Psalm 85:3:8-13
Proper 10 / Year B
This
morning we recited a portion of the beautiful 85th psalm in response
to the first reading. Scholars tell us
people returning to Israel from exile in Babylon chanted it on the long journey
home. The first half of the psalm was
not assigned to be read, but here is the first verse:
You have been gracious to your land, O Lord, *
you have restored the good fortune
of Jacob.
The
remainder of what we did not read is a kind of confessional – an admission the
sufferings they experienced were a direct result of their willful
disobedience. But, as the psalm asserts,
this is a new day and the Lord is speaking a new word of hope and peace.
“You
have restored our good fortune.” If, on
this Sunday in 2020 you would have told me we would be worshipping in this
place together as naturally as ever, I would not have believed it. Mired in the pandemic with everything about
life put on hold – all those things we used to take for granted – very few of
us thought things would ever return to normal, but they have. Thanks be to God.
1920
was a presidential election year in our country. At the time the average American’s outlook
was pretty bleak. The previous four
years had seen the horrors of World War I, a global influenza pandemic, race
riots, labor strikes, domestic terrorism, widespread unemployment, and crippling
inflation. We were deeply divided about
joining the League of Nations and troubled by the Russian Revolution. Technological advances, such as the
introduction of the radio, began to change the way people garnered information
and exposed society to a cacophony of new and sometimes confusing voices. Over
40 tornados stuck our country on Palm Sunday that spring, killing over 380
people from Georgia to Wisconsin. And,
as if this pile of sludge needed a cherry on top, in 1919 the Chicago White Sox
threw the World Series. The more things
change…
Into
this moment stepped a politician from Marion, Ohio – Warren G. Harding. In a speech in Boston on May 14, 1920,
Harding described how all the country had been through effected it:
Poise has been disturbed and nerves
have been racked, and fever has rendered men irrational.
Then he
expressed what would become the core of his platform for a presidential
campaign:
America’s present need is not
heroics, but healing; not nostrums but normalcy; not revolution, but
restoration.
Harding’s
campaign slogan, “A Return to Normalcy”, resonated with a weary electorate and
he won in a landslide. Historians debate
why the country didn’t return to normal after this. Most cite several scandals which rocked the Harding
administration and the fact he died after only three years in office.
The 85th
psalm might offer additional insight. It
links restoration not so much to a change in external factors – i.e. things
getting back to the way they used to be – but with inner transformation – a
change in the heart which allows a person and a people to engage the world and
one another in a new and healthier way.
Mercy and truth have met together; *
righteousness and peace have
kissed each other.
Mercy,
truth, righteousness, and peace can be a part of a legislative agenda to be
sure, but that legislation will take us only so far if it is not first rooted
in our soul. Only when these qualities
“meet”, “kiss”, “look down”, and “spring up” in us can restoration on a
societal level begin.
This
past week I came across something called “The Humanist’s 10 Commandments”. Here they are:
Altruism – I will help others in
need without hoping for rewards.
Critical Thinking – I will practice
good judgment by asking questions and thinking for myself.
Empathy – I will consider other
people’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
Environmentalism – I will take care
of the Earth and life on it.
Ethical Development – I will focus
on becoming a better person.
Global Awareness – I will be a good
neighbor to the people who share the Earth with me and help make the world a
better place for everyone.
Humility – I will be aware of my
strengths and weaknesses, and appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of
others.
Peace and Social Justice – I will
help people solve problems and handle disagreements in ways that are fair for
everyone.
Responsibility – I will be a good
person – even when no one is looking – and own the consequences of my actions.
Service and Participation – I will
help my community in ways that let me get to know the people I am helping.
I like
these statements. They pair well with
promises we make in our Baptismal Covenant, but there is one significant way
they are not in sync with our vows. They
are not rooted in obedience to God and a desire to reflect God’s essential Being
through our actions. They are not put
forward as an expression of God’s dream for all people. Short of this, they are just 10 nice
ideas.
It
seems to me presidential campaigns come down to two messages. The party out of office want to return to a
better time. The party in office wants
to build on the good work already underway.
In their own way, each is trying to restore the fortunes of the people. If history teaches us anything it is this:
political leadership alone will not restore us.
For this to happen there has to be a change of heart.
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