Stimulus Package

Transfiguration B 2/22/09

Mark 9:2-9

Grace and peace to you from God our Father, and from his beloved Son, Jesus.

Well, it seems that our new President’s economic policies have, if nothing else, at least “stimulated” some debate over party lines—debate as to just how stimulating the newly-signed Stimulus Package will be. Democrats are fairly well-assured that the more than 800 billion dollar plan will create almost three million jobs, thaw out the frozen credit market, and jump-start the stalled economy. Republicans are convinced that it is more of the same old “tax and spend” policies, that it is filled with entitlements, and that it will result in a whopping one trillion dollar debt that will cripple future generations of Americans. The stock market, jittery-jello-like thing that it is, had its own opinion—down another 300+ points to a new six year low.

My question today is this: Where does God figure into all this? Do we assume that when real estate was booming and the Dow was breaking 12,000 that God was with us, blessing us for being the nation that we are—truth, justice, and the American way? All right, then—if we accept or espouse that premise—does that then mean that God is now punishing us for our all too evident economic sin, or perhaps just allowing us to suffer from the results of our greed and excess, or at that God has turned away from us, shining the light of love on some other, more worthy, nation—Canada, maybe?

How does God fit into our present situation? Is God a capitalist? A socialist? A Marxist? I’m pretty sure God’s not a Marxist since old Karl said that ‘religion is the opiate of the people.” I don’t think God could get behind that. Perhaps God is a communist—for argument’s sake. (I’m just saying, don’t get all McCarthy-istic on me!) Oh, I know—God could be a theist—a theist in this case being one who uses their understanding of God’s rule to extrapolate how God wishes the economy to be run, usually repressively (Think Taliban, or Pilgrims for that matter).

Well, as much as we’d like to think that God is on “our team,” or at least rooting for us capitalists, I believe not. Not that I believe God is rooting for or aligned with any of those aforementioned systems, or, for that matter, any I forgot to mention, either. No, I’d have to say that none of these economies, an economy being the “way things work,” none of them describes who God works in the world. God’s economy is radically different from those.

For example, God’s economy is a “trickle up economy.” Grace flows up from the bottom of society, not down upon the top. A lowly, childless nomad is chosen to be the father to countless generations. A lowly shepherd boy is chosen to be king over Israel. A lowly slave is raised up to be an Egyptian prince, then falls, then is raised up again with the charge of getting God’s people to the promised land. A lowly young peasant girl is given the responsibility of bearing the eternal Logos into the world. Twelve men, fishermen, farmers, at least one tax collector—all seemingly lunkheads—are chosen to walk with Christ and learn from him. A persecutor of the early church is chosen to be a powerful evangelist.

Jesus’ teachings—the things he said and did—also vividly demonstrate this principle of God’s economy to us. Blessed are the poor and the hungry. Whenever you do something for someone sick, or in need, you do it for me. I have come to make the blind see, the lame walk, and to set the captives free. Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise. God’s work begins with the lowest echelon of society—those whom that society—no matter it be capitalist, socialist, or any other –ist—the ones society represses and oppresses. The ones we repress and oppress. Knowingly or unknowingly. God favors them.

Similarly, God’s economy is based on the compassionate administration of justice. Which may or may not (but more often may not) resemble our ideas about justice, fairness, and equity. A perfect example of this is the talent of the workers in the vineyard. Those who “work” all day are paid the same as those who only work an hour. A travesty from our way of looking at things. But just another day in God’s economy.

Because money itself, and the accumulation of wealth is of no interest to God. Except that it be used according to his economy. Wealth is a means to an end—that end being the care of those in need, including, but not limited to, one’s family, friends, and community. The desired outcome is that each receives their “daily bread,” what they need to survive and thrive—be it food, clothing and shelter, or health care, or special education, or a job, or clean water or a refuge from war.

So when our economic policies reflect these guiding principles, when they go against the profit motive and enter the realm of responsibility for those who can’t fend for themselves, then we can say God works with us. (or more truthfully, God works through us and we work with God.) And when a socialist society does the same, they can be seen as working with God, too.

But when we stray from these ideals—when any society or government does—then we are walking by ourselves. God is present, but in a different way. Instead of working with us or through us, God is actively working on us. Calling us back to faithfulness and trust, guiding us back towards his economy, working to help us make decisions and take actions that will avoid the ravaging consequences of our willful misdeeds.

