Rev. Susan M. Craig
June 25, 2006
1 Samuel 17: 32-49
Mark 4: 35-41
Heroes Wanted, Heroes Needed

It’s the end of June – graduations have taken place with speakers touting all sorts of advice. It’s also the week leading up to our Independence Day celebrations – a time when we recall our history and those who wrote it with their lives.

As I have heard and been told about different graduation experiences I have heard good humored remembrances poking fun at our pop culture - fascinations with beauty, stardom, and even cell phones. At the same time, looking at the headlines that meet us each day, I see real concern about war and the health of the environment. Between the two arenas, I realize we sit - or live between two radically different sets of focal points and priorities.

Our media and our magazines swing between the two. So does television and the Internet. But where, I would like to ask, do we put our focus? Where do we spend our time? More people voted for the American Idol this spring than voted in the last Presidential Election…and I know it was easier to vote for the American Idol, but still the count stands. Pop culture increasingly holds up the very rich, the very beautiful, the very athletic, and the very musical as heroes or idols. In the process we seem to know about their salaries and shortcomings, their pregnancies and divorces, but not much about them as real people.

What I would like to suggest this morning is that this proliferation of news has the potential to lead us very subtly away from the values upon which this country was founded, and away from the values taught us through our faith. Therefore, the choice of this morning’s sermon title, “Heroes Wanted, Heroes Needed”. And I wonder about your reaction even to the title (as you saw it on the sign board this week) – a touch of old school? Or as our young people might say, “lame”?

There are exceptions to that view of course. Our media and all of us would agree. Our American servicemen and women are one. They risk their lives daily for the cause of freedom, and for the protection of this country. So, too, you can include our police, firemen and women, and the rescue squads who put their lives on the line for others as a matter of course. We are not devoid of heroes in these areas. But how about in the rest of life?

Where is it that our children learn the meaning of heroism? Where is it they can discover the opportunities to act with courage and act upon that in which they believe? Scripture holds some of the answers.

I enjoyed hearing the story of David and Goliath today. It was a favorite of mine as a child. Then, it was exciting to hear about a small child slaying an evil giant. But I am afraid, that as an adult, my first reaction in this current culture is to worry if this story is one that might encourage violence. But perhaps I should not worry so.

For, if you read the preface to this story, the Philistine, Goliath, who was armed for battle on behalf of his people against Israel, asked Saul to send down one man for battle, to represent the Israelites. If this one man could slay Goliath, then the Philistines would become servants to Israel – confrontation over. If not, Israel would answer to the Philistines. In fact, such a battle was a far less violent way to solve disputes than we know today - and less dangerous to the general public.

The actual telling of David’s encounter with Goliath also adds to our understanding of heroism. To succeed, one need not be mighty in battle, big and fully armed - with a brass helmet and a coat of mail - to win. We saw this when David tried to don the armor of others and it did not fit. Such “protection” would have put him in danger. (And I think some of our national protection puts us in danger.) But rather, David did the best he could with the abilities God had given him, using his slingshot, his accustomed mode of defense as a shepherd boy, and most importantly trusting in God to save him.

Being yourself, even if “only a child”, trusting God to save you, and using the skills you have been given to protect the well being of your people are qualities I think our children should consider. And there are many more stories in the Old Testament where heroes trusting in God, faced floods and warring armies, and even ran to escape from slavery in Egypt.

What is interesting looking at our lectionary lessons today, is to see how the New Testament rewrites the script for “heroes”. In some ways the theme remains constant, but in other ways it changes. Not surprisingly, the source for that change lies in the person and teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus, himself, easily, yet uniquely, filled the role of hero. After a miraculous birth he escaped the decree of Herod that all children two and under be killed, by fleeing with his parents into Egypt. Returning he kept his identity secret, with a few exceptions, until the age of 30 when he was baptized by his cousin, John. There, in the Jordan River his ministry began, and from that time, his words and actions began to put his life in danger. But Jesus continued on, trusting more in God than he feared his enemies. His teachings did get him into trouble, and eventually led to his death. Jesus died for his cause – sharing the good news, and dieing for us. But as a hero, or as the Messiah, he broke the mold. He rewrote the script. Jesus did not come as a mighty conqueror armed and charging into town on a white horse. He came humbly and honestly, teaching and living his truth.

He also turned the tables on heroism. No longer was the call to be heroic intended for the outstanding few. Yes, heroism could be enacted by the leaders of government or houses of faith, but it could also be performed by anyone who wanted to love God and neighbor, anyone who was willing to reach out their hand to another. Anyone, willing to speak up in the name of justice, feed the hungry, name their own weaknesses and broken places as Peter did, and try again. Jesus teachings and Jesus’ call were for all people from the most auspicious to the most ordinary – in all cases trusting in God’s transforming presence and grace through the working of the Holy Spirit, to bring the extraordinary to be from the most ordinary among us.

For example, there is an activity that I discovered years ago when I was working with summer conferences at Silver Lake. It is called the Lamed Vovnik Convention. It is based on the Jewish legend that the world exists due to the presence of only 36 righteous people, the Lamed Vov’s. They may come from any station in life, poor or mighty, men or women, hermits or public figures. The only thing we know is that they are alive and do not know they are Lamed Vovs. If they claim to be, they cannot be. The activity which we asked our young people to do was to list 36 righteous people, who in their minds, were Lamed Vovs. As the young people created their lists, there were the names of presidents and scientists, of theologians and great humanitarians, but almost always, if a young person took this process seriously, there were also the names of ordinary people who had touched and changed their lives, all of these, heroes. (You might want to go home and do this yourself.) All those listed were “successful” – and in most cases “successful” in keeping with the definition coined by Katherine Lee Bates in her hymn, “America the Beautiful”. You may recognize her words, “Till all success be nobleness and every cause divine”. As a culture, and as people of faith, I believe we need to return “nobleness” to our definitions and actions leading to success.

