MLK Kneels & Stands
John 1:6-8,19-28 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.
This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
Reflection This week I heard the voice of a woman crying out from her wilderness, “I do not feel brave enough to speak up. I slip into silence rather than take the risk of calling out lies, confronting hypocrisy, or condemning the keepers of the status quo for failing to care for so many suffering people. My lips refuse to move because I do not have courage.”
My heart nods with her prophetic words. “Me too. I prefer to settle in comfortable silence rather than brave confrontation.” How about you? Do you have the courage to join John and be a voice “crying out in the wilderness, ‘make straight the way of the Lord?’” or do you prefer to be silent?
Were he with us today John might say, “It is time for a course adjustment. The people of God have chosen countless detours, diversions and distractions, making crooked the way of the Lord. It is time to get on track, return to basics, reclaim the straight way of love; love God, love our neighbors. No exceptions.“ John’s instruction is simple. It is the execution that we trip over.
Here is the thing. The “straight way of the Lord” is not easy because instead of seeing people who think, believe, vote, worship or live differently than us as beautiful revelations of Divine creativity, we experience them as wrong or even threatening. We cannot wrap our minds around God’s pronouncement that all of humanity is good, very good, when so many of “those people” seem to be our adversaries or assailants.
There have been and always will be lots of people with whom we disagree, and many who have hurtful things to say to or about us, but that does not make them enemies. Therefore, it is right that we should ask, "How are we to love people who disagree, disrespect or devalue us?" I believe the answer is hidden in plain sight in the text describing John the Baptist’s encounter with the priests and Levites who confront him, “Tell us who you are.”
Looking carefully we see that John responds with the utmost humility. “I am not the Messiah nor anything special. Just a lone voice pointing to something greater than I am.” He kneels before his challengers and at the same time acts with integrity to advance the way of the Lord, “Make straight the way of the Lord.” The lesson we take from watching John is this; let our lives speak with humility, integrity and conviction.
This week I also heard the voices of two religious luminaries, individuals with distinct and widely divergent views. During a joint interview of the Episcopal Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and Dr. Russel Moore, the chief ethicist of the Southern Baptist Convention addressing the question of how to be in relationship with people with whom we completely disagree, Dr. Moore avers, “I see other people as those created in the image of God, and not ultimately my opponents.” The conservative evangelical continues, “Scripture calls us to both conviction (of our beliefs) not an evaporating of our differences, but also to kindness and active love for even those people who disagree with us completely.” *
Magnifying the wisdom of our gospel text the progressive Christian Curry asks,“How do I stand and kneel at the same time in my relationship with others especially with those who disagree with me?” He then reflects, “so I’ve got to kneel before them as someone created in the image of God, just like me.. and, at the same time I must stand with integrity.” Coming from vastly different perspectives both religious scholars affirm the instruction to let our lives speak with humility, integrity and conviction. The key is, beginning in humility.
When the priests and Levites ask John, “Who are you?” he knows they are asking the wrong question. John knows he is not defined by the tribe he belongs to or the ideology he affirms. John experiences the meaning and value of his life in humbly pointing toward something greater than his conservative or progressive self. Rather than defending his personal perspective, John ranks himself below the Messiah, Elijah and the prophet. In humility he receives the God given courage to stand with integrity and speak with conviction. The key is, beginning in humility.
Returning to the woman crying out in her wilderness, “I do not feel brave enough to speak up,” I pray she hears John’s message. “Do not be afraid of people who disagree with you completely. Remember, God is God and you are not. So, humbly kneel before the people who disagree with you, receive the God given courage to stand with integrity and speak your truth with conviction. Let your life speak.”
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* Faith, Compassion & Healing Our National Divide https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1yM0c0E9ZQ
