Into A World Full Of Darkness...Be the Light; Ecclesiastes 5:8-20

 

Rev. George Miller

July 3, 2022

Ecclesiastes 5:8-20

 

“Into a world full of darkness, get well soon.”  These are the words spoken by Janet Jackson in her 1989 album “Rhythm Nation 1814.”

 

For me, “Rhythm Nation” is an influential album as it highlights issues like prejudice and homelessness.

 

The last song on side A is a somber song called “Living In A World They Did Not Make,” about the plight of innocent children who are forced to live amongst injustice and unkindness.

 

It begins with “Children are called the future of an adult world…with spirits so innocent ‘til we teach them how to hate.”

 

The song ends with a children’s chorus abruptly, violently interrupted with the sounds of gunfire and children in a playground screaming for cover.

 

The song was inspired by a shooting that took place in a California school, killing children of Asian refugees.

 

It is shocking, sobering, and still timely, as we witnessed a few weeks ago.

 

What’s intrigued me about this song is that after hearing innocent lives being extinguished, you flip the album over and the next song begins with the sound of trumpets and a rousing Cab Calloway beat that makes you just want to put on a Zoot Suit and dance.

 

The song is called “Alright,” and it celebrates love, friendships and life.

 

It’s fascinated me that an artist can move from a song about unjust death to a tribute about best friends.

 

Yet it makes sense.  Janet was showing us that in the face of great tragedy there can also be great joy.

 

That the balance to the world’s darkness is finding and holding onto the light of each other.

 

What she did was biblical- proclaiming that after death there can be resurrection, that one can care about issues like poverty and injustice while also finding a way to praise, celebrate, and shine.

 

That’ what Jesus showed us throughout the Gospel of John.

 

Amid Rome’s invasion of Israel, there were still weddings to attend. 

 

Jesus showed that after bringing wellness to others you can enjoy Panera Bread and Red Lobster with 5,000 of your neighbors.

 

Before undergoing great trials, we can be recipients of sweet-smelling gifts.

 

Jesus demonstrated that in a world full of darkness, we don’t have to always be so serious. 

 

We can do the work of Heaven and we can also sit back, relax, and enjoy time with our friends.

 

Jesus showed that even though courts and religious extremists do all they can to control us, we can still be with our buddies by the shore, having a fish fry.

 

Jesus is THE example of how to live a balanced existence in a world full of darkness.  He showed how to be a light, and to bring a light into a dark world-

 

Seeing through Heaven’s eyes, offering wellness to others, honoring their tears and crying right beside them.

 

Jesus embodied the fact that we are all living in a world we did not make, but that through kindness, love, friendship, justice, and God, we will be alright.

 

This spirit of Jesus is also the spirit we see in today’s reading.

 

Ecclesiastes is the words of an older, wise teacher who is imparts wisdom upon their students, youth who have arrived innocent, excited, and ready to change the world.

 

The teacher’s message is not the message the were hoping for.  The message is bases in lived life lessons.

 

He is telling them- you are born naked and you’re doing to die naked.  You’re born with nothing, and nothing is what you’re going to take with you.

 

Everything that is happening now has happened before and will happen again.  His message is one of truth-

 

No matter how many times you wash your dishes, you’ll always have a full sink of silverware when you get home.

 

No matter how many times you do laundry, there will always be a basket of clothes to wash, dry and fold.

 

No matter how much you spray, weed, mow, trim, rake there will always be more yardwork the following season.

 

No matter how much you march, write letters, and vote, there will always be corruption and injustice all around.

 

It may sound negative, uninspiring, but it’s true.  The teacher wants the students to know this now so when they go out into the world, they don’t give up in despair, giving them tips to illuminate what could be a dark reality.

 

One- don’t become so obsessed with money that you miss living your life.  The more you have, the more you can lose, and lose sleep over.  Use money to live, don’t live to use money.

 

Two- there’s only so much you can do, only so much you can change, only so much you can worry about, so have fun- hang out with friends, dine, drink, dance, smile.

 

Three- trust that God’s got this.  Even if it doesn’t look like it, even if it doesn’t feel like it, trust that God is working through all the mess and funk and chaos to bring Heaven here on Earth.

 

They want their students to see things through the long arc of history-

 

The king may wield their power over the land for now, but God and the land will always, eventually prevail.

