Whose Image?

Sermon

To whom do you belong? Do you believe, do you know, do you remember, that we belong to God?

I’d like you to imagine this scene: Lawyers and decision makers gathered, with serious intent, questioning an individual, repeatedly. Some leaders are effusive and flattering, others are seeking a slip of tongue, searching for any visible fault line. Questions are raised about the nature of power: What are the limits of the person at the top? What are the core values shared by all? Who gets to decide how those are lived out by the people?

Now, imagine that the context for all of this is an empire under the power of a central leader who has a cult following. Some people even see this figure as a savior. The empire is made of people from around the world, with a few powerful ones at the very top, reaping huge gain, while many others are oppressed. The stakes are high in the testing of the individual. In many ways, it’s a matter of life and death.

Can you picture this? Yes? Well, I am not talking about the process of nominating a Supreme Court justice. No, I’m talking about first century Palestine, subject to the Roman empire. The Pharisees and Herodians are questioning Jesus. They ask: “Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not?”

A “yes” answer would justify Roman occupation. A “no” answer would be a threat to Roman rule. Jesus answers with a visual clue. Shown a coin, they see that the image imprinted on the coin is of the caesar. The Emperor Caesar was considered divine by various Roman groups. Jesus said, “Give the emperor what is the emperor’s, and give God what is God’s.”

The Pharisees knew very well Psalm 24:1: “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it. The world and those who live in it.”

Jesus addressed power and ownership. Yes, the emperor has a grip on the material things and human structures. But remember—first, we belong to God.

This reminder is helpful right now, as our nation is in the throes of election messages. When we have concerns about the upticking virus numbers, fear losing healthcare access, and worry about the warming planet, unequal systems of justice, lost jobs, racial hatred, and the rights of women and LGBTQ people, remember: first, we are God’s. When we focus on the empire and the part we play in the way the world works (or not), remember: the image of God is imprinted upon the world and all in it. This God’s-eye-view perspective can fuel our deepest commitments for justice.

Longtime members of this congregation Ann and Bruce Huntwork (both of whom died a few years ago) lived at Peace House, an intentional Christian community. Their life in that community began as tax resistance. They didn’t want their money going toward war. But they did commit money and energy to causes for justice and peace. Bruce and Ann were tireless in their advocacy for LGBTQ people, for Native Americans, for mental healthcare for military veterans, and against various wars. Ann was arrested and served time in her senior years for her repeated nonviolent demonstrations at the

School of the Americas. They were civically involved, serving to better their country and world. But they never lost sight that they belonged to God. Their commitment to worship and to small group accountability with other people of faith and their frugal simplicity were daily reminders of the big picture: “The earth is the Lord’s and all that live in it.” It was God’s love in their life and their belonging to community that kept them both marching into their eighties.

What do you think and how do you feel when you hear the words, “You belong to God”?

When we baptize, we are reminded that we don’t simply belong to our family unit. We are in God’s likeness and we belong to God. This can be a great comfort.

Another October year past, I’m remembering, the days were colorful and cool, as they are now, and the nights were long. I was twenty years old that autumn. I lost my best friend, Kathy, in an auto accident. When I got word that she had been instantly killed, it began a journey to learn why God allowed suffering. There were theologies and philosophies to explore, but nothing that satisfied the empty feeling in my heart. Finally, I found a quiet little chapel on campus, no bigger than a walk-in closet. No one else ever seemed to use it. I began to make a daily visit to the chapel and sit in silence. I could not pray because there were no words for my sorrow, anger, and confusion. I had so many questions floating through my mind. And it seemed to come right from the core of my being: NOW, who do I belong to? Who am I?

One day as I sat in that chapel with a single orange beam of light slanting down from the stained glass, I felt a loving presence with me, and I had a message: sing and dance.

So I went home and played a recording of Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols. (It was now December.) I had sung the piece with my college choir. Now I sang and began to improvise a dance. In the middle of singing and dancing, I felt a sense of belonging and the beginning of peace. When I look back, I see that when everything else was stripped away, that peace in song and dance was the reminder that I belong to God, and that I am loved by God, no matter what is lost. Nowadays I cultivate that sense of presence when I swim laps. Before I get into the water I invite God to be with me. And as I swim, I trust that I’m not alone. God’s love is with me in an active and joyful way.

What reminds you that you belong to God? What gives you that deep-down feeling of love and presence? I’m asking because right now, in this uncertain time, it is a good time to strengthen that spiritual muscle.

Perhaps you’ve never felt that belonging. If not, can you recall compassion and love from another? Maybe you feel God’s love when you are collecting loaves of bread and cans of tuna for food banks? Or on a long, solitary bike ride along the river? Or reading a book and feeling deep kinship with the author? Or reading your children to sleep? Or creating something beautiful in sewing, poetry, or music? If you know how that realization comes to you, I suggest you find ways to build it into your daily life. What if every time you washed your hands, you remind yourself as the water touches your fingers that you are God’s beloved?

You belong to God. May knowing this sustain us today and tomorrow. May we look into the eyes of the other and see the image of God.