November 18, 2007
The Very Rev. Donald Brown
Proper 28 C


An optimist and a pessimist went duck hunting together and it seems that the optimist had acquired a rather remarkable bird dog. They were in their blind out on the lake as the ducks flew in. The pessimist shot down a duck. The optimist released the bird dog, who proceeded to run swiftly across the surface of the lake. The dog picked up the duck in her mouth and trotted back lightly across the water, moistening only the pads of her paws.

When the dog was back in the blind the optimist turned to his friend and remarked, "Isn't my new dog amazing? Have you ever seen anything like her before?" To which the pessimist replied, "Dog cain't swim, can she?"

This morning's gospel certainly has that sort of pessimistic twist to it. A large group of people is standing around somewhere in Jerusalem and they are all admiring the colossal Jewish Temple. It was by far the most majestic building in the city of Jerusalem and all of the Holy Land. The Jewish Temple was the equivalent of the Statue of Liberty, the National Capitol building, the White House, the Washington Monument and the Supreme Court building all rolled into one. The Temple was lofty, mighty, a symbol that was a "light to the nations." The Temple was an institution that was meant to last.

Jesus sounds a note of pessimism in the midst of the admiring crowd with his comment, "As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down." The people could not believe their ears. Surely Jesus sounded like nothing more than a pessimist. If the centerpiece of Jewish national life, the very place revered as the seat and symbol of Gods presence in the midst of God's chosen people could be destroyed, then what could possibly be trusted to last?

Naturally the people listening to Jesus speak of the coming cataclysm wanted to know when it would happen. Jesus does not answer that question because for him the exact time and circumstances were not all that important. His concern was to be clear about the dangers involved in misplacing their and our ultimate trust. As things turned out, the Romans destroyed the Temple in 70 AD.

Jesus' point is that we make a big mistake when we think that any thing in the created order, or any building or invention of humanity will provide us with ultimate security and protect us from our fears. When we put our ultimate trust in, that which is less than God we will be sorely disappointed. And whether we can admit it to ourselves or not, most of us are convinced that our fears will be calmed and our security assured if we put our trust in our stuff, our money, our, investments, our military might, our political system, our judicial system.

Our politicians know how to use our fears to manipulate us and in the name of keeping those fears at bay they have made waging war popular: international wars to protect us from what might be rouge nations, domestic wars on poverty, drugs, dangerous criminals. Fears about dangerous criminals in this state, and 37 other states, as well as those criminals who find themselves convicted of federal crimes, lead us to support the death penalty. Death as a punishment is suppose to give us security from violent criminals, bad people who could kill us, or others who we know and love. We are told over and over again by politicians that the death penalty will deter violent criminals from killing.

Yet all studies indicate that when the state kills in the name of justice, murders increase, not decrease. A recent survey by the New York Times found that states without the death penalty have lower homicide rates than states with the death penalty. The facts tell us that state authorized executions do not make us or our loved ones more secure.

In your bulletins this morning you will find an insert that gives you the facts and figures regarding the countries that execute humans in the name of justice and a secure civil order. One of the factoids that shocked me is that in 2006, 91% of all known state sanctioned executions took place in six countries. The United Sates is joined in this select group by China, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, and the Sudan. The insert also gives you statements against use of the death penalty issued by several faith communities, including the Episcopal Church, which has consistently opposed the use of the death penalty since 1979.

This is a gospel issue for every one of us who looks to Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Sister Jean Prajean, the author of Dead Man Walking, commented: Jesus Christ, whose way of life I try to follow, refused to meet hate with hate and violence with violence. I pray for the strength to be like him.

I cannot believe in a God who metes out hurt for hurt, pain for pain, torture for torture. Nor do I believe that God invests human representatives with such power to torture and kill. The paths of history are stained with the blood of those who have fallen victim to "God's Avengers." Kings, popes, military generals, and heads of state have killed, claiming God's authority and God's blessing. I do not believe in such a God.

