Bible Study Notes - John 14:15-31

Bible Study Notes  - John 14:15-31

This week, we continue our study in the gospel of John, “Encountering Jesus.”  In this passage, Jesus continues comforting His disciples with the promise of the Holy Spirit who is a Teacher, Counselor, Comforter, Helper and Friend to all disciples.  We will discuss thoroughly the Person and role of the Holy Spirit in the Church today.  Defining the character and workings of the Holy Spirit creates tremendous controversy in many church circles.  Let’s seek the Holy Spirit for revelation and clarification.

This lesson on the Holy Spirit follows Jesus prediction of Judas’ betrayal and Peter’s denial not to mention the forthcoming desertion by the remaining disciples.  Those two dastardly events foreshadow Jesus’ death on a cross which will inaugurate the kingdom of God after the resurrection.  Preconditioned psychologically and historically to expect a Messiah in the image of King David, the disciples retain their expectations of a militaristic and warrior Savior who will liberate Israel from the Gentile rulers of Rome who continue to subjugate, exploit and oppress them.  In the corners of their minds, the disciples patiently harbor dreams of positions in the new government which they believe Jesus will implement once the final revolution occurs imminently.  They do not understand the kingdom which Jesus came to establish.  In this final meal with them, He reassures them that He will not leave them alone.  Actually, His death will be an ironic blessing as it will enable the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Meanwhile, they maintain their literal expectations and hopes about a new political and economic regime which will restore Israel to her former days of glory during the reigns of David and Solomon.  Lovingly, Jesus prepares them for the tremendous loss He knows they will experience.  He tells them He will send a Friend, Helper, Comforter and Counselor who will lead them.

Contemporarily, debates about the Person and purpose of the Holy Spirit threaten to divide the Church.  These arguments substantially undermine the evangelistic mission of the Church; as disciples fight with each other, we are unable to fulfill “The Great Commission.”  Some denominations adhere to a traditional teaching that a believer receives the Holy Spirit upon baptism.  Others insist the impartation of the Holy Spirit occurs subsequent to a salvific experience as a new believer asks for the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  Yet, others teach the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” is a separate event; its surest evidence is the practice of “speaking in tongues.”  Mostly, adherents of these myriad doctrinal camps appeal to the Pauline (1 Corinthians 12 and 14) and Lucan (Acts) traditions to support their claims.  However, emphasizing those New Testament passages overlooks the very important Johannine teachings about the Person of the Holy Spirit.  John chapters fourteen, fifteen and sixteen (14, 15 and 16) contain very important information about the Holy Spirit.  I strongly recommend we juxtapose these three definitive strands of New Testament teaching about the Person of the Holy Spirit.

Pastor David Yonggi Cho reminds us in his numerous books that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity.  He suggests we establish a vibrant and daily relationship with the Holy Spirit similar to the investment we make in any other relationship.  Cho suspects many disciples lose the power and access to the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit because they objectify Him as a doctrine, goal or experience.  Rather, John teaches us that the Spirit leads and guides into all truth.  As we more rightly relate to Him, the Holy Spirit graciously reveals divine wisdom and knowledge for our daily living.

Consider the following thoughts, ideas and questions as you study this passage.

·         John 14:15 expands the new law of love.  Jesus says “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”  Love compels obedience, truth, respect, integrity, honesty and justice which are the enduring principles of Christianity.  Correct doctrine can never coerce anyone allegiance.  “Where there is love, there is no burden.”  Love surmounts adversities, expense, time, challenge and all other impediments.  It is simply amazing what we do for people whom we genuinely love.  It is equally amazing the barriers we overcome when we commit to someone or something.  Our wholehearted love defeats any difficulties in order to enrich the lives of the people whom we love.  Accordingly, Jesus teaches His disciples that their love for Him will enable them to adhere to the principles of His teachings.  Knowledge of traditional religious beliefs will not compel their obedience any more than it did for the Pharisees and Sadducees.  More practically, love for one’s spouse compels fidelity rather than moral obligations or state laws.  Genuine love makes a person obey his or her marital vows.

·         In John 14:16, Jesus characterizes the Holy Spirit as a Counselor who will be with us forever.  William Barclay translates this word as “Consultant.”  Pragmatically, the Holy Spirit abides constantly with us as He gives to us the most excellent counsel of any superlative attorney or the enduring wisdom of an older, more experienced and knowledgeable senior colleague.

·         In the next verse, Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit or Truth.”  He guides us toward the truth in every situation.  He helps us navigate the complexity of the “truth” we understand and experience.  Ultimately, the Holy Spirit leads us toward divine truth as the Lord reveals His “good, pleasing and perfect will” in our daily lives.  The correctness of divine truth depends heavily upon the relationship we cultivate with the Holy Spirit. 

·         Moreover, the “Spirit of truth” guides us toward the fulfillment of Scripture, the revealed Word of God.  His revelation of “Truth” equally honors and glorifies the Name and character of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

·         The dominant culture of secular humanism, Darwinian science and empirical technology belittles any notions of divine revelation.  Jesus encourages the disciples to ignore the cacophony of doubt, suspicion and cynicism which surround them.  The carnal person cannot comprehend the values, actions and choices of a spiritual man.

·         In a most comforting manner, Jesus reassures the disciples “I will not leave you as orphans.”  He remains with them in the Person of the Holy Spirit.  His physical absence will not end their relationship.  The emergence of the Holy Spirit actually extends it.  In death, we grieve partially because we fear we have lost the love, creativity, legacy, laughter, and essence of a loved one or friend forever.  It is difficult to accept that we will not see them again.  We long to be with them.  We would like to pick up where the last conversation ended.  The sheer thought that we cannot do so greatly bewilders us.  Knowing this potentially paralyzing pain, Jesus prepares the disciples for His departure by promising the gift of the Holy Spirit who resides within them. 

·         Further, He says “I will come to you.”  The Spirit reminds them of Jesus.  Through the Spirit, they can feel the presence and love of Jesus.  This relationship transcends the limitations of human memory which fades with each day as a person struggles to recall the actual voice and mannerisms of a deceased loved one or friend.  The Holy Spirit supernaturally reminds the disciples of Jesus as if He were in their actual presence.  They shall not be alone as if they were fatherless and motherless.

·         The Holy Spirit seals the disciples’ relationship with Jesus and enables them to relate directly to the Father through the Son.  As Jesus is in the Father and the disciples are in Him, they then are connected rightly and directly to the Father.  This “triangular” relationship reminds me of an elementary algebraic equation.  If a = b and b = c, then a = c.

