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4 Pentecost B-Proper 7, June 21, 2015
1 Samuel 17:1a, 4-11, 19-23) 32-49
Psalm 9:9-20
2 Corinthians 6:1-13
Mark 4:35-41
The Rev. David R. Wilt
I was going to tell you some of the wonderful things that
occurred in Bible School the week where a highly diverse group of
children gathered in peaceful harmony, for the most part, to learn
about all that God had created, witness a few science
experiments, talk about Jesus, sing a few songs in the safe
environment that is Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.
But, on Wednesday evening a group of individuals gathered
for prayer and Bible Study. An hour later nine men and women
would be dead at the hands of a 21 year old man. Shot point
blank for no other reason than that they were black.
It’s an all too familiar story, guns erasing innocent lives. But
this one had an ironic twist to it in that it occurred in a church
where a group including the killer had gathered for Bible study.
At what point will we have simply had enough of this
senseless murder and demand accountability from those who
would spread hatred and division? At what point will we say,
“That is enough,” we will no longer abide the brutal elimination of
any of God’s creation? When, if we cannot change the hatred
seething in some people’s minds, will we at least insist that
weapons of destruction are not readily available to use in their
carnage.
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Joseph Stalin said, “A single death is a tragedy, a million
deaths is a statistic.”
Have we become so paralyzed by these repeated acts of
terror that we view these events as just another statistic? Have
we numbed ourselves to the fact that nine tragedies occurred on
Wednesday evening at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal
Church and that nine more families are now in deep mourning and
loss?
These are not statistics we hear about seemingly on a
weekly basis on the evening news or read about in the paper,
these are tragedies.
Perhaps if I told the story in a biblical manner we could get a
better picture in our minds.
Imagine that all believers are in this big boat. All different
races, ethnic groups, sexual orientations, men and women, all in
this boat. And like every big boat it should have a name so lets
name our boat, “The World.”
As we are sailing along we turn right into a huge windstorm.
Waves are beating against the boat, crashing over the bow. Now
we all know that every storm once it reaches a certain size has to
have a name. So let’s name our storm because it’s a real big one.
Let’s name our storm “Prejudice”.
This storm Prejudice has grown to a Cat 5. And, we have
every reason to believe that this trusty old good ship “World” is
about to be swamped and perhaps even sunk by this nasty old
storm, Prejudice.
Now, I said at the beginning that this was a boat full of
believers, so we know that Jesus has got be on this “World”
someplace.
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But what has happened to us?
We have become so terrified by this nasty old “Prejudice”
that we have forgotten about Jesus and perhaps we may even be
thinking that Jesus doesn’t care. We are in total fear that
“Prejudice’ is going to prevail and the “World” is going to be lost.
When suddenly, it occurs to us that Jesus is on board and we
recall all of the differents storms Jesus has survived. Storms with
ugly names like, envy, disfavor, scorn and loathing.
Suddenly we see it in a totally different light. The fear no
longer has it’s paralyzing grip on us. Of course the prejudice is
there and life is full of storms like prejudice, they may have
different names “Loss, hardship, family struggles, lapses of faith.”
Sailing on this great ship, The World, isn’t always going to be flat
seas and gentle breezes.
However, as odious as it may be, prejudice is just going to be
one of those storms that we refuse to allow to steer the ship.
And, when we stand up to it “prejudice” will not prevail.
Now, one of the relatives of one of the people who was shot
on Wednesday night showed up at the bond hearing for the
accused gunman and told him , “I forgive you”
That is faith. Faith that prejudice will not prevail to harden,
darken or impair our ability to share Christ’s love.
This insipid prejudice which manifests itself in wanton
displays of terror and disregard for human life will not go away if
all we do is become fearful of it. It will not go away by pretending
that it is an aberration that can simply be ignored and pray that it
doesn’t turn up on our doorstep.
On this topic Thurgood Marshall would say:
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“I wish I could say that racism and prejudice were only
distant memories. We must dissent from the indifference.
We must dissent from the apathy. We must dissent from the
fear, the hatred and the mistrust…We must dissent because
America can do better, because America has no choice but to
do better.”
And; I would add that we must dissent because Christ calls
us to do better, because Christ leaves us no choice but to do
better.
Every human being is a precious creation, the destruction of
which, whether by spiritual or physical destruction, is a tragedy.
The loss of anyone’s dignity, self-worth, or life is a tragedy.
Our ship here at Holy Trinity was in pretty calm seas this
week. There were a lot of deck hands and about 80 something
youth cruising through Vacation Bible School.
We celebrate that, and thank God that maybe one child or
hopefully all of them left here Friday with a greater knowledge of
God’s love and a deeper relationship with Christ. But, our joy
must be tempered by the knowledge that nine more lives have
been tragically lost by that continuing storm called prejudice.
What did Jesus do when he awoke on the boat and saw the
fear raging in his disciples eyes?
He didn’t say batten down the hatches.
He didn’t say man the lifeboats.
He didn’t even say well that’s a bad storm but we are going
to have to live with it.
He rebuked it.
He faced it and he rebuked it.
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And, said to the sea that the wind had so roiled up, “Peace,
be still”
Our joy cannot be complete until God’s love is felt and
embraced and shared by all. Our joy cannot be complete until all
those things that separate us from God are rebuked. And, the
voices that support and encourage that separation are told,
“Peace, be still.”