Making Room for the Devil

Sermon

When I was young, a favorite TV show our family watched– was Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In.    I especially enjoyed the comedian  Flip Wilson, who told outrageous stories, and then confessed:  “The devil made me do it!”  To us, the devil can seem comical, and an archaic notion.    But, hold on. . . think about what’s happening:   the pandemic flaring all over the nation,  gun sales at an all time high,  hellish fires burning in the west, and anger between the unvaccinated and the vaccinated spilling out every which way. . .   Maybe we should just think rethink that whole devil-excuse. . .

This passage from Ephesians states that falsehood, lies, and holding onto anger and resentment — makes room for the devil.  It’s old language, but right now, it gets to the heart of things.  Lies, anger, bitterness, slander, resentment, these behaviors are choices we make (or not.)  What makes room for the devil?

Basically, anything that cuts us off from God and from other people, because we are “members of one another.”

What makes room for the devil— is anytime, we fail to acknowledge the humanity of another– regardless of race, gender, political affiliation.  We dehumanize when we stereotype, and when we call names.  We dehumanize when we judge another to be beyond redemption.

In some Christian circles, the phrase “Let no evil come out of your mouth” has been used to try to stifle voices for justice and change. . . But the intent of our passage today isn’t to urge us to put a nice veneer on conflict or to act “nice” at the expense of others.  “Be imitators of God, and live in love, as beloved children, as Christ loved and gave himself up for us. . .”  Living that kind of love is not about being nice, it is about seeing our humanity, and seeing God, in one another; no matter how flawed the other appears.

The message from the book of Ephesians, at end of the first century, was a message to the Gentile church (likely a general letter to several churches).  The context is for people living with Roman culture, Jewish Christian church and Gentile church. . .  Pluralism, disagreement and division.  The passage for today gets down to practical advice on how to live together, peaceable, in the midst of the dissent:  speak truth, put away bitterness, anger and malice.  Be kind, and forgiving.  Imitate God.

I know how difficult this message is. I can think of people who seem beyond redemption.  I worry about sounding too soft, when l think of people who deliberately deceive and harm others. Then, l remember Jesus’ words, as he was being crucified. “God, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”  Our model is clear-eyed mercy— seeing the humanity, and seeing God, in the other.

There was a person who accidentally slighted a friend one day, by cancelling a plan they had together.  He tried to explain the reason, but the friend cut him off, dumping the friendship with no dialogue or understanding.  He was surprised, and sad, but then thought:  I can be sad, or I can bless her. So, without expecting a response on her part, rather than responding in anger at her exaggerated  and hurtful response, he simply held her in his mind and heart, and silently blessed her.

We are imitators of God when we bless one another, especially when the easiest response would be anger.  What is a blessing?  A blessing is a circle of light drawn around a person to protect, heal, and strengthen.  The beauty of blessing is its belief that it can affect what unfolds.  A blessing awakes future wholeness.

When we bless another, we reach below our surface mind and personality, down to the deeper source within us, our soul.  Blessing is from soul to soul.  We affirm the humanity and the soul in another, when we bless.

Blessing does not invent what is not there.  Nor is it the glazed eyed belief that the innocent energy of goodwill can alter what is destructive.  Blessing is robust and grounded.  The vision and force of blessing can transform what is deadlocked, numbed and inevitable.  When we bless another we call the forth their best.

In the summer of 1993, a scientific experiment in meditation took place in Washington DC.  A large group of men, women, and children intentionally circled the city and meditated daily.  Within this circle of loving kindness, the city changed.  The statistics for six weeks showed an unprecedented and remarkable decrease of homicide, rape and assault.  Blessing as powerful and positive intention can transform us.  It draws forth possibilities we haven’t even imagined.

In a few moments, we are going to welcome in four new members to Westminster.  Each of them began or deepened their connection during our pandemic time, when we were separated.  Yet, despite the obstacles, they persisted, and are now with us.  Keeping the vision from Ephesians, and a community that imitates God, I am closing the sermon with a blessing I have adapted from John O’Donohue, to celebrate the blessing of our new beginnings together:

May your heart be tranquil here, blessed by a peace the world cannot give.

May this church home be a place of discovery,

Where the possibilities that sleep in the clay of your soul can emerge to refine your vision for all that is yet to come to birth.

May this be a community of courage, where healing and growth are loved,

Where dignity and forgiveness prevail.  May this be a community where patience of spirit is prized, though the journey may be difficult and slow.  May there be great delight together,  and may we always offer welcome for the broken and diminished.  May we, as members, new and old see that no visitor arrives without a gift and no guest leaves without a blessing.*

*Adapted, pg 19-20:  John O’Donohue  To Bless the Space Between Us:  A book of blessings