·         In the twenty-first verse, Jesus returns to the necessity of demonstrating their love through faithful obedience to His commands.  It is not possible to insist upon your love of Him if you consistently ignore and disobey His commands.  Being a “Christian” is a lifestyle not a label.  Integrity in thought and action is the determining factor as to whether one is a Christian or not.  The new command which Jesus imparts to the disciples earlier during “The Last Supper” is “love one another.”  He says the world will know His true disciples by the love they share toward and with each other.  Religious adherence to Jesus’ teachings will not endure.  Love of Him will compel disciples to share their time, talent, treasure and temperament with seekers in order that they may know Christ’s unconditional and unfailing love.

·         Love of Jesus through practical, pragmatic and purposeful obedience yields the love of the Father.  Sons-in-laws and daughters-in-law who exhibit genuinely love for their spouses usually attain the love of their spouses’ parents. 

·         A few verses later, Jesus straightforwardly declares “He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.”  The Lord concludes the Sermon on the Mount with a stern warning against people who praise Him with their lips but whose hearts do not love Him.  With the interim of more than two millennia, this exhortation remains as relevant today as when Jesus originally issued it.  He cautions twenty-first century disciples against the fallacy of believing an orthodox doctrine which creates a warm, fuzzy feeling in the heart suffices for authentic Christian faith.  Likewise, it is superfluous to think occasional good deeds on a collective level negate personal moral failures and libertinism.  Again, symmetry of principles and practice resulting in faithful adherence to Christ’s teachings is necessary to undergird anyone’s profession of faith.

·         Jesus reminds the disciples that His teachings originate from the Heavenly Father who sends Jesus into the world to reveal and reflect perfectly the Father’s image and love (Colossians 1:15-20, John 1:1-18, I John 1:1-4 and Luke 1:1-4).  The Incarnation establishes a final and new covenant as the totality of the ones with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon and the Law was insufficient to obtain humankind’s fidelity and obedience.

·         The twenty-fifth is a reminder relating to the three and a half years of “the Jesus seminar” which the disciples enjoyed amidst Jesus’ public ministry.  The traditional Passover Seder from the night of the Exodus to the celebration of “The Last Supper” was utilized to remind Israel that Almighty God kept His promise relating to her liberation from four hundred and fifty years of Egyptian slavery.  Interspersed between the various courses of delicious food, lessons detailing the promise and the blessings afterwards remind posterity of the necessity of obeying and worshipping God in gratitude for His enduring faithfulness.   Jesus utilizes this particular Passover to remind the disciples of His most essential teachings as it occurs on the night preceding His death.

·         Yet, Jesus undoubtedly realizes the disciples’ imminent grief will rob them of these lessons.  In consequence, He asks the Father to send the Holy Spirit who abides with all disciples to remind them of Jesus’ teachings and maintain the essence of His presence.  Through the Holy Spirit, the disciples continually converse with Jesus.  Imagine if you were to be given the opportunity to have another conversation with a dear loved one who died years ago.  There are so many issues you would probably cover.  As we learn to relate to the Holy Spirit, He enables such conversations with our Lord.

·         John 14:16 clearly delineates the functions of the Holy Spirit.  The Father sends Him in the Name of Jesus.  He teaches the disciples “all things.”  The Holy Spirit provides divine wisdom, the practical application of spiritual knowledge within any situation.  Furthermore, the Holy Spirit reminds the disciples of everything Jesus taught them.  Through these three practical functions, the Holy Spirit encourages and empowers disciples to live as Christians with integrity.  He helps us to demonstrate our love for the Lord through daily and faithful obedience as the Lord insists earlier in this passage.

·         Next, the Spirit graciously facilitates the gift of the Father’s peace.  Practically, peace enables disciples to trust genuinely God’s faithfulness notwithstanding adversarial circumstances.  Divine peace empowers bereaved persons to progress beyond the depth of their pain and loss.  Disciples stand firmly upon the Word and promises of our Lord and move forward in faith toward a new life.  Although we tremendously miss the physical presence of loved ones and friends, we do not lose heart.  We equally do not surrender to emotional and existential paralysis. 

·         The Lord’s peace is not conditional upon our emotions or favorable variables.  He says “I do not give you as the world gives.”  Peace that results from the daily activities of the New York Stock Exchange is temporary.  Peace similarly evaporates once the emotions of a good movie wear off.  Buyer’s remorse usually undermines weekly trips to the mall.  The uplifting feelings of a new outfit or trinket quickly dissipate upon receipt of the credit card bill.  Thus, the Lord reiterates His encouragement at the beginning of the chapter.  “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

·         In the concluding verses of this passage which equate with the end of this Passover meal, Jesus lovingly shares with the disciples the necessity of His physical departure albeit via the cross and crucifixion.  The betrayal, denial, desertion and crucifixion combine to actualize Almighty God’s eternal plan of salvation.  Again, their psychological and emotional preconceptions prevent them from understanding the realties that will unfold within the next few hours.  As the personification of sacrificial, selfless, redemptive and healing love, agape, Jesus prepares the disciples for their forthcoming grief following His crucifixion and even during the embryonic days of the early Church. (John 14:28-31)

·         For contemporary disciples, we have the assurance of the Holy Spirit who sustains us during our earthly pilgrimage until we arrive at the New Jerusalem where we can be with Jesus for eternity.  The Holy Spirit helps us to persevere as we strive to live with Christian integrity.

Bible Study Notes - John 5:1-15

Bible Study Notes - John 5:1-15

“Do you want to be made whole?”  Jesus asks this forthright and possibly unnecessary question of a lame man who has been at the pool of Bethesda for thirty-eight years.  Does it not stand to reason that the ma n would welcome healing?  For 13,870 days, this man traveled to this pool with the daily superstitious wish he could jump into the healing waters when an angel stirs them before anyone else in the numerous competing crowd.  Jesus’ blunt question appears rude and insensitive.  Yet, it is necessary to consider whether this man slowly but surely develops a victim’s complex.  Practically, he possibly surrenders any hope of healing as he has lived as a paralytic for such a lengthy period.  In psychological terms, his familiarity with this physical and emotional pathology creates normality for his daily existence which healing would irreversibly disrupt.  Hence, Jesus starkly inquires about the man’s authentic desire for healing and wholeness.

Fortunately, the Johannine evangelist does not name the man.  Anyone can place his or her name in the paralytic’s stead.  His brokenness symbolizes the myriad pain, trials and tribulations of humankind, individually and collectively.  His extensive period of illness parallels the long “dark night of the soul” in which many people live.  His perplexity about his circumstances, their origins and continuance, is the bewilderment many people feel about their own adversities.  His reach toward superstition demonstrates the desperation of persons afflicted with difficult, longstanding and complex illnesses.  Once a congregant who suffered with cancer remarked, “Pastor, I have been in pain so long that I have forgotten what it feels like to be well and not in pain.”  At the time the paralytic encounters Jesus, he assuredly confirms her dilemma and emotions. 

