St. Christopher's Episcopal Church: Sermons

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A Sermon Preached at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church, Oak Park, IL
On the Second Sunday after Pentecost, May 25, 2008, Memorial Day Weekend
by Thomas Gary

Readings: Isaiah 49:8-16a; Psalm 131; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5; Matthew 6:24-34

I was driving home Friday from Springfield, and the three (or four) hour drive gives me a lot of time to listen to different types of radio broadcasts. On one, the reporter was describing what was happening in Myanmar in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis earlier this month. He said that the Burmese Generals that have been running the county for the last 46 years had implored their citizens-at least the ones that could-to go out and vote in a national referendum on their country's constitution; not because it will end their deprivations as a suffering people, nor will it bring any succor in the aftermath of the cyclone, but because, "it was their duty."

It reminded me that our own President, at the depths of our man-made cataclysm of 2001, urged his countrymen to, as a matter of duty to their nation, "go shopping." The rock pile of twisted metal was still smoldering as the still-beating hearts of a nation were ripped out of our bodies and slammed into lower Manhattan, northern Virginia, and a field in southwestern Pennsylvania. And at this most delicate moment, a nation still divided and sore from a bitter election 10 months before, was told to solder those wounds with the blinding heat cause by our credit cards being swiftly swiped at Target. And how did he implore us to head back to the malls? By telling us that this was our duty.

So leaders sometimes have a strange sense of what "patriotic duty" means. But that should not mean that we as a people are absolved of the responsibility of knowing our part, our role, our duty, to our neighbor, country, and God. Because the exercise of duty is not on a one-way street, there is a reciprocity between the one for whom the duty is given and the one who offers the duty. Frederick Douglass' definition of patriotism goes like this: "A true patriot is a lover of his country who rebukes and does not excuse its sins." And, this morning in Isaiah, we see one of the ways that that becomes manifest.

As a refresher, the land that God had given to His people had been split in two-Israel and Judah-and Israel had already been lost. He was upholding his end of the bargain and His people weren't. And as the God of Abraham is wont to do from time to time, He sends a prophet to remind His people of their duty to Him through their duty to their neighbors. Usually, prophets take to their calling very reluctantly. Considering some of their backgrounds, it was certainly understandable. Drunkards, wife beaters, short-tempered. Not necessarily folks ready to proclaim God's word on Fox News. Moses told God to go find someone else. Jeremiah told God of his unworthiness. Fast-forward a couple of hundred years, even Yeshua of Nazareth said that "prophets are without honor in their own land." (And he would know!) So another prophet was needed to remind the people of their duty to uphold the Covenant.

Isaiah was not like most of the other prophets. He wasn't a crazy kook who hung out with a disreputable crowd. He was a man of high regard because he had the ear of the King and his court. So when God and his seraphim go searching around for someone who would bear this burden, this responsibility, this time they did not have to go far.

"In the year that king Uzzi'ah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphim: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, 'Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.' And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, 'Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.'"

"Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: and he laid it upon my mouth, and said, 'Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.' Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.'" Isaiah 6:1-8

"Send me."

"Send me."

When others walked away, Isaiah volunteered.

He didn't even know what was going to be asked of him. But he understood his duty to the God of his fathers and to his neighbors. And he didn't expect his neighbors to show their appreciation by saying, "Thank you for your service," while putting yellow ribbon magnets on the back of their donkey carts.

When I signed up, there was no Iraq War. There was no Afghan War. There was no "Global War on Terror." 9/11 didn't motivate me. My duty to serve my community overrode my other duties (much to Evette's eternal consternation). I signed on the dotted line to uphold the Constitution and protect it from all enemies. But my commitment, my duty, was-is-not unconditional. If you want unconditional service, go home to your mothers.

Because we have not done our duty.

We have not upheld our end of the bargain.

The God of Abraham was angry at Judah because they had not upheld their end of the bargain. They had not done their duty. They had fallen down on the job in caring for their neighbor, yet were expecting God to continue doing his.

And your commitment, your duty, is to ensure that there is a Constitution worth upholding. What land have I returned to when one branch of government runs roughshod over the other two, holding both in contempt, while the true sovereigns-you the people-simply wait for your next installment of "American Idol."

Our duty is to love and care for our neighbor, not because they "deserve" it, but because that is our commission from the God of our Fathers.

And every day that we do not have health care for every American, that is another day we are not upholding our end of the bargain and fail to do our duty.

Every day that we are not providing an equally high-quality education to every American is another day we are not upholding our end of the bargain and fail to do our duty.

Every day that we are not feeding the hungry and clothing the naked is another day that we are not upholding our end of the bargain and fail to do our duty.

Every day that we allow tax cuts and personalities dominate our national discussions in the media is another day that we are not upholding our end of the bargain and fail to do our duty.

I still believe that the United States Armed Forces, the most awesome force assembled by man, can still be an instrument of good in an imperfect world. I signed on the dotted line hoping to provide hope to the hopeless, defense to the defenseless. I am not a perfect expression of God's love-I am a poor vessel to carry His will. But like Isaiah, without even knowing my task, I volunteered when asked because that is my duty.

Now it's your turn. It's your turn to uphold your end of the bargain. It's your turn to do your duty. When you are asked, "Who will I send? Who will go for us?" what will you say?

I will not tell you what your duty is - you already know what you need to do. I'll just say, "Thank you for your service."