Sermons

Pointing to God

Rev. Phillip Cable

Jan 20, 2008

As this sermon title drew me to gaze upon the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the central painting of ‘God creating Adam’, I found myself scrutinizing the fingers of ‘The Point’. Addressing the theology of his day Michelangelo show’s the character representing God doing the pointing, Adam representing humanity slack handed, as if either a weak recipient or hesitantly reaching for a share of The Creators power. I found myself boldly wondering if it is time for humanity to audaciously repaint this beautiful mythic art form to attempt to more accurately represent the growing theology of our day and embrace our responsibility as those called into co-creatorship with God. Maybe it is time we confidently raise Adam’s pointing finger, not as in competing dueling power sources; but, as in mutually sharing empowerment sources.

Lets face it, even in this secular age we live in, we all are tempted to point a judging finger at God when tragedy strikes. “How could you allow those seven boys to die? Those families, Bathurst N.B., to suffer so much grief? The death of so many hopes and dreams?” Or my favorite; “How could you let 30,000 children die today of easily treatable diseases and malnutrition? God, how could you allow that?” The problem with pointing our finger in judgment is that we forget that usually leaves three fingers pointing back at us. Could it be the energy used disempowers God as much as it disempowers us?

Compare this to when we point authentically to Praise, Honour, and Glorify; when we point to affirm and express deep love; admittedly, usually done more with the eyes and heart than fingers. But, picture the mutual transfer of energy, the mutual empowerment. Power goes out just one finger while four fingers of empowerment point back.

Now where did all this finger pointing come from for me in relation to these scripture passages? First there was the profit Isaiah pleading for all the shores of creation to listen as he describes, points toward, the attributes of the one who comes to serve God’s people. The great theologian and peace activist Daniel Berrigan draws our attention to the weapons imagery of verse 2. I quote “And yet the images are expressive of nonviolent realities; the sword (power of truth), the sharp arrow (right direction of mind). And neither, sword or arrow (images both of servant and service) is designed for killing, any more than the servant is. Each is “hidden” in God” [A Great and Humble Calling by Daniel Berrigan. Sojourners Magazine, March 1989] The mystical attributes cannot be literally spelled out but only pointed toward like the metaphorical sword of truth and point of the servant arrow hidden in God’s sheath of tools for creation, right relationship and justice.

And then from the Gospel John; that little line that almost goes unnoticed yet caught me this week with so much power and surprise. Two disciples … having seen Jesus Baptized … having seen the Spirit of the Creator in metaphorical image of the peace dove land on Jesus shoulder, these two disciples ask the Christ “Show us where you live.” {Pointing around repeat!) “Show us where you live.’ Now at first I must admit I stumbled on this phrase. It took a moment to recall but my brain went back to the familiar passages I heard in my childhood faith from Matthew and Luke; “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’ I remember in the literal understanding of my childhood faith how shocking and important this point seemed. Jesus had no home, had to rely on the hospitality of strangers. How could I now reconcile this with the Christ of John’s Gospel who could take people home for the day? Show them where he lives like the new 12 year old friend I took home from school, or the new sweetheart you took home for the first time to meet your family. In this I found the need to give my head a shake with the help of a former Anglican Priest and scholar, Tom Harper, as well as many other biblical scholars I’ve encountered over the course of the years. None of this is a literal story … it is all poetry, metaphor, myth … pointing toward deeper truths in our lives and our relationships with the mythical cosmic Christ and our Creator. These are important truth’s to look at because they point us toward, and help orient us to point toward Right relationship with ourselves, our neighbour, indeed the whole of Creation.

I like my new boyfriend The Rev. George Moore’s explanation of Myth as the correct container for Spiritual Truths and for sharing the transformative power of the Biblical Story. He explains; ‘you use a hay wagon to transport hay, you don’t pour water on a hay wagon and expect it to contain and carry the water. Literal stories are required to convey hard facts. Parable, metaphor, mystical story make up the Bible and are required to convey mystical, spiritual truths.’ … Truths which flow in, and around, and over us with the moving power of water … or with the soothing calming embrace of water … or with the shocking slap of icy cold water waking us to fuller truth, insight, understanding … waking us all too often to our complicity with indifference, which is the opposite of Love. (not hate) So I found my pen scratching this poem yesterday morning.

Pointing toward God

Christ, show me where you live
take me by the hand, and walk me to your dwelling.
Serve me a cup of your favorite tea
and introduce me to the kin around your table.

Christ, show me where you live;
show me the places your heart and soul call home;
show me the attitudes and values that are nurtured and ripened there;
point me toward your healing power.
Christ show me where you live.
Let us spend the day together;
let us laugh and cry, pray and sing; run, walk, dance;
and maybe even stumble!
Christ show me where you live today.
Point me to this humble earth as fully as you point me to the stars.
Take my hand as I reach to others
and we’ll make our way toward HOME.

Philip Cable, January 18, 2008