This
past week there have been attacks on faith and what is right. First was the attack on our faith in the
Saints; the New Orleans Saints. A blown call or two and Saints fans and most fans
of the NFL are outraged; but, some are pleased. For Saint Fans, it appears officials
turned a blind eye to the rules, ignoring what is right.
The
world can ignore what is right. It is the way to attack our Christian faith. It
shouldn’t surprise you. Look at things that happened this week
The
state of New York has legalized abortion up to birth. If a child is born alive
after an attempted abortion, it is to be ignored and forsaken.
It’s
a law that makes it legal to murder children. Horror on top of horror is this law
was signed by a self-identified devout Catholic Governor and there was
celebration and rejoicing. Hearts turned away from God ignoring what is right.
Then
there was the Covington Catholic School fiasco. If you are not familiar, it
took place at the National March for Life. There a video was taken out of a
young man smiling and standing in front of a Native American elder. The young
man said he smiled to show good will and prayed a silent prayer..
The
world turned against that young man and his friends for something that didn’t happen.
A confused and nervous smile was called a racist smirk. Their school and Bishop
condemned them before they made it home. Judgement made without the facts. Seems
someone has forgotten the rules of Christian life. They accused and judged, ignoring
what is right.
The
Bishop says he was bullied into passing judgement. Think about that. Darkness
with its pawns of politics and politicians fights the Light in the world. It doesn’t
even try to hide yet many still we can’t see it.
I
won’t judge the Bishop; but, what if he had waited and stood up for what is
right.
Our
readings today tell of two men stood up when it was needed.
Ezra,
priest and scribe, stood before the crowd and read plainly from the book of the
law of God, interpreting so all could understand.
And
all the people, their hands raised high, answered, “Amen, amen!" Then they
bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD, their faces to the
ground.
Ezra
said, today is holy to our LORD.
The
ancient Israelites, once a strong and powerful nation, had forgotten God. Conquered
by the Babylonians and taken into exile, they forgot their land, their language,
and their God. Of the hundreds of thousands of people, only 5000 returned. Though
they worshipped God, they no longer knew the law of God
Those
who know God need to stand higher than the rest of the world. Not for pride,
not for ego, not in aloofness; but, stand in peace and love. We are one body in
Christ. As a one body with many parts, even the unborn are important. We all
are part of the body of God’s creation.
When
Jesus time had come, He stood up. The
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring joy to the
poor, liberty to captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, and to the oppressed,
freedom.
Today,
this is fulfilled in your hearing.
With
all the attacks on our faith, how many have forgotten God.
Don’t
weep; don’t be saddened. For the body of Christ has Jesus our strength. As the
body of Christ none are more important than the other, even the unborn. When
one part suffers all suffer.
That
is our call to be strong and stand for truth, for the Gospel, for right, for those
ignored, and for the dignity and justice to those the world is against. When the
world is in ruins around us, it is time to stand up and be strong. And the
spirit of the Lord will be upon us, to bring us strength through joy in the
LORD.
With
joy in the Lord, we will fight the devil in the world. We will fight an enemy strong
enough to bully a Bishop. We fight an enemy strong enough to make the world turn
against a young man with a nervous smile and a prayer in his heart. We fight an
enemy strong enough to fools the weak into celebrating the killing of children.
We
are strong because Jesus stood up for us. He stood on the cross with his arms outstretch
for us. He stands before God the Father, pleading for us.
Now
is time to stand up in the strength of Christ: the strength of his joy; the
strength of his love; the strength found as part of the body of Christ; the
strength and joy in sharing the love of Christ.
My
friends, today is holy and today we fulfill the promise of scripture as the
body of Christ standing up and working together for faith and what is right. All
the people, their hands raised high, answered, “Amen, amen!" Be good, be
holy and stand up to preach the gospel by the way you live and love. Amen
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