Tag Archives: live at peace

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Live at Peace with Everyone

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“Live at Peace with Everyone”

Rom 12-18 if possible, peace - words

Romans 12:9-21 (12:18) – September 17, 2017

One of the most heartwarming books I have read in the past few decades is a book by Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. I would like to read a few sentences from this book.

“These are the things I learned (in Kindergarten): 1. Share everything. 2. Play fair. 3. Don’t hit people. 4. Put things back where you found them. 5. CLEAN UP YOUR OWN MESS. 6. Don’t take things that aren’t yours. 7. Say you’re SORRY when you HURT somebody. 8. Wash your hands before you eat. 9. Flush. 10. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. 11. Live a balanced life – learn some and drink some and draw some and paint some and sing and dance and play and work every day some. 12. Take a nap every afternoon. 13. When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.” [1]

As we listen to this list of things Robert Fulghum brings to our attention, what goes through our heads? Are we charmed by the memories of little ones that come to mind? Or, do we think of the significant truths that come from our kindergarten friends?

As I was considering our Scripture reading this week from Romans, I immediately thought of Robert Fulghum’s book, and specifically this quote. If we set these two lists side by side, each list sounds like it is full of important things. Full of important tasks to accomplish on a regular, if not daily basis.

One thing that people who are very interested in bible translation do when they are looking at specific sentences or paragraphs is the look at the kinds of words that are used, and whether the writer had something special he was trying to get across. In the case of Romans 12, the Apostle Paul is using a lot of verbs, and most of these are imperative verbs. These are all commands to his fellow believers in Rome! Not just suggestions, or recommendations.

“Rather, [Paul’s] exhortations speak to any community patterning its life after that of the crucified and risen Christ. The words are a window on what life in Christ looks like in community.” [2]

Yes, in this American culture, the rugged individual pulling themselves up by their bootstraps, living their life all alone, on the edge, is so important to so many. BUT, the Apostle Paul reminds us that life is to be lived in a community. There are no Lone Ranger Christians. “One is tempted to imagine Paul saying with his syntax, “Don’t try this alone.” His advice is addressed to a bunch of people, and much of it concerns their shared life.” [3]

This piece of advice holds true whether for a group of secular people as well as for a church congregation. A short negative summary of these commands is “Do not do any evil to anyone:” If we turn that around (as Robert Fulghum does) and speak positively, we find that it sounds suspiciously like his list from All I Really Wanted to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten.

There is a problem with these lists, no matter whether the Apostle Paul wrote about these commands or whether Robert Fulghum urges us to follow his positive suggestions  A big problem. No matter how much we may be trying to follow Jesus in our daily lives, hypocrisy and insincerity sneak up on all of us and clobber us over the head.

Sadly, we have many, many people with extreme black-and-white thinking, from all areas, from all cultures. These modern-day Pharisees talk about either totally sinning, or totally following God without reservation, and there is nothing at all in between. They bash others over the head with these commands in this list from Romans 12 (and from other lists that Paul writes in other places in the New Testament).

The preacher Kwasi Kena brings us an illustration. “Any bank teller knows that spotting counterfeit money first requires that one knows what is genuine. After repeated exposure to what is genuine, the bank teller can easily spot the counterfeit item. It is the same with genuine Christian love. Constant exposure to genuine Christian love builds a growing desire for more. That yearning for the genuine also produces repulsion toward the counterfeit.” [4]

Yes, we might be able to see blatant insincerity and hypocrisy and counter it, gently, in Christian love. What does Paul tell us, first thing? He says love above all is the way to go. When we are dissatisfied with our own lives or the lives of others, this can be an indication that something is not right. When some Pharisees start judging and self-righteously shaking their fingers at us, and get in our faces with extreme black-and-white thinking, and extreme shaming, what then? Sorrow for them might happen in our hearts. We can point them out immediately.

As Kwasi Kena tells us, the seasoned bank teller—or, the committed Christian who is loving, caring, generous and kind in his or her dealings with others can spot hypocrisy and insincerity from a mile away. The Apostle Paul’s message urges us to embrace genuine love through Jesus Christ, whether individually or in community. And, even embrace these self-righteous, judgmental ones.

“Mutual love and honour or respect is fundamental to good community (12:10). There is no room for exploitation of any kind. Nor is there room for shaming behaviour. We are to be free from having to win (by making others into losers). Paul urges a positive attitude in 12:11. For Paul this is less about rules of behaviour and more about choosing to believe in hope.” [5]

Over the past several decades Robert Fulghum wrote six books, all New York Times bestsellers, and still popular today. He has a master’s degree in theology and has also been a minister in the Unitarian Church for several decades. I consider his words about kindergarteners (and the rest of us human beings) to be so incredibly important for our search for genuine love, caring, kindness and reaching out to others, in the name of God.

From Rev.Fulghum again: “Take any one of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or your government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if we all—the whole world—had cookies and milk about three o’clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.” [6]

I think the Apostle Paul would approve of Rev. Fulghum’s words. What was one of the summary statements of Paul’s words of wisdom from Romans 12? “17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

It does not matter whether we look at Robert Fulghum’s wise words or at the words of wisdom from Romans 12: care about each other. Love one another. No matter what, no matter where, no matter who. Individually, and in a community.

