Rev. George
Miller
May 16, 2021
Galatians
3:2-9, 23-29
History is a beautiful
thing, even though it is often very painful.
History is beautiful because
it reminds us of who we are, where we came from, the triumphs we’ve experienced,
the tragic mistakes we’ve made.
History reminds us of when
we shined, when we got mired in the mud, how far we’ve come, and how many more mountains
there are to climb.
History is all around us- Highlands
County just celebrated our centennial, Paul and Barnabas emerged from the past
to remind us of the Church’s beginning.
Today we celebrate Haitian
Flag Day.
Not only is Haiti the home
of our beloved Carnide, but Haiti’s history is our history too.
In 1492, Columbus stepped
forth upon a gorgeous island shimmering in the sea which he named Hispaniola.
The French established a prosperous
colony on the west side of the island, naming it Saint Domingue. From there much of the world’s sugar came.
A mountainous country with a
beautiful coastline, it was known as “the Pearl of the Antilles.”
The beauty came at a brutal
cost- on that shimmering island in the sea, most of the indigenous people were
killed, and millions of African people were brought over, their bodies brutalized,
forced to slave in the sun.
News of the French
Revolution sparked a spirit of freedom in the people. They began history’s most successful slave
uprising. In 1791 they fought against
European troops; 350,000 lives lost.
Then, on May 18, 1803, Catherine
Flon pieced together a red and blue flag; the people marched with it on what is
now Port-a-Prince, seeking justice and liberty.
The people claimed the
country and gave it back its original native Indian name- Haiti.
The events on May 18, 1803
spilled over onto the American Continent, directly affecting the Louisiana
Purchase, doubling the size of America, adding states like Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota. Freed people came over, many settling in
Louisiana.
For the past 218 years those
of Haitian descent proudly wear the colors blue and red, embracing the words
found on their flag, “In Unity We Find Strength.”
In Unity We Find Strength.
History is a beautiful
thing, even though it is often very painful.
History is beautiful because
it reminds us of who we are, where we came from, the triumphs we’ve experienced,
the tragic mistakes we’ve made.
History reminds us of when
we shined, when we got mired in the mud, how far we’ve come, and how many more mountains
there are to climb.
In Unity We Find Strength.
Perhaps there is no better
way to summarize today’s scripture.
Our dear friend Paul is
continuing his very emotional letter to the Galatian church, reminding them of
their history, who and what they are rooted in- the Good News of Jesus Christ.
For Paul, the Gospel is
meant to make the people shine, shine, shine across the land. What Jesus did on the cross is the turning
point if history. What God did on Easter
Sunday, is the greatest sign of grace and freedom for all humankind.
But you wouldn’t know that
with what’s happening in Jerusalem.
Peter and James, the brother
of Jesus, have become hypocrites.
Barnabas seems to have amnesia.
The religious
traditionalists are demanding circumcision.
So Paul is struggling.
All he wants is for people to
shine and welcome the grace that Jesus Crucified and Christ resurrected has to
offer.
Freedom; liberty; justice. Beautiful pearls.
But Peter, James, Barnabas,
and the traditionalists are chaining people onto the Law, enslaving them.
So what does Paul do?
He sticks to what he’s good
at- words and his knowledge of history.
He asks when they felt the
most alive- was it when doing things the way they had always been done, or when
they followed the spirit of belief?
When did God shine down upon
them with miracles? While acting out of
faith or fearfully following procedure?
Paul asks them to look upon
their own history. He reminds them of
how guarded, trapped and isolated they felt, but now in Christ they are one
family, children of God.
Then Paul does something
revolutionary- to this ragtag group of people who have come from all over, who
eat different foods, who practice different rituals, who share different ancestors,
he finds a way to unite them.
He uses words to draw them
in and bring them together.
What he basically says is
this-
“As children who have been
lovingly bathed into the family of Christ, you are dressed in clothes of
righteousness, all of you glorious pearls.”
“In Christ there is no Jew
or Gentile, there is no slave or free,
male or female,
there is no old or young, rich
or poor,
there is no North or South,
there is no snowbird or
year-round.”
Paul is not saying that we lose
our identity. What he’s saying is that in
Christ our identity should no longer divide and separate us from one another.
He says we are united in
Christ.
We are descendants of
Abraham.
As children of Abraham, and
of Sarah, all our histories intersect.
Since all our histories
intersect, we are all heirs to the promises of God.
In other words, what Paul is
saying, is that no matter who you are, or where you are from, we are united.
What Paul is saying is that
thanks to Christ, regardless if you know your history or not, we are
united.
And in our unity, we find
our strength.
Just like the colors blue
and red.
Just like the red, white,
and blue.
We have all been given a
spot on this shimmering island called earth; we are all God’s very important pearls.
Do we shine when we war
against our differences, or do we most shine when we stand united, celebrating
liberty and justice, reflections of God’s sweet, sweet love? Amen and amen.
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