A Goodness Deeper than Civility Expects | A Sermon on Stewardship and Election Season
A Sermon by the Reverend Mother Crystal J. Hardin for the people of St. George’s Episcopal Church on the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost (A) on Sunday, October 18, 2020.
Matthew 22:15-22
I am a pretty avid reader –usually of fiction or theology, occasionally poetry or short essays. But recently I’ve branched out. I’ve been reading book after book, article after article about having difficult conversations, how to talk about race and racism, politics, money, how to give critique, how to cross the aisle politically in conversation, and how to manage the anxiety that comes with all of it.
I’ll be honest, at some point, all of this research became another way to avoid the difficult conversations I knew I needed to be having, so I’m not sure I’d call any of it a success.
I’ll also admit to you that one of the articles I remember best when I’m actually trying to do the work is called Understanding Etiquette: Talking Politics and Religion, by, wait for it, The Modern Day Man.
According to the Modern Day Man, when discussing things normally considered conversational taboo –like religion, politics, and money—one should follow these six guideposts: gently does it, time and place, it’s not a debate, don’t make assumptions, cool, calm and collected, and have an escape plan.
Gently does it: this is a sermon about religion, politics, and money. That wasn’t very gentle, but it wasn’t my opening line either, so I call it a win.
Time and place: here we are, at church, and if you can’t talk about hard things at church, then what’s the point?
It’s not a debate: it sure isn’t, because we are Episcopalians, which means we rarely talk back to the preacher.
Don’t make assumptions: I am going to make some assumptions.
Cool, calm and collected: you better believe it, again, we’re Episcopalians. We don’t get that worked up.
And, finally, have an escape plan: I’ll execute on that in about ten minutes.
So, here we go.
Two seasons are upon us, important seasons: stewardship and election. The first may feel quite contained, something we do within the church for the church. The second may feel quite existential given our political climate. And yet, the Gospel appointed for today has something to say about both.
Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s (Matt. 22:21).
This is Jesus’ response to a question about taxation. The Pharisees and the Herodians approached Jesus on what will be his last week in Jerusalem and, after flattering him a bit, they ask whether it’s lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, who held himself out as a deity. Except, they aren’t really interested in Jesus’ answer, which, by the way, is not a good place to start if you’re trying to have a difficult conversation. They are trying to trap him; their intent is malicious. The Pharisees at that time believed that payment of the tax was heretical. The Herodians believed that failure to pay was the path to insurgency. The choice was between idolatry or insurrection.
Jesus responds by drawing attention to the coin itself, which bore -of course- the image of the emperor. Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s. Or, more famously, render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s. Jesus isn’t interested in the choices presented by the world; or rather, he isn’t limited by them. There is no yes or no here. It is about right relationship between religion, politics, and money. Right relationship with God and neighbor.
The coin belongs to the emperor, his face is stamped right on it. Let him have it, Jesus seems to say. But this begs the question, what belongs to God? Theologian Debie Thomas writes:
From the opening chapters of Genesis, we know that as human beings created by God, we bear God’s image. God’s likeness is stamped into us and upon us. God’s signature is written across our very beings. Which means . . . that we owe God everything. Our whole and entire selves. We cannot separate the emperor's realm from God's realm when everything — everything — belongs to God. [1]
That’s the thing, isn’t it? Everything belongs to God, Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer. The very idea that something belongs to us, or to the State, and not to God is ridiculous.
Last week, I suggested that we see this stewardship season as a gift. As a period of discernment to think about what we trust, what we hold central in our lives, and what we value. Election season calls us to the same. What we do within the church for the church cannot be contained, just as election season and all it provokes must be placed at the feet of our Lord. As Thomas writes, “If everything belongs to God, then our spiritual lives and our political lives must cohere.” [2] I would extend that to the other areas of our lives as well, including our financial lives.
Our stewardship theme this year is One, Together. Stamped with God’s likeness, we are One in Christ. As the St. George’s community, we witness to this truth through liturgy and sacrament, action and advocacy in the pursuit of social justice, formation and fellowship, and outreach and presence to the surrounding community. Most of all, we witness to this truth through our prayers and our worship.
As Jesus said to His disciples (and still says to us), you are witnesses to these things (Luke 24:48). We as church make Christ known through our words and our actions, or lack thereof. So, what are we witnessing to, as individuals, and as a community? Because, we are always witnessing, testifying, to something. The question is what.
Sister Lisa Marie, author of the blog “Nunspeak,” asks, “Are we proclaiming Christ through our words and actions in a way that leaves those who encounter us to confirm in their hearts a goodness deeper than civility expects?” [3]
A goodness deeper than civility expects.
The word civility is everywhere these days, with many expressing a longing for its return (myself among them). But certainly, as Christians, we should strive to witness to something more, something deeper.
Because Caesar might have a coin, but we Christians have a currency too. God’s currency, which is grace.
Friends, it is election season. And you should absolutely vote. You should vote your conscience. You should vote your faith. You should encourage others to vote. And, you should pray. Before. During. After. And not that your will be done. But that God’s will be done. Trust in God’s sovereignty, righteousness, and faithfulness.
Trust in God’s currency, which is of eternal value.
As One, Together we strive to testify through words and actions to God’s currency, God’s way. We come together here, in this place and at this time, from different walks of life, with different ideas about politics, money, even religion, and yet we testify to certain truths:
We are stronger together.
Everyone is our neighbor, even that person who doesn’t look like us, love like us, or vote like us.
Love is, in fact, the answer, and it demands something of us.
Finally, and always, God wins.
We are, all of us, bearers of God’s image, recipients of God’s grace, and can be witnesses to a goodness deeper than civility expects. Left to our own devices, we’re hopelessly in debt, catastrophically unable to save ourselves. But God has forgiven our debts. Jesus Christ has saved us and it is in Jesus Christ that we proclaim liberty and justice for all. Let us be witnesses to that, One Together, with our generosity, humility, and faithfulness, both as stewards and as voters.
Samuel Wells puts it best: “It is in God where our security rests . . . where our freedom lies. That’s why in the end we can give Caesar as much or as little as we or he may like – so long as we give everything to God.”[4]
Amen.
[1] “What Belongs to God,” Journey with Jesus, October 11, 2020, https://www.journeywithjesus.net/essays/2787-what-belongs-to-god.
[2] Ibid.
[3] “You are Witnesses to These Things,” Nunspeak, May 30, 2011, https://nunspeak.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/you-are-witnesses-of-these-things/.
[4] “Ordinary Rendition,” a sermon preached in Duke University Chapel on Oct.16, 2011, https://chapelarchives.oit.duke.edu/documents/Oct16OrdinaryRendition_000.pdf.
*image is Caesar's Coin, by Peter Paul Rubens (1612-1614).
