Sober Judgement?

 What does it take to stay calm in today’s society?  The news seems full of irrational acts by people whom we would think would be rational.  Shootings of store owners because of the flags they fly, people protesting measures that are supposed to protect them from forest fires, even a plane in Russia mysteriously crashing.  How do people justify such choices?

Making sober judgements, as Paul asks us to do, is based on God’s priorities and not humanity’s priorities.  It is not easy either.  We don’t want to burden ourselves with difficult decisions that are logical, because there don’t seem to be any simple or straightforward decisions that are clear.  We look at global warming and agree that something must be done to lower our emissions, yet many politicians still say it is a myth.  Other folks may admit that climate change is real after watching the fire in Hawaii, but then they will say that there’s nothing they can do about it, so let’s keep making profits while we still can.  That doesn't sound like a sober judgement based on God’s priorities.

God’s priorities are to help each other become the body of Christ, a healing community based on ministering to one another.  God’s priorities are that we witness to the world that there are ways of being that do not build up greed and selfishness at the expense of others. God’s priorities are communities of faith that are humble, where everyone reflects on being a holy sacrifice to God.

How hard it is to be humble, in this world that rewards those who brag about being the best debaters, the most likely to start a revolution, or those who amass the greatest fame and fortune in the shortest amount of time.  Jesus knew that struggle, I think, when he turned to the disciples and said, “Okay, give me the scoop.  What’s the gossip about me?”

Jesus knew that he had disturbed the powerful leaders enough that he needed a vacation from Jerusalem.  A few chapters back, Herod had chopped off the head of John the Baptist, so Jesus knew it was time to get out of Dodge.  And he was in Caesarea Philippi, a Roman town dedicated to the God Pan.  Sculptures like this one found in Pompeii, were scattered all through the town.  Pan, goat hooves and all, was shown teaching youth the pan pipes and inspiring panic in those he disliked.  And yes, panic, the very opposite of sober judgements, was named after this deity.  Idols like this were challenging for his followers who followed a God that was never limited to a stone image.  Having a conversation about Jesus’ reputation in front of these sculptures would have had the disciples thinking about how different their faith was from the Romans who had invaded their country.

Peter got it.  The contrast between Jesus who was prepared to sacrifice his very life, who preached compassion and justice to everyone he met, with Pan, would have been stark.  Pan represented the ultimate in conforming to the world, a pleasure-seeking, powerful god who didn’t care about others unless they were pretty.  Contrast this to the tradition that Peter and the others had grown up with, a God that is Holy Mystery, beyond complete knowledge, and above perfect description, one that was always seeking relationship.  Not for God’s pleasure, also unlike Pan, but to mend the broken and reconcile the estranged.  God was seeking relationship to build a society where orphans and widows were not forced to become homeless beggars, where power was not imposed by swords and roadblocks but by respect and wisdom. “Who do you say I am”, Jesus challenged, asking Peter to rise above the gossip and come up with his own opinion. 

The lightbulb went off in Peter’s head!  Rather than being conformed to the world of Pan, Peter chose to align himself with his beloved rabbi Jesus, who had so much integrity, so much wisdom, so much power that it was like Peter was able to see God in him.  To Peter in that moment, Jesus was full of the promise of what human beings should be like if they were fully transformed into something that was perfect love.  Wow.

Who is Jesus in our lives?  Some of us may feel that he was a good teacher, and that’s true, and if you do, keep learning from his teachings.  The teachings are powerful, maybe even a little dangerous, and they will challenge you to continue to learn.  Some of us may feel he was a prophet, able to read the signs of the times and the culture of the people he met in ways that surprised those who met him.  Excellent, keep looking at the ways he reads our times even today.  Some may think he was a radical organizer, and he certainly was that, speaking truth to power with tremendous courage regardless of the personal cost he might experience.  And some might experience a sense of profound mystery and wonder when they reflect on who Jesus was.

Regardless of where we are in our understanding with Jesus, we are called to reflect on him.  Who is Jesus to me?  Who is Jesus to you?  That changes as we grow in our faith and is key to when someone asks us why we go to church.  Hopefully, Jesus models the kind of principle-centered human we want to be.  When Jesus is our role model, we can weather the storms of life as a community in ways that build resiliency and hope for ourselves and also all who know us.  It is our witness to the courage our faith gives us, and courage and hope is something the world needs now more than ever.  Let us reject the Pan god and the panic that he inspires, and embrace the sober, loving judgement that Paul, Peter and Jesus used to change the lives of many people around the world.  Amen.