Pentecost 18, Year B
Donna Joy

Esther 7:1-6, 9-10, 9:20-22; Psalm 124; Mark 9:38-50

As I was reflecting upon today's readings, it occurred to me that these passages are grappling with the age-old question: whose side God is on. If the God I worship is on my side, then the God you worship must be a rival who is to be feared, and therefore, despised. Every fiber of my being cringes when I think about how much blood has been shed as a result of this ideology.

I was reminded of something I heard about Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. At a prayer breakfast with a group of clergy, one of the ministers said, "Mr. President, let us pray that God is on our side." Lincoln's response was interesting, as he said, "No, gentlemen, let us pray that we are on God's side." Lincoln reminded those who were gathered there that religion is not a tool by which we get God to do what we want, but an invitation to open ourselves to being and doing what God would have us be and do.

I was also reminded of something that was written by Hitler, where he says, "I (Hitler) believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord..." In so many ways Hitler reveals himself as one who firmly believes that God is on his side. Hitler's anti-Semitism grew out of the Christian education he was exposed to during his life as a child and adolescent, which took for granted the belief that Jews held an inferior status to Aryan Christians. Jewish hatred did not spring initially from Hitler, it came from the preaching & teaching of Catholic and Protestant priests and pastors throughout Germany for hundreds of years. It came from the absolute conviction that God was on their side.

And, of course, while these are two very public and particular examples of terrible tragedies where God was seen to be exclusively on one side or another, we all know that this implicit and explicit mindset continues... My Jesus is better than your Jesus... My God (whoever that God happens to be) is better than your God... Interpersonal and global conflict continues to permeate the very air we breathe, because of the conviction that God is exclusively on this side or the other.

Our reading from the Book of Esther is steeped in conflict that is rooted in this kind of tension. Esther is living in Persia with her cousin Mordecai, and both of them are Jews. Esther is exceptionally beautiful, and not realizing that she is a Jew, the king of Persia (who worships a different God) falls in love with her and makes her his queen. Meanwhile, Esther's cousin Mordecai becomes an enemy of Haman, one of the most powerful people in the land. Haman, who also worships the same God as the king and who believes that God is on his side, exclusively, plans not only to kill Mordecai, but also to exterminate all the Jews in every province of the empire. Indeed... This sounds terrifying similar to the events of the 2nd WW. My God is on my side, so I absolutely can justify what I'm about to do.

However, this plan is truncated when, through a series of events masterminded by Esther herself, the king discovers what Haman is up to, and punishes him accordingly. Esther eventually confesses to the king that she and her cousin are Jews, and the king provides the Jews with the protection they need.

As we ponder the question of whose side God is on, I think this story becomes one with some significant surprises, and insights. Because the king becomes intimately involved with Esther who worships a different God than him, he seems to soften and become committed to justice; committed to providing protection for those who worship a different God than the one he worships. The tension between my God vs. your God seems to take a back seat in favour of offering kingly leadership that protects those who are vulnerable... even those whose God is seemingly different. The purpose of this story is to remind its hearers that God is able to protect his people against any danger, even in the midst of a foreign land. And interestingly, God is able to manage this only when the opposing believers become one household; only when the opposing believers become united and sit at the same table.

Hans Kung in his book 'Christianity: Essence, History, Future' says there will be, "no peace among the nations without peace among the religions; no peace among the religions without dialogue between them..."

Our Psalm today takes us deep into the thorny issue of claiming to have God on our side. This Psalm speaks of some conflict or issue that has already been resolved and the psalmist is giving thanks for God's protection. It seems that Israel had suffered attack from some enemy and had come away undefeated. The psalmist seems convinced that Israel was undefeated because God was on their side.

This is a predictable response for any person or community of faith. When good fortune comes our way it may be our natural tendency to give God the credit. And as long as this is nothing more than giving thanks for a blessing that has touched our lives, that is good. Gratitude is always a good thing.

But what we must not say - and probably cannot honestly say - is that "it was God who was on our side exclusively." Once we make this claim, the hope of bridging the distance that exists between us and other human beings all but disappears. In the absolute claim of God's exclusive favoritism, fellowship is destroyed; relationships are destroyed. The tendency to divide the world into 'us' and 'them' is rooted deeply in our innate insecurity and fear. Hopefully, the love of God - made known in Jesus - can set us free from that fear and suspicion and allow us to see what Jesus identifies in today's Gospel - that "those who are not against us are for us." In this passage, Jesus' disciples are complaining because someone outside their circle (someone whose God may be different from theirs) is casting out demons in Jesus' name. This 'strange exorcist' is otherwise unknown to us, but on a rather sardonic and humorous note, his apparent success contrasts sharply with what occurred just prior... that is, the inability of Jesus' own followers to successfully perform the same act. Where Jesus' followers have failed, this unknown exorcist has succeeded. In other words, someone not in their circle in succeeding at something they themselves have been unable to do! How dare they!

