November 9, 2024 – Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost

You all know me well enough to know that I am very careful not to cross a line in the pulpit. I don’t preach political sermons, and I ask you to think about that as I wade through the following muck. It might sound political, but if you listen carefully, you don’t hear politics – you hear faith. You don’t hear culturalism, you hear Christianity. And above all, you don’t hear hate, you hear love.

This week, we went to the polls for elections as we do every four years to select our next president. There was spewing of hate-filled rhetoric from both sides of the political divide for the past 6 months. We endured campaign themes of fascism, separatism, nationalism, and disparate treatment of God’s creation. Many of us held out hope that our American siblings would make the “right” choice – the choice which we thought was best for our country.

As Wednesday dawned, some of us were pleased. Some were not. Personally, I was devastated for the safety and security of those who are marginalized – some of those who we directly support through outreach ministries of THIS church. I was saddened by the political process and politicians whose words blatantly go against the words of the Baptismal Covenant which we are called to follow – the words of which we promised again last week in our service. But hear me loudly and hear me clearly – I DO NOT hate those of you who voted for either candidate. As a priest, I am called to lead ALL of you to a place where the Holy Spirit – that still, small voice inside – speaks to you.

Our hope as Christians was NEVER in the United States. The hope of the early church was never placed in Rome. In the reading from Ruth this morning, we hear Naomi tell Ruth that she needs to “find some security for [her], so that it may be well with [her].” In our Baptismal Covenant, we promise to “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.” We, too, are called to be aliens and strangers in our own nation, as we are citizens of the Kingdom of God and just happen to live in the United States. Our priority is always first to seek the Kingdom of God and to place our hope there.

But what is hope, and what is faith? Many say that the practice of our faith boils down to love – love everyone as you would want to be loved. But it’s certainly much more intricate than that. Loving everyone doesn’t mean accepting unacceptable behavior when it degrades dignity; it means demanding that EVERYONE be treated with dignity. It means treating everyone so that they feel respected, so that they feel safe. And as Christians, our job is to speak up when others exhibit intolerance, hate, and disrespect. Our job is to call out others when they do not live in a way that Christ wants us to live. Our role is to DEMAND that other Christians stand up and speak out. We must be brave. We must not excuse behavior that goes against our baptismal values. Neither must we speak our own truths to heighten intolerance, but rather use our voices to hold all accountable to resisting evil, proclaiming by word and example the Good News of God in Christ, seeking and serving Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves, striving for justice and peace among all, and respecting the dignity of every human.

In today’s Gospel reading, we hear of the woman who gave her last coins. Jesus told us to watch her closely. When no one else saw her, Jesus did. Jesus wants us to notice her. He wants us to notice her generosity. He wants us to notice her priorities. He wants us to notice her values. While others are distracted by the powerful and rich putting in their large sums of money, this woman puts in from her own generosity. And in doing so, she is noticed and valued in the kingdom of God. Her actions speak her values.

Just like the woman, our actions must speak our own values. We must stand up and speak out and be brave; we cannot silently excuse such behavior. Because, for our faith, silence in the face of such behavior is denying Jesus Christ. Silence is denying our commandment to love. Silence is denying our Baptismal Covenant. To be silent is to be complicit in hate and intolerance.

Our Baptismal Covenant is about being reconciled to God and becoming ambassadors to God’s Kingdom here on earth. God wants all of creation to know the God that you know. This is the Good News. This is the heart of our Baptismal Covenant. God’s kingdom is where we must place our hope. Christ is still our great high priest and God still reigns. In that sense, nothing has changed. Our work as followers of Christ remains the same today as it was yesterday. Nothing has changed when it comes to following the way of love, the way of God.

Let us pray: Jesus, may we be filled with your truth; may we be active members of your Body, living holy lives and resisting evil; may we return to you always; may our word and example faithfully witness to the Gospel; and may we attain to the heart of the covenant, perfect love of you and our neighbor. Amen.