Our New Testament lesson, the story of the Stilling of the Storm, can also be seen as a teaching about heroism. Taken literally, it has been described as a miracle story in which Jesus calmed the waters. But it can also be seen as a story in which Jesus was teaching an important lesson. I choose the latter view. As you heard, the disciples had followed Jesus, getting in the boat and going out with him onto the Sea of Galilee, when suddenly a storm blew up, and they became afraid. Through this experience, Jesus explained to his disciples that even for the faithful, storms will and do blow up unexpectedly – on the Sea of Galilee, in governments, in the work place, in the church, and most certainly in our own lives. But whatever or wherever the storm, Jesus, or God is with them to bring them through the storm.

Recently on our staff retreat George Handley shared an e-mail sent by a friend that speaks well to this. I’ll read part of it.

“As you may have noticed, last week, the History Channel ran a program on the siege of Dunkirk. In the spring of 1940, Hitler’s Panzers Divisions had overrun France. The Dutch and the Belgians had already surrendered. British and Allied troops had retreated to Dunkirk, but there were only enough naval vessels to evacuate 17,000 - of the more than 300,000 soldiers. The British Parliament was told to brace for “hard and heavy tidings” as Hitler’s army closed in for the kill.

While the world despaired and watched with fading hope, a ragtag armada of vessels sailed across the English Channel; Trawlers, tugs, fishing sloops, lifeboats, sailboats, pleasure craft, an island ferry named Gracie Fields and even the America’s Cup challenger, Endeavor. All crewed by civilian sailors who sped to the rescue. In one of the most remarkable naval operations in history this unlikely armada eventually rescued 338,682 men and returned them safely to England’s shores.

Oftentimes the church is a lot like that ragtag armada at Dunkirk. We don’t always look very pretty from the outside and it may appear that the odds are stacked against us. But Christ has chosen us to be part of his rescue efforts to a world that appears to be on the verge of giving way to the enemy. When we are one in spirit and purpose, untold numbers will be brought to the safe haven of Jesus’ arms. Are you ready to sail?”

Wartime sometimes can make issues unusually clear. Everyday life can be a more confusing and make decisions harder.

In that vein, there is another story that has floated around cyber space for sometime now. You may know it. It is the story of a father and his son, Shay.
“Shay was “differently-abled”, a child whom his father described as unable to understand things as other children do, and a child who caused him to question the natural order of things. His father also said that “When a child like Shay comes into the world, physically and mentally challenged, the world is given an opportunity to realize the true potential of human nature in the way other people treat that child”.

“The story told of Shay’s father taking him to a park where a baseball game was in progress. As they were walking, Shay asked his father, “Do you think those boys would let me play? Weighing the possibilities and knowing how much it would mean to his son, Shay’s Dad went over and asked one of the boys waiting to bat, if Shay could join in.

The team at bat was trailing by six runs, and it was the eighth inning. The boy looked around at his friends, and a few of the boys nodded approval. Why not? “We’re losing anyway.” they said. “I guess he can be on our team and have a chance to bat in the ninth inning.”

At that, Shay struggled over to the team bench, pulled a team shirt over his head and emerged with a broad smile. The boys saw the father’s joy at his son’s acceptance. Then in the bottom of the eighth inning, that team amazingly scored three runs.

The ninth inning began and Shay played in right field. No balls came his way, but he was happy, no ecstatic, just to be in the game. In the bottom of the ninth inning, the team continued to even up the score leaving them one run down, with two runners on base as it became Shay’s turn to bat. Would they let him bat? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible. Shay couldn’t even hold the bat properly.
But by then the pitcher recognized that the other team had put winning aside, and moved in a few steps and lobbed the ball softly toward Shay. He swung and missed. The pitch came again and this time Shay hit the ball on the ground, slowly, right back toward the pitcher. Everyone knew it was an easy out, but the pitcher threw the ball over the head of the first baseman, and Shay kept running. “Shay! Shay!” The spectators from both teams began shouting, and Shay kept running, deliriously happy now as he saw the runner ahead of him round third base and head for home. Even the team on the field urged him on as their team members threw and fielded overthrown balls, and Shay ran home - as the hero who had hit a grand slam.”

A winning score need not be the definition of heroism or of success. Winning and losing can take many forms. Shay was a hero that day. So was every child on both teams, for they had redefined their goal from winning the game to offering a kindness that forever changed the life of a boy and his family.

We are here this morning as church family, as those who believe in a God who loves us and hopes we will return that love both to God and neighbor. We believe this, but how will we live this? I rather like the image of that ragtag armada ready to sail with any vessel. God needs all of us, each with our own gifts to live our faith daringly and courageously – with nobleness. That doesn’t mean we are going to do so fearlessly, but it does mean we can do believing in what we do and trusting in God to be with us.

God is not looking for a few good men or women. God is looking for all her children to be the Body of Christ in this world, to be heroes everywhere possible. Amen.