The gospel speaks during times of stress

America is under stress. Television, radio, online news services, print media, political candidates, and coffee shop conversations have turned to terrorism, murders, and violence. The reports and the conversations cannot be ignored. They call for some sort of a response.

I am a Baptist. For better or for worse, we Baptists have tied ourselves to Bible authority. When faced with perplexing realities. I instinctively ask “What does the Bible say? What does Christ’s gospel say?” In our present situation, the Bible responds with a mixed message. In the Bible there is no shortage of “God blessed violence.” I reject that kind of behavior. I believe Jesus from Nazareth rejected violent actions in pursuit of justice.

For moral guidance and direction, I and many other Christian believers turn to the Matthew version of what is commonly called “The Sermon on the Mount.” This collection of aphorisms, short stories, and commentary is considered genuinely from the mouth of Jesus. When Matthew wrote his gospel, some 50-60 years after the death of Jesus, he collected material from multiple sources and clustered them in what we now call chapters 5, 6, and 7.

The reader of this material must realize that when Jesus spoke this material, he lived in terribly stressful and dangerous times. It is recorded that he withdrew from some situations, apparently for his own safety. Further, the reader must realize that Matthew wrote his gospel in stressful times. If the reader ignores the stressful times of Jesus and of Matthew, the impact of the material loses a good bit of its power and force.

In Matthew 5:43-48 Jesus is quoted as saying You have heard it said “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and your sisters, do not the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Could the words of Jesus be any more plain? Certainly the events of our own days are challenging. Jesus does not ask us to ignore the world’s tragic behavior. However, Jesus gave us no option for “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” response.

For further positive response I turn to Paul and his writings. My personal attraction to Paul is that he was a thinker. Sometimes Paul gets it right; sometimes, in my opinion, he gets it wrong. Reading and studying Paul is an exercise of argument. If a reader is not willing to argue with Paul, he/she misses some of the joy of his thinking. The book of Philippians is a joy. He too worked his gospel circuit in less than desirable circumstances. He got into trouble many times. When he wrote his letter to the Philippians, he was probably in jail and had no idea when he might be set free. When reading the letter it becomes apparent that the members of the Philippian church were under some sort of significant stress.

For me, the key to the genius of the book is found in chapter 4, verse 8. Finally, my beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

In times of stress, Christian churches need thinkers. Exciting preaching, beautiful choirs, praise bands, exotic spiritual experiences, raised or clapping hands, and loud Amens, have their place. Add some miraculous healings and praying in tongues. Any or all of these experiences have proven to be helpful to some people in their daily walk.

However, in times of stress, when lives are at stake, when real dangers are on the horizons, Christians need to be at their mental best. Time in jail was productive time for Paul. He had time to think; and think he did. He shaped Christian theology for all time because he was a thinker. His best advice to his colleagues in Christ was simple and profound. Paul’s advice went further than thinking. He made specific suggestions about what to think. What is excellence? What is justice? What is pure, honorable and pleasing in the sight of God?

I suspect my most productive times are those when I sit in loneliness and ponder the will of God. When our thinking is applied to our relationship with neighbors, great and marvelous results begin to happen and tragic errors are avoided.

In our current stressful times. I pray that Christians will respond to Paul’s challenge to think about just how our Christian witness can be redeeming even for our enemies.

The Rev. Howard Bess is a retire American Baptist minister, who lives in Palmer. His email address is hdbss@mtaonline.net.