Dunbar United Church of Christ - June 21, 2009

We just heard the story of Jesus in the boat with the disciples, when a storm came up and was about to sink the boat and kill everyone. We’ve heard this so many times, that it’s not frightening any more. We know how the story turns out -- Jesus tells the storm to “be still!” and everything turns out peaceful and has a happy ending. The disciples are in awe, and Jesus is a hero. The story suggests that he’s the one who will also quiet the storms in our lives. If we’re sick, he’ll make us better; if we’re suffering, he’ll heal us; if we’re unemployed, he’ll find us a job; if we’re afraid, Jesus will bring us peace. Jesus is the pill we take to make everything better.
But if that were true, this church would be filled. Yes, Jesus will heal the leper and the epileptic. He’ll give sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. But he’s also dangerous. Most people who followed him died an early death. Look at this story we just heard. Who’s the one who got the disciples in that boat in the first place? Who’s the one responsible for their near-death experience? Jesus. The message of this story for me isn’t, “Wow, look what Jesus can do for us.” It’s, “Uh-oh, better watch out for this guy. He’s trouble.”
Be afraid. Isn’t that the message a lot of politicians want us to believe? Be afraid. Be ready to fight, to go to war. Arm yourselves. Build more bombs and aircraft to drop them. Build drones -- fight wars from thousands of miles away. A young man recently was fighting for the right to carry a gun to school with him. Maybe as Annie grows up, I’ll have to put a 9mm Beretta next to her apple -- to keep her safe. That’s the standard US Army sidearm now -- only the best to protect my daughter. Be afraid, the politicians say.
Our leaders like us to be afraid because when we are, we let them get away with anything to protect us. We’ll let them start wars, torture people, use our tax dollars for defense contractors who are getting so rich -- the lobbyists are getting rich -- politicians are getting rich. And as long as they can convince us we need to be afraid, we’ll let them do what they want. Steal, kill, lie -- OK -- but don’t let anyone hurt us.
We need to think about this if we’re following Jesus. Didn’t he tell us not to worry so much about our bodies? (But we do!) He said, don’t worry about people who kill the body. Instead, worry about our souls. Worry about the greed, the anger -- the mean spirit that makes even the prettiest among us so ugly. Worry about the life of the spirit, Jesus said. The other things will work themselves out.