“God is on Our Side”
I was one of those strange kids who loved PE (physical education). I know this is not the norm as my kids seem to dislike PE. In fact, my son took an early PE class (at 6:30 in the morning) so as to avoid the inevitable issues that surround that experience, like being picked on during what he called “fifty minutes of torture.”
But I was a jock. I loved sports. When the weather was nice, which in North Dakota consisted of about two months out of the school year, we’d play softball. The ritual was the same each time. The instructor would pick two people, usually another “jock” and me, and we’d be the captains. He’d throw a bat at one of us and the contest would begin, hand over hand, until one was at the top, declaring the winner who would then pick his first team member. The loser would pick the next two, and on it would go until everyone was on a side. The last two picked were always the same: John and Donald. It never occurred to me (or anyone) what it must have been like to always be the last ones picked. It was a blind spot.
We are now living in a time when many in our country believe that God threw a bat at the nations, and the US ended up with its hand on the top. We have somehow become God’s new winner. Listen closely to the dialogue in our nation concerning how America is “exceptional.” President Obama referred to American Exceptionalism when talking about a possible attack on Syria. President Ronald Reagan made the same reference in his speech about America being a “shinning city.” Additions to that list include most of the public figures like Senator Marco Rubio, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and a whole host of others. The sin in this is obvious. Rather than “To whom much is given, much is required,” we believe we deserve to be number one as a sign of God’s favor.
In response to Obama’s referencing America as “exceptional” a most unlikely source exposed the danger in such thinking. Russian President Valdimir Putin responded in an article published in the New York Times saying, “It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation.” It is the heresy of American exceptionalism. Are we blessed so that through us the world will experience God’s blessing (“Blessed to be a blessing”), or are we blessed as a result of us being more deserving?
While America certainly has a long history of being a powerful force for good in the world, we must also admit that we’ve had our share of dark moments also. Slavery, racism, incarceration of Americans during World War II, invasions of countries under dubious circumstances, etc. However the tag of “Exceptional” seems to absolve us of the sins associated with the darker side of our actions. In fact, if anyone points out our obvious flaws, or apologizes for any actions we’ve taken, they are quickly labeled as traitors and un-American. We don’t need to apologize because we’re exceptional.
This “Exceptionalism” is not only in our public discourse but also has made its way into our religious life in a big way. While we are horrified by the atrocities of radical religious extremists abroad, who vaporize innocent human beings in suicide attacks, because of their hatred of the non-believer that permits no exceptions, the truth is that we are different only in degrees. We may not pack a suicide bomb, but we use all sorts of coercion, legal and religious, to demand the same adherence to our religious creeds as the most zealous of religious fanatics. Believing that we are absolutely “right” leaves no room for disagreement, broadmindedness or tolerance of anyone who is “other.”
Abraham Lincoln responded to a statement that “God is on our side” with “The question isn’t if God in on our side, but are we on God’s side?” That statement is also problematic as it depends on what our creed says about God. Is God the one who rewards the faithful with prosperity and wealth (Prosperity Gospel)? Is God the one who punishes unfaithfulness with violence? That is certainly a narrative that is alive and well in America. The hurricane that devastated New Orleans was, according to many well-known religious leaders, God’s punishment for the sins of New Orleans. The same is true for the storm named Sandy that struck the east coast. The events of September 11, 2001, was called “retribution for homosexuality, pagans, the ACLU, (among others)” by Jerry Falwell. Inherent in these beliefs is that only one kind of people (religious fundamentalists) in this country possess the truth, and the rest of us do not. This belief is what drives the dangerous and unbiblical Rapture Theology where the “right” will be raptured to the celestial grandstands watching with glee while the rest of us get what we deserve.
Or, is God, by default, always on the side of those who are marginalized in our world: the outcast, the poor, the persecuted, the homeless, the widow, the orphans, the hungry, the cold, the “other?”
The religious virtue that is missing in most discussions, both political and religious, is humility. Humility is the awareness that there is a reality greater than myself, and I don’t have all the answers (or even a few). One of my favorite verses in all of scripture is found in the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians: “We see in the mirror dimly, we know only in part…” Arrogance, the opposite of humility, convinces me that I know it all and understand everything perfectly.
As I study scripture I find a God who is always on the side of the last, the least, the forgotten, the hurting, the downtrodden. If God was picking sides in softball, John and Donald would be first, not last. I’d be last. Luke 14 teaches us this in a straight-forward way. Jesus is invited to a banquet on the Sabbath by some Pharisees. He notices that everyone is trying to take the seats of honor, so he tells a story (so Jesus!). When invited to a banquet take the lowest seat and if the host decides that you are important he’ll invite you to sit up toward the front. But if you take the place of honor, and someone more important comes, then you’ll be asked to move down. He then concludes his little teaching moment by saying, “For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Jesus then goes on to say to the host that he should have invited the poor, crippled, the lame and the blind, rather than his family, friends and rich neighbors. The reason for this is because the poor can’t repay him. Imagine giving a gift without any expectation of anything in return. That’s a gift. That is Christ.
It’s a great way of saying, “It isn’t about you!” I’ve been preaching this sermon for 25 years, the one of “It’s not about you…” Inevitably someone will come up and say, “Well, it’s got to be about me, too!” No it isn’t. It’s about John and Donald, it’s about the lost, the least, the hurting, the widow, the outcast, the orphan, and all those others we are so convinced are unworthy of sharing sides with “My God Team.”
Scott
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