CSI and Interrogation

Mary Rodgers, October 2, 2005
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:14-21

14 For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. 15 And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own. 16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore. 17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone, a new life burgeons! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. All this comes from God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start, by offering forgiveness of sins. 20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already friends with you. How you say? In Christ. God put on him the wrong, who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.

It was intentional on my part to have a paraphrase of the scriptures read along side the actual verses of the passage we read today. In general I always found Paul's writings to be convoluted and confusing, it's just not very clear. Paul says: For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Really, what does that mean? It makes me think of two things: First, it makes me think of Ms. Robinson my 7th grade English teacher who drilled it in our heads that you do not use the same word several times in the same sentence to define a concept. If Paul had been in her class he would have gotten a big fat "NOT CLEAR!" written on the top of the page, in red and in caps! It also makes me think of insider language. Here's an example of insider language: The CJCS is meeting with DOS and DOD to examine policies regarding DHS. Now, if you are a government worker, or are in the military then you completely understood what I just said. If not, then you probably have no clue. We use insider language a lot in the church. The problem with insider church language is that it assumes that everyone has a firm grasp and understanding of the major concepts of faith that are found in the Bible. Technically I am an insider, I'm a lifelong, Bible reading, Sunday school attending, seminary trained ordained minister; and I still find the language of this passage difficult. Think for a minute of what you would need to know to even begin to understand the following verse:

For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died.

Now who died? One man? Everyone? Who was it? How? Why? What?

Our Jr. High's are participating in CSI Providence. Each Sunday they conduct a "Christian Spiritual Investigation" a CSI. They've made a list of suspects, people they know who suspiciously follow that guy the church calls Jesus, or Christ or Prince or Peace, or Lamb of God (insider language I know). They even have not-so flattering mug shots of those they plan to question hanging on the wall of the interrogation room (you might check to see if yours is there). I was the suspect last week. They brought me in, sat me down in front of a very bright light and began to fire questions at me.

What does God look like? Why do we think of God as a person? What if there is no God and we're just stupid? What is the Bible is it historical? What about other religions? What if God is just the goodness in other people's hearts? Did we make God up?

Let me see a show of hands. How many of you would like to attend this class? Now, let me see another show of hands, how many of you would like to be the suspect? That's what I thought. Two thirds of the way through the interrogation someone said: Mary, could you talk about God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit and how they fit together? Could you explain the trinity? It was time for the elevator speech. An elevator speech is being able to tell the story using as little insider language as possible in the amount of time that it would take for an elevator to go to the top of a building with maybe a few stops in between. To tell the story this way means hitting the high points, the key concepts, making decisions as to what is most important. It means having to think on your feet. GOD, JESUS, THE HOLY SPIRIT:

Here's how I answered the question. Here's my elevator speech.

From the beginning God has had a relationship with people. And from the beginning, God has said: Here is what I want you to know: I love you, I'm with you, you are a part of me, and because I made you, you are my child, here's how to live a meaningful, purposeful, and fulfilling life. But people did not listen to God; they decided to do their own thing, to follow themselves instead of God. From that point on their relationship with God and their relationships with each other, their very lives, were difficult. They had to work in order to live, there was distrust and shame, and to top it all off at the end of it all they died. In the Bible this is the story of Adam and Eve, the story of sin. The story of why life can be so messed up, complicated and hard. It would be a very depressing ending if it ended there. Thank God is doesn't. Again and again, God kept saying: I love you, I am with you, you are a part of me, you matter here's how to live a meaningful, purposeful, and fulfilling life. And again and again, over and over the people still didn't get it. I don't know why God didn't decide to cut the losses, go somewhere else in the universe and create something new and improved. But God didn't give up. God kept trying to speak in other ways, in ways that they might hear. Ultimately God decided that maybe the only way they would get it is if God become one of them. And that's exactly what happened. God became a person. That's Jesus. And amazingly enough, SOME people did get it, they believed and followed God. But most people did not. And some people became so angry that they crucified Jesus on a cross. That was the day Jesus died. The day God died. It would have been a depressing ending if it had ended there. Thank God it didn't. Three days later, some of those who believed went to the tomb all sad and distraught but when they opened it Jesus was not there because he was alive! Death to life: that's resurrection! Of course his followers were overcome with joy. But imagine how sad they were when soon after Jesus said I gotta go. What? You were dead, now you're alive, and you gotta go??? Yes, But I'm not leaving you alone. God will send one who will continue to teach you, and guide you and be with you. That's the Holy Spirit. And to this very day, it is the Holy Spirit that is with us, moving us, prompting us to "get it," grow in our own faith, and share it with others. GOD, JESUS, THE HOLY SPIRIT. That's my elevator speech. (It was very tall building).

Our passage today is Paul's elevator version, of the Jesus part of the story. He doesn't go into a lot of explanation. He just said what is in the way he knew how, insider language and all. He told the story. He knew the Spirit works through us to move others to faith. In just a few moments we will share in the Lord's Supper together. And again during the prayer we will hear the story from creation to redemption. The story of how we got here, how things went awry, and how God made things right between us. In some ways it is as simple as Paul noted: One man died for all, and in other ways that simple statement, that simple truth will always remain a great mystery.

Today as Christians around the world, celebrate World communion Sunday, as they share the story again and again, I leave you with the challenge to practice telling the story in your own words, that is our charge, that is our call, you never know when God will use you to tell someone else how God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit fit together? When the CSI class was almost over one of the kids turned another one and said: So Jesus is God? Exactly. Imagine what might happen the next time he hears the story.

Amen

© Copyright, 2005, Rev. Mary Rodgers
All Rights Reserved.
Providence Presbyterian Church
Fairfax, Virginia