14 Pentecost/Year A/September 6, 2020

Psalm 119:33-40; Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 18: 15-20

I don’t think there is anyone sitting here today….who has not been witness to the many arguments and conflicts taking place in our country these days…whether you watch the news on TV, or on your computers or Iphones, or whether you read the newspaper, and daily tweets that come across your twitter feed…

Arguments and conflicts seem to be escalating everywhere…

Conflicts about the way to address the pandemic, conflicts about addressing racism and discrimination in our society, conflicts about religion, conflicts about politics, conflicts about climate change…the list could go on…

Conflicts have always been present…in our families, in our churches, in our communities…And as long as we are alive, and interacting with others in this world…we will never be completely free from conflict…

But, that doesn’t mean we need to give in to the picture of what we are seeing now, in the ways many people are dealing with conflict…with such hatred and disregard for the dignity of other human beings…There are voices coming from all different directions, talking and yelling over one another…with people rarely calling for a time-out to just pause, to be still…to truly listen to one another…and to listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit of God, who created us by his love, who can help us listen deeply to one another, and who can lead us and guide us in all the ways we can reach out and learn to love one another…and all of creation…

Conflicts need not be thought of as something to run from….Conflict and disagreements can help each of us learn new things…about ourselves, and about our neighbors…and can be used as a pathway towards healing and reconciliation….

But we must take time to be with one another, with our neighbors, and our enemies…to be quiet and still with one another, to listen to one another…as Henri Nouwen reminds us, by paying full attention to others and welcoming them into our very beings.

In our gospel reading today, Jesus is talking about how to lovingly, and respectfully deal with conflict in our lives, by putting God’s love, himself, in the center of all our prayers, conversations, and conflicts…not just once, but as many times, and in a variety of ways that we can….to never give up, in working towards healing and reconciliation with our neighbors and those who have sinned against us, or those we have wronged… And in our reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans….we are reminded…that the core of lovingly and respectfully dealing with conflict with each other, is through truly learning to love our neighbors, as ourselves…as Jesus has taught us and shown us…

And we can’t even begin to do that…unless we pause, to be still in the presence of the Holy One, and to just be with each other, be silent with one another… until, as Bishop Steven Charleston tells us… the only thing left is no sound at all other than the sound of our heart beating: the common sound we call life.

No more hatred, no more fear, no more anger….just a moment of silence to be connected to the source of all life, the source of all understanding, the source of all love, that helps us see and love our neighbor, as God sees them, and knows them…

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to keep silence, and a time to speak…Ecclesiastes 3: 1 & 7b

A time to speak up, and work tirelessly in seeking justice and peace among all people, and a time to speak up, to ensure that the dignity of every human being is honored and respected, as a beloved child of God…

And there is a time to rest from our labors…

There is a time to keep silence…to be quiet and still…in the presence of God, and with one another, and with all of creation…

Book: Quiet by Tomie dePaola – CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO RECORDING OF REV JULIE READING THE STORY OUTSIDE

“My, oh my,” the grandfather said. “Everything is in such a hurry.

“The birds are flying so fast.”

“And our dog is rushing after the ball,” said the girl.

“I see a frog jumping high, into the pond,” said the boy.

“And a dragonfly zooming over the water.”

“Even the trees are waving their leaves.”

“Busy as busy can be.”

“Let’s not be so busy. Why don’t we sit here, you next to me.

“The birds are just like us. Taking a rest, singing their song.”

“Our dog is tired. I think he is dreaming.”

“The frog is sitting and blinking.”

“The dragonfly has stopped beating its wings.”

“Let us be quiet, like all our friends. Quiet and still.”

“I can think, when I’m quiet.”

“I can see, when I’m still.”

To be quiet and still is a special thing.

END OF BOOK

Take time to rest and be still…

Connect once again to the source of all life,

A God who breathes through all creation: A God who is Love, eternal Love.

Let us pray: God is love – H379 – Ali Hosford sing

God is Love, let heaven adore him;

God is Love, let earth rejoice;

let creation sing before him

and exalt him with one voice.

God who laid the earth’s foundation,

God who spread the heaven above,

God who breathes through all creation:

God is Love, eternal Love.

God is Love; and Love enfolds us,

all the world in one embrace:

with unfailing grasp God holds us,

every child of every race.

And when human hearts are breaking

under sorrow’s iron rod,

then we find that selfsame aching

deep within the heart of God.