When Should Vengeance Give Way to Mercy?

"There may not be a single cemetery in Massachusetts or in the entire country that is willing to be Tamerlan Tsarnaev's final resting place, a funeral director told CNN on Monday." This headline has been playing for a couple of days now on the CNN website. Tsarnaev is one of the brothers who carried out the Boston Marathon bombings. He died in a shootout with police, and his body lies in a Boston funeral home. Relatives came and washed and dressed the body in Muslim custom, and are anxious that his body be buried, which is an essential part of Muslim custom as well. But no cemetery wants his body. I have thought about it, and I can understand that burying his body in Cambridge may be too close to where his destruction was carried out, and would be painful for the families of those who died. But, at some point, can we Americans let go of the part of our anger that is vengeance, and allow his family to bury him somewhere within our borders? Since the events of 9/11/01, we have become much too accomplished at holding grudges and demanding no mercy. Remember the outcry when the proposed Islamic Center near, but not even visible from, the site of the World Trade Center, was announced? When Lee Harvey Oswald, assassin of President Kennedy, was murdered, he was buried in a Dallas cemetery. The only pall-bearers that could be found were members of the news media who were covering his burial. Years later, his body was exhumed, and, inexplicably, his burial vault was found to be broken and the casket had disintegrated. I cannot help but wonder if a cemetery worker got in a final act of vengeance before the grave was filled. But there was no outcry at the time of the assassination that demanded that his family not be allowed to bury his body in Dallas. The pastor in me says that we should allow all people to be buried, even those who have committed heinous crimes, so that their families may have some closure. Tsarnaev had few friends, and even his extended family here in the states wanted little to do with him. and yet, those same family members came and performed rituals that are essential to their faith. Tsarnaev is dead, and he will never be able to harm anyone ever again. His brother will likely receive either a life sentence, or the death penalty. Do we also need to refuse to allow his family to bury the older brother? At what point do we find room for compassion, if not for the perpetrators, then for their families, some of whom had nothing to do with their crimes? Before you answer, read the Gospel where Jesus talks about forgiveness, and how many times we should forgive our enemies. It is not easy to read, but it is necessary, especially during these days of violence, fear and vengeance.

Some Thoughts for Earth Week.

We have had quite a week, haven't we? The news has been, and is still, full of accounts about the bombings in Boston. Add to that the terrible explosion in West, Texas, and one begins to wonder if all the world, or at least our corner of it, is headed down a very bad path. It is Earth Week, when we cannot help but be reminded that we have altered the earth's behavior in ways that may be, in fact, irreversible. What are people of faith to do, or think in the midst of all of the bad news? Well, to take a page from our Jewish brothers and sisters, Tikkun olam, or heal the world. The thinking behind this saying is that the world is broken and we all need to work together to fix it. It sounds simple, doesn't it? We can all work together to repair the broken people and places in the world. But it is not easy, because our attitudes get in the way too often. When I arrive at work each day, I park next to the same pickup truck which has a sticker on its rear cab window that states, "Welcome to America. Now, learn to speak English!" Each time I read that, I am troubled, because I think that what lies behind the sentiment of such a statement is, "Be like me, like the rest of us, and you will be welcome." Healing the broken bits and people of the world means learning to look at the world through new lenses. For people of faith, and I will speak of Christianity, since that is my tradition, we are to look through lenses that see the world and its people as objects of God's love. This then causes us to ask ourselves, "How can I hate someone or something that is loved by God?" How can we act carelessly regarding the natural world when we believe that it is the creation of God? How can we harbor prejudices against those who are different from us when the story of our faith tells us that Christ came for all people, not just for some? Earth Week is a good time to remind ourselves that we are guests on this planet, and we should treat it with respect. But we are also hosts, so we should treat all people as honored guests, at least in attitude. The young man who helped set off the bombs in Boston was a college student, the age of the people with whom I have spent most of my professional life. It's too late to turn his thinking from violence, he has killed and destroyed and broken members and parts of God's creation. What am I to think about him? Am I wrong to wonder if someone, anyone, will care about his spiritual needs? After all, he is a terrorist. So, I must struggle with that question as I contemplate Tikkun olam. His life does not fall outside the realm of lives needing healing, does it? Each of us must deal with God's demands upon us in our own way. This Earth Week, what special cares have been laid upon your heart?