Nevertheless, the sun rises on the 13, 871 day of his predicament.  Past practice proving instructive, the paralytic assumes his usual daily routine.  He cannot conceive any difference in this day from one that precedes it nor does he imagine it will change fundamentally any days which will follow it.  He proceeds to the pool at Bethesda with the remaining embers of a wish and prayer for healing and wholeness.  Undoubtedly, he asks his friends and helpers to assist him as usual in securing a pivotal spot near the pool.  Amazingly, the paralytic encounters Jesus who eventually transforms the broken man’s life.  This day would prove to be a very different day as the paralytic would decide unequivocally to seek inner healing and physical wholeness.

For anyone who similarly encounters Jesus, he or she equally receives restoration and completeness.  To encourage and empower with hope, I list eight subjects we covered in our recent sermon series on “Inner Healing and Wholeness.”  I suggest there are eight dimensions in life which correspond to the eight components of human existence where we progress toward individuation, a precise, unequivocal and spiritually and emotionally healthy understanding of your uniqueness as a child of God.  With the daily practice of spiritual disciplines as we progress within an interdependent relationship with Almighty God, in Carl G. Jung’s phraseology we find our previously “Undiscovered Self’” a person of who shares God’s unconditional and unfailing love in private and public relationships, possesses moral and ethical integrity, stands for truth and justice within the sphere of his influence,  passionately pursues his mission and purpose in life and experiences the additional enduring riches of joy, gratitude and peace.   The eight dimensions are

1. Unconditional Self-Acceptance
2. Creativity
3. Freedom from Fear
4. Total Forgiveness of Anyone who harms you
5. Gratitude
6. Joy
7. Mission and Purpose
8. Spirituality and Service

It is impossible to experience life’s joy if you fail to accept yourself unconditionally.  We do not allow society to determine who we are.  We cease the need to explain, defend, justify or apologize for who we are.  Additionally, we discover both assets and liabilities within our character as we progress in self-awareness and self-understanding.  Ultimately, self-acceptance liberates a person to enjoy the unique and wonderful life Almighty God intends for him or her.  (Psalm 139:13-16)

The “Parable of the Talents” teaches that God graciously gives at least one talent to every individual.  No one can say legitimately he or she was overlooked by God as it relates to talents, abilities and skills.  An important component of finding joy in life is cultivating creativity to utilize your God given talents and natural endowments.  Some of the greatest inventions emerged from the creative musings of imaginative people who possess courage and skill.

Fear is life’s greatest enemy as it robs so many people as they fail to pursue their heartfelt dreams and goals because they are afraid they will not succeed.  Fear stands for the acronym, False Evidence Appearing Real.  When we appease fear, it paralyzes us and impedes our ability to enjoy abundant and eternal life.  Fundamentally, fear is irrational.  It heightens our emotions.  In response, we retreat to the fallacious security of inertia.  Like the third servant in the foregoing parable who buries his talent and fails to make a return on his master’s investment, we face the existential challenge of defeating the Goliath which threatens our spiritual and mental wholeness.

To eliminate the potent forces of past pain and its potentially crippling effects, unreserved and unqualified forgiveness of anyone and everyone of anything and everything he or she has done to harm us is essential.  Professor Martin E. P. Seligman in his bestselling book, Authentic Happiness, posits the necessity of rewriting the past through the lenses of forgiveness in order to experience happiness and joy in life.  The failure to forgive imprisons us to the past.  It prevents us from progressing toward the brilliance of our present and future.  Cataloging past pain eventuates in a mountainous burden.  I recall the dilemma of a young clergyperson who maintained a resentment for many years in which he detailed the offenses he suffered at the hands of two hundred and forty people.  Imagine the illimitable fear, anger, bitterness and strife he stored in his mind and heart.  Consider further the impediments to his creative energies and abilities! 

The foregoing Seligman book, based upon social scientific and psychological research, asserts gratitude is a prerequisite to happiness.  The effects of a pay raise or promotion wears off within three months.  Research also substantiates other external factors of positive change yield additional diminishing returns.  In contrast, people who learn to appreciate the people, places and things that enrich and fulfill their lives are the ones who find happiness.  Plus, it is hard to conceive you can be happy if you remain in a perpetual mode of complaining, grumbling, and expecting something other than what you have.

What gives you joy?  Only you can answer this question for yourself.  When you do, you do not have to defend, justify, explain or excuse your answer.  In the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of the gospel of John, the evangelist discourses upon the Holy Spirit.  In these passages, he records Jesus’ reassurance to the disciples that He will give them joy to sustain them in His absence which is imminent as Jesus teaches them on the night of His betrayal and the eve of His trip to Calvary.  Jesus states He gives joy unlike that of the world.  His joy does not come from the world and cannot be taken away by any human force or power.  Essentially, joy comes from living fully within the unique life that God gives graciously to each of us.  The specifics of your joy’s components depend upon your relationship with Almighty God.

Pastor Rick Warren’s groundbreaking book, The Purpose Driven Life, struck a nerve within our nation and possibly the entire world.  Why am I here on earth?  What is my mission and purpose in life?  These questions plague us until we satisfactorily answer them.  Freud posits life is a combination of the polarities of love and work.  Jung proffers a mid-life crisis occurs because we do not have sufficient answers to these primary questions.  The way we answer them in the morning of life will not suffice in the afternoon.  Seligman’s research stipulates the necessity of transforming a job or career into a calling in order to be happy.  To be whole, you need to know your mission and purpose in life.

As life progresses and we mature spiritually and develop personally, inevitably we strip ourselves of self-seeking motives, self-centered fears and self-aggrandizing ambitions.  Like the Lord Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane, we solely seek the will of Almighty God.  In fulfillment of The Great Commandment (Matthew 22:34-40), we strive to worship God through our practical and daily service to humankind.  Spirituality and service are primary objectives for disciples as they progress in the Christina marathon of life. 

Consider the following ideas, thoughts and questions as you study the text.

·        The context of this miraculous healing is a religious festival in the crowded city of Jerusalem.  Obeying the Law, many pilgrims travel to the holy city to observe the festival.  During these major religious holidays, these pilgrims hope to commune with Almighty God in an especial way.  Recall the perennial expectancy that Christmas and Easter conjure in our minds and hearts.  Yet, the evangelist assures us that large religious crowds do not necessarily yield an experience of God.  In fact, special occasions may be the last place where we may find Him.

·         At the pool of Bethesda, a large number of disabled, blind, lame and paralyzed people gather with their uninformed religious hopes for healing.  John does not wager a number for the infirm.  Yet, this particular paralytic encounters Jesus on this day.  Was he special?  Why did divine grace favor him on that occasion?  Was it fair to the others who equally showed up that day?

