Dunbar UCC

May 17, 2009

Psalm 51:10-12

Matthew 5:43-48

United Church of Who?

Do you watch the news on TV?

      There's all kinds of news -- slanted left and right.

      Who's telling the truth.  Someone asked Jesus once:  What is truth?  But Jesus didn't say a word!  Why?  Cant we say what the truth is?  Do you know the truth?

      One channel advertises their news as  Fair and balanced.  But any one who has to tell you that they are being honest or fair or balanced is probably lying.

So where do we find the truth?  On the Rush Limbaugh show?  Can he show us truth?  No -- he can show us anger and hostility -- but not truth.

      Listen -- if you want to learn more about your faith -- about what it means to follow Jesus, don't pollute your hearts listening to the poison of angry, mean-spirited people.  We become what we listen to.

That's why we come here isn't it?   We come here because we believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and that we may learn about him here.

      WHAT IS THE TRUTH OF JESUS?  Love your enemies.  Love the people who hate you. 

Ever hear that on the news? Have you ever read that in Time magazine?  Do your teachers teach you that in school?  Does Rush Limbaugh tell people to love their enemies?  No.  The news, the schools, the radio shows don't teach truth.

But Jesus does.  Jesus said that to be free -- to be alive -- we must love everyone -- friends and enemies.

HATE is a stinking, smelly, oily sludge.  You know those trucks that go around with the big hoses?  They pump out peoples sewage -- stinky, smelly, dirty, fowl stuff.  PeeeYooouuu!  Well -- that's what hate is -- its the raw sewage of prejudice and ignorance and meanness that pollutes our hearts. 

      And the people with the big hoses cant clean that stuff from us.  We have to call God, like the Psalmist who said, Clean my heart, God! Take the filth and slime and stinking stuff out of it -- the hate, the disrespect -- CLEAN MY HEART BECAUSE I CANT!

You were confirmed here today because you want clean hearts.  You want Jesus to teach you how to love even your enemies.   And to learn about Jesus, we need to come here -- a lot! -- and study -- and pray -- and support one another.

       My prayer is that in the short time we are in this life, our hearts may become clean -- clean enough to love even our enemies.  THAT, is perfection.