But this is where Jesus' response to his disciples' complaint is quite startling, where he says, "Do not stop him... Whoever is not against us is for us." But too often, we invert Jesus' words. Instead of "whoever is not against us is for us," we assume that those who are perceived as outside of our community - our denomination, our ecclesiastical, theological, liturgical style (evangelical, charismatic, low-church, high-church, liberal, conservative)... those who perceive and interpret God differently from us - are our rivals. Instead of "whoever is not against us is for us," we assume that those who worship different Gods than what we perceive to be a Christian God (Jews, Muslims, Hindus,) - are our rivals. Instead of "whoever is not against us is for us." we assume that those who have any kind of different opinions from the ones we hold, are our rivals.

I'm pretty close to a particular family who practices no overt faith tradition, but worship quite faithfully the gods of rock music. One member of that family is a faithful follower of The Rolling Stones, while another is an equally devout follower of the Beatles; and listening to their ongoing banter over this is hilarious. Neither one of them will rest peacefully until the other one recognizes that their 'god' is right, and the other's is wrong; that their 'god' is best.

Within the life of the church we have a tendency to do this in all sorts of ways. And, of course, colonization was the epitome of this all-too-human tendency. It seems we are programmed to think that our perception of God is the best, and to do whatever we can to force others into the same view and practices. But this Gospel reading from Mark is urging us to recognize that it's not about that. It's about recognizing where God is at work in all sorts of surprising places; God is at work in our neighbourhoods, communities, and in the world at large, and then discern how we may partner with and support that Godly work which is already taking place.

St. Peter's Mission and Outreach Committee is currently exploring what it is to move into a missional model of church; that is, a church that recognizes the Godly work that is taking place in our neighbourhood and discern how we may partner with those in our neighbourhood to help that good work unfold. Of course, we are uniquely Christian. We believe that God has come to us in the person of Jesus, has died for us and risen so that we may be empowered to carry on the ministry of Jesus in the church and in the world. It is important that we remain rooted in - what is for us - this foundational core belief. But it is not up to us to assume that this God we worship is right and others are wrong.

So, with this in mind, Susan Sprange and I are currently interviewing a number of neighbourhood organizations (community centres; other churches; schools; organizations that assist families in need; etc.). We are sitting down at the same table with a whole host of people and we are asking how we might partner with them in these acts of reaching out. Just as in our reading from Esther, where rigid religious boundaries were softened when people with differences sat down at the same table together; this is our hope.

Indeed, this morning's gospel pushes us to recognize many different interpretations of God at work in communities and organizations that uphold, empower, and support the needs of those who live on the margins; such places as St. Matthew's Maryland Community Ministry; Siloam Mission; Winnipeg Harvest; the Right to Housing Coalition; North Point Douglas Women's Centre; Kairos; P.W.R.D.F.; Amnesty International; the Stephen Lewis Foundation. If you're not familiar with any of these organizations, please follow the links provided to look more deeply into what they're about.

God is at work in those who work with children and all those in our communities (at home and abroad) who are marginalized and vulnerable. God is at work in our prisons. Some really faithful Christians have discovered this Holy Presence and answer a call to find Christ and serve Christ in those places.

Currently there is a meeting planned with Shaarey Zedek, St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Bethel Mennonite Church, Harrow United Church, and St. Peter's to discuss the possibility of creating a partnership to sponsor a refugee family or families. In our diocese we are fortunate to have Gail Schnabl who guides us, and offers necessary information as Anglicans discern a way forward in sponsoring refugees. We are fortunate that Gail is with us today and will be speaking to us on this very topic at the soup lunch following our worship.

As we engage in God's work we will encounter many different perceptions of God, but our goal is to find strength together. Indeed, it is not about whose side God is on, but in the words of Abraham Lincoln, "Let us pray that - together - we are on God's side."

Jesus, then, goes on to talk about stumbling blocks that prevent us from recognizing Him in those surprising people and places. And Jesus emphatically insists that whatever it is that causes us to stumble – whatever it is that blocks us from recognizing God in our midst – whatever that is, it must be removed. Anything that gets in the way of us seeing God in those predictable and surprising places must go.

We must ask ourselves, what is it that is causing us to stumble? What is it that is causing that causing this blindness? The stumbling block for those disciples in today's Gospel was that age-old tendency to only see the 'truth' in one tiny context; one tiny place. And I think that continues to be a significant challenge today. While we are called and expected to remain firmly rooted in our Christian faith, we need to widen our horizons and open ourselves to see God's handiwork in so many places around us; to discern ways in which we may partner with God's work and people so that God's work can flourish in unexpected and surprising ways.

Indeed, whoever is not against us is for us, and together we can be a light that shines into a darkened and troubled world. The God we worship is expansive enough, big enough, inclusive enough to work through each of our differing interpretations of who God is, and together we can serve God in ways that are faithful, effective, reconciling, and good.