·         Similarly, what led Jesus to choose indiscriminately this man for this miracle?  As we cannot satisfactorily answer these questions, we realize divine favor potentially enters our lives as any moment.  Soren Kierkegaard, the Danish theologian and Christian existentialist, posits the Incarnation of Christ as the definitive point in human history when eternity enters time and redefines it irreversibly.  Likewise, Jesus’ seemingly impromptu and haphazard recognition of this paralytic forever changes the man’s life.  Should you or a loved one, friend or neighbor similarly encounter Jesus, you will never be the same.  Mostly, you will then know the reality of divine, unconditional and unfailing love.

·         Note the Lord’s compassion for the paralytic.  As Jesus learns of the man’s thirty-eight years of affliction, He asks the paralytic the pivotal question, “Do you want to get well?”  Rather than being an insult, the question reveals Jesus’ care for the paralytic.  The Lord never intended for anyone to linger in brokenness.  He desires wellness, healing and wholeness for each of His seven billion children.  Having given each person talents, abilities and skills, God desires that each of us actualize this divine potential.  For thirty-eight years, this paralytic was unable to do so.

·         In the seventh verse, the paralytic explains his extended helplessness.  He states his difficulty in getting into the water when the angel mystically and mysteriously stirs the healing and medicinal pool. 

·         Note the superstitious nature of the paralytic’s beliefs.  Contemporarily, many disciples in the Church also hold beliefs as erroneous and misguided as this paralytic’s futile hopes for an angel to impart magical potions to a pool.

·         Interestingly, Jesus does not entertain any lengthy summary of the paralytic’s predicament.  He also does not listen to any explanations about the paralytic’s dilemma and his inability to win the lottery amongst the crowd of superstitious lame and broken people.  Simply and forthrightly, Jesus instructs the paralytic to pick up his mat and walk.  What an incredibly succinct, simplistic and yet significant cure for a disease spanning nearly four decades.

·         The chagrin of the religious leaders follows this miracle as it occurs in the Sabbath.  They prioritize strict adherence to the Law over this man’s healing.  They engage in “moral infantilism” as they condemn this former paralytic for carrying a mat on the Sabbath not realizing it represented his triumph over years of destitution, depression and disease.  How regrettable it is when seasoned disciples inhibit the presence of new believers because of the way they dress, speak or their taste in music.

·         Fortunately, the former paralytic does not engage them in any meaningless theological debates.  He summarizes the Lord’s miraculous work and thereby expresses his gratitude for this encounter with Jesus.  The gospel addresses human need directly.  What is the benefit of adhering correctly to doctrines and principles when they leave people in destitution and illness?  As recent theological debates yield, orthodoxy (right and reasonable religious beliefs) assuredly results in orthopraxis (the wise application of those principles to improve the lives of people who encounter Jesus Christ).

·         The miracle ends with a second encounter between Jesus and the former paralytic.  The evangelist notes that the Lord Jesus finds the man near the temple.  Perhaps, this signifies a new religious life for the healed man.  However, Jesus relationally cautions the man against “sinning” any further.  Pragmatically, sin equals a pattern of harmful behavior that undermines a person’s divine heritage as a child of God; impedes the actualization of his divine abilities and gifts and prevents his physical health and spiritual wholeness.  Rather than formulating a new set of religious beliefs and rituals, the former paralytic needs to establish a vibrant relationship with God which will sustain the transformative healing and change which occurred when he encounters Jesus.

·         To the credit of the former paralytic, he returns to the religious leaders and informs them that Jesus heals them.  In so doing, he conceivably decides he will prioritize his embryonic and genuine relationship with God over their demands relating to religious traditions and rites.

Wholeheartedly, I believe the gospel of Jesus Christ resolves any human challenge or dilemma whether spiritual, mental, intellectual, emotional, physical or psychological.  I consider the Bible as the ultimate textbook of life.  It addresses every component of human life.  This story detailing the healing of the paralytic serves as an allegory for the perpetual brokenness of humankind.  Just as this man finds holistic healing and transformation when he encounters Jesus, each broken and hurting person similarly finds resolution.  Beyond physical healing, wounded people find wellness and wholeness as they experience Almighty God’s unconditional and unfailing love through a personal relationship with Jesus.  Amazingly, love heals and yields wholeness.  Possibly, Jesus’ extension of divine love heals the paralytic rather the supernatural suspension of natural law.  Arguably, we most effectively and successfully obey “The Great Commandment” (Matthew 22:34-40) and “The Great Commission” (Matthew 28:16-20) as we share Christ’s love without any expectation of reciprocity or benefit.

The Significant Death of a Nurse: Genesis 24:56-67 and 35:1-8

The Significant Death of a Nurse:  Genesis 24:56-67 & 35:1-8

Celebrating the Love, Life and Legacy of

The Late Edna M. Vaughn

Offered by

The Reverend Victor Michael Singletary, Pastor

Cambria Heights Community Church

Tuesday, 8 November 2011

Quite interestingly, the Bible contains several stories in which nurses play a pivotal role in God’s overarching plan of salvation for humankind.  Nurses often appear to us as insignificant persons in the larger scheme of life.  Many of us who have been hospitalized consistently remember the names of our doctors.  We can even recall where some of them went to school and the nature of their specialization.  But, we fail to remember the names of any of the nurses who assist us during one of the most vulnerable times of our lives. 

Moses’ mother serves as his nurse and ensures he escapes the death sentence Pharaoh declares for all Israelite male babies.  As a nurse, Moses’ mother nurtures and he survives.  I imagine she prepares him for his divine destiny that he fulfills in leading the Israelite during the wilderness years.  Naomi, the mother-in-law of Ruth, nurses Ruth’s son, Obed, who becomes the father of Jesse, the father of David, the descendant of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, within the tribe of Judah.  Mephibosheth, the crippled son of Jonathan, the son of King Saul, survives because his nurse faithfully and diligently cares for him.  Joash, who assumes the throne of Israel at seven years of age, survives to become king because his nurse hides him within the temple for six years.  Like Moses, Joash would have been murdered as an infant had not God intervened through the direct compassion and protection of a nurse.  Whereas we know the name of Obed’s nurse, we do not know the name of the nurses in the other three stories. 

Yet, in biblical times as well as today, nurses play a critical role in the lives of many people.  Countless nurses care for the sick and dying each day with most people hardly expending the energy to remember their names.  As midwives, agents for healing and restoration, listeners, and counselors among a myriad of professional responsibilities, nurses personify God’s presence in the health challenges of millions of people.  Arguably, we praise doctors and take nurses for granted.  In the cacophonous, longstanding and continuing national healthcare debate that began in January 1981, our nation did not consider the significant role of nurses until we experienced a shortage of nurses.

Practically speaking, nurses run hospitals.  In the summer of 1989, I served as a chaplain intern at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City.  It was a rather tense season at the hospital because revenues were down, budgets were cut as savings measures and the contracts of all employees were being renegotiated.  Most surprisingly, even the surgeons were complaining about their level of compensation.  However, the chief of staff for the hospital made it known to the 1199 Union of Service Employees and all other interested parties that he would not settle with any group until he had reached an agreement with the nurses.  He said, “I can manage the hospital without some of you.  But I can’t run this place without nurses.  The lack of nurses will shut this hospital down.”  Not surprisingly, the nurses negotiated a really good contract for themselves.  However, on the systemic level as well as the personal level, nurses provide the essential difference in quality care for patients.

