God’s Mission
“Some look for scapegoats, others look for conspiracies, but this much is clear; violence breeds violence, repression brings retaliation, and only a cleaning of our whole society can remove this sickness from our soul.”
These words were spoken by Robert F. Kennedy in Cleveland on April 5, 1968, the day after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. His words resonate deeply. We, too, live in a troubled, confusing, anxious society in which our divisions are more and more often expressed through violence.
As I said in my sermon this past Sunday, whatever our individual political beliefs and affiliations, we can never condone violence such as the attempted assassination of former President Trump this past Saturday. Violence of any kind — whether it be from a gun or incendiary rhetoric —dehumanizes others and further widens the chasms that separate us. While there are too many examples to count of those in the past and the present who use violence in the name of Jesus to further their own agendas and ambitions, violence is antithetical to Christianity.
According to “The Catechism” in The Book of Common Prayer, “The mission of the Church is to restore all people in unity with God and each other in Christ. … The Church pursues this mission as it prays, worships, proclaims the Gospel, and promotes justice, peace, and love.” And as the Prayer Book makes clear, this mission is not the work of a select few but “the ministry of all its members” (see p. 855 in the BCP).
If this mission feels overwhelming to you, I get it. It feels overwhelming to me, too. Indeed, the world can feel pretty overwhelming on lots of days. If we ask ourselves, “How will I restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ today?” we’ll be tempted to crawl back into bed.
The mission might feel more doable if we ask ourselves different questions. How will I respect the dignity of the fellow human beings I meet today? (Baptismal Covenant) In what small way can I do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God today? (Micah 6:8) Is there one thing I can do today to love my neighbor, even if that neighbor is a stranger? (Luke 10:25-37)
Jesus did not call us to change the world. He called us to participate in God’s mission in whatever way we can, no matter how small the act may be. To flourish, the kingdom of God only needs an act the size of a mustard seed. (Mark 4:31-32)
“Our lives on this planet are too short and the work to be done too great to let this spirit [of violence] flourish any longer in our land,” Robert Kennedy said 56 years ago. “Of course we cannot vanish it with a program, nor with a resolution. But we can perhaps remember — even if only for a time — that those who live with us are our [siblings]. … Surely this bond of common faith, this bond of common goal, can begin to teach us something. Surely we can learn, at least, to look at those around us as fellow [human beings] and surely we can begin to work a little harder to bind up the wounds among us and to become in our hearts [siblings] and countrymen once again.”
