An Idle Tale

 There are fairy tales of a long time ago in a kingdom far, far away that people recognize as fantastical stories of dragons, wizards, and damsels in distress. Then there are idle tales such as the moon landing being faked with computer generated graphics which is easily disproven by remembering that video game Pong, which was a square ball bouncing back and forth on a monochrome screen between two sliding sticks was cutting edge technology created some ten years afterwards. There are myths such as manifest destiny that God has given the American land to the colonizers to settle, to tame, and to prosper. Then there are idle tales of the savagery and backwardness of the Native people who needed civilizing and now we are hungering and needing their wisdom and insights to save our planet. There is propaganda that says having one of the largest armies in the world will let you do and accomplish anything. Then there is an idle tale that Ukraine will quickly fall to Russia because they have a comedian for a President, they are too small to put up any resistance, and most Ukrainian people would prefer to be a part of Russia anyway and now this war will be long and drawn out with the capital of Kiev still free and functioning. 

There is power in a good story whether a fairy tale, a myth, propaganda, fake news, or an idle tale. A good story can help us find the best in ourselves and in our neighbors. It can also bring out the worst of our human nature making us believe that what is right is wrong and what is wrong is needed to be done for a people or a nation. In an age where you can find just about any story on the internet, on social media, and on a cable 'news' station or in print, how do we decide what is an idle tale, something that is of no consequence, what story, myth or propaganda, of our nation, our politics, our nation, or our community that actually helps, brings us together, and lifts us all, up or divides us with fear, greed, and justified violence against those people?

The gospel, actually there are four of them in our Bible, the gospel stories were written down about 40 years after Jesus walked the Earth; preached, healed, and fed people; and was betrayed, arrested, and crucified. The gospels were stories that are told about a man named Jesus from Nazareth. This Jesus was thought to be a teacher, a healer, and a prophet. During Jesus' time on Earth the myth surrounding him grew and expanded of who he was and what he was doing. In the gospel story, Christ or Messiah which meant God's anointed grew from any prophet or king that came in the name of the LORD to God's own Son, begotten, not made, who came to save the world. Stories floated around him feeding 5,000 people with just some loaves and fish, him healing a man who was born blind, a woman who suffered for 12 years, and bringing back people from the dead. Stories also floated around that he was a drunk and a glutton because he was always eating with sinners and tax collectors, that he came to raise an army to drive out the Roman occupiers, and that he was in league with Be-elzebul. Once the early Christian community realized that Jesus may not be coming back in their time, for they expected him to return on clouds any day, any hour now, they wrote the gospels, the stories so that future generations would have the story to help them live a faithful life, a good life, and know who Jesus was and is. Now, there were over 30 gospels written in early Christianity and only 4 made it into the Bible, so not every gospel was written that reflects who Jesus is and what is the good news. Many were pretty out there, and contained stories that even Christians were like, "That is not true. What were they thinking?" And we in our denomination, recognize that the 4 gospels don't all have the same stories, facts, and view of who Jesus was and what he did and what it all means. 

All four gospels have different stories of how the resurrection went, who first showed up, who greeted them and how, and when Jesus appeared to whom and when. The gospels do agree that it was women who went to the tomb, it was women who were told to tell the disciples that Jesus has risen, and the disciples, the men, really didn't believe the women. In the Gospel of John, we have the story of Doubting Thomas who is invited to put his finger in the holes of Jesus' hand. Resurrection is a powerful story. It affects not just the life of one human, but changes the view of the world. It changes the story that might and power and armies always win is not true. It is the story of compassion and of sacrifice and life over come even death. The story of resurrection is not bound up in medical facts and who saw what. The resurrection story shows us, shares with us, and sends us out that the love of God is the most important and most powerful force in our world and in the universe. In this story is the seeds of any good story or myth. I am not telling you what to believe or not to believe. I am asking what kind of story do you want, do we want to be a part of in this world, in this time and this age?

I want to be part of a story where the world is created out of love and light. I want to be a part of a story where death is not the end, but only a part of our world. I want to be a part of a story the highest ideal of goodness and greatness is caring for our neighbors, the strangers, and even our enemies. I want to be part of a story where each person's worth and dignity is based upon God's love for them and not what they look like, what they believe, or whom they love. Resurrection, for me, is not an idle tale because it is a story of God is with us, God incarnate, and that our flesh and this world matter, God is in all, with all, and through all. It is the story that neither life nor death, nor principalities, nor powers, nor heights, or depths, nor anything in all of creation can separate us from the love of God. Christ is risen! Love wins! Christ is with us! Amen.