In many ways the story of the Bible is the same story that we see unfolding in the news today. There is nothing new under the sun. It is the story of some people attempting to live in peace between competing tyrannical interests. How long until peace reigns when there is a cessation of weapons? We were talking about this at Bible Study this past Thursday, and it seemed to us that the likelihood of there being peace in the middle east is about the same as a virgin becoming pregnant and having a baby. We need a miracle. We need a ceasefire.
Sometimes we hear about the issue of semantics. What do words mean? Different people use words in different ways. Too bad we can’t agree on basic definitions of words and their meanings. It would be rather useful to have a baseline of meaning for the sharing of ideas. Then again, maybe we do.
According to Sun Tzu who wrote the “Art of War” there is basically one tried and true tactic for waging war on someone or something. It is the art of deceit and lies. For that reason it is no surprise that the elite would lie to our faces. They don’t just wage war on other nations, they wage war on their own citizens.
Maybe there aren’t such great challenges to having shared meanings of words and concepts as we might think. Maybe the problem is that we swim in a sea of lies. We have been lied to our whole lives. The lies are so big and so common that we are numb to them. The lies are crafted to get us to fight with each other while the liars themselves look down on us from outer space. Not real astronauts, of course, but the ones who take joy rides to space to underscore that their wealth is so extraordinary.
Have you ever thought that we have whole industries devoted to deception? So what is the solution? How are we going to be able to know anything for certain when so much around us seems to be made up?
The answer is very simple if you think about it. We need to talk to actual real human beings. The problem is that we have been taught not to trust people. This is part of the program. If we can all be convinced to mistrust each other and not talk to each other about real life first hand witnessed events, then we have no other choice but to obey what big brother tells us on the telly-screen.
Consider our gospel reading from Luke 2:22-40. Mary and Joseph take Jesus to the temple to be dedicated. When they did this two prophets approached them, and prophesied that this was the messiah. Both of these people were known for their faithfulness and holiness. So they spoke with authority, and they spoke directly to Mary and Joseph; face to face.
We might hear all manner of “fake news,” and we do hear it all the time. So who can you trust to speak the truth? Who are the Simeon and Ana of our age? People like Simeon and Ana don’t just show up out of nowhere and have authority. No, they earn their trust and authority over years and years and years.
Think about it. There is a difference between positional power and authority; and real power and authority. Neither Simeon nor Ana are part of the high priestly class, but they are there in the temple they know the inner workings, they are not fooled by the lies, they know the truth.
Do you know of a Simeon and Anna today? If you don’t, maybe you ought to find one. There are experts and authorities hidden in plain sight. They are overlooked because of their humility. They are often poor and even homeless.
We did a funeral a few months ago for a young man who happened to be homeless. His sister organized the funeral. She told me that part of the reason that he died at a young age of an overdose was that he had a broken heart. He was in love once, and the love of his life had died of Covid. So when the sister found out that this ex-lover of her brother had died, she sought him out in skid row, because she felt that he ought to know. When she found her brother he was not doing well, she could see that he may not be long for this world. But she told him the truth, of the ex-lover who died. He said that he already knew. She asked how? He had no cell phone, and no access to the internet. He told his sister that the homeless know way more than we think they do. I would actually agree.
One great advantage of the poor and destitute is that they have a much clearer view of reality. They hold no delusions. They have no choice but to talk to other human beings. They know who is a liar and who can be trusted. And we all know that word travels fast.
When we say that we are saved by grace through faith we mean that actual human beings are worth our time listening to. If we believe in grace then we have to believe in human beings. If we have faith then we have to have faith in people. We are our only hope. We are the body of Christ.
Galatians 4:4-7 say that we are heirs so we are like children with God the Father. We make the same claim to call God a parent. Some claim that this is blasphemy that we would consider ourselves sons and daughters of God. That we would be the body of Christ. Some say this blasphemy because it is offensive to the program. How dare we lift up our heads and think for ourselves.
The Messiah has come into the world. Jesus is the Christ, the king, who challenges any other king. And though Jesus died on the cross, he resurrected on the third day. We are his resurrected body. We are heirs of God. We are creators of peace.
We are capable of determining our destiny.
We are the voice of reason.
We are the clarion call.
We are a city on a hill.
Go, and let your light of peace shine.
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