WWJD?
Luke 6:1-11
During the 1980s and 90s the WWJD campaign hit the popular imagination. The question on many Christian minds was “What would Jesus do?” It was a great question to assist people making ethical choices and at its best it brought people away from cliché moralizing and “common culture” religiosity into a more focused ability to make ethical choices. Unfortunately it also disintegrated into a marketing tool for a gullible religious audience – with merchandise, bracelets, jewelry and so forth. Of course, almost immediately parodies were introduced. WWBD – What Would Buddha Do? WWJB – Who Would Jesus Bomb?
In our scripture lesson we see yet another example of how Jesus understood the purpose of faith as opposed to a group of religious leaders’ interpretation of that faith. In our text the religious leaders are actually named as Pharisees and scribes. One thing we have learned around All God’s Children is that we are careful not to paint all of Judaism with a simple ugly brush just to make Christianity look better. Just as there are faithful religious leaders and teachers today who do not place tradition or doctrine over human lives, so there were Pharisees and other Jewish leaders in the first century who were faithful to the spirit of the faith they were given. The gospel writers often use the Pharisees as the example of religion gone bad. We should not take the next interpretive step and deduce that all of Judaism was moralistic. Our text is dealing with some specific leaders. Keep in mind that our gospel lesson is written to instruct the emerging Christian movement about the dangers of placing religion above human need. It is a warning we still need to heed in 21st century Minnesota. And it gives us a clear idea of what Jesus would do. When the world gets crazy around us, it is important for us to maintain this sense of grounding in the heart of our faith because you never know what kind of curve ball life is going to throw at you next.
It was made public last week that in 1994 the U.S. Military researched the possibility of creating a gay bomb. The Advocate reported:
“The Ohio Air Force lab proposed that a bomb be developed that contained a chemical that would cause enemy soldiers to become gay, and to have their units break down because all their soldiers became irresistibly attractive to one another.”
That is offensive on so many levels – firstly, because of the stereotypical understanding that gay attraction must be so all-consuming that nobody can resist who gets too close. And secondly, a bomb to make people gay? Please! How would that work – explode fairy dust everywhere?
The military wants to use gayness as a bomb while many Christians try to use religion as a weapon. You and I are called to stand in the gap.
And Christian leaders aren’t the only ones to use religion as a weapon. It was reported last week that a group of rabbis from a conservative Israeli sect published a warning to those preparing for Jerusalem Pride this summer saying,
“To all those involved, sinners in spirit, and whoever helps and protects them, may they feel a curse on their souls, may it plague them and may evil pursue them; they will not be requited of their transgressions from heavenly judgment.”
The letter further threatened:
“Know what happened to the evil persons who were cursed, and thus feel in your souls that your end will be bitter.”
When faced with a world like this, what would Jesus do? Would Jesus stand with the marginalized or the powerful? Would Jesus really have encouraged gay bombs or terrorist clergy? I believe that Jesus would have us choose healing over hatred, communication instead of barriers, loving one’s enemies rather than destroying them.
That is why on Saturday, July 14th at our church building on the corner of 31st and Park Avenue we have invited church leaders, legislators, national representatives and ordinary common folk to gather to ponder the question, “Would Jesus Discriminate?” Refreshments begin at 6PM (We understand the principle of feed them and they will come!) and the Town Hall meeting will be at 7PM. I’m very excited to tell you that Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson and Dr. Cindi Love, two leaders of Metropolitan Community Churches internationally, will be among the presenters that night.
Some people have asked me, “Why are you doing this? You already know the response you’ll get from conservative Christians. You know they will hit you with one of the clobber passages and the discussion ends.” That has been true in the past. Usually we have approached these conversations in a defensive posture – defending our value and worth to a skeptical conservative religious institution. The thing that is different – and I would say pivotal – is that we’re not going down those roads this time. First of all, the overwhelming bulk of biblical scholarship completely undermines the conservative position on this issue and secondly, this isn’t about convincing hard-shelled religious extremists. This town hall meeting is about speaking to the overwhelming majority of people who approach life in a fair manner – who believe in the American value of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Our purpose is to turn the whole discussion back to the center of what it means to be Christian. For Christians, we find that purpose in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. We find a model in the way he dealt with troubling issues in his day. We find a mentor who shows how to be faithful when religion is used to oppress rather than liberate.
We live in a world where there are always going to be people who try to create gay bombs or use religion as a weapon. Those of you that are part of All God’s Children have heard me say again and again, I believe the best tool we have for changing the hearts and minds of the larger community is all of us living our lives fully and lovingly and always aware that grace is the greatest gift we can give our world. Grace transforms transgression into forgiveness. Grace blunts hate and offers a different solution. Grace makes love possible, even in the face of cruelty or opposition. What would Jesus do? Jesus lived grace. He didn’t require people to recite the right prayers, believe the right creeds or go to the right synagogue for worship. Jesus lived grace. That’s who we are as well. Amen?
Sources:
http://www.planetout.com/news/article.html?date=2007/06/12/1 “Pentagon considered Gay Bomb”, June 12, 2007.
http://www.planetout.com/news/article.html?2007/06/12/2 “Rabbis Put Curse on Jerusalem Pride article, June 12, 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WWJD Reviewed on June 18, 2007.