Acts
7:54-60
I
Peter 2:13-23
John 14:1-7
Well, the election is over. At
least some of the tumult and shouting has died. We have a new government. And
now the business of moving from slogans to policy implementation begins. We
will have to wait to see how that unfolds!
Now isn’t the moment to comment on
religion and politics, though the temptation is there, and plenty has been said
in the campaign about the two and how they relate, or should relate. But since
it is a time of heightened political interest and even passion, I would like to
make some observations that arise from the kind of political debate that we
have been through in the past few weeks.
We all saw pictures on tele of
political rallies, shopping mall meetings between voters and candidates, Q
& A sessions and so on. In many of these encounters, people held placards
with certain messages emblazoned on them: ‘Truth not Spin’; ‘Justice for all’;
‘Freedom for Asylum Seekers’; and so on. And of course there were broad slogans
coming from the polys’ side as well: remember ‘moving forward’ and ‘real
action’!
When I saw such signs I knew, or
thought I knew, roughly what they meant. What is more, I felt I could recognise
the values the demonstrators were upholding. The sign “truth not spin”: it
wasn’t arguing some sophisticated theory of truth and reality, about which
large books are written. It meant something much more direct: like wanting true
statements from political leaders; not wanting to be lied to. And the “justice”
placard; that wasn’t some hefty left or right wing theory of merit and
entitlement. It meant rather something like the longing for an end to gross
inequality in our society , a fair go for all in education, or health, or work.
Even ‘moving forward’ and ‘real action’ pointed to significant aspirations for
our community; like not losing sight of important public developments we have
worked for; and being practical, sleeves rolled up and doing something
positive, not just indulging in rhetorical ping pong in our public life. And so
on.
Now those placard holders and
politicians might have been happy with my understanding and sympathy. But I bet
Canberra to a brick, not all of them would be happy with my view on how the ideas of justice, truth and action might best be
implemented in our land. What does justice mean for mining companies in Western
Australia? There’s a big debate about that one. What does ‘moving forward’ mean
in relation to boat arrivals on our shores. Not a lot of agreement there
either. And what does truthfulness in emissions trading amount to? Again, no
easy consensus. Most of us can agree that truth, justice and freedom are
central and important moral and political issues for our land. But how those
ideas are worked out in concrete detail generates strong debate all round.
Philosophers have a term to
describe this interesting difference. They speak of “thick” and “thin” moral
meanings, and both are important in any moral debate. A “thin” account of our
political situation is expressed in the signs of the demonstrators: justice,
truth, freedom, action. They are important words and important aspirations. And
they rightly command far-reaching respect and support. But by themselves they
don’t redress a situation of unjust work practices, or spin doctoring, or unequal
education opportunities. For that to happen a “thick” account must be given; an
account that takes into consideration particular circumstances in all their
messy complexity.
You will be glad to know, I don’t
intend to offer my political solution to the challenges facing our nation. But
I want to take this distinction between thick and thin and apply it to our scripture
readings this morning.
Let’s start with the Gospel. There
are famous words here. None more famous than Jesus’ reply to Thomas’ question
about all his talk of going away and coming back. “We don’t know where you’re
going, how can we know the way?” And Jesus replies: “I am the way, the truth
and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (v 6)
Those words are affirmed by
Christians everywhere, in Northern Territory as in Hobart; in India as in
America; in Iceland as in Australia, in Chile as in Germany. They are like
signs at a demonstration: “way”, “truth”, “life”. Yes! that is who Jesus is for
Christians. And authentic Christian life is to follow that way; conform to that
truth; and live that life. The text has a universality that grabs us. But it is
also a “thin” account in this technical sense of the term. It does not spell
out what following that way, believing that truth, living that life means for
us at Kingston, ACT in the 21st century, as distinct, say, from what
it meant for Julian of Norwich to live it in Medieval England, or Bishop Tutu
to live it in multiracial South Africa. Or even for fellow Baptists in
Melbourne or Adelaide to live it. To discover that, we have to “thicken”
the account to fit with, and become incarnate in, the particular situations we are in. And that means risk, prayer, hard
thought, debate and a good deal of trial and error I suspect. Just like in the
political realm.
