Not this past week, but the week before I was sitting in my study one morning and as is normally my habit, I was reading the news on the Internet. As I scanned the headlines CNN had one that caught my attention. It said, “Church ordered to pay $10.9 million.” That is enough to catch any pastor’s attention.
I clicked on it and then began to read. The story was about protests at military funerals and it made my blood boil. I can’t even begin to tell you how angry it made me.
As I read the story I vaguely remember hearing something about protests at military funerals back around the first of the year. I just assumed at that time that people were protesting the war in Iraq and didn’t think much more about it at the time. That would have been bad enough, but this was far worse. Fred Phelps and the membership of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka Kansas have been protesting at military funerals saying that the deaths of soldiers have been God’s punishment on America for tolerance of homosexuality. The 10.9 million dollar award was given to the family of one of these soldiers where a protest had taken place. The protesters were holding up signs and shouting words that were much the same, “God hates America” and “God hates gays” and their statements escalated from there. Funeral services for Marine Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder were disrupted. The family decided to sue Westboro and the $10.9 million judgment was the result. The church’s pastor, following the trial said, “This is nothing but the government trying to tell preachers what they can preach.” The church also claims that a funeral is a public gathering and as such their protest is protected by the constitution and the right to free speech.
I know that some of you have already read a brief synopsis of my feelings on this issue last week on my blog. But, with Veteran’s Day, I just didn’t feel that I could leave it at that.
If this really was just about telling preachers what they could preach, I would align myself with Fred Phelps, the pastor at Westboro, even if I didn’t agree with what he was saying. After all, if the government was going into his church and restricting what he could and couldn’t say from the pulpit, I would say that was absolutely wrong and well outside the scope of the government’s authority. But, it is not about what Mr. Phelps is preaching. It is clearly about common decency. It is about respect. It is about love.
Let’s take a bit of a closer look at all of this. First of all is a geo-political statement. “The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are God’s punishment on America for tolerance of homosexuality.” They argue that God brought us into the war to punish us. Now, I don’t know where you stand on the war, nor do I really care. This is not about the war. The decision to go to war with Iraq and Afghanistan was made by the leaders of this country for reasons, whether right or wrong, whether you agree with the reasons or disagree with the reasons, reasons we may not even understand, because they thought it was the right thing to do. Please, I didn’t say it was the right thing, I said for what they believed to be the right thing. Each of us have to make up our own mind as to whether we believe them to be right or wrong. This is not about the war.
Second, equally true, this is not about homosexuality. Again, I am not asking you to tell me what you think about homosexuality. As far as I am concerned, for the point of this message it doesn’t matter. What matters is that a group of people, under the umbrella of the church are making statements that are intended to ignite passions within people.
Third, is a part of their message that I believe any Christian would have to believe to be totally wrong. “God hates America” and “God hates homosexuals?” is just bad theology and I believe is a total affront to the God I know and worship. God doesn’t hate anybody. God doesn’t hate the people on either side of the war. God doesn’t hate homosexuals. And, I pray, God doesn’t hate Americans. God may hate, no that is probably a bit strong, God may dislike some of the things we do. God may cry at some of the decisions we make. But, God does not hate his children.
Unfortunately, the behavior of the members of Westboro is really not something that is new. For many reasons the war in Vietnam was one of the darkest times in the history of our country. But, the biggest dark mark of that era was when soldiers and sailors in uniform were spit on and called horrible names. I believe Westboro to be a continuation of that tradition. These are young people whether the military person of the Vietnam era or the military person whose funeral is interrupted by protests who were just following orders. None of it was their idea and yet they seem to be the people that extremists are trying to hold accountable.
It all makes me ask, “Where is the love?” One of the most beloved passages of Scripture says, “If I speak with the tongues of mortals and of angels but have not love I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.”
In the first letter of John we read, “God is love.” He continues “Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen cannot love God whom they have not seen.”
The way I read and understand Scripture, God is love. Therefore God cannot hate because hate is the antithesis of love. Further, we who were created in the image and likeness of God are called to be people of love and if there is hate within us, then God is not a real part of our lives.
Folks, this isn’t about homosexuality. This isn’t about the war. This is about one thing, love. Do we have love in our hearts?
I am not a flag waver. That may bother some of you and if it does, I am sorry. But, just because I am not a flag waver does not mean that I don’t love our country. Nothing could be further from the truth. Friends, I am not bothered when a politician chooses not to wear a flag pin in his or her lapel. I am not bothered when a candidate for president doesn’t put his hand over his heart for the national anthem. But, I am very bothered when someone or a group of someones messes with our military or with those who have served this country. Perhaps that comes from having grown up in the home of a veteran. Perhaps it comes from having served myself. Maybe it comes from having a son who served in the Iraq war. Or maybe it comes because I witnessed first hand earlier this year the heartbreak and the devastation that a family feels when they lose a child in combat. Thank God Mr. Phelps and his church were not there. Maybe it is a mixture from all of the above. I love my country and I love those who serve.
It all causes me to stop and think, “What can I do real and tangible to show our military men and women that I am not another preacher like Mr. Phelps? What can I do to show support for the troops in a real, tangible way?”
Like I said, I am not a flag waiver. You will not find a bumper sticker of a ribbon shaped magnet on my truck or my car that says, “I support the troops.” I don’t care if you do, provided you are doing something tangible to back up the words. You see, the old cliché, “Talk is cheap” fits real well right here. It is time that we quit talking and do something real as individuals and as a congregation.
Our lesson this morning says, “Pay to all what is due them – taxes to whom taxes is due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.” Then Paul goes on to remind us of the importance of love of neighbor.
I also want to bring back to your memories another verse of Scripture, “Faith without works is dead.” If we have no works, no tangible demonstrations of faith, then we have no faith. Because love is greater, I would say that it is equally true of love. If we have no tangible demonstrations of love, then we have no love.
It is time for us to quit saying that we support our troops and do something that will really support our troops. Here are just a few ideas. Early this week I got an email from Janine with a great Christmas idea. Send a Christmas card to a recovering soldier at Walter Reid. Another idea, the Lylas Circle was collecting cards for soldiers. Georgia Winwood was working to put packages together for soldiers in San Antonio. There are you three things and folks I thought of them in about three minutes. If we work at it there are many more.
Friends, the payment is due. Let’s give respect to whom respect is due. Let’s give honor to whom honor is due. Among others, it includes those past and present and even into the future that wore or wear the uniform of this great land.
