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24th Sunday after Pentecost
October 26, 2008 Sermon by The Rev. Bill Van Oss, Rector
                                                                                       Readings                                                                                    
 

Today, we celebrate Children’s Sabbath. Children’s Sabbath was born 17 years ago through the Children’s Defense Fund. As you read in the description printed on the inside front cover of today’s bulletin, this is an annual, multi-faith occasion that celebrates all children as sacred gifts of the Divine. This occasion provides the opportunity for us, and for faith communities throughout the country, “to renew and live out our moral responsibility to care, protect and advocate for all children.” We come together in shared concern for children, and a common commitment to improving their lives and working for justice on their behalf. That’s what today is all about.

Dietrick Bonhoeffer once said that, “the test of the morality of a society is how it treats its children.”

It has been 40 years since Dr. King delivered the sermon you heard as part of today’s first reading. In that sermon, Dr. King challenged the heavens to “rid our nation and world of poverty.” He spoke of the 40 million people living in poverty who were “invisible” in the midst of affluence.

So, how are the children today, 40 years after Dr. King’s sermon?

As you can see from some of the statistics printed in the bulletin, today in America, a child is born into poverty every 33 seconds. Today, over 13 million children live in poverty in America and nearly 9 million lack health insurance. And the sad statistics of crime, gun violence, abuse and neglect continue. We are failing Bonhoeffer’s test of morality as a society.

Dr. King is often quoted, but his example of non-violent resistance to injustice is too seldom followed. And the same thing is true with Jesus. He’s often quoted. Nearly everyone, including non-Christians, knows the famous commandment Jesus gives us in today’s Gospel: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment.” And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

“The great commandment” it’s called. It’s a command, not a suggestions, or a nice idea, or something to consider; it’s an order. It must be done.

We are commanded to love with the same force we are commanded to not make idols, or kill, or steal, or bear false witness or covet. “Love your neighbor.” Love the children, or better, love a child, because love is a singular. We love one at a time.

Edmond McDonald is a Methodist minister and he once wrote: “When God wants an important thing done in this world or a wrong righted, God goes about it in a very singular way. Instead of unleashing the power of thunderbolts or earthquakes, God simply has a tiny baby born, perhaps of a very humble home, perhaps of a very humble mother. And she puts it in the baby’s mind, and then – God Waits,” because the great events of this world are not battles and elections and earthquakes and thunderbolts. The great events are babies . . .”

“For each child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged with humanity, but God is still expecting goodwill to become incarnate in each human life.

And so God produced a Gandhi and a Mandela and a Harriet Tubman, Mother Theresa, Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, and each of us to guide the earth towards peace and justice rather than conflict and bloodshed.”

God produced each of us, you and me, to do a great thing, to right wrong, to work for justice, to love.

And the command of Jesus Christ today to love our neighbor is the calling of this Children’s Sabbath. Love the children, love a child, love one at a time, because love is a singular.

Beginning with your family: if you have children or grandchildren, the call is unconditional love – to children in your neighborhood: maybe one needs a listening ear, or for an adult to take an interest in them.

There are children in our midst right here at St. Paul’s. It always amazes me when the High School graduates preach on Youth Sunday, how they point out the adults of this church who took an interest in them, learned their name, asked them about school and activities, simple things that mean so much.

There are children in our community, in our city, children in our schools looking for a mentor or reading partner, a scout leader, a coach, a classroom or after-school helper, who cares enough to give the gift of time, of attention – the gift of themselves – the gift of love.

There are children who come through the doors of this church who lack basic necessities. Our open doors and outreach shows our love one child at a time.

There are local agencies like the CHUM Foodshelf, Lifehouse, Little Treasure’s, Damiano and Safe Haven – to name but a few – that care for and protect children, teens and their families.

There are ways to advocate at the local, state and national levels for laws and policies regarding Children’s physical and mental health, their education and safety. Episcopal Public Policy Network is a great way to become an advocate.

We need to know where our elected officials stand on issues related to the welfare and well-being of children and vote for those who have the interests of children at heart.

We can speak for children who have no voice – stand for children unable to stand up for themselves by casting a vote and making a call or sending a letter or email.

There are the Millennium Development Goals, and Episcopal Relief and Development – ways to reach out and love children at a global level. Our Sunday School kids have recently done this through the MDGs.

We need to love by example, always aware that what we do is much more powerful than what we say. Love is a verb.

Karen Armstrong says, “To love is to honor, to respect and to protect.” That’s the goal this Children’s Sabbath Sunday – to put the love of God into action by finding ways to honor, respect and protect children.



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