Doing Good as God is Good

Doing Good as God is Good
Ephesians 4:25 - 5:2
Rev. Dr. Wilfredo Baez
8/4/15

We’re more than a year from the Presidential elections and already we’re hearing the criticisms of Presidential hopefuls, Democratic and Republican.  Do you know, if my children were to speak about each other the way some potential candidates are speaking about each other, I’d ground them for the rest of the summer.  So much for us being a Christian country!  Christian is what Christian does and sometimes I don’t see a lot of Christian in politicians and commentators who proclaim themselves to be Christian.

Put away falsehood.  Speak the truth to one another and about each other!  We may be Republican, Democratic, Liberal, Conservative, Green or Independent, but we are first of all Americans.  We may be Black, White, Hispanic, Native American or you name the place of origin, but we are first human beings.  We may be Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, Episcopalian, Presbyterian or Reformed (the list goes on) but we are first of all Christians.  And whatever religion we belong to, as Christians, we realize that all people, male and female are children of God, made in God’s image.  We are all are members of one another.  And that being the case, we should treat one another with love and respect.

Be angry if you’re offended or even if you disagree, but let the anger go.  Don’t act on your anger in a way that causes harm to another.  The Christian enterprise is a peacemaking mission. “Blessed are the peacemakers” says Jesus.  “Turn your arms into plowshares” says Isaiah.  “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me” says the hymnist.   How quick we are to retaliate or go to war without diplomatic efforts, even without evidence of wrong doing!  If we are truly members of one another, then we’re angry and at war with ourselves! 

Don’t steal, but work and share what you’ve earned with the needy.  Christians are called not to take from others but to give to others, particularly the needy.  All this corporate greed!  As members of one another, when we steal, we are stealing from ourselves.  When we give to others we are investing in ourselves.  Giving to the needs is not squandering but investing.  It’s a good personal and business practice and excellent public policy.  I’m all for people making a good living but not at the expense of others.

Speak well of and to yourselves and others rather than evil.  You know the saying, “Hold your tongue.”  Or like some of our parents taught us, “If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything.”  Say only what is useful to build up the other.  Bless rather than curse.  And let grace flow through your words into the heart of those who listen to you.  It may change them and it definitely will change you for the good. 

This applies to your internal self talk about or to yourself.  What we say and how we say it matters in the outcome.  That’s why it is so important to feed ourselves on the Word of God in whatever form that takes for you.   What we take in from media, books, movies, the news and conversations with others directly influences what we think, feel and do.

When we speak or act on the basis of evil we are doing harm.  We are outside of the flow of the Holy Spirit.  This grieves the Holy Spirit.  Harm ends up being done to the other, but harm is done to ourselves in the process.  This is so because we are members of one another. 

In John’s gospel we read that in the beginning was the Word and the Word became flesh.   Remember what Word we are talking about; the Word of God.  Jesus manifests it  so fully that he was it.  Bitterness, wrath, anger, arguing, slander and malice or bad faith, do not originate in God who is all good.  They begin in a word of falsehood where we forget our true nature as children of God and deny our connection or membership in one another. 
What originates in God, as God’s Word, is kindness, tenderheartedness and forgiveness.   This Word intends creation and bolstering or building up of self and others towards true, inclusive and positive community. 

The Church is intended to be a witness or a model of beloved-community where prejudices are suspended to allow true acceptance and inclusion of all the different people we encounter.  It’s good to be aware of our judgments and prejudices so we are not run by them.  We have to recognize that they are just habitual and conditioned thoughts.

Really every person, including you is sacred.  God is in you, in one another and in all our neighbors, Christian and other.   We can deny it all we want, but God is even in our enemies and in the person we mistrust or mistreats us. 

It’s a wonderful thing we have in this Church and in this community (Wilmington, Jay, Ausable Forks, Upper Jay, Lake Placid, Saranac Lake) this effort and opportunity  to do good by each other, our neighbors and our community.