The late Reverend Doctor Samuel Dewitt Proctor, former president of two universities, a trained theologian and the Pastor or Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem for eighteen years, told the story of the pivotal role that a surgical nurse played in his life.  In 1990, Dr. Proctor underwent a triple by-pass heart surgery.  This surgical nurse came to him during the pre-op period.  She said to him, “Dr. Proctor, you are a Pastor and theologian.  I imagine that it is difficult for you to admit that you are scared about this procedure.  I feel led to pray for you.”  Dr. Proctor recalled the nurse’s prayer immediately gave him the comfort, reassurance and peace of God.  He knew the surgery would be successful.  Regrettably, we do not know the name of that nurse.  But we know that her spirituality, professionalism and care greatly assisted Dr. Proctor in a time of dire need.  Perhaps, it made the difference in his life and enabled him to live more productively in the twenty years that he enjoyed after major surgery.

Dr. Proctor’s story appropriately transitions us to a consideration of this nurse, Deborah, found in the book of Genesis.  Deborah, the nurse, obviously had a profound influence upon the lives of Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, Rachel, Leah and their burgeoning family.  We discover Deborah in the twenty-fourth chapter of Genesis.  She serves as the nurse to Rebekah who would soon be betrothed to Isaac.  Nurse Deborah leaves the land of her birth and familiarity and travels with her mistress, Rebekah, as she becomes the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau.  The Bible does not provide the details of the many years that Deborah spends with this family as it grows.  Not only does she care for her mistress, Rebekah, Deborah also cares for her twin sons, both of whom would become the fathers of two great Abrahamic nations.  Several chapters later, as Jacob returns to Bethel with his family.  He reflects upon God’s saving grace and protection when he first came to Bethel as Jacob was fleeing the bloodthirsty vengeance of his brother, Esau.  We easily surmise that Nurse Deborah serves this family for many years and in multiple generations.  At the pinnacle of Jacob’s spiritual journey in which he leads his entire family back to Bethel and introduces them to the God of his fathers, Abraham and Isaac, and Almighty God changes Jacob’s name to Israel because Jacob shall become the father of the twelve patriarchs of the nation, the Lord, through the biblical writer, finds its necessary to mention the death of this nurse, Deborah.  Herein, we find the significant death of a nurse. 

Most people probably would not have recorded this incident in their narrative summary of the life of Jacob and the development of the Israelite people.  As a nurse, Deborah would have been relegated to a standard of worth just above a slave.  In the estimation of our contemporary society with its concomitant emphasis upon wealth, material possessions and social status, Deborah would not have gained specific mention.  At best, her name would have appeared in a footnote in very small print.  Yet, Almighty God sees her as a significant figure in the whole schemes of Israel’s religious, social and cultural history.  He determines that she played a pivotal role in His plan of salvation for the world through the light of Israel.  Nurse Deborah’s service equipped Jacob and others to assume their divinely ordained roles in the plan of salvation.  Her nurture, hard work, faithfulness, humility and labor of love may have been the decisive factor in Jacob’s acceptance of the Lord’s providential plan for Jacob’s life.  Accordingly, Genesis 35:8 records the significant death of this nurse, Deborah. 

Today, as we celebrate and commemorate the life of our dearly departed sister, Edna Marietta Vaughn, we also acknowledge the significant death of a nurse.  Each of us obtains various spiritual, mental, emotional, intellectual, artistic and athletic gifts in life.  God graciously gives us potential.  As we actualize these gifts through discipline and development, we offer the world and the people whose lives intersect with our own a unique piece of God’s love for humankind.  When we reflect upon the life of a brother or sister who has transitioned to eternal life, we recall the gifts of life that he or she embodied.  We express our gratitude to Almighty God for the treasures He shares with us through the unique expression of that brother’s or sister’s life.  Accordingly, we gather today in worship to recognize the significant death of a nurse, Edna Marietta Vaughn, whose service influenced the lives and careers of many nurses, generally, and countless patients, particularly.

Sister Vaughn’s life offers us five enduring lessons about which I will comment briefly.  First, she was a superlative mother.  The surest testament to her incredible example as a mother are Darcelle’s own words, shared with me last Friday as we planned this service of celebration.  Darcelle said, “My mother was a great mother.  I will probably never be able to match her example.”  Sister Vaughn’s example challenges all of us to live in a way that our children will honor us similarly.  Second, Sister Vaughn reveled in being the matriarch of the Vaughn Family.  She maintained a mental flow chart of the activities and challenges of each member of the family.  Zealously, she extended care and compassion to all family members in need.  She equally challenged all members of her family to match her love and concern.  Third, Sister Vaughn was a very proud nurse who practiced her profession with high standards of professionalism for many years in various venues.  Simply put, she knew her stuff and she performed with her level of excellence.  Just as we mention the care of the foregoing biblical nurses, we must appreciate the care Edna Vaughn gave to innumerable patients during her nearly four decades as a nurse.  Although many of her patients probably did not recall her name, hopefully they passed along her love and compassion to their loved ones and others whom they encountered.

Sister Vaughn’s fourth lesson was her care for broken humanity.  She saw a diseased society in need of healing and wholeness.  Accordingly, she proactively joined the struggle to create a more just society in which all people have a right to fulfill their divine gifts and abilities.  She served as President of the 227^th Street Block Association for many years.  Actually, she relinquished the position just six years ago serving until 2005.  Each month, she faithfully attended the general membership meetings of the Cambria Heights Civic Association.  Today, we heard condolence letters from two of our publicly elected officials, Assemblywoman Barbara M. Clark and City Councilman Leroy Comrie, who commend her legacy of public service and community activism. 

The great analytical psychologist, Carl G. Jung, characterizes Sister Vaughn’s fifth lesson as “Individuation,” the process of intrapersonal maturity and spiritual development whereby a person accepts herself unconditionally and lives with integrity in accordance with her principles. As the Obituary reflects, Sister Vaughn refused to compromise her standards and beliefs as it related to achieving success in her singing and artistic career.  Her formidable example challenges us to strive for a similar character.  Her incredible example leaves us with the gifts of courage, creativity, and commitment.  Her life teaches us that all of us can achieve any dream or goal to which we aspire if we set our minds to the task and keep the pilot light of hope aflame in out hearts.  The Lord Jesus, through the pen of the Johannine evangelist, says that He came that we might have an abundant life.  As a practical application of that spiritual maxim, Sister Vaughn’s life instructs us in the necessity of striving for inner healing and wholeness in order to experience the Lord’s promise.

