A Voice of Truth

By The Rev. Bernard W. Poppe, Rector

John the Baptist knew how to grab his audience’s attention. "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee the wrath to come?" This certainly isn’t the opening line of a stewardship sermon, but one has to admit that it’s an effective sound bite. It still works two thousand years later!

Last Monday during the rally for Marriage Equality in Trenton I joined several others from St. George’s and even more from the Diocese of Newark including our Bishop in support of the legislation to change the terminology of Civil Union to Marriage for same gender couples. Although I hadn’t been planning on it, I was brought in with a group of clergy around 7 pm that evening after a day of testimonies. The organizers wanted to make sure the Senators heard a balanced view from the wider church, which usually speaks out against marriage equality. So I took my turn at the microphone. Since I hadn’t been planning on speaking I hadn’t written anything down. I wonder how it would have gone over if I began my remarks with the same line that John used.

"You brood of vipers..." Like John’s audience, do you suppose they would have lined up and asked "What must we do?" I could have said, "If you voted ‘No’ in the past, vote ‘yes" now." And then those who had voted "yes" could have come forward and said, "And us, what should we do?" Sagely, I would instruct them them, that if they had voted "yes" in the past, to vote that way again and get the others to do likewise!

Meanwhile, back on Earth, I did tell them that when a couple comes to me for a marriage or Civil Union I’m aware that I’m accomplishing two things. The first is officiating over a legal contract authorized by the state. The second is that I’m blessing the commitment they make on behalf of the church. I told them further, that I really love weddings and Civil Unions and that just as I believe God is love and that the love of any couple reflects that, I bless each one equally in the name of God and for the community of faithful. I do my part on behalf of the church and I urge them to do their part on behalf of the state and guarantee that each couple is married equally. I’ve spoken before many church and religious bodies, but this was a first for me in speaking before a group of elected officials who have a far reaching authority. My knees were knocking but my voice was clear!

I do get charged up by the blatant and stubborn hypocrisy of those who think separate and equal actually works. Even the critters on Animal Farm know when some are more equal than others. I can understand and identify with the passion of John the Baptist shouting to those gathered at the Jordan River, You brood of vipers! And although I know it would have done little to nothing to serve my cause, it would have felt really good to do so.

One of the beauties of the Bible is that is speaks the language of the heart without having to temper it to subtle or political realities. John is a figure that embodies passionate and urgent zeal in matters of the soul. He cuts through pretense and says what many of us wish we could say in the different worlds in which we live. When we struggle with issues of justice, fairness or even excitement we’re often hobbled by restraint when we really want to shout out true feelings and beliefs. We want to be heard in the unvarnished truth of our convictions.

John is portrayed in scripture and art as a wildly dressed character in the wild terrain by the Jordan River. It should be remembered that he was the son of Elizabeth and Zechariah who were well placed in society. Zechariah was a high priest and that came with social position. Young John would have been brought up as a civilized young man. But what a wonderful depiction of someone swept up in the passion of their beliefs. There is an attractive wildness of a person of conviction who has found their voice and speaks their truth.

People gather and want to hear it. Even those who don’t necessarily believe it are drawn to the oratory. When John preached repentance the most unlikely people came out to listen. Tax collectors and soldiers. These are people feared and hated by most others because of the authority they had and the corrupt ways in which they lived which hurt innocent people. Yet they too came to John and asked "What must we do?" To the innocent bystander the answer seemed rather obvious. "Don’t hurt us, don’t steal from us, don’t terrorize us."

But ironically, the questions means that in this case the soldiers and tax collectors had lost their own moral compass to where even those easy answers were not visible.

All of us can get so carried away in our everyday lives, and all too often, drift in the moorings of authenticity and integrity that we lose sight of what is right. I believe that at heart each of us wants to be righteous and in a world that seems to be ambiguous with many shades of gray, it’s often difficult to find the right path. Sometimes, though it’s very plain, just difficult to do. Hearing a voice of truth cutting through the noise and urging us to do the right things is compelling, even when it might difficult to do them.

Equally important is finding our voice and tapping into the passion and conviction to risk going out of our comfort zone; to risk the negative reaction of others, if that happens, but to go out on a limb for what we believe.

This third Sunday of Advent has a special name and it’s related to why we light the rose colored candle. In Latin, the name of this week is Gaudate. The season of Advent was originally somber and penitential. It’s lost some of that quality in the midst of Christmas parties and shopping, but it was even referred to once and a Little Lent. Taken in that light, this week was set aside as one to be joyful in the midst of all the solemnity; a way of saying, "We’re almost there!"

Our reading from St. Paul’s epistle to the Philippians says "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice." Our passions generally flow from a truth deep within us that is related to our faith. It might be an articulated faith in God, but just as easily it might be an unarticulated faith in our deepest beliefs about justice and fairness. Whether the cause is marriage Equality, homelessness, hunger, or peace; perhaps art or music, passions tap into a deep sense of who we are and what gives us life. It’s in that place where we meet God the most. Advent is a time to give voice to our passions that prepare a way for God to live in us and inspire us to grow and expand beyond our comfort zones and break the boxes previously lived in.

Some people at the Jordan thought that John might be the Messiah, but he dissuaded that talk and said that he baptized with water, but hat one would come later who was more powerful, and who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.

When we’re in touch with our passions, they burn inside us and give voice to our deepest selves. I know from personal experience that the deepest self is the most difficult to let out because it is the one most vulnerable. A comment that is heard so often is, "if they saw the real me, they wouldn’t like me." That’s fear speaking. It’s the deepest selves and most fiercely felt passions that make us our most interesting and compelling people.

John encourages us and Jesus lights the fire that makes justice and mercy burn within us. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice. Let your gentleness be know to everyone. The Lord is near. And the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

©2009 St. George's Episcopal Church, Maplewood, NJ