Rotten Fruit
September 25 , 2005
Matthew 23:23-28
James 3:13-18
Can you believe it? Money isn’t the answer. Actually, money is part of the answer, especially for us in the U.S., we have more money than any other country in the world. We need to use our money. But, that’s only the first part of the story.
For example, two weeks ago we were buying stuff for the TIHAN marketplace project. We used our money to buy toiletries, water, candy, paper towels, razors, shaving cream. And, the people at POZ café lined up after lunch and bingo to get these things. They were so thrilled with the things that were in those bags. It changed their lives that week. But, it’s also important to ask, why do these people not have enough money to buy toiletries.
These people don’t have enough money because they are HIV positive or have full-blown AIDS. And, in our country that doesn’t mean an immediate death sentence any more. There are drugs. However, the drugs are very expensive. Most people cannot afford them for very long. In order to afford the drugs you must bankrupt yourself of all you have. You will lose your savings, your house, your privacy because you’ll have to have a roommate. Once you have nothing the government will then again pay for your medication. Once you have to beg for toilet paper, shaving cream, razors, paper towels, then our nation will help you with medicine. It’s not enough to buy them toilet paper, shaving cream, razors, paper towels, it’s just part of the solution. We must look at the system that makes them have to ask for such things. Because when we force people to beg for things, it is degrading and it sends a message that some are more important than others.
Jesus confronted the religious leaders saying, “You clean the outside of the cup but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.”
I saw the Dalai Lama this past Monday. I know that many of you saw him as well. I belong to a group of faith leaders called the Tucson Multi-Faith Alliance. All of its members were invited to a special dialogue with His Holiness regarding meditation and where or how it exists in our own traditions. The presenters were the usual players: the Imam, the Moslem faith leader for the Phoenix area; Bishop Kicanas, the Catholic bishop for Southern Arizona; Rabbi Tom Louchheim of Or Chadash Reform Jewish Temple in Tucson; and Rev. David Wilkinson from St. Francis in the Foothills, a United Methodist Church. The room was filled with about a hundred faith leaders from across southern Arizona. I would guesstimate maybe ten Christians were in the room. I believe I was the only UCC clergy person in the room. It was the most amazing experience sitting among people from all walks of life with all sorts of religious costume. Native people held a drumming circle as we arrived and pow wow dancers danced and sang. It was like stepping into another universe.
When the panel of men came into the room it seemed just an ordinary group of men to me. Three of the five I know and have done work with since I’ve arrived in Tucson. And, then in the middle was His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He also seemed a very ordinary man. He was a bright, smiling, happy person. After they arrived on stage one of the Native people gave him a drum they had made. And he immediately began drumming it along with their drumming, playful, filled with fun. He was delighted in that moment, beaming with enthusiasm. Then he passed the drumstick to the Bishop and had him drum with the rhythm. The Bishop did, but was embarrassed and nervous about doing this with His Holiness and quickly stopped. And, then the speeches began. It was phenomenal, they were basically the worst speeches I’ve heard the Arizona people give. All of them are gifted storytellers. But, today, it was as if they were giving their first sermons ever. Tom and David rescued the dialogue with keeping their voices and being able to stay in the present.
Whitewashed outside, hypocrisy and lawlessness
I was with David and Tom at another meeting later in the week. We’re trying to get a new clergy group going that does Prayer, Scripture Reading and Study and then a Social Justice Project. This will help us to learn the differences of our traditions and then similarities. This will help us find common ground as people of faith larger than what we have now. And, when we disagree or things may get heated we’ll have time to let it pass while we do something physical together: building, gardening, harvesting.
