What Now? (Thoughts in the shadow of Newtown, CT)

Readings; Zephaniah 3:14-20, Isaiah 12:2-6, Philippians 4:4-7, Luke 3:7-18
Preached at First Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, NY, December 16th, 2012

A printable PDF file can  be found here

According to the Mayan calendar the world will end in a few days time. For the people of Newtown, Connecticut, it already feels like it has. The actions of a disturbed, gun toting, young adult has taken the innocent lives of a community now deep in grief. Words like 'horrific', 'unthinkable' and 'heartbreaking' don't really capture how we feel about these events.  That it's all taking place so near to Christmas and, for us, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, seems to increase the feelings of despair and sadness.

We may be tempted to try and make sense of such tragic events, but really, we just tie ourselves in knots if we start playing the blame game or come up with over simplistic solutions. So what do we do? We pray. We contemplate. We take what actions we feel are necessary.

When Jesus was arrested in the garden, a group of armed soldiers came to take Him. At that moment, one of the disciples, traditionally Peter, took a sword and tried to protect Him. But Jesus tells Peter to put the sword away, because, He says... 'Those who live by the sword will die by the sword'. The story pictures a culture of violence and fear in opposition to the kingdom which Jesus proclaimed, one characterized by peace and hope. If the story had played out in our current day, the soldiers would have come armed not with swords but guns. It may have ended up as a shoot out, with Jesus declaring, “Those who live by the gun, shall die by the gun”.

If you grew up, as I did, in a culture where gun ownership was seen as something rather strange and disturbing, you have a different perspective than somebody who has grown up in the United States. I never saw anybody carrying a gun in public, until we moved to the USA. In Great Britain it used to be that even law enforcement were not armed. I honestly knew of only a few people, and they were farmers, who even owned a firearm.

It was a shock to myself to move to West Virginia where people with political intentions would often declare their position as being 'Pro-Life and Pro-Gun' (without recognizing any contradiction in those terms). It was a jolt when I realized that there were people in church, albeit those in law enforcement, who came to worship carrying a weapon. In Middle School my son was in a class who were asked 'How many of you have guns in your homes?” He was the only one who didn't raise his hand.

So when it comes to guns, and the freedom to carry weapons, and the 'second amendment' (an article of freedom which I don't think is recognized by any other nation on the planet) … when it comes to that whole debate... you should know my head is coming from a different place than most of you who were born and raised in this culture.

That being said, and realizing that I am speaking from within my own cultural framework, I still recall those words spoken by Jesus, 'That those who live by the sword will die by the sword” and feel that somehow we need to move from believing that only violence can defeat violence and that the only way to prevent ourselves from harm is having the ability and fire power to cause greater harm.

None of the above takes away the numbing pain of the current events. So many innocent lives, it's just so mind numbingly sad. Something has got to change. In our bible reading this morning John the baptist comes to challenge the people to change their way of thinking. To step down into the waters, wash away the past, and start over again. He chastises the religious leaders (who were also the political leaders) for going though the motions, yet not really being ready to make a radical change.

He lifts up values of generosity; those who had more than they needed should share with those who just didn't have enough, of integrity; tax collectors didn't need to change their jobs, they just needed to do their jobs honestly, soldiers … are urged not to abuse their positions of power, or to use their status for personal promotion, but to uphold the peace.

Then he says 'This is only the start'. Something greater then him, somebody who had a more pressing message and a more dynamic agenda, was about to step onto the stage. 'Get Ready' he declares, to take on board the message Jesus has to offer.

As you hear news from the region where John preached; as we hear of the violence and warfare and struggle over land, ideology and belief, we see that even John's message has yet to be truly heard, let alone his message about welcoming the way of Jesus Christ!

But... the way of Jesus is still there... it hasn't gone away. Christmas is all about the light shining in the darkness. The tiniest candle has a flame that dispels the deepest darkness. The true Christmas story is surrounded by deep darkness. Refugees, unplanned pregnancies, homelessness, even (in the account of the Wise Men) the slaughter of innocent children by Herod, who fears the arrival of a new order.

These are parts of the story we usually bury and put aside. We need to hear them this year. We need to know that in Jesus, God really does know what we are going through and walks with us through these difficult days.

The Presbyterian Church (USA), on their website have resources related to the issue of gun violence. The  Presbytery of Long Island has recommended resources to help us talk about the issues with our children. Links can be found below.
Gun violence
Talking with Children about Tragedy
Talking with Children - Resource List

For now though, I'd encourage you to keep the community of Newtown, Connecticut in your prayers and reflect on the message of Jesus; that there is a better way to live than relying on fear and violence and our own ability to arm ourselves. Ponder exactly what Jesus meant when He said 'Those who live by the sword will die by the sword'. Remember that trust in God and pursuing peace are also options to be explored and embraced.

I also pray that you will not allow 24 hour media coverage to sap away your Christmas joy. For goodness sake, turn the TV off! Once we read newspapers. We looked at a story. We felt it's horror. Then walked away and did something.  We didn't sit glued to the newsprint for hours on end till it was all we could think about!

Go and buy a grocery bag of goodies for the homeless or the hurricane victims and bring it to church next week. Spend some time to play a game with your kids. Spoil the grand-kids. Kids, hug your parents and remind them you are still here. Better still...come caroling with us this afternoon to the Nursing Home and to some of our shut-ins.

Do what John said! Give out of your blessings. Don't quit your job, do it with integrity. Be humble if you have power and use your position of privilege for peaceful ends, not self promotion. Yes, something terrible has happened. But Christmas reminds us that the darkness does not have the last word.

The actions of a lone gunman cannot destroy the Good news that God walks with us, is with us and shall be with us. It is for us to 'Seek first the kingdom of God'  and to put flesh on the words we pray every Sunday, 'Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven' .

May God help us to do the right thing. Amen.

Rev. Adrian J. Pratt B.D.