Sermon for the 4 th Sunday after Trinity, July 5, 2009
“ I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. ”
THE FLAG we fly with such a swelling of pride on our Independence Day has been called the Stars and Stripes , the Red, White and Blue , and Old Glory , among other things. A flag is a symbol of the bond among a people. Why do we feel this thing about our flag? And what is Glory?
This poor flag: if we weren't so attached to it, we'd see that it really looks like something designed by a committee. Not a lion with a crown, seated over the world and surrounded by green or blue; not a spread eagle over a field of gold; not a bear, nor a rattlesnake, nor an Indian chief on a horse. No: this is a strange assortment of candy stripes and blue field with stars that have changed in number dozens of times. But it means a union of willing territories, happy to sign on, ready to defend one another. White stars on a true blue field, now fifty in number, the last two sewn on during my childhood: Alaska and Hawaii. And the original territories, colonies of Britain, that rebelled and shed their blood to create this union, ever running red with white, thirteen. It's good. Ol' Glory.
But what is the glory of our nation? We may feel our glory tarnished in these days, these that may be its latter days as a nation, as some suggest. America won its glory by being the first of nations to truly address the question of nationhood by a people who chose freedom, self-government, and principles based not on power , but on truth . “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” No nation was ever formed to pursue such freedom. But freedom comes with a price, and must betoken self-control and godly principles lived by all its members. Unless the electors, the voters with whom rests the power of raising up its own leaders, are a wise and a moral population, they will elect such scoundrels as themselves, to conspire with them to raid the treasury, desecrate all that is holy, and break down the social fabric until their country lies in shambles.
Last night I spoke with a man very much afraid we are becoming a socialist country. He is afraid for a very good reason: he's from Odessa, Ukrainian born, and he lived under the Soviet Union, as a scientist working for the military until that government fell. He has recently become a citizen of America. I asked him what he felt was the difference between Communism and Socialism. He said, “Communism is not real—a fantasy, an ideal—we didn't have that. We were socialists. And now, today nobody wants to work. I think it takes 100 years for Russia to get back.”
What is glory , then, if we feel it slipping from our beloved country? Was that ever a good thing, glory ? Or was it just our pride ? Glory means praise and honor by common consent, or great resplendent beauty, or a height of prosperity with achievement. The glory of God and heaven also reflects adoration, worship, thanksgiving, and beatific happiness. Literally glory means the light coming from an object , as though from within— the sun shines in its own glory. Light brings knowledge, safety, life and a place where one may pursue any object. The glory of America has been symbolized in our flag, and also in the gift of the nation of France that stands astride New York's harbor, our New Colossus, holding out her torch to the world with these verses inscribed: Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. “Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Are you proud of this nation? Hear the Gospel appointed for yesterday, the Mass for Independence Day, Jesus saying: “ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” St. Matthew 5:44 We occasionally rise to the level of these words, perhaps better than some nations, to fight our enemies, but then to love them, even to bring them to these shores and include them in the American dream. What, after all, did we do to Japan and to Germany after WWII? We rebuilt them. We gave their people dignity. What are we doing in Iraq and Afghanistan? If you don't know, because the press won't tell you , we are giving them their own countries, their own self-government, security enough to soon fight their own enemies, and building schools, roads, a civilization.
So what makes so many people hate us? Are there so many that hate us? What language is used besides Farsi by those protesting the recent corrupted election in Iran? The green signs held up to cameras by everyone in Tehran read, in American English, “WHERE IS MY VOTE?” They appeal to us , if only for us to know their outrage. Where do Iranian emigrants go? There are a million Persians now living in California. If they come here, as did my Ukrainian friend, and the Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indians, Jews, Hispanics, Europeans of all nations, even my Danish great grandfather—then why , if not for the promise that this nation holds out. And what is that promise? Glory? If we understand what glory is and what it's for, then yes. But what is the glory?
Not what Satan offered Jesus on the mountaintop—the glory of this world, of man's achievements, of wealth and military might and brilliant talents used for fame. These things may entertain or conquer or amaze, but they will fade and be gone: Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, a thousand dead celebrities. But the glory that shone with the angels above Bethlehem, that which comes only from God, has also shone on earth. The Son of God has been appointed heir of all things, and is the brightness of God's glory. The light uncreated that shines from its own source comes from only one source, He who said “ Let there be light .” He could have said, “Let there be glory ,” and glory is His, and it will be ours as well. For the only glory worthy of the name is God's glory.
When this nation and all nations fall in ruin, and the last state of mankind is revealed, and we rise to that new world He makes with His Word, the light of it will be Our God Himself. No temple need be built there, for He will be that city's temple. “ And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.” Rev 21:24-26 God's glory will be all the light needed, but don't think we'll hide in the shadows. Rather, we will shine ourselves. St. Paul says, in our Epistle today, that he figures today's suffering is not worth mention when compared to the glory that is to come, that will be revealed in us. In us —the children of God. We are to “ be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God .” If children, then heirs, heirs with Christ. But heirs of what?
Heaven is to be peopled with all races of humankind. The God who created all worlds made all people. Only in Christ do we find each other and know that we are brothers and sisters, all races, all people one . But this is the glory of America too —founded in that same hope and faith that all are created equal. And if created equal, then it is God's doing and we are followers of God. Our national motto is IN GOD WE TRUST. Our pledge states ONE NATION UNDER GOD. Our founding fathers fought, died, debated, enacted and enshrined the most lofty words ever written by humans since those final words of Revelation by St. John I just repeated. Our inaugural document signed by brave men concludes: “ We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America… appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states… And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.” Nothing is sacred, not even honor, if it does not come from God above. This nation will have no honor if it does not first and last honor God. No glory will remain ours if we do not first give glory to God. And we don't know any other God but Him who is revealed to us by His Son on earth, His Son who also died for our liberty, yours and mine. The first Americans were Christians, and they saw in Christ a kindred spirit, a willingness to give all that others might walk free.
The glory of America is not its might . That might may in fact be our downfall. The glory of America is in seeing at last the kind of world God meant this to be, and— faltering often, missing it in our rush to settle a vast and rich continent, abusing it by cruelty and drunkenness and prejudice at times— yet rediscovering and remembering the cause we once held so dear, and we find the glory in following God .
Moses, having led the children of Israel forty years in the wilderness, gave his last command for them to remember when they had conquered their Promised Land. “The Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, he loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name. He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.” Deut 10:17-21 .
When the world looks in on America, we hope it will see the world here , all peoples, all colors of skin, all national heritages, cultures and faiths, now bathed in glory, the glory of love, which love can only be found most fully in Christ. A world at peace, a world working diligently, a world building and giving and forgiving, a world united in heart and soul, a world filled with the Glory of God. PFH+