Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day Epiphany!

Many years ago this nation became independent from the Imperial powers of Great Britain due to a small issue over taxes, but we won’t get into that issue right now. But I must admit, that it is funny that we, as Christians celebrate today as Independence Day, because we were independent way before July 4^th, 1776. I’m not talking about the independence gained by our nation’s founding fathers, but the Independence given to us by our Father through the gift of the Holy Spirit. One of the founders of the Church, Paul, has much to say about this independence in his letter to the Church in Galatia. He says we are free from the strictures of societal norms, but that this freedom does not sever our ties to the community. It frees us to be a part of something much bigger- the Body of Christ. We as a community are free to be a part of the body of Christ, no matter who we are or where we come from. And in this community where there is no concept of the “other,” there is only us. This is a view that is sometimes hard to live into, but it is one that we must strive for. It is a kingdom that we want the independence, or freedom, to be a part of.

          In the letter to the Galatians, The Apostle, Saint Paul, is a little unnerved to say the least. He is not a happy camper and he is showing what we in Seminary like to call his nitty gritty human side…………… He raves, he rants, and he is not in what one would call a good mood. You see, someone was telling the Church in Galatia that all of the male members needed to be circumcised. Paul was not happy about this- and that is an understatement. Galatians 5:11 testifies to this point…….Go look it up- it’s a great one. But back to my point, Circumcision, the Sabbath, and other Deuteronomic- Levitical laws were in question in the church of Galatia. The question was “Do new converts from the Gentile community have to get circumcised to belong? Do they have to abstain from, say….. eating shrimp- which is against Mosaic law?” Paul, throughout the letter, testifies and preaches the fact that we are free from the law of Moses, but also free to be moved by the Spirit to be a part of an open community. Paul is preaching about the freedom to belong. It is the freedom from societal and cultural expectations, so that anyone can belong to the community. Martin Luther has even commented and said that this passage is about the freedom of a Christian!

But, unbridled freedom is not what Paul was talking about. The passage that we read for today is one that many have used to point toward some type of Christocentric Libertarianism. By this I mean, I’ve got my Jesus and I am saved, so why do I need to worry about the other. I am a good Christian so I am free to do as I please, I don’t need to be bothered by societies ills. We can see how someone might form this view if we read certain sections of our passage which can be found in Galatians 6:4 “All must rest on their own work” and the ever famous “God is not mocked, you reap whatever you sow” from Chapter 6 verse 7. But if we take the entire passage in context it is plainly about responsibility to one another.   It is a responsibility that says the rules of a community of Christians is based on the Spirit of God, and if in God, then Christ. This Spirit tells us that we are brothers and sisters who look out for one another. It is not a spirit who tells us to forget the other on Monday. It is not a spirit who tells us that we can act anyway we want in this word as long as it is good for the almighty me.–This point is strictly rebuked by Paul’s statement that is found in Chapter 6 verse 2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” This verse talks of the independence of Christians as the Body of Christ in this world from Mosaic Law and other societal expectations. It is an independence, not a freedom to be alone, but a freedom to belong- This point is made clear with Paul’s charge in Chapter 6 verse 10-  “So then whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all and especially for those in the family of faith.” Again, it is not about independence to be alone, but the freedom to belong to something much larger than anything that we as humankind can construct on our own.

In the United States of America today there is a celebration of another type of independence. It is an independence from being a part of community. It is the freedom to not recognize ourselves in the other. We have gated homesteads (I wont call them communities) where we can sequester ourselves from the community. We free ourselves from recognizing our face in the other, especially if that face is one of the working poor, or the homeless. This freedom from the other has even been codified in law. The law has pushed what we like to think is the other far away from our lives. In Dallas, Texas, it is illegal to sit on a sidewalk. In New York City, a years old trash law was resurrected to keep the homeless from using boxes to stay warm. In Philadelphia, it is illegal to sleep in public, or to eat in a park. Sean Claiborne, a homeless rights activist, was arrested with many other people when they celebrated the Eucharist in Love Park. These laws are all used as a means to exile those in our community that make people uncomfortable. This codified breaking apart of the community is a direct consequence of our interpretation of independence meaning that one has the right to be alone and not be bothered by the other. In New York a few weeks ago this right to not be bothered played itself out in a vicious way. A homeless man who tried to break up a fight was stabbed. He lay in a pool of his own blood for an hour while people walked by and did not notice him. They were free to be left alone. They felt no responsibility for a fellow child of God. He did not exist to those who were independent of responsibility. It took one hour for someone to notice that this was a child of God and call 911. HE was dead and in the arms of his Father in heaven when the paramedics arrived. The Body of Christ was ignored and we were free to continue to be left alone.

In Paul’s letter to the Galatians we are to take one another’s burdens, not to tell them-  “Well, hey, sorry……but you reap what you sow.” This freedom to belong does not come with a qualification clause. It does not tell one, if you have a certain attribute…..you may belong. Christ’s resurrection was for all people, the community called the church is for all people. The community outside of these walls does ask for qualifications, the community asks “do you have a substance abuse problem?” and if so, they will help you. If you don’t, well you go to the streets- where you just might pick up a substance abuse problem. The church is not like this- we are all equal and one under God’s law. We don’t need a Lexus, a home in the islands, or a country club membership to belong…….much less a circumcision. That is the good news.  God freely gives you the freedom to belong, saint and sinner alike, poor person, rich person. It is all readily available to you. There is no surgical procedure required! The exile of the homeless is a thing of the City of man, not the City of God. The Church is to give us a foretaste of that Kingdom. The church is not only to write checks, but to belong to the big messy, complicated Koinonia. Checks are a good thing, don’t get me wrong, but it is only part of the story. Nothing can beat being personally involved with the whole Community of God.  The Church of the Epiphany knows this for a fact. The doors of God’s church have been open for all who want to be here. We strive to help. We have Gospel Arts, we have the Welcome table and Bible Studies, but could we do more to prove to the world that there is a freedom to belong given by the Holy Spirit at the Church of the Epiphany? Can we all say that we share in the banquet of the Welcome Table, or do we serve the “other.” What would it look like if the Spirit moved us to eat together at the welcome table and remove that separation that happens with the serving line? I know that food cost money and folks are worried about taking food from someone’s mouth that might really need it, but I can tell you we have plenty of coffee. Sit for a while have a cup of coffee and get to know your brother and sister in Christ. Go to the Town meetings when another budget cut happens and speak as the Body of Christ where all of its members can be heard. Stop and speak to a brother or sister. When something isn’t right on our streets tell someone. Embrace the freedom and Independence God gave us and join the Koinonia, be a part of community- the only cost is love and compassion- All for Christ’s sake

AMEN