 

The teacher is not saying “Do nothing; give into the darkness.”

 

They are saying “Live the best life you can, doing what you enjoy with those who like, love and those who are alright with you.  God’s got this.”

 

Like Janet Jackson, the teacher is letting us know that injustice, unkindness, and egocentrism is amongst us, but so are good friends, good times, and God.

 

Jesus said the same thing to, in a different way, in Matthew 6:25-34:

25 “…do not worry about your life, what you will eat or 

what you will drink, or about your body, what you will 

wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than 

clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow 

nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly 

Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 

27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to 

your span of life?

 

28 And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the 

lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into 

the oven, will he not much more clothe you… 

31 Therefore do not worry…33…butstrive first for the 

kingdom of God^l and his^m righteousness, and all these 

things will be given to you as well.34 “So do 

not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring 

worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

 

These words of Jesus, like the words of the teacher in Ecclesiastes, are words of wisdom, words of truth, words that continue to march on.

 

Yes, we are living in a world of darkness, but we always have.  Yes, there is injustice and corruption, but there always was.

 

This does not mean we give up; it does not mean we give in.

 

What is does mean is that we LIVE.  We shine.  We eat.  We dine.  We love.  We share.  We let go. 

 

We find our own way to hold onto the light that made itself known on Christmas morn.  We hold onto the Good News shared on Easter Sunday.

 

We continue to shine, shine, shine with our friends, with our family, with our community, and with our God.

 

God’s got this.  Let us be the light that reflects that. 

 

Amen.

Legacy; Sermon on 1 Kings 2:10-25

 

Rev. George Miller

June 19, 2022

1 Kings 2:10-25

 

How exciting- here we are celebrating not 1 but 2 special days.  JUNETEENTH, when all enslaved people were truly, finally all set free!  Liberty!

 

And Father’s Day, honoring the men in our lives, knowing that being a Dad ain’t always easy.

 

To reflect upon these holidays, we spend time with the 1^st Family of Israel, the dynasty selected by God to keep the commandments, unify the land and focus on the ways of Heaven.

 

Ya’ll know this 1st Family- King David, who defeated Goliath, soothed the soul of Saul, snatched the Ark from enemy hands, brought the 10 Commandments into the heart of the nation.

 

Surely King David must’ve done great things.  Surely, he must’ve made sure the widows were cared for, the people rested on the Sabbath, and he never ever told a lie.

 

Surely the 1^st Family of Israel was morally grounded, ethically fair and left a legacy of praise and worship.

 

But, none of this is true. Before King David’s body can even decompose, his sons battle for who gets their dead Dad’s concubine. 

 

We have one of David’s 8 wives either be played as a pawn…or be the ultimate Chess player.

 

His spiritual advisor devises a plan to change the transfer of political power.

 

There’s a dispute over who is the nation’s next leader- the one who publicly proclaims he won, or the one who was granted leadership.

 

We think we’d hear a story about justice, kindness, and humility when it comes to the 1^st Family of God; instead we get sex, deceit, deadly take-over, and everybody jockeying for power.

 

Oh how far we have gone from the Garden of Eden; how far yet to go to embody the Good News.

 

Today we deal with LEGACY.  What is it we hope to leave behind after our time on Earth has come to an end?

 

David and his 1^st Family of Chaos help us discern what Legacy can look like.

 

First the good- King David was able to unite a divided nation and move the Ark of The Covenant to a secure place.

 

He made Jerusalem the center of Israel’s political, spiritual life.  He defeated their enemies making sure the nation could spend the next few decades in a state of safety and calm.

 

David had insight into human nature, understanding how relations between other nations could benefit all.

 

The not so good.  King David cemented these relationships by taking numerous wives and concubines from these territories, creating a fractured family system that often abused each other.

 

King David killed without a conscience- didn’t matter if you were a giant or a trustworthy general.

 

Third, he may have rescued the 10 Commandments, but he rarely followed them, especially the ones about coveting, adultery, and murder.

 

When King David grew old, as he lay dying, his children, his advisor, his wife all displayed what kind of legacy he had left behind- protect yourself at all costs above anyone and anything.

 

Not love God, love neighbor.  Not care for the widow; mind the orphan. 

 

The legacy David left behind was “Get mine so you can’t get yours.”

