Luke 17.11-19, Jeremiah 29.1, 4-7
Lord, we pray that grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works. Amen.
I. Aliens (the good, the bad, the ugly)
My first memories of aliens were the fictionalized characterizations in cartoons of green colored beings from Mars. It always seemed to be Mars, so much so that we dubbed any creature from outer space as a Martian. I’m not sure why Martians don’t come from Jupiter (I know it is a gaseous planet) so maybe Mercury. We might call them Jupiterians or Mercurites.After cartoons, aliens became part of our culture through Star Trek and Star Wars. In these science fiction epics, we encounter beings that mostly walk like humans, speak odd languages but can always be understood with C3PO type interpreters. It was wonderful to imagine human ingenuity taking us to distant planets using hyperspace and warp speed. In the 1980’s the creative imagination of Hollywood introduced us to a more sophisticated, peace-loving alien named E.T, who we watched this past summer in our Popcorn Theology series, when he visited present day California. No longer were the aliens in the distant future or a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. There have been numerous alien visitations, on the screen, that have not been so positive (in respect to the future existence of humans), but there is just never enough imagination to explore all the good, the bad, and the ugly of possible alien existences.
And those are just the ones we have made up. Every once in a while, including a story about a week ago, scientists discover a planet with attributes close enough to Earth that it might possibly support another life form. And then there is Roswell, New Mexico. I haven’t seen it with my own eyes, but there are people who testify to the real life visitation of aliens from outer space. Of course, the government is keeping it secret. I haven’t quite figured out why the alien intruders would land only in the desert near Roswell and not a more exciting locale. I mean after traveling across galaxies, I would think they could safely land anywhere on this planet. But of course, those are secrets held by our most important leaders.
For years, these mystical, illusory beings were all I could conjure in my imagination when I heard the word ‘alien.’ As my vocabulary matured, I discovered that the word alien could label a human who was outside of their home country. It can also label someone who doesn’t belong, is not accepted, or doesn’t feel part of a particular group. After imagining slimy green beings from outer space, it seemed odd to note a human as one. Usually when the word is used in reference to humans, it is labeling someone as an “illegal alien.” We know what that means, that they have crossed a political border without following the rules. It happens around the world. Right now, there are some “illegal aliens” imprisoned in Iran after, accidentally, hiking across the border. And in the United States, there is political pressure to secure our own border to avoid people becoming illegal aliens in this country and yet it is suspected that approximately 10 million live here already.
The word ‘alien’ is also the base of alienate and alienation, which denote a change from friendly to more hostile behavior. From the most innocent characterizations in cartoons to the pejorative label of illegal, alien is not something anyone would seek to be, nor would we identify ourselves as one, even if, technically, we were. Yet, everyone, at some point, is an alien. From our travels to other jurisdictions, to our association with different interest groups, we are all aliens, somewhere. The question is, can we be ok with alien status?
II. Jeremiah – Israelites as aliens
Jeremiah, in today’s Old Testament lesson, is writing to those exiles of Israel who were enslaved by the Babylonians. Jeremiah calls out to them with advice on how to respond to their new role. There were probably some who wanted to rise up violently against their subjugators. Others might have resisted, passively. But that is not what Jeremiah recommends. Jeremiah tells them to do their best in everything that they do, knowing that, in time, their descendants will return to the land promised to Abraham and Sarah. They should remember the Lord as they reside as aliens in the land of Babylon, passing on their faith and what they learn from that faith to their children. This was a radical message to a people living under dire subjugation in a distant land. But we are later told that, for once, they listened to Jeremiah. Not listening had got them to Babylon in the first place. They were now content living as resident aliens.
