The Diocese of East Tennessee
Sermons

June 27, 1999
Pentecost V
Delivered at St. Martin's, Chattanooga

Sermon: Not Peace but a Sword
The Right Reverend Charles G. vonRosenberg
Bishop of East Tennessee

First of all, I want to thank the people of St. Martin’s for your gracious hospitality. Annie and I have felt very welcomed here indeed. Also, congratulations to those candidates to be confirmed today. This is an important day for you – and for this congregation who will make certain promises on your behalf.

However, we need to observe that it is not always easy or natural to be a Christian in the environment of our society today. In a book entitled Beyond Belief, the author offers some observations about life in our part of the world:

You could say with considerable accuracy that we live in a Peeping Tom society in the West today. We are all voyeurs. We want stimulus without relationship. We want curiosity satisfied without commitment.

Surely the most appropriate symbol of this "Peeping Tom society" is the television set. While the TV – to its credit – does offer awareness of events beyond our small, isolated worlds, it also imposes a distance from the real world. That is, our television involvement with events, places, and people is as a spectator only. And remember, the TV is only one symbol of the culture at large. The author of the book already mentioned makes the point that within a society of spectators, we may expect these results: "There is a new kind of mind around: uninvolved, passive, unsurprised and deeply bored, purged of expectation, impervious to mystery."

Thus results a profound passivity within the people of such a society – that is, ourselves. We may tend to be passive about life – not living it or grasping it or claiming it … but merely enduring it.

Ask a child what he or she has done that day, and – depending somewhat on age – the child often will say, "Oh, not much." And, in fact, the child may be at a loss to tell much of what did actually happen. The same is true of adults, unfortunately. Life just all blends together, and what we do often amounts to "oh, not much."

Therefore, we are inclined to coast along through life, trying not to upset any apple carts or to rock any boats. And while yesterday may not have been all that great for us, we remind ourselves that tomorrow could be a lot worse. Thus, we tend to settle for yesterdays, over and over again. Things don’t improve much that way – in families, in jobs, in life – but at least they don’t get much worse either. Also, there aren’t many risks to endure or surprises sprung on us.

"Stimulus without relationship, curiosity satisfied without commitment … uninvolved, passive, unsurprised and deeply bored, purged of expectation, impervious to mystery." That sad picture describes many lives these days. And it seems to indicate the goal of many other lives as well.

In stark contrast to a life of reliving safe yesterdays – a life of repetitious retreat – stands the life to which Jesus calls us. He encourages profound relationships and deep commitments. While our society may be characterized by lack of involvement, by the absence of surprises, and passivity in general, Jesus calls us to a very different life indeed. If our lives are "purged of expectation and impervious to mystery", it certainly is not because we follow the way of Jesus. Surely the expectation of wonder and the appreciation of mystery are fundamental to Christian lives.

Now, having made these basic points, there are many matters to consider. And this morning, I want to mention two of them – one in terms of our service today and the other, concerning the Gospel reading.

One example of the difference that a life with Christ makes is to be found in the promises of our confirmation candidates today, as well as in the prayers that we pray for them and in the Baptismal Covenant we all renew. Pay attention to what we say in this service, and you will clearly see a life of activity and of vitality and of risk. Such is the life to which Christ calls us.

But now, let’s look at that difficult Gospel reading. It has been my observation – as well as my personal experience – that one of the relationships in which we least want to rock the boat is that one with in-laws. I think that most of us would like to find some limits of toleration in those relationships, and then, we try hard to stay within that relatively peaceful boundary.

A priest told me an interesting story not long ago. He said that of all the tense moments in his life, one stands out. It seems that he was just beginning the long drive through the Chesapeake Bay bridge and tunnel when he noticed a light on his dashboard – the one that indicates low fuel. And that was not all. His mother-in-law was in the car with him. And that was not all. She had seen the light on the dashboard too. And that was not all. She let him know it all the way through and across the bridge-tunnel. And, he said, that was enough!

Jesus says that he comes to bring not peace but a sword to human relationships – even relationships with in-laws where weapons are probably not a good idea. And this passage quoting words of Jesus has caused many difficulties among thoughtful Christians. Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."

Now, the point of this passage is not to encourage fights with families. In fact, I think that such disputes grieve Christ himself. Rather, the point is that it is impossible to have ultimate allegiance to more than one thing. Such ultimate allegiance will come into conflict with other obligations, responsibilities, and allegiances. And at those points of conflict, the allegiance that is ultimate will become known. Thus, Jesus says, "He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."

We hope and pray that family relationships support individuals’ relationships with Christ. Surely in the Episcopal Church we try to cultivate and encourage mutual support of family and of Christian lives. However, Jesus makes clear that our relationship to him should be primary.

This ultimate allegiance may bring with it certain difficulties, as most of us probably know. What if we feel called – as a Christian duty – to be involved in the church to a greater degree than our spouse does? What if our priorities in terms of the stewardship of money differ from those of our husband or wife? What do we decide when church involvement intrudes on family time?

These are difficult questions. And they are quite real ones, as many of you probably know all too painfully. In most of them there is no right or wrong answer. However, in the process of making decisions, it surely helps us to have our priorities straight.

Jesus Christ has an ultimate claim on our lives. That, by the way, is good news … eternally, good news. And Jesus asks that we acknowledge that claim with our ultimate allegiance.

Thus, Jesus calls us beyond a "Peeping Tom" involvement in life. He calls us away from the TV sets and into real encounters with real people. He calls us to an expectation of wonder and an appreciation of mystery in this life we live. In it all, Jesus calls us to recognize and acknowledge that he himself is the top priority in our lives. His ultimate claim on us demands our ultimate allegiance to him.

Copyright ©1999 The Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee