Make My Joy Complete

Philippians 2:1-4

        Well…….it finally happened. Folks who know me knew this was inevitable. While on the outside I may come across as soft-spoken and calm there is an inherited rage that dwells within me.  My father loved Don Quixote. There was never a day he wasn’t searching for some windmill to attack or a Dulcinea to rescue. My Dad had a high self-imposed ethical standard which he imposed on everyone else. He loved the song, “Whether I’m right or whether I’m wrong, I’ve got to be me.” When I know I am right, my inner LV kicks into high gear often leaving a mess that takes more than mop and pail of water to clean up.

        Last Sunday, after a wonderful World Communion Service, I headed home at peace with the world.   I opened the front door and heard a familiar voice. A relative… on Deb’s side of the family… was ranting endlessly on the speaker phone about the state of his universe. Needless to say we do not share a similar world-view. After at least fifteen minutes of listening to an uninterrupted monologue, my inner LV exploded. What happened next was neither pretty, or necessary. I could have said goodbye and hung up the phone. I should have just gone into another room and immersed myself in John Grisham’s newest novel.  But I had to speak up and,  “march into hell for a heavenly cause.”

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        Isn’t it amazing how often when speaking for Jesus, or defending the honor of the Almighty, we make a mess even God has a hard time cleaning up. I have got to tell you, once the call ended, and I had vanquished the foe, the adrenalin running through my veins felt great.  Bring on the rest of the family. Who are they when compared to me?     pause

        Monday morning I opened my Bible to the second chapter of Philippians. “Make my joy complete. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourself.” As I read this passage I was reminded of a quote by Douglas Hall. “Christians are God’s chosen instrument for accomplishing peace upon the earth.” And then he adds, “I wonder what went wrong with that holy strategy.”               pause

        Thousands of years ago a poet imagined how he might describe God. That is a risky task to undertake. So as dreamers are apt to do he created a story. Once upon a time the world turned away from God’s original plan. Greed and selfishness replaced humanities desire to love God and neighbor. Wars and rumors of wars monopolized every conversation. God turned to the council of angels and declared, “I’ve had enough. I shall destroy all humanity and start over.” One angel dared to raise her hand, “O Master of the Universe, might I speak.” She waited for what seemed to be an eternity which in God’s world is longer than anyone can imagine. Finally God nodded and the angel whispered, “What about Noah? What about his family? Just last week you were bragging about how much he pleases you.”

        Well you know the rest. Noah built a boat. He and his family escape death. And when the rains ceased, a rainbow filled the sky. If you were in a Baptist Church the minister would tell you this was a sign that next time God will destroy the earth with fire instead of water. Nice ending but not very Biblical. In ancient times the rainbow symbolized God’s promise to preserve life. It was a bow without arrows. God’s response to the sins of the world would always include redemption.    

Pause      

So what does the Noah story have to do with me losing my temper? How many times have you thought, “I wish I had kept my words…… or arrows ….. in its quiver?”

        A second story.  Once again the world had turned away from God’s plan. Again greed and selfishness had replaced humanities desire to love God and neighbor. Wars and rumors of war monopolized every conversation. The angels turned to God and complained, “Master of the Universe, how can you allow this to continue? They are destroying your creation.” Without hesitation God responded, “I have a plan. I shall send a child to grow up among them. He will walk in their footsteps. He will listen to their complaints. He will tell a story or two. He will show them how to live.”

        One angel spoke. “How will you arm him so he might survive amidst the violence and narcissism of the world?

        God responded. “I will bless him with humility”.

        “Humility? Are you out of your ever loving mind?”

        God answered, “Perhaps instead of always desiring speak for me, humanity might try to act like my son.”

        So the question this morning becomes does the world, does my neighbor, does my enemy, see Christ in me?  Teddy Roosevelt liked to say, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” I believe Jesus said, “When it is necessary to say something which might be both true and painful, say it softly, say it with the intent to heal, not hurt. Say it in love.” Or in other words, “Speak softly and carry a big cross.”

How humiliating…….How humbling…..How Christ-like.

                                                Pause

Do we really desire a world without rainbows? Then let’s work harder at understanding each other’s burden.   

Amen