Additionally, Sister Vaughn leaves as a lasting testament her affirmation of the Lord’s promise of resurrection as read in today’s gospel reading, John 11:17-26.  The last time I saw her she was in the hospital.  In a moment of private conversation, she said, “Pastor, here I lay on this hospital bed.  I know that Lord will not leave me here.  He has never failed me yet.  I believe He will see me through this challenge.”  Her words affirm the Lord’s promise of resurrection.

Summarily, the text in Genesis 35:8 reminds us that every death is significant in the eyes of Almighty God.  The nurse of Rebekah, Deborah, plays a very pivotal role in the life and development of the Israelite people.  Similarly, we gathered in worship, with thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God, to commemorate the death of a significant nurse, Dr. Dorothy Coley Edmond, who accomplished tremendous personal and professional goals.  She played a most vital role in the personal and professional development of many nurses.  Interestingly, her life teaches us how to have a significant death.  If one lives meaningfully, purposefully and joyously, serving God and humankind, and fulfilling a mission greater than one’s own interests, then one will naturally compel others to gather and celebrate the significant loss of a person who gave so much.

Bible Study Notes - John 4:43-54

Bible Study Notes – John 4:43-54

In this week’s passage, we witness the second significant sign (miracle) that Jesus performs in The Book of Signs, John chapters one to twelve.  A royal official approaches Jesus to secure the healing of the official’s son, possibly his only male heir.  Emotionally, we identify with this desperate father’s plea.  Conceivably, his appeal to Jesus is his final attempt to save his dying son.  Saving the son means saving the posterity of the father’s name and family.  The son’s need for physical healing represents more than a biological disease.  The survival of the son’s life equates with the future life of his entire family.  The means of material wealth and social status could not spare the nobleman son’s life.  In stark contrast to his normal way of resolving adversities, this royal man ironically appeals to Jesus Christ for help.

As you study the text, allow the Holy Spirit to reveal new insights to you.  Often when reviewing a familiar passage of scripture, it is easy to assume we have it “pegged.”  Because we have heard several sermons on the passage and studied it previously, we can easily believe there is nothing new we can glean.  On the contrary as the Bible is the “active, living Word of God” (Hebrews 4:12), the Holy Spirit graciously yields new revelation each time we study a passage.  More practically, as our daily challenges and circumstances change, we view Scripture through an evolving “prism of experience.” 

Each week, I ask as we dissect a text, what new insights did you receive during the reading?  Did any words leap off the page?  What details particularly caught your attention?  Have you been overlooking any details in your previous study of this passage?  What did you see this time that you fail to recognize in previous readings?  What fundamental lessons about Almighty God and our Lord Jesus Christ did you glean this time?

Additionally, utilizing the rudimentary techniques of literary criticism, let’s detail the plot embedded in the passage, depict the setting with vivid and exacting description, describe the characters, speculate about their motives and analyze the interrelationship of the people who appear within the text.

As our study of the gospel of John continues, I marvel consistently about one of its major themes, the love of Almighty God as revealed and embodied in Jesus Christ.  As the great apostle of love, John singularly emphasizes agape, divine selfless, sacrificial and redemptive love.  Anyone who encounters Jesus automatically receives this divine love which liberates from fear, shame and guilt, redeems past pain, nullifies sin and judgment, erases mistakes and scars of riotous living, heals broken souls and graciously gives wholeness.  Beyond an amazing physical healing, Jesus offers the miracle of God’s love to this royal official and his son.

Consider the following thoughts, ideas and questions as you study the text.

• In the forty-third verse, John records Jesus’ departure for Galilee in accordance with the synoptic teaching that a prophet fails to receive honor amongst his hometown crowd.  Family and friends rarely allow people to mature into respected, beloved and venerable celebrities.  They retain their very subjective and selective memories of embarrassing childhood situations and limitations of famous people whom other revere.  “I remember you when you were a snotty nose kid.”  “I played with him and his siblings.  No one in the old neighborhood ever thought he would make it big.”  Elsewhere, John records “even His brothers did not believe in Him” as it relates to the ministry of Jesus.
• Interestingly, the Galileans welcome Jesus as they witnessed the miraculous signs in Jerusalem during the recent perennial Passover Feast which they attended.  One wonders whether they seek exclusive access for free healings of anyone and everyone whom they know.  After all, Jesus is one of them and should share His fame and divine power with the people who knew Him when.  “Isn’t this Joseph’s son, the carpenter, whom we knew when he was a little boy?”  Possibly, they assured people in the surrounding Decapolis that they could gain access for them to Jesus’ healing power because of this relationship.
• Curiously, Jesus actually returns to the sight of the first sign He offers to the crowd of God’s visitation amongst them.  At Cana in Galilee where He turned water in wine, an unnamed royal official seeks Jesus and begs Him to come to Judea and heal his son who lies close to death.  Was Cana in Galilee a particularly spiritual place where faith exists bountifully thus yielding unimaginable miracles?
• Please note the desperation of the royal official who condescends to seek Jesus’ help.  Ordinarily, this official would not travel to this poor region of “backwater, illiterate” and uncultured people.  He lives in the cosmopolitan and developed area of Judea. 
• In the forty-eighth verse, Jesus scolds the audience for desiring a miraculous sign or some type of supernatural wonder as a prerequisite for belief in Him and His teachings about the kingdom of God.  The danger of being a “sign-seeker” is your faith rests ultimately in empirical evidence which fades in time.  As the memories of witnessing a miracle recedes with time, the certainty of your faith will decrease commensurately.  Consider the eyewitness testimony of four observers of an accident.  As time passes, the details become sketchier as to what each person exactly recalls about the cause of the accident.  Thus, faith cannot rest on the sinking sands of a personal experience which may become questionable as the years proceed.  Rather as the Wesleyan quadrangle posits, intellectually respectable faith rests upon the combination of Scripture, tradition, reason and experience.
• In the next verse, this desperate father articulates his plea in asking Jesus to come to Judea before his son dies.  His request ignores any relevant theological, ideological, political, philosophical, social or economic questions.  The royal official focuses wholeheartedly upon his son’s immediate need of healing and restoration.
• Please note Jesus equally disregards these questions and attentively listens to the official’s request.  In so doing, Jesus loves the royal official and his son.  He extends Almighty God’s unfailing love and unquestionable faithfulness to them.  Although they are Gentiles and conceivably undeserving of the blessings of the people of the covenant, they receive God’s love.  Actually, anyone who genuinely encounters Jesus equally receives God’s unconditional love. 
• Parenthetically, at the Last Supper, Jesus instructs the disciples that love is the distinguishing characteristic of His disciples.  “By love will the world know that you are my disciples; by the love that you show one toward another.”  (John 13:34-35)  As the Church evangelizes, we must demonstrate to the secular world and persons seeking God the power of sharing His love.  How tragic it would be if we are known for exhilarating worship, effective programs, massive budgets, excellent administration and other superlative achievements but receive criticism and condemnation because we lack love.
• Jesus assures the royal official of his son’s healing and directs the man to leave and return home.  Notice the faith of the royal official who “takes Jesus at His word” and departs for home.  Later, the man learns his son was healed at exactly the time Jesus spoke the words, “You son will live.”  Arguably, the royal official’s faith is incomplete and immature yet he exercises the faith he has with authenticity.  Perhaps, you are in a crisis.  I encourage you to utilize the measure of faith you have.  The author of Hebrews suggests we draw near to God with a sincere heart and the full assurance of faith which enables us to triumph over daily challenges and personal adversities. (Hebrews 10:22)

