The Ravens and the Steelers Should Be Friends The Rev. Phyllis L. Hubbell Unitarian Universalists of Gettysburg October 7, 2018 Song The Ravens and the Steelers should be friends. (Adapted from The Farmer and the Cowman Oklahoma First verse: The Ravens and the Steelers should be friends. Oh, the Ravens and the Steelers should be friends. Though they both seek victory, They each have inherent dignity. There s no reason why they can t be friends All god s children should stick together, All god s children should be pals. Ravens dance with the Steelers daughters Steelers dance with the Ravens gals. John told us the true story of Steelers fan, Joyce Grandstaff, sitting with her family high up in their stadium who was helped by a Baltimore Raven fan attending the game. But this morning, I learned of a similar story that I want to share about a good Steeler. Ron and Ann Gilbert s son, Pete is a sports announcer. Some years ago, he, too, was present at a Ravens Steelers game in Heinz Field. Only this time the Ravens lost. Steelers fans, who had been very hospitable the two days before the game became downright nasty that day. Pete Gilbert left the game chilly and down. The next morning, he and two of his colleagues stopped for breakfast before leaving town. A local approached and recognized them as Baltimore fans. He asked how they were doing. Pete gave a noncommittal reply, conceding that the Steelers were the better team that year. I ll tell the rest of the story in Pete s words:
[T]he stranger then responded I wanted you all to know not everyone in Pittsburgh s a jerk. He proceeded to drop a pair of 20 dollar bills on the table, proclaiming breakfast was on him. We were stunned. Not in a million years did we see that coming. We tried to return the money saying it really wasn t necessary (seriously, we did). But he was having none of that. He held the determined look of someone who had made up his mind to do something, and did it. I caught up with him as he walked away, and we exchanged business cards. Our Pittsburgh Patron Saint was Chris Coach Gathagan from St. Edmund s Academy. He is their athletics director and obviously all around good guy. You see the bumper stickers asking for random acts of kindness and maybe snicker. But the impact from that gesture of good will last much longer for me than any of the inebriated hecklers. Who in these two stories is the neighbor? It sometimes gets ugly in sports. In the middle of a tight game, fans sometimes have to fight the impulse to cheer when the other side s best player gets hurt. In the stands, stadiums have had to publish numbers to call if homies start harassing visitors rooting for the other side. Unitarian Universalists affirm seven principles. This congregation has recently added an eighth. We also draw on six sources. These principles and sources are printed on the back of your Order of Service. The lawyer in our reading asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. What does the law say? We might ask a similar question. What is the core of our faith? Do our principles and our sources provide any help? The principles I hear mentioned most are numbers one and seven -- the inherent worth and dignity of every person and respect for the interdependent web we inhabit. We don t refer as often to the sources our
faith draws on, but among them are Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves. In other words, love and respect our neighbor as ourselves; love and respect our planet as ourselves. Love and respect Steelers fans, Washington fans, Ravens fans, Patriots fans as well as those people who despise football as we do ourselves. Song (Second Verse) Atheists and Christians should be friends. Oh, Atheists and Christians should be friends. Atheists don t believe in God, Which Christians find distinctly odd, But that s no reason why they can t be friends. All of us folks should stick together. Whatever we believe we should be pals. Atheists dance with the Christians daughters. Christians dance with the Atheists gals A Unitarian Universalist visited a church known for its secular humanism in Minnesota some years back. The very much third hand story as I remember it was that she heard the minister say that Christians were not welcome in that church. Now who knows what that minister actually said, but this visitor left with that impression. Christians often feel uncomfortable in some of our Unitarian Universalist churches. I hope perhaps not so much in this one. This is one of the stumbling blocks for African Americans who are otherwise Unitarian Universalist in their approach to religion. It is important to recognize that some Christians may have done more for their neighbor than we have. I will never forget the Catholic priest I met in Zimbabwe who had spent his life bringing better, more sanitary outhouses to remote areas of the country. I remember thinking that this humble priest had done more than I with all my degrees was ever likely to do to help the poor. Even Evangelical Christians who seem so foreign to many of us, may reach out in unexpected and compassionate ways. Let me share just one story. Unitarian Universalist minister Marlin Lavanhar s daughter died unexpectedly when she was just three-years-old. Rev. Bruce Hoppe was an evangelical minister of a megachurch 800 miles away.the two ministers
