SEPTEMBER 2010
PASTOR'S COLUMN
Brothers and sisters,
As we move on to consider the Sixth Commandment, “Thou shalt not kill (murder)”, I was reminded of an event from almost 16 years ago:
It was about 9:30 P.M. on a brutally cold Sunday night in Pittsburgh — Super Bowl Sunday 1995. At that time I was one of the two interns for the Crafton United Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. I’d canceled the Senior High Youth Group meeting for the night because most of our kids wanted to watch the whole Super Bowl without having to leave mid-game.
With no youth group, Tina, Sarah and I went to my parents that evening to celebrate my birthday. We were a half-hour late in picking up my fellow intern from the Jr. High Youth Group Super Bowl Party, so I felt a titch guilty as we pulled up at church because I’d left my colleague waiting 30 minutes for us. And it wasn’t as though he could leave; we were his ride back to the Seminary.
It was so bitterly cold and crystal clear that night that we had to double-check to make sure that car windows were fully shut and turn the car's heater up to full-blast to stave off the razor-sharpness of the icy air. But even as tightly buttoned-up as we were in our car that night, I could still hear resounding shouts of “excessive revelry” from inside the equally well armored church building (I now know how Moses felt when he was on Mt. Sinai and heard "the sounds of war" from below as the Israelites were making the Golden Calf).
As I entered the church fellowship hall I was “greeted” by the sights and sounds of utter pandemonium and bedlam.
The congregation’s annual meeting and luncheon had been held that morning after worship and the tables and chairs hadn’t yet been put away, but all of the nursery school toys and equipage were set out for “Romper Room” the next morning. Amidst this scene, I discovered that the Jr. High kids had stacked the tables three-high into towers from which they attempted to "Bungee-jump". Several of my Sr. High kids were there, uninvited, and without my knowledge. The icing on the cake in this “demented Kindergarten” was the sight of Crafton’s “best and brightest” teens “drag racing” on Nursery School tricycles.
There’s an old adage well-considered here: "There are those who make things happen; those who watch things happen; and then, there are those who wonder what just happened."? My colleague’s expression demonstrated a firm grasp of the third possibility.
Discipline for the kids was swift, fair and immediate! And, feeling ever so virtuous, I restrained myself from strangling the other intern. Only once did I forcefully tell him he was "a total bean-head"!
After all, that's the commandment, right? You shall not murder!" He had no bruises, and was still breathing, so I was "golden", right? Many of us have faced similar circumstances with such collegial mis-matches. At one time or other, most of us have stifled such impulses and might be inclined to say, "Well done, Rusty! — you’re blameless." Then again . . . Let's use our best "O.J. Simpson trial-language"; I might not have been convicted of murder right then, but that's a far cry from actually being innocent or "not guilty."
I gave my co-worker a "look that could kill", and I couldn’t resist the insults I hurled. I wanted to smack him really hard for threatening my job, the youth program and kids' safety, but instead, I surveyed the chaos and stoked my growing rage. The only reason I didn’t break something or someone was the Holy Spirit’s restraint of my baser impulses!
Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever been so angry you could spit, and then felt virtuous for not having killed someone? Well, our commandment for this month points to just this common quandary in which we occasionally find ourselves.
Our monthly questions from the Heidelberg Catechism are:
PASTOR'S COLUMN
Brothers and sisters,
As we move on to consider the Sixth Commandment, “Thou shalt not kill (murder)”, I was reminded of an event from almost 16 years ago:
It was about 9:30 P.M. on a brutally cold Sunday night in Pittsburgh — Super Bowl Sunday 1995. At that time I was one of the two interns for the Crafton United Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. I’d canceled the Senior High Youth Group meeting for the night because most of our kids wanted to watch the whole Super Bowl without having to leave mid-game.
With no youth group, Tina, Sarah and I went to my parents that evening to celebrate my birthday. We were a half-hour late in picking up my fellow intern from the Jr. High Youth Group Super Bowl Party, so I felt a titch guilty as we pulled up at church because I’d left my colleague waiting 30 minutes for us. And it wasn’t as though he could leave; we were his ride back to the Seminary.
It was so bitterly cold and crystal clear that night that we had to double-check to make sure that car windows were fully shut and turn the car's heater up to full-blast to stave off the razor-sharpness of the icy air. But even as tightly buttoned-up as we were in our car that night, I could still hear resounding shouts of “excessive revelry” from inside the equally well armored church building (I now know how Moses felt when he was on Mt. Sinai and heard "the sounds of war" from below as the Israelites were making the Golden Calf).
As I entered the church fellowship hall I was “greeted” by the sights and sounds of utter pandemonium and bedlam.
