Domes - Our Monthly Newsletter
Dunbar UCC
October 13, 14, 2007
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7
Luke 17:11-19
Christians on Welfare
- Before I read this passage from Jeremiah, I thought that Christians had the monopoly on “praying for enemies.” But here was Jeremiah, 600 years before Christ, speaking the word of God -- that the Jewish people are to pray for people who just defeated them and sent them all into exile. They are to ask for blessings on the people who killed their families and friends. They are to forgive the people who showed them no mercy.
- There are all kinds of religion in this world. Even within Christianity -- you can step into two churches and think that they’re worshipping different gods. And they are. But the best religions -- the most true -- all teach compassion for others -- friends, strangers, enemies -- everyone.
- This is the main reason we come here. We’re not here for our meetings, or for our festivals or pot luck suppers. These are all fine -- but they’re not why we’re here. We’re here so we can read and hear passages like the one we have today -- and so we can encourage each other to to actually practice -- practice -- these hard lessons.
- Who wants to love the people who hate them? Who wants to love the 19 mostly Saudi Arabian men who killed over 3000 Americans and desstroyed two of our greatest landmarks in New York City? Who wants to pray for Osama Bin Laden, who would be happy if we would all die? Who said prayers for Sadam Hussein as he was being hung? Did anyone feel sympathy for him? Do you pray for George Bush, whose administration is responsible for one of the greatest catastrophes in American history?
- This is our spiritual work, throughout each day we live. We are to learn to feel sympathy for other people -- and to want the best for every person -- and to ask for nothing in return -- to want nothing in return -- except knowing that when we live a compassionate life, God is happy.
- I think that the intention of the gospel passage for today is to suggest that we are all lepers. There is a disease in us eating away our souls and killing our hearts, so that some days we resemble the living dead. We’re like the 10 lepers that Jesus encountered. Some of us can hide our sickness better than others. But each of us is in need of some kind of healing. “Saved” and “salvation” are biblical words for “healing.” We will know we are healed when we desire happiness and prosperity for our enemies. We’ll know we are healed when forgiveness comes easily. We’ll know that we are saved when we desire the joy of our enemy as much as we love the sound of our child’s laughter.
- So we ask Jesus to heal us today, to save us from our anger and violence. We need God’s grace -- our welfare depends on it. And whether we say thank you or not, God wants us well, and will heal us, all of us, the good and the bad and the ugly. But I hope we can say thank you.