March 24, 2002

Ian Lawton

Palm Sunday     Luke 19:29-40

George Bernard Shaw said “Some see things as they are, and ask Why? I see what can be and ask, Why not?"

Here at St Matthew's we stand at a moment of opportunity in more ways than one. We will be challenged to ask the question, why not, as we look at what can be. We have a new organist, and since Michael's arrival, there has been great energy around our music in church. I know that Michael would also like to use his musical skills for the good of the community and we are exploring some of these opportunities at the moment. Our new communications and marketing manager Brendan has begun, and he is seeking to promote our unique building, history, location and ethos used for the good of the community.

During the week I met with the former Mayor and explored some connections she would like to make in teaming up and addressing some of the youth issues of the city. These are just some of the adventures ahead. The church radically engaged in the life of the community, offering a real and relevant message of life and love and justice, working alongside other groups and individuals for the good of society. The vision is clear; the only question left is 'Why not?'

Jesus sent his disciples out with a vision of life lived to the full, healing and social justice, and called them to take some chances in order to make this vision a reality. They were called in many instances to live counter culturally to fulfil this charge. People who have been sent on missions throughout history have been people who have acted counter culturally and boldly; some for good and some for destruction.

Some of the more interesting comments I read on the events of September 11 last year were from Canadian philosopher John Ralston Saul. He speaks about both destructive and redeeming human qualities seen in the events of that day. He affirms the human spirit seen in the twin towers, which he says greatly contrasts the ethos of their daily use: "The Twin Towers were filled with tens of thousands of business people who theoretically believed in the idea that they were driven by self-interest; you couldn't have a more poignant test of the self-interest argument. In fact they didn't act out of self-interest. They walked down the stairs calmly; they went back into the building and acted like human beings. They didn't act out of self-interest like a low-level dog and push each other out of the way to save themselves,"

Then he talks also about the suicide terrorists of that day who refused to be ruled by globalisation and technology, yet used their counter cultural courage for awful destruction. "People believe there is no shape to technology and that you have to rush to keep up with it. We found ourselves in buildings and on airplanes where a small group thought 'No, that's not true, you can give shape to technology' and were proved right. They took several airplanes designed for going on holidays and going on business meetings and turned them into bombs. They took little knives which were designed for cutting paper and cardboard and used those to slit throats."

So what we saw on September 11 were two groups of people both responding counter culturally. The call of Jesus is to act counter culturally. The challenge is to do so for the good of self and society and not for destructive purposes. Jesus in today's gospel account offers some quite practical counter cultural strategies for a mission which is described as being like sheep mixing amongst wolves. He suggests giving freely. He advises travelling without valuables, carrying no extra possessions. He proposes being as shrewd as a snake and as innocent as a dove. When you find yourself in court he says don't plan your defence, speak off the cuff. When in trouble he says, run. That which is kept under wraps, shout it out. Then the finale - lose your life to save it.

Could advice be any more non-conformist? I wouldn't think it is the advice for our day, rather an attempt to overstate the case for inspiring boldness. In a world where the temple was central, the symbol of power, exclusive religion, elite social classes, Jesus went rather to lepers and those considered least in that world and held them up as models of humanity.

At times the Jesus social movement looked a little like positive discrimination, bringing into balance an unequal situation. At times it seemed that he was employing surprise tactics, to get a reaction or to make a change. As a man who was fully human he demonstrated the art of being human. So what is the key to being human?

Ralston Saul in his book 'On Equilibrium' suggests there are six basic human qualities - common sense, ethics, imagination, intuition, memory, and reason - and that these qualities need to be employed in equal measure. For the good of our souls and the good of society, we need to live a life attuned to these six qualities, yet in a balanced way. While the tendency in our world is to glorify rationality, the key may well be a balance of mind and heart, memory and vision.

So as we face our great opportunities my plea is that we too will follow the call of Jesus and move forward resolutely and counter culturally. We will challenge the prevailing economics and politics of our world. We will speak out. And not just to challenge the world; Jesus offered his loudest challenge to the religious people of his day. So too we will be willing to act counter culturally when challenging the church with its power structures and protection of violence.

We will address bullying in schools, violence in homes, youth suicide, social welfare issues, pensioner housing, power abuse in churches, amongst other issues; and in each case we will offer a loud and consistent voice for whole living and social justice. We will do so balancing mind and heart, memory and vision, common sense and researched ethics, intuition and considered opinion. We will be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves. A vision of wholeness. The question left is 'Why not?'