Currently there are 660 inmates awaiting execution at San Quentin Prison. Every year some of those who await their state sanctioned executions are found to be innocent because new evidence has come to light. Some of these 660 inmates did not commit the murder for which the state will murder them. Others are hardened criminals who are guilty as charged. BUT, killing is not Jesus’ way. There are ways you can join the effort to end state killing listed in the third section of the flier in your bulletin. In the parish hall after this service you will find more information and you can join with other members of All Souls who will be headed to San Quentin this afternoon to join people from faith communities around California in saying, in the Name of Jesus, stop killing. It is wrong, wrong, wrong.

IF the majority of faith communities and others of good will and common sense prevail, a time will come when future generations will look back at the barbaric practice of state executions in this country with the same degree of incredulity with which we now view the unquestioned acceptance of slavery by the majority of citizens in this country from the birth of this nation until the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. Popular opinion trusted that slavery was a good thing for the country, and so popular opinion trusts in that the threat of death deters would be killers from killing. This trust is woefully misplaced.

I do not know whose idea it was to put the words “In God we trust” on our paper currency, but these words, ignored as they are by most people, are a pertinent reminder to us all of where our ultimate trust is to be placed. It is God who is trustworthy. It is our connection to, our loyalty to, our devotion to, our adoration of the one who is the source of our life and the universe in which we live, this is the only relationship that will stand forever, the only connection worthy of our ultimate trust. Everything else, as Jesus reminds us in the gospel this morning, everything else, “will be thrown down.”

It is the values of God’s Kingdom, values of love, respect, hope, healing, justice with divine compassion, peace with respect for human dignity, a determination to seek the well being of all, these are what truly count in God’s Kingdom.

Our fall stewardship theme of “Giving is Living” is a reminder to us that God gave us life, all of us are here on this earth for a short period of time, and during that time we are called to love others out of that same divine wellspring that created us and our world. In giving our tithes and offerings, in making a decision about what we will give in 2008 to All Souls Parish we play an important roll in seeing that God’s will may be done on earth as it is in heaven. It is in this act of commitment that we make our tangible declaration that it is “God we trust” and affirm our conviction that “living is giving.” Seventy-seven households have already made their pledges and more of you will do so today. Together, we further God’s work of renewal and healing carried on by this congregation. This is profoundly important.

When tragedy strikes our lives or in the world around us, All Souls is here for us and for all people, no matter who they are or what their journey through life has been. This is a faith community where all can came get in touch with the One whose love is eternal and who will never abandon any of us, a Divine love that will not be destroyed by the depravity of human sin…the love of the Living and Giving God. The importance of what we do here week after week in God’s name is life changing and life giving and we must never forget that or take what we do in God’s name for granted. We live in stress filled times, and our blessings of a certain future and seeming invulnerability have been quite literally exploded. Naturally we, like those people who heard Jesus speak of the destruction of the Temple, we want to know when and what will be the signs that the end of all is near.

Jesus does not really answer this question. Instead, what he says in essence is to avoid worshipping the finite idols whose false promises of security from our fears look so attractive to all of us, and instead just keep on doing the work of God in our daily lives. One of the reminders Jesus gives us in this morning's lesson is that it is at the very times when all seems to be falling apart, when things we thought were permanent are revealed to be impermanent, it is at such times we are called to make our witness.

Two Sundays from now as the season of Advent begins we will again hear John the Baptizer yelling at us, “The end is near. Prepare you the way of the Lord.” What this means to me in practical terms is that we are to remain confident in the God whom we worship, and to share our living and giving faith in loving ways with those who, in these stress-filled and uncertain times, are having a hard time…. and there are lots of people around us who are having a very tough time coping. Invite those people to come to All Souls with you.

Bring them to this place where we continue to rejoice in the Lord of Love and Life; where we tend the sick, teach and learn about the values of God’s Kingdom, work for healing in our community and our world, show hospitality; take risks for the sake of the gospel and call one and all to be disciples of the Lord who holds each of us within the embrace of his love.

AMEN