They Wanted a King

REFLECTION delivered June 9, 2024. Vicki MarkAnthony

Well, I have been praying a lot this week. Writing a reflection in today’s climate can be daunting. Writing a reflection on today’s readings in today’s climate can be terrifying. I have found certain passages from these readings today to intersect with the confluence of current events and some of my spiritual reading so I will be dancing back and forth a little and I ask your patience with me. It’s complicated.

In 1st Samuel, God warns the people that if they choose a king to rule them instead of God’s prophets, the king will conscript their sons for his personal army, take their daughters to bake and make perfume for his courtiers, he will take their slaves, cattle, and flocks to enrich himself. God warns of a leader without conscience, a leader in it for greed and power. But this is what the people want – someone glitzy and powerful like the rulers of the neighboring kingdoms. They chose not to listen to God.  They got themselves a king!

In our Gospel reading, Jesus warns that a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. A house divided against itself cannot stand. Where have we heard those words before?  (Lincoln before the Civil War) And here we are facing a presidential campaign that is threatening to tear us apart. The first debate comes in a little while and I don’t know if I can watch it. The name calling on both sides frankly turns my stomach. Isaiah Ch. 5 riles against those ‘who call evil good and good evil.” And I have gone through periods when I refused to watch the news or pick up the newspaper. But it was the renowned theologian Karl Barth who said that we should “preach with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other.” So, I cannot bury my head in the sand. It only makes me an avoider. We have to look at current events with God as our guide, with God’s kingdom as our goal.

 And speaking about division, a few weeks ago, Rev. Nicholas Porter the founder of Jerusalem Peacebuilders spoke to us about the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis. He said we begin by listening, by acknowledging the others’ trauma.

The hardest commandment we have from Jesus is also the most beautiful. It’s what defines us as Christians – sets us apart : To love one another as I have loved you. In Luke, Jesus says, love your enemies; in Matthew he says, do good to those who hate you.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was the German theologian who stood up against the Nazi regime and eventually was executed for it. He wrote in The Cost of Discipleship,

“Christian love draws no distinction between one enemy and another, except that the more bitter our enemy’s hatred, the greater his need of love… he has nothing to expect from a follower of Jesus but unqualified love. …Am I asked how this love is to behave? Jesus gives the answer: bless, do good, and pray for your enemies without reserve and without respect of persons.”

The more bitter our enemy’s hatred, the greater his need for love. When we pray for our political enemies, we hold them up to God. We ask God that he bless them with openness to justice and truth. We ask God to help us understand the other side, acknowledge the trauma in their lives or their history that have brought us so far apart.

It is Pride month and recently I had to replace our Easton Pride sign because it had been stolen. Then I heard that Pride signs all over this town have been stolen. That breaks my heart. Can you imagine the hate, the meanness of someone who would steal signs like that? What kind of trauma has that person experienced that would drive him to hurt others who are only seeking dignity for who they are? Bonhoeffer reminds us that, those consumed with hatred are the ones who need love the most.

We live in a precarious democracy. I hate to break it to you but if you are only watching Fox News or MSNBC, you are not getting the facts. You are being bombarded with one-sided opinions from talking heads. Sean Hannity and Joe Scarborough are not journalists; they are broadcast personalities; their job is to provide entertainment value. Unfortunately, as we heard from recent testimony, unscrupulous news organizations squelch the stories that don’t suit their purpose, distort and even spread falsehoods. And social media does the same. It whips us up with half-truths, unsubstantiated headlines that spread fear. There are no Walter Cronkites anymore. We need to be our own fact checkers. Where did this come from? Can it be substantiated in reputable sources?

Martha Nussbaum, an American philosopher wrote, “Fear and monarchy pair nicely. But democracy means you have to work with people you may not like but you must still believe are your equals. And a fearful people never trust the other side.”

We can dispel fear – we don’t have a monarchy or a dictatorship. We must believe our political opponents are our equals. We may not agree with their opinion but we can treat them with respect. And we can pray for them. It’s hard to hate someone when you’re praying for them.

So what is the good news? From Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, “we do not lose heart.”  We put our faith and trust in Jesus. From Psalm 138, ”Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe.”

All of our politicians will disappoint us. So many times, we have to walk into the polling place holding our noses and voting for the lesser of two evils. But not vote? No! How many gave their lives for this precious right we have to choose.

The Israelites wanted a king  – a monarchy. They got Saul who was jealous of David and planned to have him killed. Then they got David, who arranged to have the husband of his lover killed so he could take her as his own. Be careful what you wish for.

Tyrannical governments may have a vote on paper but not in reality. Tyrants don’t take a chance with people voting.   When Benjamin Franklin was asked what kind of a government they decided on, he said “a Republic if you can keep it.” So, I will vote this November, I will search out reputable sources. I will pray for my political opponents, but I will ultimately put my trust in God, for it’s his kingdom, a kingdom of love that I want to live in. I pray that you do the same. Amen.