Here we are in week 2 of our sermon series on evil and we are reeling from yet another mass shooting that took the lives of 13 people, including the one who shot 12. And, we add the Navy Yard, to a list of names that we just need to say and people know to what we are referring: Newtown, Boston, Aurora, Columbine, Ft. Hood. Around the world, civil war in Syria continues, A terrorist group has attacked a mall in Kenya And holds at least 30 people hostage. They declare there will be no negotiation. This kind of evil is not new the story of Cain and Abel is the first recorded killing in the Bible. Every time this evil visits, it leaves tragedy, devastation and grief in its wake. and the image on the cover was chosen specifically for our weary spirits and aching hearts after the shootings at the Navy Yard on Monday. is one of my favorites. It s a go-to psalm for me when our breath is taken away by evil, 1
when once again, we pray with tears for there are no words. is about God s presence during troubled times; It s about God s ability to bring us through the literal and figurative earthquakes, flooding rivers, hurricanes, and super storms of our lives. It is for a a nation s people at a time when their body of elected leaders is turned inward and asks poor people to tighten their already tight budgets and exist on even less. brings welcome words as our nation is unable to control gun violence and some are possessed by demons that demand their own life and the lives of others. brings welcome words when it s almost impossible to imagine an earth without war, but as people of faith we boldly proclaim that one day war will cease and the bow will be broken and the spear shattered. tells us in tragedy, devastation and grief pause for a moment. Under the long-term effects of war, says: be still. In the face of evil reminds us that we are not God; and God is our refuge from evil. I hope that I m building on Pastor Phil s sermon from 2
last week when I say that for today, the definition of evil I am working with is: the power that is working contrary to God s will for each and every life, for health and renewal, for restoration and wholeness of every living thing this is evil. Evil is the force, the power that leads us, tempts us to sin. Evil is the outcome of the power unleashed by Satan. Evil is the broken powers of good. Evil is what leads us into temptation, evil is what leads us to gossip with our friends when we know we shouldn t, to cheat on school assignments against our better judgment, to waste time on the job when we don t want to, to surf for porn sites on the Net, ashamed even as we do it, to mislead our customers for a buck, to lust after our coworkers, to abuse drugs and alcohol, to snap at friends and loved ones, to covet wealth and material possessions, to turn a blind eye to the needs of others all this and more, when we know full well what course of action we should take 1 and, we don t; this is evil. 1 www.homileticsonline.com; Romans 7:15-25a St. Paul s Riddle, July 3, 2005 3
And, we know all too well the power of evil and the devastating aftermath. Gossip or cyber-bullying leading one to darkness and suicide. Cheating that leads to expulsion. Addiction leading to broken relationships and employment history. Evil is often sneaky and cunning, as Pastor Phil said last week, sometimes showing up first as just a small compromise of ethics, which quickly becomes a bigger and bigger compromise of our ethics and moral behavior. And, as is often true, what happened at the Navy Yard is complex not entirely straightforward. This is true of Evil it is complex. While the outcome 13 lives ended is certainly tragic and evil. The picture emerging of Mr. Alexis is that he was likely tortured and taken off course by mental illness. No one asks to be mentally ill any more than anyone asks to have cancer, or diabetes or a common cold. It is an illness that may cause someone to do something evil, but the person is not evil. When our hearts are sad, despairing and angry this knowledge often reaches our heads, but the ache in our hearts remains. For mental illnesses, 4
incurable diseases and other situations where we feel powerless to overcome evil, there is another story in the bible that I found helpful to remember this week. It comes from Mark 9. Jesus, Peter, James and John had come down from the mountain where they had gone to pray and experienced the transfiguration. When they came upon the disciples, there was a chaotic scene with lots of people and the other disciples and scribes at the center were arguing. Jesus asks the problem and is told by a father that he brought his son to him so Jesus could cast out a spirit that makes him unable to speak; it seizes the boy and throws him down and foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth. While Jesus and a few of his disciple had been up on the mountain, the remaining disciples had tried to cast the spirit out and failed. Jesus replies, You faithless generation, how much longer must I be among you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me. Now, I don t know about you, but I cringe at these words. I cringe because they seem harsh. And, I cringe because I hear them directed toward me as much as I love Ps 46 and return to that for comfort. 5
As I said earlier, it s almost impossible to imagine an earth without war, Or our nation without assault weapons, automatics Or to dare to hope that one day the nightmare of mental illnesses will be behind us. And, of course, here again, evil has taken root and is trying really hard to turn us from belief. Evil wants to sprout seeds of doubt, to water them so they bring forth in us fruits of alienation from our God. Belief and unbelief are parts of a life of faith. And, so they brought the boy to Jesus and as soon as the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. When asked, the father says he s been like this from childhood and the spirit wants to destroy him; has tried with fire and water. The father is powerless to change the condition of his son. The father seems hopeless and utters the words if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us. Jesus says, If you are able - - All things can be done for the one who believes. 6
Immediately the father of the child cried out, I believe; help my unbelief! And, then Jesus commanded the spirit to come out of the boy and never enter him again. The spirit cried out, convulsed again and it came out. Many feared the boy was dead, but Jesus took the boy by the hand, lifted him up and he was able to stand. Then disciples who had been unable to cast out this spirit asked Jesus when they were alone why they could not do it. Jesus said, This kind can come out only through prayer. And so it is with the evil that brings mass shootings, cancer, wars and civil wars, global hunger and poverty that binds the souls of men, women and children. This kind can come out only through prayer. The type of prayer that is needed to send these spirits, this evil out is prayer as supplication the first type of prayer that our reading from First Timothy speaks of today. Supplication is a cry for help, an expression of need and can involve an intense cry of lamentation. 7
As people of God, As a nation and around the world, we lament the power of evil in our lives on a daily basis. We cry out to God. We pray with our tears. And, we are still and know that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Thanks be to God. Amen. 8