Violence, Vows, and No Easy Answers

May 3, 2011

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

I was outside Sunday night, on a relaxing evening jog around town, when the FaceBook status updates on my phone exploded with the word of Osama Bin Laden’s death. I stopped at the corner of Roosevelt and Main to catch my breath and read the stream of news that flooded the airwaves. Like all of you, I knew that this would be a historic event, one of those “Do you remember where you were when…?” kinds of moments that will be etched in our minds for years to come.

As I resumed my run, I thought about a few similar events since the beginning of this year. On Sunday, January 9, we celebrated Baptism of the Lord Sunday, the same weekend that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was seriously wounded in a senseless shooting that killed six people at a shopping center in Tucson. On April 10, we welcomed eighteen new members into the church, just days after Moammar Gadhafi gunned down several fellow Libyans struggling for freedom in the city of Misrata. And then last Sunday, we started the morning with the joyous confirmation of our seventh graders. Who knew at the time that the day would end the way it did?

The irony of these liturgical and global concurrences was not lost on me. On each of those Sundays, we asked people to solemnly respond to these questions: Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of your sins? Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?

In each case – new members, confirmands, and all of us – people answered these questions with a solemn, sober, “I do.” Our baptismal and membership vows are driven by the verbs, to renounce, reject, repent, and resist. They are the four “R’s” that define our relationship to evil in “whatever forms they present themselves,” whether they be a mentally ill gunman, a savage dictator, or a brutal monster who masterminded the massacre of thousands of innocent people around the world, especially on 9/11.

Our liturgy is purposefully open-ended when it comes to the method by which we fulfill those vows. We aren’t told whether we should resist evil with justified military force, or with peaceful, non-violent protest. We’re not told whether we should drop bombs on buildings or order a special forces assault. Our liturgy doesn’t tell us when or if we should use military power, or when we should use diplomacy, sanctions, and tough talk. The church has never been a comfortable bedfellow with political or military power, and our vows do not come close to naming a way for us to merge the two.

But where our liturgy is vague about our methods, it is crystal clear about our purpose. We should never, under any circumstances, in peacetime or at war, ever become the very evil that we are called to renounce, reject, repent, and resist.

I’ll go ahead and name the ambiguity for many of us. We are proud Americans, who continue to suffer the long, lingering effects of the senseless murder of thousands of our citizens at the hands of a man who was evil personified. We are also clear about the need for justice, for holding him and others accountable for their actions, which is a foundational principle for a just and ordered civilization.

But lest we forget, the worst kind of violence is born out of a warped sense of good versus evil. It stems from the belief that certain people deserve the violence inflicted on them. And while, on the one hand, I would likely have authorized the same military action if I were the President, I have my own soul to contend with. I have to wrestle against my innate convictions that violence against “us” justifies violence against “them,” especially when “their” deaths evoke more than relief, but also satisfaction, pleasure, and downright glee. And I believe that our baptismal vows will not allow us those options, lest we become the very evil that we are called to overcome.

No, there are no easy answers for Christians who choose to take their vows seriously. It would be much easier for us to skew our values to be in alignment with our nationalistic pride. But that would be defining the Kingdom of God in political terms, in a way that Jesus never would have wanted. Instead, our calling is to a higher sense of citizenship, to a code of conduct and perspective that will not allow us to celebrate any person’s death, regardless of how evil that person was.

This Sunday, the lectionary includes the gospel reading of the walk to Emmaus. It is in this story that two men, having just experienced the news of Easter, are unaware that Easter Himself was walking alongside them. They were so caught up in the compelling, news-making headlines of the day that they were unable to see any alternatives to their misperceptions.

The story of these men is an invitation for all of us to dare to believe that beyond the headlines and easy answers, there just might be a new kind of vision. A new possibility of resurrection beyond death, peace beyond violence, and love beyond hatred. But we can’t see it. We just can’t see it. We are still residents of a sin-soaked, violence-addicted world, in which justice is defined in very narrow terms. But the Emmaus story can give us hope:

When (Jesus) was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight.

God, even at this moment, is flooding us with chances to see the resurrection, instances of new life, and possibilities for new peace. We may find it at the table. We may find it in our liturgies. We may find it in the Spirit’s yearning within our hearts. But most certainly, we can find it together.

Peace, Hope, and Resurrection,

Magrey

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955

Email: mdevega@cherokeespumc.org
http://www.cherokeespumc.org




SHARING THE ST. PAUL’S STORY
I am privileged to be leading a day-long workshop for the clergy of the Southwest District this Friday. Their Superintendent has asked me to speak to them on the topic, “Congregational Transformation in the Wesleyan Spirit,” giving me the opportunity to share the wonderful work that God is doing in and through the people of St. Paul’s. It will be a five-hour workshop, from 10am to 3pm, and I would appreciate your prayers. Let us celebrate together the way that our story is being shared to shape other congregations in the Iowa Conference.

WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY
We continue our sermon series “Strength for the Tough Times” with a sermon titled, “A Love That Lasts: Faith that Endures,” based on 1 Peter 1:17-23. Join us for a service featuring our wonderful Bell Choir, and a special prayer honoring Mother’s Day.

CAMP FUND SUNDAY
This Sunday we receive a special offering for the kids in our community who will be attending the United Methodist summer camp program in Okoboji. Prayerful consider who you will contribute to this fund, and help put God’s love into action in the life of a young person.

TORNADO RELIEF
Amid the headlines from Sunday, we cannot forget the thousands of people around the country, especially Northwest Iowa and Northern Alabama, who have been devastated by tornadoes in the last few weeks. We continue to receive your special offerings for relief, all of which will directly go to people in need. Make your checks payable to St. Paul’s and designate it for “Tornado Relief.”

LAST DAY OF SUNDAY SCHOOL
This is also the last day for Sunday School, and there will be doughnuts for each grade level. We also thank the children who worked so hard bringing money to put in the quart jars to go toward the building renovation and help make their classrooms warmer.

ALL-CHURCH RUMMAGE SALE
We are hosting an all-church rummage sale on May 14 and 15, from 8 to 4. Most items will be $1.00 unless of more value. Please put toys and clothes in the basement level classroom. For more information, contact Marlene Kelly.

HOT DOG DAYS
We have a wonderful team of church members ready to host our first ever participation in the town’s Hot Dog Days on Thursday, May 12. The fun begins at 5pm and goes until we run out of hot dogs. This will be our way of getting the word out to kids and families of our Vacation Bible School program, so we encourage you to come, bring friends, and stop by our station for free hot dogs with all the fixings!