Worth our salt
Isaiah 58: 6-12; Matthew 5: 13-20
New Ark United Church of Christ, Newark, DE
February 5, 2017 – Science and Tech Sunday
The word technology comes from the Greek tekhne for art or craft and logia, for communications of divine origin, as in oracles from a goddess or god, all the way to the Word of God or what Jesus said. Which sounds like what it means to be a prophet: the art or craft of communicating what God would have us know. It’s from the same root for logos, which can mean word or theory or story. From the gospel of John: “In the beginning was the logos or the story or the theory, and the story or theory was with God, and the story or theory was God.”
In
the 17th century tekhnelogia
meant “systematic treatment”. This is fascinating
to me, because when we look up the word technology now, the definition is “the
application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes”. What I see is the evolution of knowledge, of
how to do something, develop from being divinely inspired to theory to a rational
logic system to how to apply that knowledge in practical ways, as in how to
live.
And
yet in our use of technology we still need divinely inspired words to help us
use technology and science wisely. After
all, we’re still human, which means any tool we pick up and use can be for good
or for ill or for the inane or any combination of those.
It’s
only been two weeks since the inauguration and already many of us are reaching
a saturation point when it comes to all kinds of news platforms, blogs, and
social media. Even if we’re not on the
internet that much, we know people who are, and it finds its way into our
conversations. God forbid we ever do
have another civil war in this country, but if we do, history will probably say
it started on the internet.
But
that doesn’t mean that the tool, the internet, is good or bad in and of itself;
it’s how we use it. Many people use it
to stay informed and connected as well as to escape and relax. And of course this becomes yet another line
along which we can divide ourselves.
Some cannot remain silent while others decry all the noise and some
cannot hear anything other than their own viewpoint. We can forget that true community, the
Beloved Community, is not made in homogeneity or in unison, but in solidarity,
in covenant, and with that age-old social science: learn how to share, be kind,
take turns, offer to help, and when you make a mess, clean it up.
There
are times when I talk about Facebook, I feel like I’m using a dirty word
because of how some folks feel about that particular social media. But for many people Facebook is a source of
community and support. It’s a medium to
exchange ideas, post news stories, share photos, even prayer requests, and yeah,
fluffy stuff like kitten videos and food recipes. Earlier this week I saw a number of folks
who’d had enough of politics on their news feed, and they lamented that they
wished Facebook was fun again. Here and
there it still is. It’s the joy and the
sweetness of life that sustains us, our loves, our hopes, our dreams of a
future that is better than today.
But
when we witness our loves, our hopes, and our dreams, and yes our freedoms
being chipped away, and not just ours but others; when it feels like the ground
under our feet is shifting in ways we can’t predict; when we feel threatened
and there are many who do, then it’s time to use those ancient technologies of
salt and light.
Jesus
tells the crowd that they are the salt of the earth, but if they lose their
saltiness, it can’t be restored. It’s no
longer good for anything and trampled underfoot. If light is going to be light, it can’t be
hidden but instead it must shine out in the open. What I hear Jesus saying to this crowd is,
don’t even try to get comfy with the way things are; you can’t lay low in an
empire and be faithful to God and God’s law at the same time.
When I hear the words
“trampled underfoot”, I hear the boots of a legion of Roman soldiers. When I hear the words “a city on a hill
cannot be hid”, I hear Jerusalem and its temple mount, the center of Jewish
faith, cannot be anything less than what it is.
When I hear the words, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness
exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of
heaven”, I hear Jesus drawing a line, daring his listeners to cross it, asking,
“Are you with God or not?” And from
there, there is no turning back.
Are
we salty, speaking up, speaking out, and when we do, is it the truth in love? And
yet not too salty, leaving a bad taste?
Are we light, shining justice into dark corners, reflecting, embodying
the way of Jesus? And yet not a harsh
light, blinding the sight of others who need to see? Are we living the commandments, that technology
of practical knowledge which says in its simplest form, to love God with all
our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and our neighbor—all our neighbors—as
ourselves?
And
for you who finds the word God a stumbling block, hear these words from Fr.
Pedro Arrupe, Father General of the Jesuits from 1965 – 1983, who names God as
what you fall in love with:
Nothing is more practical than
finding God, than
falling in Love
in a quite absolute, final way.
What you are in love with,
what seizes your imagination, will affect everything.
It will decide
what will get you out of bed in the morning,
what you do with your evenings,
how you spend your weekends,
what you read, whom you know,
what breaks your heart,
and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.
Fall in Love, stay in love,
and it will decide everything.
finding God, than
falling in Love
in a quite absolute, final way.
What you are in love with,
what seizes your imagination, will affect everything.
It will decide
what will get you out of bed in the morning,
what you do with your evenings,
how you spend your weekends,
what you read, whom you know,
what breaks your heart,
and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.
Fall in Love, stay in love,
and it will decide everything.
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