"THE REVOLUTION OF GRACE"
Dr. James L. Mayfield
Tarrytown United Methodist Church

September 23, 2001

Text: Jeremiah 8:18-9:1

Jeremiah's words of sorrow that we read today are amazingly appropriate for us. Jeremiah was also dealing with a national disaster. "My joy is gone, grief is upon me; my heart is sick. ... Is there no balm in Gilead?"

Gilead was known for exporting a balm, a resin that was used as an antiseptic, a salve for irritations and general medication. "Is there no balm in Gilead?" Jeremiah asked.

His question is ours also. What needs healing is more than healing brought about by reconstructing the buildings that were destroyed. That must happen and will happen. But the healing we need is more than the reconstruction of buildings. As important as our massive effort to find the guilty and bring them to justice is, the healing we need is more than that. We know this because we know that for a person who has been raped to be healed, more is needed than bringing the rapist to justice. For a person whose home has been robbed and vandalized to be healed, more is needed than repairing the damage, replacing what was lost, and bringing the guilty to justice.

We need healing because if we are not healed, the infection of anger, fear and anxiety will poison our hearts, and we will become so sick in our souls that more and more what we think and feel and speak and do will be shaped by prejudice, intolerance, bitterness and even hate. If our sin sick souls are not healed, we will find ourselves terrorizing others with the hurtful words we say and the destructive deeds we do.

Signs of this sickness are already evident in the attacks on those whose appearance is that of an Arab or whose religion is that of Islam. And we do not have to leave our city limits to see symptoms of this kind of soul sickness. Even among people who are our friends prejudice against Muslims has found expression in conversations.

Some of us have allowed a fringe, militant sect of Islam to shape our perception of all Muslims. The militant Muslims supporting terrorism are similar to militant right wing Christians who populate militias and see violence as the way God wants us to solve problems. All religions have groups that have lost touch with the compassion at the heart of their religion and have embraced holier-than-thou beliefs that not only give rise to intolerance but justifies abuse of all who are different. Just as there are holier-than-thou Christians who abuse those who are different, there are also some holier-than-thou Muslims. But just as the holier-than-thou Christians are not representative of true Christianity, the holier-than-thou Muslims are not true representatives of Islam.

If the soul sickness that is already evident among us is not healed, we will increasingly have to deal with the fallout of a society in which the thinking, feelings, words and actions of all too many people will be shaped by prejudice, intolerance, bitterness, and even hate.

Those who are responsible for the cruel deeds done September 11, are persons whose thinking, feelings, words and actions are shaped by a holier-than-thou self-understanding. It is their holier-than-thou heart felt beliefs that justifies their hate and motivates their suicidal acts of terror. How sad it would be, if in defeating this enemy, we found we had become like them.

Jeremiah looked at the painful circumstances that he and his country were going through and facing for some time to come, and he asked: "Is there no balm in Gilead?"

It is our question also. But no sooner do we ask this question than many of us remember the old spiritual that answers it: There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole. There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sinsick soul.

We who have gathered here know what the healing balm is. It is the healing grace of God that we have come to know in Jesus Christ. The healing we need, is a healing that goes beyond reconstruction of buildings. The healing we need goes beyond our efforts to find those who are guilty and bring them to justice; it is a healing that goes beyond our efforts to wipe out all international terrorist organizations. The healing that is needed is a healing of the hearts and souls of people all around this planet. Is there such a healing? Is there a balm in Gilead?

We know there is. It is God's healing, redeeming love that has been revealed in Jesus Christ. It is at God's love at work in our lives that heals our sinsick soul. And whether others are aware of it or not, it is this same divine love at work their lives that brings healing to their sinsick souls. It is only in and through God's grace that there will be healing and lasting peace.

This grace, this holy, healing balm of Gilead is found wherever persons are living in such a way that what they are saying and doing reflects the kind of love revealed in Christ. For example, Here in Austin there are some volunteers who are doing the shopping for some Muslim women who are afraid to leave their homes. They are afraid because of cruel words, cruel deeds and cruel looks they or their friends have received. So the volunteers are doing what is needed to help these women as they struggle with their fears. And what the volunteers are doing reflects the love of Christ, whether the volunteers are aware of it or not. Whenever any of you hears a friend who is frustrated and angry say something like: "They ought to just wipe out the Muslims" and you respond by helping that person be aware that the people who are involved in terrorism are not true followers of Mohammed. Whenever you undercut such prejudice. you are reflecting the kind of love Christ lived -- whether you are aware of it or not.

This is part of what it means to overcome evil with good. But for healing to come to our world, we need to do more than respond in love to the fear or the prejudice of others. We must strive to get at the root causes of this kind of soul sickness that is so destructive. We need to do more than bind up the wounded and get rid of the villains.

Here is a very simple example. From one perspective it may seem trite, but from another viewpoint, I think it is a profound paradism. It is a true story that points toward what we as persons and as a nation must do in order to bring healing and lasting peace.

This fall the new pastor of Simpson United Methodist Church, Rev.Nathaniel Hankins, became aware of some school children who waited for a bus on the sidewalk close to his church. Problems were developing. The children and youth became more rowdy. Some property damage was being done. Some of the older children were picking on the younger ones. This problem had been evident last year. The way it had been dealt with was the neighbors tried ignored what was going on, until it got so out of hand it justified calling the police. Rev. Hankins, saw the situation and decided, police action and the threat of calling the police was not really the solution. His church has begun a daily ministry of adults serving punch and cookies and just visiting with the children while they wait for the bus. Conversations led to the building of relationships. What was a negative has become a positive. The grace of God is at work in this effort, and some young people are being helped in such a way that they are enabled to be their best selves.

Granted, this is a very simple and small ministry, but it is one illustration of the way the Body of Christ brings healing to the world. It is a tiny illustration of what is called for on a much larger and complex scale throughout our city, throughout our state, our nation and around the world.

This will not just happen. It will take caring; it will take planning; it will take energy; and of course, it will take money. But just think of what can happen, if in addition to seeking the guilty so that they can be punished, we also become involved in efforts to do what can be done for those persons, especially the children, who are in situations that could lure them into becoming terrorists in the future. What if we became involved in works of compassion on the same grand and complex scale we are becoming involved in seeking justice?

In the wake of the September 11 attack, we understand Jeremiah's question: "Is there no balm in Gilead?" We who come here know there is. It is the love of God at work within us so that we become committed to loving others as God in Christ has loved us.

Let us pray. God, keep us from adding to the problems and miseries of the world. Help us live as part of your healing solution, loving others as you in Christ have loved us. Amen.

Pastoral Prayer: Let us thank God for the gifts and blessings we have received.

We have come here with a variety of concerns and problems. Let us ask God for guidance and help. God, as we continue to deal with the aftermath of the terrorists' attack, and as we continue to experience sorrow, save us from the paralysis of depression; and as we experience our anger keep us from saying and doing those things that will make matters worse. In our efforts to bring the guilty to justice, protect us and our nation from being guilty of injustice. Fill our hearts with your grace so that we not only strive to bring to justice those who are guilty of terrorism today but that we will also strive to eliminate the hopelessness, fear and frustration that breeds terrorism. God help us discover what needs to be done and then give us the will to do it. We need your help. We need your wisdom and love to guide us as persons and as a nation. In these difficult times, bring out the best in us. Rescue us from the subtle temptations that can lure us to become self-righteously involved in deeds of evil. In the midst of our sorrow and anger, invade our hearts so that our energies will be invested in those activities that will help the world come closer to what you had in mind at the very beginning. God, as we move through what we are going through, help us live as Jesus was teaching us to live when he taught us to pray: "Our Father ... "