Do Not Be Afraid

 I have preached for over 25 years now, and conservatively, I have preached 50 sermons a year, means I have preached over 1,250 sermons. Do I get nervous sometimes, scared of what I am preaching on, how I am saying it, or what will you, the church, think and how will you react? Yep, of course. There were some periods where I get a little cocky or some periods where I think they are all crap and I have nothing to say. 

Today, I am preaching about something that intertwines religion and politics. A little nervous about it, not sure how everyone will hear it, and it will probably offend some. However, there is a thing called Christian Nationalism out there that is not just hand in hand of some politicians, political party, and evangelical Christians, mainly white Christians, but they are in lock step, eating, vacationing, and passing laws based upon their version of Christianity and how our America society should look and how the government should serve only them, while the rest of the citizens lose their rights and have to conform to their rules, their laws, and their traditions. They do not, however, have a vision of peace and prosperity, for all. They have a fear, a deep-seated fear, that other people's ideas of who we are and how we should look might come to fruition. 

This is what they are afraid of:

- Diversity

- Women making health care decisions

- True Democracy

- Black People and other minorities

- Real History, or CRT

- Native People

- LGBTQA+ People

- Same rights for Everyone

- Climate Change

And they are afraid of these things more than we are afraid of losing them. That is why they are resorting to violence and legalities that silence and condemn that which make them afraid, including people. 

Unfortunately they have tradition on their side. I recently saw a quote that says tradition is peer pressure from dead people. A person or group can go back far enough or recently in history, find some people and quotes that they can interpret to back their argument, lift them up, and demean and put down those others, and Walla, this is tradition and the correct way to live, to govern, to be a family, to be a society, believe in God. Do you understand??? We have always done it this way before!

Fortunately, they don't have God to support their arguments and their vision of the world and what is to come. Jesus, man of Nazareth, Son of God, the resurrected and risen Messiah, whom we call Christ, came into this world to teach about and bring about the kingdom. He healed, he reconciled, he ate and drank and partied with anyone and everyone. He loved, oh Lordy, how he loved people! Even those he turned away at times because their hearts were in the wrong place, he was sad to see them go. This is how, in the Gospel of John, this is how people will know that you are my disciples, Jesus says, "That you will love them like I love them." It is by our love, not our view of the trinity, not our political party, nationality, language in which we speak, where we worship, or what our family looks like or our friends. "All the prophets and the laws are summed up in this: that you treat others as you want to be treated." Amen?

There are those throughout history that have used scripture or false prophecy to make war, to condemn, to control, and separate the children of God, and humans from the rest of the world and universe. It happened all around Jesus, who grew up in Nazareth in Galilee on the edge of the mighty Roman Empire, just a small town boy, living in a lonely world. He saw the abuses all around him by family, cultural, religious, and political. Jesus, came to teach us and show everyone love.

The writer of Matthew here, holds nothing back in his story of resurrection. It wasn't done mysteriously, it was done in front of the women and the guards who were posted to make sure the prophet's body wasn't stolen. The earth shook, an angel whose appearance like lighting descended and rolled back the stone. The guards were afraid. They shook and became like dead men. The angel spoke to the women, "Do not be afraid! I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'he has been raised from the dead, and indeed is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him' This is my message for you." So they (the women, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary) left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell the disciples. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid, go and tell me brothers to go to Galilee, there they will see me."

Jesus chose women to tell of the resurrection. He could have appeared and spoken to the disciples directly, but for some reason he chose to have the women be his messengers. That is definitely not tradition, not definitely keeping the women in their place, in the kitchen, at home. Jesus chose his disciples not from the best and brightest in the Temple or the schools, but fishing on the shore, collecting taxes, freedom fighters, ordinary everyday people who didn't have status or clout or followers themselves, not because Jesus could control them or Lord it over them, so he could lift them up and teach them to lift everyone else up.

Do Not Be Afraid! That doesn't mean we can be nervous, anxious, or downright scared. This means that God's love, mature, full, eternal love will cast out our fear so that we, so that you, so that they can love just like Jesus loved. In our day and age, where we are closer than we have ever been before to throw out the traditions of cast, of racism, of sexism, of the worshipping the idols of wealth and military power, With shaky voices, with signs falling apart, with fear of difficult conversations with family and friends, we have to be like the women who tells the story of the resurrected Jesus, with scars and all, the powers of that brought about his death have not succeeded. There is something greater, more powerful than political or religious or worldly powers, even death! It is the love of God. What is it? (love of God)

DO NOT BE AFRAID! Focus on the loving thing to do. Focus on the justice for those who are not like you. Focus on mercy and compassion and rights for all people, not just for some. Love God, with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and LOVe our neighbor as what? (ourselves) Our male self, our female self, our trans self, our non-binary self, our Black or White or Native or Asian or Middle-Eastern self, our American, Ukrainian, Peruian, Hmong, Roma, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist selves. Whoever God created you to be, and you know better than anyone else, all Jesus asks is that you treat your family, friends, neighbors, and even enemies with compassion and love. And Jesus invites us, everyone, to heal, feed, reconcile, and do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly.

They buried my body and they thought I had gone, but I am the dance and I still go on. 

Dance, then, whoever you may be, I am the Lord of the Dance, said he. And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be, and and I'll lead you all in the Dance said he.