had never spoken. Rev. Lavanhar didn t even know that Rev. Hoppe knew his name, let alone his sorrow. But several years before that tragedy, Rev. Hoppe had started reading some of Rev. Lavanhar s sermons because he had decided that he wanted to understand more liberal religious perspectives. Rev. Hoppe often disagreed with Rev. Lavanhar s writings but found him thoughtful. Now I want to pause there for a moment, because Rev. Hoppe s quest to broaden his own perspective, his respect for Rev. Lavanhar s sermons, just blows away one of my stereotypes of Evangelicals. It is a lesson I find I have to learn again and again. One day, Rev. Hoppe read of the death of Sienna, Rev. Lavanhar s daugher. Rev. Hoppe had two children of his own. His heart broke. He sent Rev. Lavanhar an email, explaining who he was. He said he wasn t writing with any agenda other than the human one of reaching out as one father to another. He wanted Rev. Lavanhar to know that he was praying for him and his family. Out of that simple email, a friendship began. Both men s lives were changed by their friendship. Both would say that they learned more about what their own religions asked of them, in the love of one father for another. They spoke to one another about their loves, and then became capable of listening and learning from each other. Song: Third verse: Republicans and Democrats should be friends. Oh, Republicans and Democrats should be friends. Conservatives fight for liberty. Democrats seek equality. There s no reason why they can t be friends. All of us voters should stick together All of us voters should be pals Republicans dance with the Democrats daughters. Democrats dance with the Republicans gals Today of all days, it s hard for many of us on both sides to sing this verse. Many of us are sick this morning--our stomachs churning. I am sick. I am
angry. We ask how the Senate could disregard Professor Ford s courageous testimony, could refuse even to mount a serious investigation. But I am trying to remember that others of us may feel differently. I ve seen such schisms happen repeatedly within our own congregations when accusations of sexual harassment arise. When we know the person accused, when they are one of our tribe, we cannot believe that this person did anything wrong. In a small number of cases, the person actually is innocent. So some of us this morning may feel triumphant, firmly believing that fairness and justice prevailed. We think Professor Ford s memories were too vague and came suspiciously late. We, too, may feel sickened at what we believe was the attempted railroading of a good man. This issue is perhaps the most polarizing of the last few years, but divisive issues have come one after another in recent years. We as a nation are increasingly bitterly divided. We roll our eyes or worse when we hear people taking opposing positions on the issues we hold dear, or taking pot shots at our candidate. It happens in our intentionally inclusive Unitarian Universalist churches. We intellectually value diversity yet we often feel embattled in the wider world. So we treasure being with people with views just like ours. Newcomers (and some old timers) say that the reason that they come here is to be with like minded people. We Unitarian Universalists are having a lot of trouble finding the inherent worth and dignity of all people, not to mention loving our neighbor as ourselves. Religious author, educator and activist Parker Palmer reflects: Many of us who differ politically love the same things our children and grandchildren, our country, the natural world. Many of us who differ politically harbor the same doubts that what's being done (or not done) to care for the things we love is the best or the right thing to do. Yes, we differ on what ought to be done. But what if instead of starting by arguing over solutions over "the place where we are right" we began by sharing our loves and doubts? I suspect that our political conversations would be much more productive because they would proceed from common ground.
Yes, I believe firmly we need oppose bullies. We need to root out homophobia, sexism and racism. We need to protect the meek, help the poor, work for peace, and save our planet. We need to start with the core presumption that woman who come forward are telling the truth. These principles are consistent with the core teachings of our faith. It angers me that they seem to be more endangered now than at any time in my lifetime. But we become part of the problem when we write off half of our fellow citizens. We need to listen to one another, learn from one another, and work with one another where we can find common cause. Who is our neighbor? Jews thought Samaritans were the lowest of the low. They would not even step on the shadow of a Samaritan. But Jesus told a story with a Samaritan as the hero. We have so much to learn from one another. We may not change our beliefs, our political party, or our team, but we may learn to appreciate that decent, caring human beings have made different choices in life. Who is our neighbor? All who would treat others with kindness and compassion -- whatever their politics. We are all imperfect children of imperfect parents, seeking our way in our journey through life in this magnificent, tragic world. Our particular DNA, our particular families, our particular lives form the context of our choices, our beliefs, our passions, our faith. One small change, and I could have been you. You could have been me. Let us share our loves, share our doubts. Let us stop, look and listen for the real, complicated person who stands before us. Let us share the real, complicated person we ourselves are. When we do, we will find that we are not alone. Love will bridge the gap. Love will make us one.