This week's sermon

 

        I want to talk about Independence Day—the birth date of our nation.

        In the Declaration  of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote: “All men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

        That would have been true had he said “all WHITE men.”

        Slavery continued in the newly formed nation for almost 90 years before the Civil War.

        And women had to wait for decades after that to achieve ‘equality’ that still isn’t ‘equal’ to this day in things like equal pay, equal treatment and equally sharing the burden of raising children.

        And that’s not even considering native Americans who are still not fully equal.

        So don’t get all teary eyed with pride on July 4^th—there are many things left to rectify.

        The over-ruling of Roe vs. Wade, the economic diversity, the hatred of people of color and GLBT folks and Jews is rampant—all these things and more make our nation as divided as it has ever been.

        It’s as if our body politic, like Naaman, has leprosy.

        The story of Naaman is fascinating. He is the leader of the army who has leprosy. A servant girl, stolen from her county, tells him to go to the land of Israel and be healed by the prophet.

        He goes to the King of Israel, bearing much gold and silver and asked to be healed. The King can’t heal him and rends his clothing.

        But the prophet Elisha tells the king to send Naaman to him. He goes and the prophet sends out a message to him to go and bathe seven times in the River Jordan and wash seven times.

        Naaman, a bit of a hot head, is insulted that Elisha didn’t come to him personally and criticizes Elisha’s instructions. But Naaman’s servants ask him, “if he had told you to do something difficult you would have done it—but all he asks is that you bathe in the Jordan.”

        So, Naaman does what he was told and is cured.

        We Americans are not asked to do anything difficult either, just to listen to those we disagree with and seek to find common ground.

        In that way we will be cured of our afflictions.

        In the Epistle, Paul tells the church, “my friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in A SPIRIT OF GENTLENESS.”

        Gentleness is what is needed in dealing with people we disagree with, not strong words or conflict.

        Finally, in Luke, Jesus tells the 70 to always say, “peace to this house’. And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace shall rest on that person.”

        As we come to July 4^th we need to listen, to find common ground, to be gentle and share the Peace of God.

        That’s what our country needs more than anything.