Consequences such as we are facing now—not only personally, but also communally, nationally and globally. The causes of the present economic meltdown are many, they’re varied, and they’re complex. Some of it is due to pure out and out sin—greed, theft, disregard for the neighbor—and some of it is due to stretching law to the breaking point. Some of it is caused by sheer emotion—fear mostly.

Looking back, we can see points at which crisis perhaps could have been averted. But hindsight is 20/20—good to remember, not too productive to harp upon. And so now we must concentrate on doing what is possible to “fix” the problems. Hence the Stimulus Package.

And where is God in the process? I believe that God comes to us with a spiritual stimulus package—now and many times before this—whenever his created people painted themselves into the proverbial corner. Whenever humanity lost touch with the primal instinct of caring for the most vulnerable, instead letting survival of the fittest and self-preservation rule unchecked. Then God is right there with the stimulus—the spiritual “stuff” needed to move back towards God’s welcoming forgiving gracious arms.

Today’s gospel account of the Transfiguration tells of such a stimulus. Things had been going fairly well for Jesus and the twelve. They had been welcomed into every town they entered, and Jesus had become so popular with the healings that they were no longer able to “fit” in the towns. The people now streamed out into the countryside to see him!

Lately, however, Jesus had been experiencing resistance and outright animosity from certain segments of the population—Pharisees, mostly, but temple authorities and scribes too. They lurked about as Jesus taught, trying to get him to say something controversial or better yet, blasphemous.

Instead he said something strange and totally foreign even to his disciples. He told them that he would be rejected by the people, be arrested, endure great suffering, and be crucified. Peter, speaking what the rest of them surely felt, rebuked Jesus for saying such things. Certainly that could not be God’s plan for the Messiah, which they all agreed he was. But Jesus just upped the ante, telling everyone who would listen that if they wanted to follow him, they should carry a cross and work with God in his economy—putting others before self. The disciples were perplexed at this abrupt turn in rhetoric, their faith wavered.

So Jesus took Peter, James and John up on a mountain to stimulate their faith. He was transfigured, and Moses and Elijah appeared with him. The three personified God’s plan—Moses (the law), Elijah (the prophets), and Jesus, (the promised Messiah). The import of this was not lost—even on Peter. Just to be sure, God tells them that Jesus is his beloved son—and to listen to him!

Jesus’ stimulus package is successful in re-enforcing his identity as Messiah—though not the Messiah they were expecting. God’s economy and all that. He will become the least of all, in order to bring God’s grace to all. Jesus tells them to keep a lid on this experience, and they do—but Jesus is forever transfigured in their minds thereafter.

Back to our situation. What is in God’s stimulus package for us? First there is water. The waters of baptism remind us that we have been sealed by the Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever. And forever we have been made children of God—and if we shared in a death like his, we will share in his life as well. Surely your 401k is not more important than that.

Next there is provision for your well-being in the form of bread and wine. Usually, I say something about forgiveness in relationship with eucharist but in this case, it is more the assurance that God in Christ is with you in these troubled times. That when you feel abandoned, here at the altar is a place where you can be certain Christ is with you. So close you can touch him, so loving that he becomes a part of you—suffering alongside in your crisis.

A big part of the stimulus can be found in God’s word—through the scriptures, the liturgy, the hymnody, the prayers, and the sermon. God’s word motivates, inspires, and moves us towards a response—if we use it correctly. That is, if we read into it God’s economy and not our own.

God’s way of doing business points us directly to those who need help—the poor, the sick, the imprisoned, but also the bereaved, the unemployed, and the discontent. Counter-intuitively, we are called in this time of great uncertainty and fear, not to hoard our dwindling resources and go into survival mode. But instead to combat fear with hope, and uncertainty with faith. To reach out to others with the hand of Christ, intensifying our efforts to meet injustice with justice, and to meet human suffering with human caring—to work harder, pray longer, worship more regularly, volunteer more often, to give more generously – I know it sounds crazy, but stick with me. Now is the time, this is the place, you are the ones, this is the mission—to let God work through us, equipping us and inspiring us, to bring the grace of God the comfort of Christ, and the healing of the Holy Spirit to those who usually invisible to us. Our situation has shined a light on them, those who have the least, and need the most. Jesus said we would always have the poor among us. Now is the time to see them, and respond

We need to not fade away but to rise up, rise up because we are not capitalists, nor are we socialists, nor communists—we are workers in the economy of God. And God will outperform the S&P, and God will outlast the big three, and God will never use a private jet or misuse the trust you place in him. God is trustworthy.

Let the people say AMEN!