Video: "It's not about the nail"
I share this video to be playful about the difference between listening to someone and trying to fix them. I can relate to this video because Peg and I have had this same conversation. She had this nail in her head, and… When we were first married, and she shared her hurt and frustration, I wanted to tell her everything she could do to fix it. I love her. I did not want her to hurt or feel frustrated. She would tell me to be quiet, listen, and not try to fix it. Thank God, I finally learned, and I don’t do that anymore, or at least not as much. This may or may not be a gender thing. I'm not sure, but I believe it is a human thing.
This is what Peter is doing in today's Gospel reading. Peter is hearing, understanding, and responding in a very human way. He is trying to fix the situation in a human way because he does not want Jesus to be hurt. He is not listening or seeing more deeply into what might be God’s way. I get where Peter is coming from. Jesus is thinking he is near the end of his ministry and has been a real Debbie Downer. Jesus is trying to live out the ancient wisdom that God’s ways are not necessarily human ways. As the leader, Peter decides to pull Jesus away from the group for a private word. Peter doesn’t want to embarrass Jesus and call him out in public. It is one of the few times Peter is being diplomatic. In fact, Peter’s words are a prayer. They are words of encouragement and guidance. “God forbid such violence would come to you and take you away from us.” Implied in his prayer, by invoking God’s hand in their lives, certainly such a thing can not happen. After all, look at all the good Jesus has done. Bad things do not happen to good people, do they?
I see Peter’s words and actions in myself. I think I know better. In fact, I used to take my being so right so often, with good intentions; I used it as a license to tell people what they needed to hear, even if they didn’t want to hear it or weren't ready to hear it. I was so sure I was right that I was wrong. I confused Ken’s way with God’s way. Again, I think this is a very human thing to do. It is forgivable, at least I hope. However, even though it is forgivable, it still leads us away from God’s way. Only a complete turnaround, a complete re-thinking, repentance, and transformation can put us on a more unworldly path.
This is something we need to watch for. I wish for Prospect UCC that the path for the future was as easy as pulling up directions on the internet. It is not. We do not know the path, but there are a few ingredients and characteristics. We see better when we look at how not to be. Much of our current reality feels like we should,
Never apologize
Never admit you are wrong
Name-calling is cool
Science is stupid
Empathy is for losers
Mocking the disabled is cool
Racism is normative behavior
Cheating is acceptable
Bullying people is good
Stealing from charities is OK
Reading is a waste of time
Attacking dead people is fine
Distorting the truth is normal
Always blame others
Always take credit when no credit is due
I am confident that God’s way forward is very different. The way forward will be characterized by humility and lots of forgiveness. Theology, social sciences, and demographics will inform the way forward. Empathy and love for each other and our neighbor will be a pillar of discerning what is next. We will confront the “isms” that divide and exclude people. Giving generously to charities will empower us. We cannot attack dead people because they are our friends, family, and neighbors who will be resurrected. Distorting the truth is not normal. Preserving the truth is normal and will set us free. We will not blame others for our past or present hurts. We will not run away from the challenges. We will run toward them. We will take responsibility for our well-being and the destiny of Prospect UCC.
Social media posted a story about John Steinbeck. He won the Pulitzer Prize for The Grapes of Wrath in 1940. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in Literature in 1968. Under these public recognitions of his truth-telling were incidents of his books being burned and 40 years of surveillance by the FBI.
The FBI tracked his movements. Recorded his speeches. Cataloged his friendships. Read his mail. The file grew to more than 300 pages.
Why?
Because Steinbeck wrote sympathetically about poor people. Because he questioned economic systems. Because he treated laborers as human beings rather than problems. The cost of the way he perceived and responded to life remained. Steinbeck struggled with depression. His marriages failed. His relationship with his children suffered. The FBI never closed its file while he was alive. He died in 1968 at 66.
Today, Steinbeck’s work has sold over 100 million copies. The Grapes of Wrath is considered essential American literature. Once banned, the novel is now required reading. That isn’t just vindication. It’s a warning.
John Steinbeck refused to look away from suffering. God refuses to look away from suffering. Jesus knew the cost of loving and serving in a fearful and self-serving world was suffering. Peter had still to learn this deep wisdom.
A plan for Prospect UCC’s future may look more like Jesus, Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath. Be careful it does not look like toxic positivity. It may look more like Jesus, Steinbeck, and The Grapes of Wrath than Trump, The Art of the Deal, and Mad Magazine.