And, at the meeting I congratulated David on being the most well spoken of the day. I also told him it was the worst speech I’d ever heard the Bishop give. And, David laughed, he said, “We were all terrified! It was nerve-racking! You know, we gathered together with him the five of us for 25 minutes before we came to the stage. He touched us. His touch was indescribable, then, I bowed to him and he leaned forward until our heads were touching. I felt like I was the one in our Scripture lying by the pool of Bethzatha waiting to go into the healing waters but not having a way to get in. I felt like I had been lying there for 35 years, all the years of my ministry, alone. And, I realize it’s my ego that has kept me there. My hatred for the Christian Right. My unwillingness to share ideas and bring others into the dialogue, wanting the glory only for myself. All I can do is weep.” And he began to cry. This Holy man who is not even part of David’s or my tradition opened a pathway, a new journey for David that will change his course, his life, his ministry, his faith. And that’s what forgiveness, compassion and mercy will do.
Whitewashed outside, hypocrisy and lawlessness
The Dalai Lama has been in exile since the age of five when the Chinese forced him out of Tibet. And yet, he loves the Chinese. He holds them in constant forgiveness, compassion and peace.
We were allowed to ask questions after the panelists finished, and a man stood up who owns a consulting firm. He works with a company that works with youth from around the globe. On a recent trip to China he had a teenage Chinese boy who decided that he wanted to do what he could to free Tibet. And, when a man in Silicon Valley found out about this boy he offered to help raise ten billion dollars to buy Tibet for the Dalai Lama. And, this man was now asking the Dalai Lama for permission to go ahead with the project. People around me were asking, “Is this a real question? Is this guy for real?” And when the Dalai Lama said nothing the man prodded him again, “Can we buy Tibet for you?” The people in the room cheered. But, the Dalai Lama just smiled. “It will not work,” he said. And, I thought, “Isn’t that so western, we think we have power and money and that can solve everything?” “Yes,” the Dalai Lama said, “the Chinese do need money. Always they need money. But, what is enough? And, if you are willing to give them ten billion maybe others are willing to give that too? So the deal will go through only to throw us out again when the rent is up or goes up. And, it doesn’t solve the problems of trust, honor, conviction between us. Recently, some pictures made it to me of a carcass that a furrier had left behind only taking the skin of the animal. Tibet would make a wonderful wildlife refuge, the Chinese could charge money to tourists to see all the amazing wildlife. The Chinese could have more money from making a wildlife refuge. But, this isn’t just about money. It is also about power, authority, ideas of control. But, at the same time, I won’t stop you, go ahead. We should all try when we feel so inspired.”
And, then it was time for closing blessings. A Native Elder had been invited from one of the reservations nearby. He did a ceremony with Eagle Feathers stirring up the air that we might all share sacred breath that will bring us together. And then, using holy water, he blessed the Dalai Lama. But, before he did that, with the water dripping from his hand, he stood up and came to the edge of the stage, looking at the man who could send $10 billion to Tibet. He said, “We have brown skin, we live just down the road from here. We are dying and suffering from all sorts of horrible things. We could use this kind of money to bring our people out of poverty, to educate, to live. But, you’ve never once come to us.” This Holy man inspired truth telling from the inside in the midst of 100 people all gathered for our own agendas.
Who is wise among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom.
And, as I savor this experience of the Dalai Lama, the man who could throw the seasoned veterans off their game. Savor a room full of the widest possible spectrum of religious leaders, beyond all imagination. I gleaned important learnings that reinforce our lessons for today. Good life and works need to be born of gentleness and wisdom. Of what it meant for the man with friends in Silicon Valley as well as myself, to hear the man from the reservation. Of what it means when a man who has been ordained for 35 years says, it’s my ego that has kept me away from people my whole ministry. Of what it means to hear how people pray no matter what their background is. But, the biggest learning was the reminder. It is not enough to give money. We must work on our own selves. We must find out what it means to name what hurts us, what causes us to become isolated, what creates a breach between us and another. And, it is our work to adjust our living to lessen these breaches. It is our work to name our shortcomings and pray compassion, peace and kindness into those situations. And, when we feel like we’re too busy, we don’t have enough money, time, opportunity, remember the little man from Tibet. Who took a vow of poverty and is changing the world one teaching, one lecture, one person at a time. And that person he begins with is always himself. Let us pray.