Just do the right thing!

Jesus said, "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:16

We approach the end of a year. As I’ve said before, time is a paradoxical thing. How is it that turning the calendar from December 31 to January 1 can have such a different feeling than, say, turning the calendar from June 3 to June 4? The calendar is merely a human invention to track time. Tomorrow follows today every day of the year. A new year could just as easily begin on June 4 if that is what we told ourselves.

And yet, January 1 feels so different. A new year can bring a sense of hope, resolution, cleaning the slate, and a fresh start. I understand that and I subscribe to it. Many times I have said to somebody who has had a particularly “bad” year - death of a loved one, series of illnesses, loss of a job, broken relationship - that there is hope in a new year, the hope that things start fresh or the potential for things to get better. If necessary, the old year can serve as a trash can for all of our junk that we want to leave behind.

Can we hope for a better 2024? Let me be more positive, emphatic (and hopeful!), let’s hope and plan for a better 2024! Before you read any further, please a take a moment (or a few moments if you are a contemplative!) and raise a prayer to God for something(s) that you hope will be better in 2024. As St. James says, “the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective.”

In my post of December 28, I “wrote” (with no words) about something that is very troubling to me at present. I know that I am not alone. Thomas Friedman shares my pain. He wrote an opinion column in yesterday’s New York Times titled, “What Is Happening to Our World?” I commend it to you as it is a masterful, scholarly assessment of the history of significant decisions made by powerful leaders over the last thirty years; the good, the bad, and the ugly. In this article, Friedman writes, “To close out the year, it’s through this prism of choices that I want to re-examine the story that has consumed me, and I dare say much of the world, since Oct. 7: the Israel-Hamas war. It was not as inevitable as some want you to think.”

I took note of the words “consumed me.” Perhaps those words are a bit strong, but I am deeply invested and spiritually moved by the suffering in Gaza. I am hurting from the display of dehumanization and the failure of the human condition. In the words of the sainted Maryland congressional representative, Elijah Cummings, “We are better than this!” I am troubled that the conflict in the Holy Land is reverberating around the world through local acts of violence and hatred.

Yes, there is plenty of suffering to go around right now. I don’t dismiss the suffering of Israelis, Ukrainians, innocent Russians, and others around the world. All trauma and pain matter. Surely, Jews have suffered trauma and oppression for much of the pasts 3,000 years. Those of us who read the Bible and have even a small knowledge of 20th century history understand that well. This reflection is not about choosing sides, it is about choosing compassion. Hate cannot defeat hate, only love can do that.

Acknowledging all of that, the photo of Jesus in the Rubble from the Lutheran church in Bethlehem and the video and sermon of the Lutheran pastor (December 28 post) touched me in a deep way. I can feel his frustration and pain tugging at my soul, “Palestinian children are dying by the thousands. Where is the world’s outrage over this!”

I intentionally shared that pastor’s plea on December 28, the Commemoration of the Holy Innocents, as we remember Herod’s murder of the male children of Bethlehem after he was tricked by the Wise Men. Early in my ministry, I preached a sermon about that at Christmas time. THAT WAS A BIG, ROOKIE MISTAKE! What a dud! What a downer! Nobody wants to hear about children-martyrs at Christmas! (Uh, when, exactly would it be a good time to preach about children-martyrs?)

Part of the Palestinian Lutheran pastor’s frustration is that his worldwide colleagues do not seem to be concerned about the suffering in Gaza. Yes, I know why. See the paragraph above! Prophets do not have a very good track record in the Bible….or throughout history!

A member of LCR was telling other members about “Pastor Zorn’s blog.” One of her friends had only one question, “Is he being political?” She responded that he wasn’t, that he was writing good stuff. That was true and my intention for the first couple months of writing this blog. Sorry, my patience ran out! I cannot remain silent on this matter. BUT, I promise you that this is not going to turn into a “political” blog. I am well aware that you don’t want to be hammered on Gaza (or other “political matters”) every day. Remember, the objective of this blog is to generate dialog so that we can have a better understanding of complicated things. Of course, as I have tried to explain for decades, Christian faith requires us to be “political.” Then again, advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza, in my estimation, is not political, it is moral!

I received a lot less response to my post of December 28 than to most others. That was not a surprise. As I am not a rookie pastor anymore, I suspected that post would not be very popular. The one response that I did get was in the form of a question, “What can I do to make a difference? It is all so overwhelming.” (Her meme, not mine, followed her expression of exasperation.)

My simple, and paradoxically profound answer to her question is, “Just do the right thing!” The people who subscribe to this blog know, by and large, what is right and what is wrong. In my sermon on Christmas Eve, I preached about the light that shines in each of us. That light is not in my imagination or wishful thinking. It was promised by Jesus and He admonishes us to “let your (His) light shine” so that the world will be a better place, looking more like the Kingdom. In response to “What can I do?” I offered six ideas. I welcome any of your additional ideas that could benefit all of us who are looking for an answer to the question.

In my life and ministry I have learned that confronting any of the world’s injustices and unjust systems can feel overwhelming, like we are pushing a boulder uphill. None of us, individually, will solve the world’s big problems. None of us, individually, will bring an end to the suffering in Gaza and Israel…. Every one of us, together, can do the right thing.

Over the years, I have discovered that my “philosophy/theology” about confronting big injustices has been affirmed by highly-respected people. For example, Thomas Merton wrote something quite profound in The Hidden Ground of Love, “Do not depend on the hope of results… You may have to face the fact that your work will be apparently worthless and even achieve no result at all, if not perhaps results opposite to what you expect. As you get used to this idea, you start to more and more concentrate not on the results, but on the value, the rightness, the truth of the work itself.”

In other words, don’t be motivated by solving the big problem, but just do the right and honorable thing and let the rest take care of itself. That is a very liberating thought. In the words of We Are Prophets of a Future Not Our Own (https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/prayers/prophets-of-a-future-not-our-own), “We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.”

At this year-end time, I thank you for indulging and engaging in my thoughts and reflections. I wish all of you the hope that comes with turning the calendar to a new year. Together, let’s do the right thing. Let’s shine our (Christ) light on the world, or maybe just on the neighborhood. Near or far, let’s join with each other in the common good. Finally, when we have done all that we can do to make a difference, leave the rest to God because that is what faithful people do! While our track record is a bit spotty, God’s accomplishments are impeccable. Listen to the whisper!

Postscript: If you are truly longing for something hopeful and you wonder if it is even possible for Jews and Palestinians (and anybody else who wants to choose a side) to talk to each other and not at each other; if you are wondering if there is any hope of reconciliation, I commend to you a conversation between the authors of The Wall Between; two scholars who understand the history and culture of the Holy Land, one a Jew and one a Palestinian. This might be a good investment of an hour of your time as we look forward to the hope of a new year!