Thursday Theology: More Thoughts on the Mess We Are In (Set Three of ???)
Co-missioners,
Last month we started sharing brief reflections about the political and cultural state of the U.S. this summer as seen through the lenses of Crossings-style theology. We posted two sets of these reflections on consecutive Thursdays. Then came a break. Today we send you a third set. It combines the gifts of three contributors whom we’ll introduce in turn as we go along. One of them thinks in prose, the other two in poetry. What a refreshing surprise that is! The latter two are adding their perspectives to a Crossings conversation for the first-time ever. Some extra thanks for that too. If you’d care to join them in this adventure, send your own thoughts to our editor, Jerome Burce, aka Jerry.
Peace and Joy,
The Crossings Community
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More Thoughts on the Mess We Are In (Set Three
of ???)
by assorted writers
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From Peter Keyel: A Reflection in Prose
Peter lives these days in Lubbock, Texas where he teaches in the Department of Biological Sciences at Texas Tech University. He is a former lay member of the Crossings Board of Directors and has been writing occasional text studies and blog posts for us since 2009.
[Compounding the mess we’re in] are issues so emotional that common ground is hard to find—so hard that it strikes us as not worth the effort? Why is this? What causes a person to stop talking to “those people” even when both parties claim to be Christian? Doesn’t Christianity trump our other identities as Liberals or Conservatives, as Republicans, Democrats or Independents? Doesn’t it give us ground to share in spite of our disagreements about who to hate, whether Trump, Biden, or Harris?
This looks like we have one or more idols that we’ve placed above God. That’s a God-problem that cannot be solved with the Law. Maybe this Mess is God doing what God does well: smashing our idols. In Elijah’s time, the idol-smashing did not end well for the idolators. Today, losing your idol is an existential crisis.
The Good News is that God does one thing better than smashing idols, and that is saving sinners. The idols remain in ruins, but thanks to Christ’s death and resurrection, the idolators receive a better Promise of new life, and forgiveness of sins. To paraphrase Paul, idolators saved by Christ are “no longer Democrat, Republican, or Independent, no longer conservative or progressive, no longer Trump supporter or Harris supporter, but one in Christ.”
Some things to think about:
What does this new identity mean for us? How does it change our emotions when we center on Christ instead of a Party or other allegiances? Does trusting this new identity drive skepticism when the idols demand new sacrifices from us? Do you see others not as the enemy but as fellow Christ-trusters who have a different perspective? What sort of faith is created by being (and feeling!) one in Christ?
What kind of outward responses might we see from this new faith? Repentance and forgiveness for sure. Compassion? Letting go of the feelings, beliefs, and narratives that were commanded by the idols that now lay in ruins? Changing your mind on some things, or at least being open to other perspectives? Opting out of the performative virtue signaling demanded by our former idols? Finding common ground outside of politics with fellow sinners? Working cooperatively with people from “the other side” to better order society? Thanking God for those Christ-trusters who have different views and culture because it means they can proclaim the Gospel to people we cannot?
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From Tom Schaefer: An Original Poem
Tom hails from Wichita, Kansas. A former LCMS pastor, he is also a retired reporter, editor, and columnist for The Wichita Eagle, the city’s major newspaper. He is currently a member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, an ELCA congregation in Wichita.
Tom writes—
Your ”Thoughts on the Mess” hearkened back to the surprise election of Donald Trump in 2016 and the agony and ecstasy that his win ignited. My thoughts at the time went to the Psalm verse: “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help (146:3) Throughout Trump’s administration and, yes, Biden’s, this verse reminded me that one greater than any political leader—namely, the Prince of Peace—lives and reigns over all. His platform is a cross.
Having read your challenging essay, my creative thoughts were led to poetic expression about our current state of affairs—which isn’t so new and different after all. I wrote it as a villanelle, a poetic format that requires a specific structure with two alternating refrains echoing throughout. For me, it demands clear thinking—short and to the point—while underscoring the truth of what we know to be our lot in life and our hope. It is simple, but then maybe we need to rein in the excesses of political puffery of today’s angry antagonists on both sides.
Psalm 146 Villanelle
Our lives wasted in wanderlust
Imprisoned by our selfish ways
In princes do not put your trust
Divided sides, a win’s a must
The losing ones will surely pay
Our lives wasted in wanderlust
For money, sex and power we lust
Who dares condemn us, though we stray
In princes do not put your trust
The restless heart cannot be hushed
The journey’s end a sharp crossway
Our lives wasted in wanderlust
The risen Lord our lives do trust
All earthly powers decline, decay
In princes do not put your trust
So in the end, as at the first
They are us and we are they
Our lives wasted in wanderlust
In princes do not put your trust
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From Kenneth Storck: A Recollected Poem
A retired ELCA pastor, Kenn was in his final year at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, when the Exile took place in 1974. He graduated from Seminex that spring. Our instigating post of July 25 prompted him to send us the poem below. Its author, he tells us, was Jaroslav Vajda, one of the great American Lutheran hymnwriters of the 20th century. We’ll take his word on that. He is unsure as to when and where the poem was originally published. That it was written before inclusive language became a concern for English speakers will be obvious as you read. That it’s nonetheless germane to the mess we’re in today will be just as obvious, we think. Kenn lives these days in Rockford, Illinois.
Peccavi
Beware of the man who can do no wrong,
Who never says, “I’m sorry, peccavi, I have sinned!”
He will want to be your god.
But only God can do no wrong
and only God’s Son is perfect.
Pity the man whose wife is perfect,
or whose government, or boss, or church, or fellow worker
never says, “Peccavi, I have sinned.”
He is ruled by a loveless tyrant
and he, who is forgiven little, loves little.
Pity the person, who confesses to no sin,
for he will never change for the better.
The prodigal son changed when he confessed:
“Peccavi, I have sinned.”
Before that time, he lived, if you can call it that,
on husks and swill.
Beware of the man
who can do no wrong,
who never says,
“I’m sorry, peccavi, I have sinned.”
And do not envy his self-assurance,
his bravado or his high head,
or sure walk or defiant stance.
You are seeing the moment before disaster.
You are standing in the presence of death
before the veil is removed.
Pity the fool.
And what about yourself,
Say “Peccavi” before it is too late.
Before the chance to love
and change and live is gone.
Stop playing the game.
God knows what you are really like.
And your fellowman suspects
you are just as sinful as he.
Open the way…
to love and change and a renewed life.
Say, “Peccavi, I have sinned.”
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