Bastille Day 2024

One of the most well known acts of political violence in history is remembered today in Paris. In 1789 on 14 July a mob released about eight people from a decrepit prison in the center of Paris. The building was then demolished. It was called the Bastille; today is Bastille Day.

Yesterday at noon the US secretary of state sent best wishes to the people of France, eighty years after the liberation of Paris and 75 years after the founding of NATO… and 235 years after the storming of the Bastille, which marks the beginning of the French Revolution.

Yesterday also a twenty-year-old man got to the top of a building near a political rally in Pennsylvania and shot his rifle at the former President. Mr Trump was hit in the top of the ear, and rushed to safety. One spectator was killed, two more seriously injured, and the Secret Service found and killed the shooter.
Between the 18th century and yesterday there were many acts of individual violence, gun violence, assassinations and attempted assassinations, of presidents, prime ministers, and many others. There have been revolutions, rebellion, wars, and riots. 

Two thousand years ago two acts of political violence were committed that are connected in today’s gospel. King Herod ordered the death of the popular preacher John the Baptist. Later the Roman governor of Judea would order the death of John’s cousin, Jesus of Nazareth. 

Both were killed in part because of political anxiety. Within decades the upheaval of rebellion after rebellion led to the demolition of Jerusalem. Of the Temple only a part of the western wall remains.
I do not equate any of these acts with another in specific motive, purpose, or result. 

We can however know as people of God that acts of violence, gun violence, political violence, however motivated, are against the will of God. 

As Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said last night, on Trump rally shooting: 
"The way of love—not the way of violence—is the way we bind up our nation’s wounds. We decry political violence in any form, and our call as followers of Jesus of Nazareth is always to love. We pray for the families of those who were killed. We pray for former President Trump and his family and for all who were harmed or impacted by this incident. I pray that we as a nation and a world may see each other as the beloved children of God."

As the Psalm we sang today calls us to do, 

Psalm 85:8-13

Benedixisti, Domine

8 I will listen to what the Lord God is saying, *
for he is speaking peace to his faithful people
and to those who turn their hearts to him.
9 Truly, his salvation is very near to those who fear him, *
that his glory may dwell in our land.
10 Mercy and truth have met together; *
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 Truth shall spring up from the earth, *
and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12 The Lord will indeed grant prosperity, *
and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness shall go before him, *
and peace shall be a pathway for his feet.

***

It is a call not to despair but to repentance. However dire the current situation, God is still extending a hand to humankind, stirring life and hope.

What is the Lord God saying?

Not to the people of the past, anymore, but to us. What shall we do in our current situation? What shall we do, facing eternity? 

The Russian novelists of the 19th Century, in their great literature, asked the question, how are we to live? 

It is not so different from the question people asked Peter, when he had baptized them: what do we do now?

Now what? is where we are now, where we always are, after the beheading of the Baptist, after the crucifixion of Jesus, after his resurrection and ascension, before the fullness of the kingdom of heaven is revealed in all its joyous power. Now what? 

How are we to live - now? Or they asked Peter after Pentecost, what must we do?

Simple words, simple actions, in the telling of the gospels. Don’t cheat, don’t lie, don’t steal, give right weight and proper measure, share, look after the needy. Wait, but not just sitting around. Prepare by being ready, by getting into the habit, by living into the kingdom that is not yet - but whose citizens we already are.

Above and beyond and always questioning our earthly loyalties, to tribe or even family, is that divine calling, that allegiance unpledged, unbought, unvoted for, but ultimately demanding: the welcome undertow of the holy word, the joyous laughter of the Lord of mirth, the happy ending beyond all sorrow, that comes when we come to the Lord, and lay ourselves at his feet.

In our words and in our actions, together as a congregation, individually in our daily lives, and as citizens and people of common humanity, we are making positive steps toward inhabiting the kingdom of heaven that is coming into being.

This includes collective action as citizens and as assembled people of God.

This spring, United Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and Episcopalians each gathered to discuss their future, enact resolutions, and elect leaders for a new era.

More people will vote around the world this year than ever before.

Americans are voting. Arizona voters have begun to make their choices.  St Matthew’s is again a voting center.

And – despite all anxieties and threats to the contrary – the kingdom of heaven came ever closer and even showed itself in places. May it become ever more visible in our lives and the lives we touch. Amen.

Let us pray for all worried about or touched by political violence or its threat, that there be listening instead of reaction, compassion instead of anger, and seeking of peace instead of reaching for a sword. 

Let us not seek to relieve anxiety in rash and harmful ways but live and act in the compassionate love to which we are always called.

