“Spiritual Amnesia” Genesis 25:19-34 Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
(Sitting on the front row, apparently forgetting that I am supposed to be preaching. Adlibbing as “realization dawns” and I make my way to the podium)
It’s a horrible thing to forget who you are and what you should be doing. Now in my case, it is just embarrassing, along the lines of “you will never live this down,” and “this story is gonna be around for a looooong time.” We all forget things now and again, but to forget the fundamentals of who we are and how we should respond to that identity is more than embarrassing, it is tragic. As we look at the lectionary text today, we see some prime examples of what can happen when someone forgets their spiritual identity. And I’m not just talking about Jacob, although let’s start with him. What is Jacob doing??? This is his brother he is refusing to give sustenance to, his twin at that! Not even taking into account ALL of the codes and rules of hospitality that exist within desert dwelling and nomadic communities, THIS IS HIS FAMILY!!!! Yet Jacob withholds his stew until Esau promises to yield his birthright for a bowl of it. And Esau! What can we say about Esau? I think Jacob isn’t the only one to suffer from a case of amnesia. Esau was the firstborn and as such was heir to a double portion of his father’s inheritance. But more than the physical blessings of tents, camels, and other livestock, or even the distinction of “head of the family” there were the spiritual blessings as well. As firstborn, Esau was promised the special protection and care of God. He or his descendants were destined to receive a home in the Promised Land. His offspring would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and more abundant than the sand on the seashore. Down through the ages, people would proclaim the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Esau. Don’t you think it was just a little bit shortsighted of Esau to give all that up for a bowl of lentil stew? Okay, so it was more than shortsighted, it was tragic. The reading today from the book of Romans, chapter 8, expresses, in Paul’s delightful way, this same idea of what it looks like to forget who you are, as well as what God is doing to alleviate spiritual amnesia. I am reading from The Message. "Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them--living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn't pleased at being ignored. But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won't know what we're talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells--even though you still experience all the limitations of sin--you yourself experience life on God's terms." Isn’t it great to know that we have God on our side with the cure for spiritual amnesia? I mean, now we don’t have to worry about that old selfish nature creeping back in, right??? Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite work that way. In fact the most tragic happenings in our world occur when “selfish desires” rule and guide people of God. Not only do the people of God who suffer from spiritual amnesia live less than the abundant life God desires for them, they also create epidemics of spiritual amnesia as they lash out and cause injury to others in the name of God. By now, I’m sure we have all heard about the events that occurred in London this past week; senseless bombings designed to strike terror into the hearts of those who are different. Yes, this is a tragic and all too current example of what happens when people cease to live by the Spirit. But forgetting who we are and who God really wants us to be is not reserved for terrorists. Its not even reserved for Christian extremists or any other group of “extremists” for that matter. Anytime we, like Jacob, limit our hospitality or expect payment for doing the right thing, we have forgotten who we are called to be. Anytime we, like Esau, get so caught up in what we think we “need” that we compromise our future or ignore our place as children and ministers of God for a moment’s satisfaction, we are suffering from spiritual amnesia. Anytime we sit idly by while injustice is being done, we have forgotten who we are called to be. Anytime we limit our welcome to those who are just like us, we are definitely suffering from spiritual amnesia, because if Jesus’ first disciples had limited their message to those who were just like them, there would be precious few of us in this room today. God has sent the Holy Spirit to live inside us to combat our tendency toward spiritual amnesia. But as wonderful a gift as that is, it is not a sure antidote for our forgetfulness because God’s Spirit does not treat us like puppets and eradicate our free will. Just like for physical health we have (or should have) a daily regimen of things that we do to keep us as fit as we can be, so too we need to have a regimen of things to remind us of the spiritual truths God has given us. One part of this spiritual regimen is something in which we will be taking part in just a few minutes, communion. The sharing of the bread and the cup is a physical reminder of a much bigger spiritual principle. God has done everything necessary for us to have a relationship with God. The birthright is ours. All we must do is claim it. When we share the bread and the cup we are consciously acknowledging God gracious offer of love. A second part of the regimen for spiritual health was something I knew about before, but it was so poignantly expressed to me these past two weeks while I was in Atlanta. We contribute to our spiritual health and the health of others when we take time to share our stories and listen to the stories of others. A motley crew of about 200 people managed, in a little over an hour’s time, to raise over $100,000.00 to begin a much needed next phase in the work of the UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns because story after story after story was shared about how the cause that the money was going toward had saved people’s lives and brought them into wholeness. A resolution was passed by the General Synod of the United Church of Christ this past week, declaring support for marriage equality for all, because people were willing to share their stories about how they have personally been affected by inequalities in the current system. (Really, there were people running around all week with big yellow buttons that said "Ask me my story about marriage") Being in Atlanta this past week, I was able to visit the grave of perhaps one of the most famous voices for social justice in our time, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. There is a whole center there dedicated to telling Dr. King’s story so that no one forgets. It is a powerful witness for peace and justice, but it doesn't end with his story. There are even places where you can write down how Dr. King's struggle, and the stuggle of all those who fought for or gave their lives for equality and justice, has affected you. In fact, it was the simple voices of gratitude and love from the children that have written, that touched me most of all. If you will indulge me for just a moment, I would like to hear from some of you about how God has been working in your life. Why are you here on this lovely Sunday morning instead of sleeping in or enjoying the great outdoors? What do you hold onto when disappointments come? How has God spoken to you? What is your story? (After allowing a few moments for people who are willing, to share) As long as we are willing and able to share our stories, spiritual amnesia won’t prevail. As long as the church continues to gather to “spur one another on to love and good works,” spiritual amnesia won’t be our end. In the days and months ahead, how will we consciously work to combat spiritual amnesia in ourselves and in the lives of others? Amen.