The congregation’s annual meeting and luncheon had been held that morning after worship and the tables and chairs hadn’t yet been put away, but all of the nursery school toys and equipage were set out for “Romper Room” the next morning. Amidst this scene, I discovered that the Jr. High kids had stacked the tables three-high into towers from which they attempted to "Bungee-jump". Several of my Sr. High kids were there, uninvited, and without my knowledge. The icing on the cake in this “demented Kindergarten” was the sight of Crafton’s “best and brightest” teens “drag racing” on Nursery School tricycles.
There’s an old adage well-considered here: "There are those who make things happen; those who watch things happen; and then, there are those who wonder what just happened."? My colleague’s expression demonstrated a firm grasp of the third possibility.
Discipline for the kids was swift, fair and immediate! And, feeling ever so virtuous, I restrained myself from strangling the other intern. Only once did I forcefully tell him he was "a total bean-head"!
After all, that's the commandment, right? You shall not murder!" He had no bruises, and was still breathing, so I was "golden", right? Many of us have faced similar circumstances with such collegial mis-matches. At one time or other, most of us have stifled such impulses and might be inclined to say, "Well done, Rusty! — you’re blameless." Then again . . . Let's use our best "O.J. Simpson trial-language"; I might not have been convicted of murder right then, but that's a far cry from actually being innocent or "not guilty."
I gave my co-worker a "look that could kill", and I couldn’t resist the insults I hurled. I wanted to smack him really hard for threatening my job, the youth program and kids' safety, but instead, I surveyed the chaos and stoked my growing rage. The only reason I didn’t break something or someone was the Holy Spirit’s restraint of my baser impulses!
Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever been so angry you could spit, and then felt virtuous for not having killed someone? Well, our commandment for this month points to just this common quandary in which we occasionally find ourselves.
Our monthly questions from the Heidelberg Catechism are:
- Does "forbidding murder" refer only to killing, or does it point to something deeper?, and;
- Is it enough, then, that we refrain from killing our neighbors?
The answers to these rather pointed questions, and Jesus admontion from Matthew 5:22 (“But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire.”) would have signed my conviction warrant. I had avoided murder! But, I definitely flouted the Spirit of the commandment.
Christ, God's own Son, who fulfilled the whole of the Law and Scripture, tells me — and everyone similarly tempted — that I had committed that murder in my heart and mind. True, I hadn’t called him a "fool", but under God's judgment, I think "bean-head" counts just the same.
Jesus, Who knows the heart, mind and intent of His Father, Who has authority to modify the covenant, tells His listeners that anger wrongly directed is morally the same as murder.
He says: “You have heard it said. . ., but I say to you. . .” He doesn’t abolish the Old Covenant. Instead, He fleshes out and fulfills it. He tells us this sort of anger — this rage — is the root of murder. It strips others of the God-created value of people and, eventually, makes even murder seem an acceptable alternative.
This cancerous anger distorts and destroys our relationships with God and each other.
It is the poison that destroys reason, and became the unfocused desire for wanton destruction and that 16 years ago led a nine-year-old Savona, New York boy to sodomize with a stick and then savagely kill a two-year-old neighbor (just months before Tina, Sarah and I moved to a neighboring Finger Lakes community). Four years later that case was in the news again as the now-13-year-old boy's former lawyer argued to the New York State Court of Appeals that the boy was emotionally defective and that he, the lawyer, was incompetent to defend an emotionally defective child. The boy should, therefore gain a new trial.
At least one of the lawyer's observations is essentially correct — the boy was emotionally damaged.
But, the sad fact was, still is, — and always will be — that all of us are emotionally damaged somehow. We just manage to better rein-in our thoughts, feelings and impulses. Instead, we resort to insults and epithets like “bean-head”, “jerk” or “simpleton”. And how often have most of us worked, volunteered with or been neighbors to the “fools, bean-heads, jerks and simpletons” against whom we rage? How often have we become angry enough to do harm to them or to siblings, spouses and friends when we've had a bad day?
And our just conviction and sentence await us unless we gain control, ask forgiveness and seek the better path that leads to a positive, rather than merely negative, understanding of the commandment not to murder. The Apostle Paul gives us that positive understanding of the better path in Romans 12:9 - 21:
Christ, God's own Son, who fulfilled the whole of the Law and Scripture, tells me — and everyone similarly tempted — that I had committed that murder in my heart and mind. True, I hadn’t called him a "fool", but under God's judgment, I think "bean-head" counts just the same.