In Times Like These.......

As I gaze out my office window, I see bright red tulips blooming, and the trees have begun to leaf out. If I look out the hall windows just outside my office door, I see a gorgeous weeping wild cherry tree in its full floral regalia. Looking at my computer screen, I read accounts of the horrific bombing in Boston on Monday. Glancing at my calendar, I see a "hold" for a memorial service that I will conduct in less than a week. So, this spring is one of life, and death, of indescribable beauty and agonizing tragedy. This spring season is a microcosm of life, isn't it? As members of a faith community, we are called to believe in life in the face of death, and hope in the midst of despair. There have been countless people throughout the centuries who have asked, "How can a loving God allow such things to happen?" I have no doubt that many people are asking themselves the same question today. But it's the wrong question, it really is. We are the people of God and we were created in God's image. But some people do terrible things, and others die for no good reason, and yet, we remain God's people. Don't hesitate to ask God "Why?" in your prayers and meditations. God knows of our sadness and frustration before we even ask, and better than anyone, God knows why we ask. But don't expect to be able to make sense of tragedy, because sometimes, most times, tragedy makes no sense. Random acts of violence appear to serve a purpose only in the minds of those who commit them. We will never be able to resolve the sense of unfairness and outrage that we may feel when something bad happens in our lives, or in the lives of those we love. Our faith tells us not to respond to violence in kind, but that is not a popular option. How are we to believe that good can prevail when so much that happens around us seems to indicate otherwise? Remember the events of Holy Week and of Easter, and against all evidence to the contrary, believe in God's providential care and love. After all, what are the other options that will not cause us to be consumed with hate and thoughts of revenge? There is a quote I heard once, and I don't know who wrote it, but it has given me immense comfort over the years. In these uncertain times, remember these words: "When you come to the end of all of the light you know, and stand at the edge of darkness, faith says that one of two things will happen: either you will step onto something solid, or you will be taught to fly."

Is It Just Me?

I spoke to a university class this week about leadership. Actually, they peppered me with questions for more than two hours and I responded. It was a great exercise in mental acuity, or lack thereof. I spoke of my understanding of scripture, and how having been a biblical studies major has been of great help in my professional and personal life. Many students nodded approval, while at least one looked at me with concern. It was that look that says, "How can you claim to be a Christian and believe that way?" I have seen that look often, beginning in my own college days, when I finally began thinking for myself regarding my religious beliefs. Why is it that those of us who preach about a more open and hospitable faith are those who get the stares from other people of faith? Why is the assumption always seemingly that we are wrong and they are right? Who said that Jesus was the founder of a close-minded religion, more concerned with keeping people out than letting them in to the Kingdom? Along those lines, someone referred me to a new branch of a mainline Protestant denomination that has formed in the past couple of years. So, I went to the website and checked out the confession of faith. Before doing so I kept wondering why this particular denomination gave birth to a new splinter group? I had my suspicions, which I hoped were not true. However, my suspicions were confirmed when I read the church's definition of marriage and family. You know what's coming, don't you? A family is defined there as a father, mother and children. Marriage is to be understood solely as a union of a man and woman. So, this new church, then, has laid out the welcome mat for heterosexual people only. And I wonder to myself, why? I am the first to admit that I don't have a corner on religious knowledge or correct faith practice. But I do claim that my Christian faith and understandings are based on a lifetime of study and reflection on scripture and tradition. I am not going back to the exclusivist theology of my young adult years. I would much rather view others as potential friends and kindred spirits, even when their religious beliefs differ from mine, and even when they claim no beliefs. Perhaps the worst to be said about me after I die will be that I was too open and accepting of others. And I can live with that.

Easter is Past, Now What?