Let us allow Rev. Fulghum to have the last word for today: “And it is still true, no matter how old you are—when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and to stick together.”[7]

Alleluia, amen.

 

[1] Fulghum, Robert, All I Really Wanted to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, (New York: Ballantine Books, 1986),

[2] Commentary on Romans 12:9-21, http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1060   Mary Hinkle Shore

[3] Ibid.

[4] https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/book-of-romans-sermon-starters-week-14

Book of Romans, Sermon Starters—Week 14 , Evangelistic Preaching Helps for the Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost, Year A– September 3, 2017 by Kwasi Kena

[5] http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/AEpPentecost12.htm “First Thoughts on Year A Epistle Passages in the Lectionary,” Pentecost 12, William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia

[6] Fulghum, Robert, All I Really Wanted to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, (New York: Ballantine Books, 1986),

[7] Ibid.

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As Far As Possible—Peace

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“As Far As Possible—Peace”

 

March 2, 2016 – Romans 12:18

Living at peace with others can be difficult sometimes.

Peace in families. Peace between friends and in relationships. Peace between groups of people, whether in terms of sports teams, religions, music preference, the racial context, food choices, even thinking about the pets some people choose to have!

People have disagreements about all of these areas—and then some!

What does the Bible say about disagreements? Conflict?

Let’s take a closer look at the Apostle Paul’s book of Romans, 12:16-21. This is two paragraphs in a larger section. There is a lot here, in terms of pointers for conflict resolution!

These are a series of good pieces of advice from Paul. A laundry list of valuable ways of acting. Plus, these are pieces of advice that Paul gives to the whole congregation. We can tell from the verbs—all plural, for the group of believers. A group pep talk!

How does Paul recommend the Roman congregation to act? “By living in such a way that fosters peace.” Commentator Elizabeth Shively says, “Verses 17 and 21 act like bookends, ‘Do not repay anyone evil for evil … Do not be overcome by evil’” As she tells us, these ideas are connected. We are truly overcome by evil when we allow spite to infect us. [1]

Aren’t evil, spite and resentment like a disease? Like a particularly nasty, insidious virus, that sneaks into our bloodstream. Gets under our skin, and burrows down deep inside. Evil, spite and resentment are particularly difficult to get out of our hearts and lives.

Yes, we can think about different people in a congregation. Our church, or any church. Yes, there are serious matters that come up. Divisive issues, and sometimes matters that are particularly difficult to resolve. The Apostle Paul was no stranger to this kind of serious conflict! He gives us some words of advice that may be useful in just such a contentious situation. More than that, he gives words of advice that are useful in many situations—squabbles between friends or family, and arguments between church folk and those outside the church.

This can be a complication! Paul comes right out and tells the believers in Rome that they are not to repay evil for evil. Instead, show love. Paul does not say so here, in this paragraph, but he does several times in other places, in this letter.

It is the Christian’s job to show love! Paul tells us expressly how we are to show love, too.

How are we to show love? Verse 17: “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.” And further, verse 20 quotes from Proverbs 21, “’If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.’”
Let me give an illustration. Corrie Ten Boom in the book, Reflections of God’s Glory (page 69), wrote, “In Africa a man came to a meeting with bandaged hands. I asked him how he had been injured. He said, “My neighbor’s straw roof was on fire; I helped him to put it out and that’s how my hands were burned.

“Later I heard the whole story. The neighbor hated him and had set his roof on fire while his wife and children were asleep in the hut. They were in great danger. Fortunately, he was able to put out the fire in his house on time. But sparks flew over to the roof of the man who had set the house on fire and his house started to burn. There was no hate in the heart of this Christian; there was love for his enemy and he did everything he could to put out the fire in his neighbor’s house. That is how his own hands were burned.”

This African man showed love to his enemy. He did everything he could to put out that fire in his neighbor’s house. He lived out God’s love towards his enemy, just as Paul urges us to do, here.

God shows us abundant love! God shows us plentiful mercy! And, we do not deserve it. That’s why Paul urges us to do the same for those who do evil to us, and for those who are our enemies.

Since the believers in Rome were shown God’s love and mercy, Paul recommends tending to enemies in the same way they—we—would tend to the material needs of families, and friends. As our commentator Elizabeth Shively says, Paul’s audience “are to do more than refrain from repaying evil; they are to initiate doing good to opponents. This is much harder. But in doing so, Christians overcome evil with good, showing that they “cling to what is good,” expressing the definition of true love.” [2]

How difficult is that? Really difficult! How hard to express true love. How hard to live at peace with everyone. Yet, that is what we are called to do as followers of Christ.

Yes, the idea of living at peace with everyone is a wonderful thing. Living it out is a challenging thing. Sometimes, even an almost impossible thing. Remember, it’s the Christ-like way to live.

What would Jesus do? How would Jesus act?

“17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

We are called to act in practical and physical ways. Show love. Express mercy.

That, I think, is how Jesus would act.

[1] Commentary, Romans 12:9-21, Elizabeth Shively, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2014.

[2] Ibid.

@chaplaineliza

Suggestion: visit me at my sometimes-blog: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers– where I am doing a Lenten journey.  #PursuePEACE – And my other blog,  A Year of Being Kind -Thanks!