Jesus, Who knows the heart, mind and intent of His Father, Who has authority to modify the covenant, tells His listeners that anger wrongly directed is morally the same as murder.
He says: “You have heard it said. . ., but I say to you. . .” He doesn’t abolish the Old Covenant. Instead, He fleshes out and fulfills it. He tells us this sort of anger — this rage — is the root of murder. It strips others of the God-created value of people and, eventually, makes even murder seem an acceptable alternative.
This cancerous anger distorts and destroys our relationships with God and each other.
It is the poison that destroys reason, and became the unfocused desire for wanton destruction and that 16 years ago led a nine-year-old Savona, New York boy to sodomize with a stick and then savagely kill a two-year-old neighbor (just months before Tina, Sarah and I moved to a neighboring Finger Lakes community). Four years later that case was in the news again as the now-13-year-old boy's former lawyer argued to the New York State Court of Appeals that the boy was emotionally defective and that he, the lawyer, was incompetent to defend an emotionally defective child. The boy should, therefore gain a new trial.
At least one of the lawyer's observations is essentially correct — the boy was emotionally damaged.
But, the sad fact was, still is, — and always will be — that all of us are emotionally damaged somehow. We just manage to better rein-in our thoughts, feelings and impulses. Instead, we resort to insults and epithets like “bean-head”, “jerk” or “simpleton”. And how often have most of us worked, volunteered with or been neighbors to the “fools, bean-heads, jerks and simpletons” against whom we rage? How often have we become angry enough to do harm to them or to siblings, spouses and friends when we've had a bad day?
And our just conviction and sentence await us unless we gain control, ask forgiveness and seek the better path that leads to a positive, rather than merely negative, understanding of the commandment not to murder. The Apostle Paul gives us that positive understanding of the better path in Romans 12:9 - 21:
- 9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
- 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Paul's instructions direct us once again see the God-made image and dignity each of us possess.
We must come to genuinely love people as a whole and as individuals. This doesn't mean that we always approve others’ actions or behavior, but it does mean that we will seek what is best for others' welfare and care about them as individuals.
We must consciously seek to outdo each other respecting and honoring people's basic character as God-created beings. We must show respect even in the face of disagreement, wrong-doing and personal slights. And, we won't seek revenge for those wrongs done to us because, let's face it, we are not Sylvester Stallone's impression of the comic book character Judge Dredd, who functions as judge, jury and executioner all rolled into one.
We are called not to be the posse, lynch mob or the legendary Judge Roy Bean because judgment and vengeance belong only to God. He Will Repay! To say all of this, is not to say that we should approve bad behavior or that we shouldn't punish and correct wrong-doers and their misadventures. Clearly, such action is part of society's job and function. But. . .
. . . As Christians, we are called to solve our individual difficulties with others respectfully.
We cannot solve them through anger and vengeance, because vengeance is not ours to exercise. It is God’s alone. Instead, as personal practice, we need to be "good to those that hate us" and "let them receive the just reward" for their "looks that can kill."
Let us use our heads and hearts to overcome anger and evil with good and love. This is the path away from Hell and these are the first steps on the path toward love, discipleship and service to Christ our Lord. Remember, Looks can kill. They can kill us and bring God's judgment raining down upon us.
Let us seek the love of Christ instead.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Rusty+
We must come to genuinely love people as a whole and as individuals. This doesn't mean that we always approve others’ actions or behavior, but it does mean that we will seek what is best for others' welfare and care about them as individuals.
We must consciously seek to outdo each other respecting and honoring people's basic character as God-created beings. We must show respect even in the face of disagreement, wrong-doing and personal slights. And, we won't seek revenge for those wrongs done to us because, let's face it, we are not Sylvester Stallone's impression of the comic book character Judge Dredd, who functions as judge, jury and executioner all rolled into one.
We are called not to be the posse, lynch mob or the legendary Judge Roy Bean because judgment and vengeance belong only to God. He Will Repay! To say all of this, is not to say that we should approve bad behavior or that we shouldn't punish and correct wrong-doers and their misadventures. Clearly, such action is part of society's job and function. But. . .
. . . As Christians, we are called to solve our individual difficulties with others respectfully.
We cannot solve them through anger and vengeance, because vengeance is not ours to exercise. It is God’s alone. Instead, as personal practice, we need to be "good to those that hate us" and "let them receive the just reward" for their "looks that can kill."
Let us use our heads and hearts to overcome anger and evil with good and love. This is the path away from Hell and these are the first steps on the path toward love, discipleship and service to Christ our Lord. Remember, Looks can kill. They can kill us and bring God's judgment raining down upon us.
Let us seek the love of Christ instead.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Rusty+
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