Easter Sunday has come and gone. Now it becomes a challenge for pastors to hold the attention of our faith communities as we progress through the Sundays of Easter, on the way to Pentecost. For those of us who lead congregations in academic communities, the challenge is also how to keep folks engaged while, all around us, signs of the end are evident. Final projects will come due, a flurry of presentations and lunch discussions will occur, and students are beginning to panic about final exams. Faculty and staff are wondering if, a) the weather will ever warm up and, b) if the academic year will ever end and will they get everything done before it does. So, perhaps this is the time to reinforce the message of Easter: our lives don't have to go on in exactly the same way as they have! The resurrection tells us that life as we know it changed, once and for all, a long time ago. Fortunately, we get a yearly reminder at Easter, because our spiritual memories are quite short. It is so easy to get caught up in all of our work and responsibilities, and to forget that our Christian faith also applies to those real world headaches. Easter is prophetic, it dares to speak out in the midst of skepticism, boredom and "business as usual" to proclaim that God has broken through the ennui of our sometimes hum-drum existence. Prophetic voices call us to alternative ways that dare us to become excited about Jesus "third" way, which goes up against the usual ways of doing things in every time and place. God's economy is not ours, and time is not an enemy of the Kingdom. So, be glad and rejoice. You have not been left behind after Easter. God will continue to lead you into new ways of living, loving and service. We have, once again, been reminded that life never need be the same again. Alleluia!

A Holy Week

Holy Week. It's a term that means something special to many Christians, and absolutely nothing to many others. For some it is a week to contemplate the last week of Jesus' earthly life, and to think about what it means to live sacrificially. For others, it is a countdown to Easter Sunday, to the festivities and to the reality of the resurrection. I have said it for years and years: one cannot get to Easter Sunday without going through Good Friday. I have been criticized, with some saying that the resurrection trumps all else, and that the need for Good Friday is now done away with, because it did not have the last word. Attendance at my annual Good Friday prayer service is slim, indeed. We just don't want to take the time, it seems, to be reminded of something that is not pretty. And that is exactly the point: Holy Week is not pretty, and it makes us think about terrible events in the life of the One whom God sent to be with us. Perhaps we think we cannot look upon it because we are unworthy, and it reminds us of the distance there is to go between who we should be as Christians, and who we really are. And that's the crux of Good Friday: we look unfaithfulness and betrayal in the eye, and we gaze upon the horror of the murder of Jesus, the very one who did not deserve to die. We cannot understand, adequately, the transforming power of the resurrection in the life of the followers of Jesus until we look, unflinchingly, at the ways in which that first faith community nearly fell apart. The downward spiral of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday was hastened by the abandonment of Jesus by those closest to him. And once they abandoned him, they could not face him, or those who persecuted him, so they fled, quite simply. And that is where Good Friday leaves us, alone and feeling forsaken, until sunrise on Easter Sunday. But let's not jump to Easter right away. Linger with Jesus, in that desolate place, for just a while, so that you may take in the enormity of what is meant by sacrificial love, and view the lengths to which God was willing to go to demonstrate that love. In that silence and darkness are to be found the seeds that will blossom into a proper celebration of the resurrection. May God be with you this Holy Week.

Not Just Another Week.

We face Holy Week next week, preceded by Palm/Passion Sunday. So many people have reacted with surprise when I mention that Palm Sunday is nearly here. Maybe it is due to the fact that Easter is early this year, and the weather, thus far in March, has been anything but spring-like. Nevertheless, the most sacred week in the Christian calendar is almost upon us. What I have discovered, over the years, is the disconnect that more and more people feel with the whole week, aside from Easter. I gave up holding a Maundy Thursday service on campus years ago, because almost no one attended. I was told by one person this year that Maundy Thursday is a "Catholic" holiday, and that Protestants do not observe it. He was wrong, of course, but that perception is widespread. I continue to offer a prayer service at noon on Good Friday, but the attendance is always very low. Our natural inclination as people, and as Christians, is to want to get past the hard stuff and get right to Easter. Good Friday is a downer, so we do our best not to think about it. And yet, how can we possibly celebrate Easter as we should if we have not been willing to look at the events that preceded the resurrection? Fair-weather Christianity is very popular in America, where we can always feel good and not have to deal with unpleasantries. However, I am encouraged by the election of Pope Francis, because he implores all who hear him preach to remember the poor, and he has expressed his vision of having a church that is poor so that the poor may be rich. I think he captures the spirit of the Holy Week message quite well. So, I challenge you to attend a Palm/Passion Sunday service this weekend, even if it has not been a part of your tradition until now. It is the way to best prepare for what is coming, and it is the time for each of us to ask ourselves if we can, indeed, stand with Christ as he faces his trial and crucifixion. For how can we look him in the face on Easter if we have abandoned him in the days leading up to his resurrection? May you have a meaningful Holy Week.