’s day is ‘Act Now for a Peaceful World’.

Act Now? Seriously? What is happening in the world is overwhelming, complex, frustrating, sad, devastating, and gut wrenching. Act Now for a Peaceful World - this theme prompts me to ask the question: What act can I, little old me, do to make a difference? What action can any of us here in Lakefield take to make a difference? What power do we have? The world is broken and we cannot fix it, we are powerless.  

Who am I beginning to sound like in my cries of frustration?  Let me give you a hint…

My joy is gone, grief is upon me, my heart is sick. Hark, the cry of my poor people from far and wide in the land: Is the Lord not in Zion?  - Jeremiah 8:18

The cries of Jeremiah and the words of our Psalm today are the cries of lament, the same cries we hear and see today from those innocents suffering in Gaza, Ukraine and in war torn places throughout the world.  

We read these passages today to remind us that we mustn’t change the channel, close our ears, and ignore the suffering. In fact, we read these words from Jeremiah and the Psalmist to remind us that we must hear and pay attention to the words of the victims. We must listen to their cries and seek to understand what is happening in the world from their perspective, for true peacemaking begins with lament—naming suffering and refusing to ignore the cries of the world.

As we begin to understand the plight of the victims and the pain of the innocents, then we can begin to intercede on their behalf as we respond to Paul’s request of Timothy and asks of us all today:  

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.  1 Timothy 2:1-2

Paul invites us to offer our prayers “for everyone—for kings and all in high positions.” Paul urges us to act. This isn’t passive; it’s an act of faith, offering our prayerful proclamation that God desires peace for all people.

As the Church, as the living Kingdom here and now, it is not just our role but our responsibility to intercede and pray - and not just for ‘our side’ (if we have a side) but for all sides, all peoples, and particularly for the leaders who have the power to wage war or to choose peace.  

So first we hear the laments of the suffering and then, as a church, we intercede in prayer without selectivity and judgement but universally - praying for peace for all.  

Lastly, perhaps most challenging to understand, is our Gospel for today. The story of the dishonest manager who stole from his master and, when found out, is so concerned about being ostracized in his community that he then goes and lessens the amount of debt that is on his master’s debtors so that they will be kind to him when he is thrown out into the street. Instead of his master being even more angry, he praises the ‘shrewdness’ of his thieving manager for finding a way to make people like him so they’ll be kind to him when he is fired and homeless.  

It’s a complex passage that focuses on our responsibility to be good and responsible stewards of not just our earthly or profane resources, like money, but more importantly of that which matters most - justice and mercy. It is a reminder that as Christians the priorities of the profane (wealth and power) are not the priorities of the sacred which is ultimately love. Unconditional, merciful, love.  

I cannot think of any war, past or present, that was not fought over greed for wealth and power. As Luke tells us today: We cannot serve both God and wealth. So, in the heart of the leader who wages war - there is no God.    

This morning, on this International Day of Peace, a day when we are called on to ‘Act Now for a Peaceful World’, amidst an overwhelming and paralyzing world of pain and suffering, we are reminded that we can act, we aren’t paralyzed by the immensity of it all. Our readings are our roadmap reminding us what we can and should do to be bearers of peace in our lives.

Jeremiah and the Psalm call us to listen, hear and understand the lamenting cries of the suffering. Once we understand their pain and suffering Paul calls us to action - to offer our prayers not just for those who are suffering but for the leaders, the kings and all who are in high positions who have the power to stop war and wage peace.

In addition to our prayers, our Gospel reminds us to keep our true priorities as Christians - to place God’s love and mercy above all else, especially above that which causes conflict and derision i.e the false human god of greed for money and power.

I know, when we look at the world and all that is going on, it’s a lot. So I’d like to leave you with this thought this morning.

The conflict that is out there in the world, don’t let it in. Don’t let the pain, turmoil and suffering that is in the world debilitate you and your ability to find peace in and for yourself. We cannot bring peace into our world if we cannot first find it in ourselves.

We can respond to the evil in the world with venom. We can get angry, hate our enemies and become hostile to those who think differently than ourselves. This will only breed and fester within us and this anger will seep out into our lives and the world around us. We will become haters.

We can also look at the world and say to ourselves that it’s all too much, there’s so much war, hatred and suffering that you give up - which breeds and festers hopelessness and despair. We become sad and depressed.

But if we don’t let the conflict that is out there inside of us, if we remain focused on the love of Christ and our God-given purpose as Christians, we will be able to keep the hate and despair at bay. We don’t let it in. We are so full of love there is no room for hate and despair.

We can see ourselves as agents of, and for, peace. When we accept, in a deep, spiritual and internal way, God’s love - when we feel it and become full of it - it’s uncontainable, it spills out of us and emanates into the world. We become loving peacemakers.  

One of my favourite songs to sing when I was a kid at camp was Let There Be Peace On Earth and Let It Begin With Me.  The last two verses are:

Let peace begin with me,
Let this be the moment now;
With every step I take,
Let this be my solemn vow:

To take each moment and live each moment
In peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.

As Christians, by listening to the lamentations of the suffering, praying for all people and only serving the one true God of love, we may not be able to change the world, but I promise you, you sure as heck will change your world. In so doing, you will be answering Christ’s call, bringing loving peace to others.

Let there be peace on earth

And let it begin with you.

Amen.