The Movement for Today - Reflections on Civil Rights

The Movement for Today  

Reflections on Civil Rights

“This is the day that the Lord has made.  We will rejoice and be glad in it.”  Recently, the Civil Rights Room of the Nashville Public Library was formally dedicated.  This miniature “museum” will forever commemorate the sacrifice, service and commitment to freedom, justice and equality of the leaders and participants in the Nashville Civil Rights Movement.  Future generations, ad infinitum, will be able to visit this room and learn about the inimitable contributions of their forebears.  We pray that they will leave the room with a greater appreciation for the cost of liberty and full citizenship.  We rejoice in the dawning of today in which we vindicate those who were previously scourged for having the vision of coercing American society to fulfill the grand aims of the Declaration of Independence and the U. S. Constitution.

In the third chapter of the book of Ezra, the author records the “Rebuilding of the Altar” and the “Rebuilding of the Temple.”  In the latter scene, verses seven through thirteen, the older and younger generations gather for a momentous worship experience to thank Almighty God for His enduring goodness and faithful love which allow them to commence the process of rebuilding the Temple.  In a similar vain, we gather today in gratitude to the Lord for the innumerable persons who marched, bled, protested, prayed, and spent time in jail in order to secure a more just and equal America.  In the Ezra passage, as the foundation of the Temple is laid, great shouts go up.  However, the shouts are a mixture of joy and sadness.  The younger generation rejoices because of Israel’s return from exile and the blessing of commencing the rebuilding of the great and glorious Temple that they had heard from their parent and grandparents.  In the latter instance, the older folks greatly lament the loss of Solomon’s Temple and the history, culture, artifacts and memories that could never be replaced.  The text tells us that the shouts of joy and sadness were indistinguishable.

Civil rights celebrations often re-enact that scene in Ezra.  The younger generation rejoices over the gains since the bleak period of 1918 to 1975.  We are grateful for the access to education, corporate America, elective office, suburban housing, the upper echelons of Hollywood and the television industry, production and diversity in the recording industry, etc. that the sacrifices of the Civil Rights Movement allow.  In addition, we expect even greater achievements throughout all sectors of American society.  In contrast, the older generation wonders whether the younger generation fully appreciates them and the sacrifices that they made.  The elders of the Movement correctly criticize the youth and young adults for failing to study this important history.  Our elders lament the loss of unique and spiritual methods of nonviolent resistance and “soul force” in which the gains of full citizenship were obtained.  Yet, the younger generation wholeheartedly believes that there is more progress to be made.  Their forebears remain steadfast that there has not been sufficient gratitude extended for the significant progress that has been achieved.  Once again, the shouts of joy and the deeply felt laments of loss are juxtaposed indistinguishably.

Nevertheless, we face the challenge of defining the Movement for today.  In the Ezra passage, Israel had the task of rebuilding an entire culture in addition to their main house of worship.  How would they preserve the Law of Moses, the priestly rituals, the various feasts, the mandated sacrifices and the many other religious and social customs that they observed prior to the Babylonian exile?  Given the unrelenting assault upon affirmative action, the refusal of recent administrations to enforce the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the rise of the industrial prison complex in the United States, etc., one wonders how we will solidify permanently the accomplishments of the Civil Rights Movement?  In order to do so, I submit that we face the primary test of characterizing the components of today’s movement.

We no longer face the blatant, cruel and ugly Goliath of overt racism, segregation and the systemic subjugation of African-Americans.  Whereas these issues persist, they are not practiced in the obvious ways of yesteryear.  Thus, they do not lend themselves to the clear identifiably naming of the 1940’s through 1960’s.  The issues of today’s movement are blended with emerging cultural pluralism, burgeoning religious diversity and the increasing importance of economic globalization.  Today’s movement is multidimensional and multi-layered.  In addition to the moral denunciation of systemic evil and the prophetic quest for a more just society, today’s movement requires an equal level of intellectual depth as the one of the 1960’s.  Expertise in one or more areas (housing, voting, education, crime, the arts, economic development, etc.) is necessary from anyone who aspires to leadership.  More significantly, an even greater level of spiritual and personal commitment must be given by today’s leaders, considering the myriad temptations to pursue only one’s individual dreams and goals.  The context of globalization with the specific rise of the Pacific Rim, Eastern Europe and the continent of Africa and the competing interests of diverse ethnic communities in America necessitate new approaches to resolving lingering problems.

As we appropriately pause and celebrate past achievements, let us allow the past to instruct and continually challenge us.  As one of the recipients of the sacrifices of others, I feel a particular devotion to expanding upon their gains and exceeding their commitment.  I feel the necessary debt of paying homage to them.  However, I realize that we must look forward to even brighter days and greater successes.  Accordingly, I expect to work with my contemporaries to acquire the requisite intellectual, spiritual and public policy tools to successfully participate in today’s civil rights movement.  As we gather for milestones like today, then we will no longer need to contrast the sounds of joy and mourning.  Instead, the older and younger generations will harmoniously sing a jubilant song of triumph.

Reactions to a Visit with a Death Row Inmate

In this column, I share my reactions to a visit with a death row inmate which occurred on his twenty-second birthday in November 2007.  At the time, I participated in a seminar of doctoral students at Vanderbilt University who were exploring practical ways of designing course curricula for future pastors.  I offer the unedited text of a memorandum which I wrote to the class.

5 December 2007

To:                  Colleagues in the “Practical Theology and Religion in the Global Context” Doctoral Seminar

From:             Victor Michael Singletary

Re:                  My Reactions to our Visit with Mr. Detrick Cole, Death Row Inmate                            Riverbend Maximum Security Prison

I leave a visit with a death row inmate with four competing emotions and thoughts.  First, I am angry because I know the difference that a zip code can make in the decision to sentence the person to death.  The charade of a just process equally bothers me because in most instances the “machinery of death” operates on automatic churning undeserving individuals and families into its blades like a formidable Mack trash truck.  The confluence of poverty, substandard education, familial dysfunction, inadequate legal representation, mental illness, prosecutorial political ambitions and misconduct (suppression of evidence, coerced confessions, rhetorical excesses, etc.), and the race of the victim congeals into a capital sentence.  Second, I usually regret the failure of the Church to intervene in the life of inmate.  Both Detrick Cole and Abu Ali Abdur-Rahman insist that had they been taught the love of God they would not have ended up on death row. 