 

Any wonder the world can seem so messed up?  Any wonder why Jesus Christ, as Messiah would emerge centuries later?

 

Legacy.  That’s the word that’s been on my mind the past week.

 

This month of PRIDE has been the legacy of Stonewall and those who fought back against LGBTQ injustice.

 

Sunday was the legacy of Philippines with its spirit of diversity and liberty.

 

Today, Juneteenth is when the last of the enslaved people in Texas were set free.

 

Today is also Father’s Day.  Just like Moms, the topic of Dads is complex.  A difference may be that many of us already know Father’s Day is complex.

 

Men by our nature can seem mysterious.  Fathers are often accused of being aloof and far away.

 

Dad’s who were there.  Dad’s who never were.  Dad’s who worked all the time.  Dad’s who didn’t show emotion because they weren’t wired or taught that way. 

 

Dad’s who thought a loud voice and a harsh hand were the only way to parent. 

 

Dad’s who simply didn’t know or do better because the truth is, no one ever truly knows how to be a parent.

 

My Dad died in 1995, a month before he was 49.  I’ve now outlived him by 41 months.

 

When younger, it was so easy to see Dad in shades of Black and White.

 

What he did wrong, what he did right.  When he was mean; when he was nice.

 

When he absolutely failed at being a Dad, a man, a role model. 

 

When he excelled at being my Father, a male, and someone to look up to.

 

This week 2 of my Father’s legacies have come to the forefront.

 

The not so good-  while working with my ADESE mentor, I realized that my Dad never taught me how to save and wisely use money, nor did his Father.

 

The Legacy, they left me with is that money just comes and goes and you don’t really save, you don’t really plan- it’s just there.

 

So here I am at 52, realizing that if I want to live a secure life in retirement, I need to step up my saving game now, because no one will save me but me.

 

The positive- my Dad and Grandpa had this grand image that I’d follow in their foots steps and go into the Army. 

 

They spent years preparing me.  There was this book hey gave me when I was very young.  It was about a boy scout whose brother went off to World War 2 and how this young kid couldn’t wait to serve in the military too.

 

I hated that book; couldn’t understand why anyone would be so anxious about going to war.

 

When asked what I thought about the book, I told both men the truth.

 

Though I can’t recall the exact words said, the spirit of their answer came down to that being a man meant doing what is right and doing what is needed to protect your nation and others.

 

To this day, I still hate that stupid book, but the legacy those 2 men left behind has shaped much of who I am, what I do, and why I do what I do.

 

It may sound chauvinist and jingoistic, but they are a huge reason I open doors for others, write letters to the editor, speak at community meetings.

 

Legacy.

 

We never know what legacies have been passed down; we may never know what legacies we leave behind.

 

Since we are human, as King David was human, some of our legacy will be great, some will be good, some will be not so good.

 

I realize that here I am talking to a congregation made up of men who have been fathers, are grand and great fathers.  What can be said because you’ve already raised your family?

 

What can be said is that your legacy isn’t just what you have or haven’t done in the past.  Your legacy is also what you are doing now and what you will do.

 

Your legacy is not going to be black and white, you won’t be remembered as only good or bad.

 

You will be seen as a total person who has left a lasting impact even if you don’t know or your family doesn’t say.

 

Each day that you breathe is another day in which you get to shape, reshape, and create your legacy.

 

As a citizen of America, there is the legacy of how you vote.  When elections comes, what are the issues that matter that can decide if your family lives in a better or worse world?

 

As a person, there’s the legacy of how you live your days and how you interact with others. 

 

How do you make people feel?  What do they think after interacting with you?  Have you let your family know you love them no they matter?

 

As a member of Emmanuel, there’s the legacy of how we embody our faith.  Did we love the Lord?  Love our neighbor?  Do we embrace a faith that embraces?  Do we use our faith in God to do justice, love kindness?

 

Legacy.  What is the Legacy you would leave now if today was your last day?

 

What is the Legacy you wish to leave for when your time to join the Eternal arrives?

 

What are the things you can say, do, share, so that when your family looks back upon you, they can say “That’s our legacy; that is our lot”?

 

As citizens, as individuals, as a Child of God, what will your legacy be?

 

It’s never too late, it’s not just black or white and it’s not limited to space or to time.

 

For this, let us say “Amen.”