O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

July 14, 2014. JRL+

***

U.S. Department of State
Bastille Day
07/14/2024 12:01 AM EDT
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State
On behalf of the United States of America, I extend my warmest wishes to the people of France as you celebrate Bastille Day.
France, our oldest Ally, holds a cherished place in American hearts. Our enduring relationship is built upon the shared values of democracy, human rights, and freedom. Together, we have faced the trials of two World Wars and have worked in unity to build a more prosperous and secure world.
As we navigate the challenges of the 21st century, our partnership remains strong and multifaceted. We commend France’s leadership in addressing global issues such as climate change, including through the Paris Agreement, and we appreciate our close cooperation on security matters in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific. Our united efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine and to combat the climate crisis underscore the depth of our collaboration.
This year marks significant anniversaries and milestones, including the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of France, the 75th anniversary of NATO, and France’s role as host of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We celebrate the sacrifices made by those who have fought for freedom and democracy and honor their legacy by continuing to work together to promote peace and prosperity.
Best wishes to the people of France for a joyous Bastille Day and a successful year ahead. Vive la France!
***
Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs
 
Sat, Jul 13 at 7:00 PM
Statement from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry on Trump rally shooting
"The way of love—not the way of violence—is the way we bind up our nation’s wounds. We decry political violence in any form, and our call as followers of Jesus of Nazareth is always to love. We pray for the families of those who were killed. We pray for former President Trump and his family and for all who were harmed or impacted by this incident. I pray that we as a nation and a world may see each other as the beloved children of God."
***
 

What is coming into being?

Have you known someone who set an extra place at the table for an ‘unexpected guest’? Maybe Jesus, or Elijah, or a prophet? Or perhaps an angel, lest they entertain one unawares and badly?

In the days when Herod reigned in Judea, the people of the land expected Elijah or someone like him. They just didn’t know who, or when, that prophet would appear. 

In no way did some ordinary household expect his arrival in their own home, any more than an ordinary elderly couple expected a late-life child. “I am old, and my wife is getting on in years.” 

Pious temple-priest family as they were, Elizabeth and Zechariah did not see themselves as look-alikes to Abraham and Sarah, or Hannah and Elkanah, or the parents of Samson. Those were stories in the Bible they read, for sure, but they were centuries, even millenia, old. Part of the tradition, not a daily hope.

And yet. The unexpected came, and met - and exceeded - all expectations. One like Elijah did come, and come he did to that small family. They rejoiced at the unexpected and their neighbors rejoiced with them.

What is God doing? The constant question, behind the questions, of the parents and, we learn, of their neighbors as well. “How can these things be?” Zechariah asks, echoing Abraham, as he, like the other new old father, receives the angelic message.  Zechariah is struck speechless by the news, from Gabriel, that he is becoming a father. Awe-struck all fathers-to-be may be, this is something special, a sign from God.

To be struck speechless may seem a punitive sign, a reward for doubt, but that now voiceless doubt becomes itself a sign of God’s doing.

What is God doing? Elizabeth exults. Like Hannah, wife of Elkanah, mother of Samuel, Elizabeth sees in her unexpected expectation a gift from God and a sign of his favor.

And so it is only right that the child is named for God’s favor, as his name means that: God’s favor, God’s graciousness, rests upon this one, this child.

Knowing what they knew, separately or together, they named their child John - beloved of God, sign of God’s favor, and grace. 

Favored: and the angel who greets Mary will likewise greet her, “Hail, favored one!” “Hail full of grace!” 

And so the families and the hopes of all peoples are drawn together. Peace on earth, indeed, to those whom God favors. 

But back to the neighbors’ question: What will this child become?

What is coming into being?

Any parents would be wondering, and these are in awe. Elizabeth and Zechariah and all the people of Israel and Palestine, must wonder. They stand at the end of a long line of faithful couples, surprised parents, unexpected children, hope, and promise. And now something is happening. 

Something new. Not just as any child is new but as the world is new. For a new order of the ages now begins. John is not only the last of the prophets, he is the forerunner of the new thing that God is doing.

He is promised to be a child of a new age. His birthright would be to follow his father’s steps, and become a temple priest, maybe even in his turn one day offering incense. But his father and mother know better. His path is a break with the past even as it is a fulfillment of promise. He will go before the long-expected one, the anointed one, who will lead his people, and all people, into a new order of the ages.

John, son of a priest and of the line of the first priest, Aaron, did not hold on to these things, and sought no position within the temple structure. Instead he went out to the undeveloped country, the land around the river, where he began to do his work.

He proclaimed and preached and called to all the people to turn aside from any way but God’s way; to prepare themselves as a straight road through the wilderness, a highway for their God. And on that road, that path of faith and hope, they would return to obedience and holy living.

The universality of his message was clear, as was his welcome. Tax collectors and soldiers, Herodian or imperial, were among the many who took baptism under his hand.

What then should we do? They asked. John had some practical advice. And then something more: “Prepare ye the way of the Lord!”

It is not what we expected. It is everything we expected. The prophet in the guise of Elijah has come: Prepare the way! and the Anointed One is on the way. How shall we prepare our hearts - this time - for his arrival? (Much of wisdom consists in doing the next right thing.)

