I’m learning to listen more. That’s a hard lesson for a preacher.
Over the last week I’ve experienced my 8th Camp Agape at FBC. This was great camp year: We had great leaders, great counselors and youth volunteers, and wonderful campers. There was something different about me this year that allowed me to watch and listen more. Maybe I was more rested, maybe I was more familiar of the camp – for whatever reason, this year I was a able to watch and listen more – to God and to the experiences of the camp. As I listened, I heard a powerful God lesson through our campers, counselors and leaders – a spiritual lesson for me that also speaks to our church, our community and even our country.
Camp AGAPE does not happen in a vacuum. Instead, it happens in the context of our community and world. This year, as I watched our campers – black, white, and Hispanic – interact with our diverse set of counselors – I witnessed a beautiful expression of the Kingdom of God where God’s AGAPE is lived out equally. Boys and girls of different races and backgrounds played together, cared for one another, and fought for one another. Teenagers from our church and from our community experienced community together as they served and played.
At some point this week, I placed this beautiful picture of the Kingdom being lived out in our church alongside the tragic divisions that have besieged our country over the last year. There were the tragic shootings last summer in Louisiana and Texas of both unarmed black men and police officers. There was the divisive politics of last fall that appealed to the lesser angels of our national life. There has been the rise of the far right and the far left that have resulted in violence and terror in our nation.
Unfortunately, this year is not the first time we have heard the sounds of mindless violence, disregard for life, racial bigotry, and discord. To a great degree, we've heard this sound before: we've heard this tune before, we've heard this song before.
To those of us who are frustrated with our world and who desire something more, the beauty and lessons of Camp AGAPE gives us a new conviction. We stand convinced that hope lies in the One who sits on the throne of God’s Kingdom. We gather this morning in the glow of Camp AGAPE with the conviction that there is a new song rising.
John writes in Revelation: “And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll / and to open its seals, / because you were slain, / and with your blood you purchased for God / persons from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9).
And they sang a new song
“Sing unto the Lord a new song” the psalmist write. In order to sing the new, we must recognize that the old song already stands played out.
We have all heard the old song—the song of hatred, sin, racism, intolerance, fear, division, strife, and brokenness.
We have all heard the old song—the song of moral relativism, cultural decadence, spiritual apathy, and ecclesiastical lukewarm-ness.
We have all heard the old song—from Louisiana to Dallas, from Portland, OR to Alexandria, VA, we all heard the old song of lives prematurely taken, dreams shattered, communities broken, and the collective gasp of a nation suffocated by despair.
We have all heard the old song.
But praise God, we gather as followers of Christ to declare that we are not the people of the old song. We are the voices of the new song.
We are people of the new song because we understand the following truths:
- Today's complacency is tomorrow's captivity.
- We are what we tolerate.
- There is no such thing as “comfortable Christianity.”
- And silence is not an option.
For that matter, we stand as a choir of the redeemed to declare prophetically—not out of the womb of emotional exuberance, but by the impetus of God's Spirit—that this generation carries an anointing. An anointing to do what? To sing a new song.
We are here to declare the following: there is a new song arising. This new song will not be sung exclusively by a black chorus, a white ensemble, a Latino band, or an Asian soloist. This new song will be sung by a multi-ethnic kingdom culture choir washed by the blood of the Lamb.
Therefore, let us be clear. To the singers of the old song; to those who raise the volume of hatred and discord; to the spirits of captivity, violence, bigotry, inequality and injustice: we raise our voices, and in perfect harmony, in the key of grace, we sing the following: “For every Pharaoh, there must be a Moses. For every Goliath, there must be a David. For every Nebuchadnezzar, there must be a Daniel. For every Jezebel, there must be an Elijah. For every Herod, there must be a Jesus. And for every devil that rises up against us, there is a mightier God that rises up for us.”
What is the new song?
Isaiah Writes: “In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; / God makes salvation / its walls and ramparts” (Isa. 26:1).
When we as followers of Jesus choose to sing this new song, our nation and world will be strong.
What is the new song? The new song elevates the lyrics of imago dei. The creation poem in Genesis states it beautifully: So God created humankind[e] in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
If Simply stated, the new song will push back on violence, hatred, and bigotry by amplifying the eternal truth that all of us—without exception—carry the image of God.
What is the new song? The new song exposes the light of truth, love, grace, and compassion. It empowers us to live out Matthew 5:14-16 as light on the hill. It exhorts us to "be light" in the midst of darkness, for when light stands next to darkness, light always wins.
What is the new song? The new song invites us into confession. It exhorts us to execute 2 Chronicles 7:14: “[I]f my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
What is the new song? The new song engages us with the rhythmic truth that the only agenda that can heal and reconcile America is an agenda of unity in the Body of Christ. It will not be the agenda of the donkey or the elephant that sings a new song. The only agenda that can reconcile this nation is the agenda of the Lamb of God.
Silence is not an option
The lessons of Camp AGAPE cannot stay silent. We sing a new song because silence is not an option.
- Silence is not an option when innocent lives are taken.
- Silence is not an option when our African American and Hispanic brothers and sisters live in fear of those sworn to protect them.
- Silence is not an option when men and women who risk their lives daily to keep us from harm stand slaughtered by hatred.
- Silence is not an option when the benefactors of division continue to advance a narrative full of dichotomies instead of juxtaposing truth with love.
For this country, this community and our world - it's time for the new song. It's time to reconcile Billy Graham's message of salvation in Christ with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's march for justice.
It's time to sing the song that says, “Love those that hate you. Bless those that curse you. Forgive those that offend you. Heal those that wound you. Feed those that starve you. Be light; change the world.”
Finally, my brothers and sisters of First Baptist Cornelia, let's do this in light of our lessons from Camp AGAPE. We cannot leave these lessons on the field of camp and move on as if we never heard them. We cannot forget the lessons of Camp and say they are only for a week in the summer. We cannot separate “our kids” from “those kids.”
Now is the time for a new song. Now is the time to sing the new song. Now is the time to raise the volume of truth, justice, love, and grace. Now is the time to take racism captive and unleash the unity all hell fears.
Let us sing in one accord. Let us sing with the comforter conducting, while goodness and mercy provide the vocals. Let us sing.
Sing, for America; sing, for Cornelia; sing, for Habersham; sing for the world – because we all need a new song.
Sing and walk like Enoch. Sing and believe like Abraham. Sing and dress like Joseph. Sing and stretch like Moses. Sing and shout like Joshua. Sing and dance like David. Sing and fight like Gideon. Sing and pray like Daniel. Sing and build like Nehemiah. Sing and live like Jesus.
Sing and do justice. Sing and love mercy. Sing and walk humbly before God. Sing and be light. For when light stands next to darkness, light always wins. Thanks be to God. Amen.
*Adapted from an original sermon by Samuel Rodriguez
No comments:
Post a Comment