Third, these visits help redefine “The Great Commission” for me.  Lest evangelism lapse into a spiritual version of “American rugged individualism,” the process of making disciples should include preventing the escalation of the number of death row inmates and other people in socially precarious situations.  I leave wondering what practical and effective program can be established to reverse this trend.  I see such a need as a particular prerogative of the Church, generally, and the Black Church, specifically.  Where do we begin?  How do we begin?  Fourth, although I remain steadfast in hope, I am overwhelmed by the experience.  Attempting to remedy this cause seems like such a Goliath.  Yet, I realize that other activists in the past fought successfully with fewer resources.

The entire time that we visited with Detrick I did not see a typical death row inmate.  I saw a princely man with incredible potential who assumes responsibility for his actions and possesses a reasonable remorsefulness.  I remain startled that he was sent to death row at twenty-one years of age.  Are we so jaded and cynical of a society that we refuse to consider the possibility that someone of his age could reform his ways and find personal transformation.  In addition, I saw a young man who was failed by many persons whose responsibility it was to demonstrate to him how to find his uniqueness and gifts.  Consistent with the position of Atty. Brad MacLean, society through its indifference and acquiescence of systemic inequities changed this talented young man into a death row inmate.

I appreciated Detrick’s willingness to assume responsibility for his actions.  He did not plead innocence.  Yet, he adamantly states that he does not deserve death because he did not commit “first degree premeditated” murder. 

As a pastor, I welcomed Detrick’s assurance that he does not harbor any resentment toward the Church.  I accept his recommendations for empowering youth ministries in local churches.  It is amazing just how important a vibrant youth group is in the lives of the children and adolescents who attend!  Imagine the countless felons and murderers whose course of life could possibly change if the Church most directly prioritized evangelizing this demographic of society.

I share the disdain of another member of the seminar for the rather “chipper” attitude of our escort to Unit 2.  Mr. Smith (obvious change of name) seemed absolutely oblivious to the gravity of our visit and its emotion magnanimity.  Quite possibly, Mr. Smith needs this dissonance to do his job.  However, his loquacious pride about the security mechanisms of Riverbend and its ability to thwart any escape attempts lead me to believe otherwise.  In addition, I found the guards equally detached from the human implications of their jobs.

I am pleased to learn of Detrick’s determination to obtain his General Equivalency Diploma and his growth in Christian education.  Those goals yield another way in which the Church can minister to incarcerated persons.  He also reminded us of many other inmates at the Riverbend facility other than the death row inmates.  Further, he mentioned the perennial Christmas gifts of toiletries and other permissible items.

Summarily, I continue to discern the best method for me to incorporate my heartfelt concern into to practical and productive ministry.

God and September 11th

God and September 11th

Sunday, September 16, 2001

Originally, I published this column in the weekly church newsletter of the church in Nashville TN where I served as Pastor when the tragic events of 11 September 2011 occurred.

Today, we join our brothers and sisters throughout the country and the world in mourning the tragic and colossal loss of undeserving life on Tuesday, September 9, 2001, “a day which shall live in infamy.”  Terrorism struck on American soil in an unparalleled act of evil and destruction.  Hijacking four commercial planes, they flew two of them into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and crashed the third one into the Pentagon in Washington, DC.  Inexplicably, the fourth plane exploded in an open field outside of Pittsburgh, PA.  More American citizens died on that day than any other single day of war in which the U.S. has been involved.  An official death toll, which may approach the tens of thousands, remains undetermined.  These horrific deeds rightly deserve the condemnation of people of faith everywhere.  Moreover, the victims and their families need our prayers, love and concrete compassion through blood donations, money and other necessary actions.  We share their loss in our spiritual and practical support.

Last Tuesday’s wanton and unprovoked attack upon the political, military and economic power of America unequivocally challenges the integrity of our faith, constitutional principles and democratic ideals.  Will we respond to this tragedy in a manner that is consistent with our sacred beliefs and principled way of life?  In our demand for justice, will we insist upon the due process of American and international law as the most preferable means to obtaining justice? 

As a congregation whose character primarily comprises African-American Christians, we face an additional challenge of responding to this evil deed with the righteous substance of our faith.  If we hasten toward revenge and retaliation without a thorough investigation and an analysis of the complexity of terrorism, then we dim both the lights of the gospel and democracy in such utter darkness.  We must resist the emotional and uncritical desire for the immediate gratification of inflicting pain upon someone in the Middle East.  Furthermore, we risk the desecration of our faith through bloodthirstiness and the sacrifice of the judicious principles upon which our society exists.

How should we respond?  First and foremost, we continue praying as we did on Tuesday evening.  We gathered that night to seek God’s comfort and counsel.  In accordance with the Bible, President George W. Bush, the Cabinet, congressional and world leaders desperately need the intercession of faithful people worldwide.  We pray that they will seek the humility of faith and ask for divine guidance as they prepare to respond.  Secondly, we pray in action as we attend to the needs of the victims, the wounded and their families.  Third, we offer consolation and encouragement to those persons bewildered by such a monumental act of evil.  Many will look to us for explanation, direction and the strength to journey forward.  The church has a unique opportunity to demonstrate the essence of faith and love to the human family. 

As the world’s sole superpower, the United States also has a singular chance to show the world what our constitution and democratic ideals really mean.  If we retaliate merely to inflict punishment and make ourselves feel good, then we will significantly undermine our standing in the world and corrode the respect of our allies. We would breathe new life into the spiral of unjustifiable violence that culminates in terrorism.  We have a chance to invite the world, Western and Eastern peoples and faith traditions, to join us in a democratic and just collaboration to bring the responsible persons to justice.  Vengeance will yield the continued and uncritical hatred of future generations for America. 

In contrast, we have the choice of building friendships with the Palestinians, Arabs, and Islamic followers in addition to our allies.  Utilizing our constitutional principles and democratic ideals, we ask people of good faith to assist in capturing the perpetrators.  Then, we justly try them according to our legal system.  After the due process of the law, we punish them to the fullest extent of the law.  This approach recognizes that Americans must learn to embrace the dignity and human rights of all peoples and nations of the world.  Have we treated our brothers and sisters in the human family in such a way that they feel that terrorism is their only defense against us?  We must consider what role American international policy plays in acts of terror.

Summarily, I suggest that the President and American leaders take a balanced, judicial approach in resolving and responding to this disaster.  Otherwise, we will pass on a legacy of violence and hatred to our posterity.  The church has the biblical mandate to offer an alternative to the indiscriminate thirst for revenge that persists.  Contrarily, we offer love and judicious principles of our faith.  Both Christian and American integrity are on trial.