III. Luke – lepers as aliens
Jesus ministered to aliens, too. In the gospel lesson today, we hear about Jesus’ encounter with the ten lepers. Leprosy was a curse. If someone had it, they were shunned from society and forced to live separately. Although they were living in the same towns, and may have been born there, they were forced, because of their condition, to live as resident aliens, the same as the enslaved Israelites in Jeremiah’s time. It was customary to avoid even speaking to lepers. They were pariahs in their own land. But Jesus not only spoke to them, he had mercy on them. He then sent them to the priests so that they could be verified as healed. Of course, these weren’t the only aliens that Jesus encountered in his ministry. Actually, he sought them out. From lepers, prostitutes, tax collectors, the poor, the lame, and even those who didn’t believe in God. Jesus sought them out and taught that their lives, on the margins of society, were more blessed then those who considered themselves safely in God’s world.
IV. We as aliens
1. What the past looks like
We live in interesting times. We look back in the history of this country and see, through our rose-colored glasses, that we once lived in a Christian country, where everyone believed in a similar way. We remember Sundays of our childhood when stores were closed, no extra-curricular events were planned, and there were traffic jams getting to church. I don’t believe that was exactly the case, but it is the way we imagine our past. During these times, it was unusual for someone to not be a person of faith and most belonged to a church or some other religious organization.
2. What we face today
It is much different, today. Instead of living in a society that expects one to take time for spiritual growth and worship. Spiritual practice competes with sports and television, internet and football. Instead of assuming that one might be religious, it is not unusual to be one without faith. We live in a culture that wants definite proof of the benefits of believing in God. The problem is our greatest book of faith, the Bible, doesn’t focus on convincing one to believe. That is assumed. Instead, the Bible is full of examples of what to do in faith. It is quite a stretch to believe that by reading words on any page or in any book would convince someone to believe (although I’m sure it has happened). Faith is based on experiences that are beyond words. Faith is found by paying attention, slowing down, being quiet, praying. We live in a culture that doesn’t value that kind of behavior.
3. Christians are now aliens
But this is not all bad. Instead of following the crowd, jumping on the bandwagon of faith, today, we have to be aliens, resident aliens, who live in the culture but who don’t belong to it. We have to make choices that allow us the opportunity to discover faith, in spite of, the world. We have to aliens as we carve out time to grow that faith. We have to be aliens in setting our goals on others, rather than ourselves.
4. Why being an alien is actually good for faith
I think our status as aliens provides us a great opportunity to grow deeper in our faith. Like the Israelites that Jeremiah wrote to, we can’t just go through the motions forced on us by a religious society because that doesn’t force us to open our heart to God. As aliens, though, we have to make a conscious choice to be faithful and as Andrea said last week, pass it on to the next generation. It is definitely difficult work, but it is totally worth it.
5. How do we live as aliens
So if Jeremiah were writing to us today, as resident aliens in a land of unbelief, what would he recommend? I believe his message would be very much like the one he delivered to the exiles (we only heard a portion of it today). It might be like this: Keep up your good life, don’t be discouraged by your plight or the plight of those around you, do your part to build up the community, seek to serve in order to increase the produce of the land, keep the world in your prayers, raise children reminding them of the important part God plays in life, take time to pause and see the power of faith that surrounds you everyday, be hope-filled knowing that God’s Kingdom is greater than any that humans create, enjoy your friends but remember those who remain on the margins, the spirit continues to grow in your heart, pass it to others.
V. Aliens (the good, the bad, the ugly)
Aliens are good, bad, and ugly. They are often ostracized from the world. But Jesus calls them. Jesus always sought them out because aliens are those who are most likely to realize God. Aliens, for some reason, are not followers of the status quo, but risk takers for truth and meaning. When we are doing what others expect of us, Jesus didn’t call that faith. What Jesus asked was for people to take a leap, to be counter-cultural. Don’t rely on the books of facts to fill you with the spirit, be open to God, and you will find God in the most ordinary of places. Be aware, because only some of us, like that one leper among the ten, will realize God’s great blessings.
Lord, we pray that grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works. Amen.
October 10, 2010
Proper 23C, RCL
No comments:
Post a Comment