Look at our readings from Acts and
I Peter. The Acts story tells of the death of Stephen, the first Christian
martyr. Now we can scarcely doubt that Stephen took Jesus as his guide to the
way, his touchstone of truth, and his example of life. But he thickened it out
in a very particular form. He chose to bear a public, confronting,
uncompromising witness to Jesus right in the middle of the powerful people who,
only weeks ago, had been responsible for judging, rejecting, and murdering
Jesus as a service to God. Like Jesus, Stephen sticks to his witness knowing
that it will cost his life. Like Jesus, he gives his life with complete
unselfishness as testimony to the selfless love of the Father. Like Jesus, he
prays that the rejection he suffers will not be held against them. That’s not
just carrying the placard of Christianity. That’s living it in the thick of
things.
But now Peter. As much as Stephen,
Peter wants his church to follow the way, know the truth, and live the life of
Jesus. But in Peter’s case the “thick” outworking is almost the opposite.
“Slaves accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only those
who are kind and gentle, but also those who are harsh.” (I P 2:18) And his
justification of this is exactly that it mirrors the action of Jesus. “For if
you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval. For to
this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an
example, so that you should follow in his steps.” (vv 20-21).
Stephen and Peter agree that
faithful discipleship means following the way of the crucified and risen Jesus.
Their “thin” accounts are identical. But the living out of that way in their
very different circumstances—Stephen in post-resurrection
There are three things I want to
draw out for our reflection on our own discipleship.
1. I need to be reminded that my
commitment to the “thin” elements of the faith, vital though it is, needs to be
“thickened” out in my daily living, made incarnate where I am. I love theology
and preaching. Texts like, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” can fill me
with misty-eyed sentiment and wonderful Christological speculation and rhetoric.
And that has its place. But I also need to hear, “Well, come on Graeme, thicken
it up a bit. How are you going to follow that way, act out that truth and live
out that life in your family, in the use of your money, in the political causes
you get involved with?” St Paul is acid on this: “Though I speak with the
tongue of mortals and of angels”; that is, though I hold the signs with the
best and expound the texts with the most eloquent, if I don’t live the life—and
Paul put it in terms of love, if I don’t actually love others in my world—“I am
a noisy gong and clanging cymbal”. Thin without thick is empty. It is in politics and it is in faith.
2. But the relationship works the
other way as well. I am sure you felt it instinctively listening to the Peter
reading, to say nothing of some of our political rhetoric. I don’t doubt that
Peter’s advice to the slaves in his congregation had “thick” importance in his
context. But this “thick” expression needs to be questioned by the “thin”
universal principles of Jesus call. In a different historical context, William
Wilberforce heard the call of Jesus in very different terms. Not acquiescence
to the institution of slavery, but a profound challenge to its very existence
is how he “thickened up” the call of Jesus.
We have seen this dynamic tension at
work in the church worldwide. How often has the Peter principle of patient
submission been used to justify the subordination of women in the church? Or
the exclusion of people from the Lord ’s Table? And how important in achieving
justice in our world and in our church has been holding up of the signs—the way,
the truth, the life—in calling us all to re-think our practical actions in the
light of the deep gospel truths manifest in Jesus’ journey to the cross. Thick
without thin is blind. And this is also true in politics as in faith.
3. This conversation between the
thick and the thin drives the dynamic of Christian thinking and living, as it
does of politics in a different way. But it is not something I can do for
myself. I am much too prone to see things in ways that suit me. I need the
community, you my fellow travellers in the faith, to be in conversation with
me. Sometimes I need you to say, “yes, yes, Graeme, we hear all that, but
thicken it up a bit. Get yourself involved in this particular need, in your own
life, in the church, in the community; just do it”. On the other hand, I also
need you to say from time to time, “Hey, step back a bit. Test what you are doing
against the deep, simple and essential elements of Jesus’ call. Actions need
always to be critically evaluated in light of the basic truths of the Gospel.”
This back and forth conversation between
thick and thin in our community is essential. It is essential in politics and
it is essential in the church. It goes to the heart of how we live out the call
of Christ in our real situation, and how our situation can be changed by the
real call of Christ.
May God guide us through thick and
thin, as we seek to be Christ’s disciples in this world, and good citizens in
our land.
Graeme Garrett
Canberra
Baptist Church
Thirteenth
Sunday after Pentecost
22 August 2010