What we know about it is this: there are practical things to do. John as an adult will advise repentant sinners,  soldiers and tax collectors among them, to treat others fairly. To do justice, as the prophet said, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God. 

Christ is coming. And to prepare to follow his way we set aside a lot we do not want to carry with us any farther. Not simply as tired hikers crossing a weary wilderness, but as those approaching a new and promised land. There are challenges ahead, tasks and even conflicts, that will require us to travel light, or to discard what impedes us. We repent, and turn toward God.

And yet there is another question: Now what? What do we do? Not just the people in the first century of the new era, the happy family, the rejoicing neighbors, the repentant soldiers, but us, now. What do we do now?

For the Fore-runner has appeared, and delivered his message, to them, and also to us. Now what? What should we do now?

Present the happy family with new baby gifts? Is that it?  

I think not. I think this particular new guest, grateful as the folks would be for such gifts, wants something more. I’m not thinking of incense or spices or ready money. I’m thinking of love.

Love for him, sure. Who doesn’t love a little baby? Okay, Herod.

But love for Herod? Come on! Love your enemies? That’s spiteful! Isn’t it?

Or is the wisdom of this world not so wise after all? Let us see what happens. The story unfolds.

We are moving, with John, into the kingdom of Heaven. It is just around the corner. And we don’t know quite what to expect.

And on the way, the way prepared with love, we will meet the unexpected.

In his Christmas Oratorio W. H. Auden put it this way:

“He is the Way.

Follow Him through the Land of Unlikeness;

You will see rare beasts, and have unique adventures.

He is the Truth.

Seek Him in the Kingdom of Anxiety;

You will come to a great city that has expected your return for years.

He is the Life.

Love Him in the World of the Flesh;

And at your marriage all its occasions shall dance for joy.”

[from For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio by W.H. Auden

https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/23421649-for-the-time-being-a-christmas-oratorio]

JRL+ 

Lutheran Church of the Foothills, Tucson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ECmiY-Jf5k

an unexpected party

 

Have you known someone who set an extra place at the table for an ‘unexpected guest’? Maybe Jesus, or Elijah, or a prophet? Or perhaps an angel, lest they entertain one unawares and badly?

Early in the days after Herod reigned in Judea, the people of the land expected Elijah or someone like him. They just didn’t know who, or when, that prophet would appear. 

In no way did some ordinary household expect his arrival, any more than an ordinary elderly couple expected a late-life child. “I am old, and my wife is getting on in years.” 

Pious temple-priest family as they were, Elizabeth and Zechariah did not see themselves as look-alikes to Abraham and Sarah, or Hannah and Elkanah, or the parents of Samson. Those were stories in the Bible they read, for sure, but they were centuries, even millenia, old. Part of the tradition, not a daily hope.

And yet. The unexpected met - and exceeded - all expectations. One like Elijah did come, and come he did to that small family. They rejoiced at the unexpected and their neighbors rejoiced with them.

And yet. And yet. Knowing what they knew, separately or together, they named their child John - beloved of God, sign of God’s favor, and grace. 

"What then will this child become?” Everybody asked. And nobody answered quite what they came to see.

John, son of a priest and of the line of the first priest, Aaron, did not hold on to these things, and sought no position within the temple structure. Instead he went out to the undeveloped country, the land around the river, where he began to do his work.

He proclaimed and preached and called to all the people to turn aside from any way but God’s way; to prepare themselves as a straight road through the wilderness, a highway for their God. And on that road, that path of faith and hope, they would return to obedience and holy living.

The universality of his message was clear, as was his welcome. Tax collectors and soldiers, Herodian or imperial, were among the many motley crowd who took baptism under his hand.

What then should we do? They asked. He had some practical advice. And then something more: “Prepare ye the way of the Lord!”

JRL+

Where is Jesus?

Advent is a season of expectation, of joyous anticipation, and of preparation, for the coming of Jesus. Who are we expecting? The divine Son of Man? The human hero the Son of God? Where do we expect to meet him? How will we greet him? Will he come to us as conquering hero, freeing us from oppression and anxiety? Will he come to us as Savior, suffering servant and healer? We have our expectations of who the Christ will be and how we will see him.

Where is Jesus? Do we see him in creation? In the midst of our families and friends?  Do we find him in solitude? Do we see him at work in the world?

How do we imagine him coming to us? As an infant? A judge?

Andrew was by the lakeside, when John the Baptist pointed out a man walking nearby. Behold, the Lamb of God: and Andrew went and found his brother and said, “We have found the Christ.”

In the next four weeks as we prepare our hearts to make him room, let us explore together where we find Jesus - and where Jesus finds us.

The season of Advent, and this course, begins the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

Spiritual Formation 9am Sundays in St Andrew’s parish hall. November 27 and December 4, 11, 18, 2016. Come join us for all or any of the sessions.

(Announcement for an adult spiritual formation course at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Tucson.)