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| Sermon Preached at Northbrae Community Church, July 16, 2006 By Ron Sebring Integrity: The Balance of Law and Love It is disturbing to follow the news these days. War breaking out in the Holy Land. An Irony of place! The Holy Land! In some ways, a proxy-war between the United States and Iran … and centered in what both sides consider "Holy." Soldiers taken prisoner from one side … a threat shouted from the other side. A bomb thrown from one side … and air strike on an airport from the other side. Refugees streaming into the streets. And the world holds its breath. For the world is a global village, and this effects everyone. Diplomats scurry to their telephones and fax machines. Nations squaring off against nations. And behind all this … the religious right of world religions staking themselves out against the religious right of other world religions. I watched a news anchor, with microphone in hand and a shoulder-mounted camera in the background, interview a Lebanese merchant. "How is business," the news anchor asked. A question as insensitive as its redundancy. "Terrible," came the reply. "Everyone is afraid to get out into the streets." As behind all fear, you could see the anger blaze in his eyes. "Would you like to see the Israeli soldiers released," asked the news anchor. He hesitated for a long time. The Israelis are his enemies. Then he said, "Yes, as well as Lebanese and Palestinian soldiers." "I would like to see all of us ‘released,’ so everyone can have peace." That sums up the cry of us all! I have long pondered what is needed for world peace. I do believe that if peace can happen in the Holy Land, it can happen anywhere. And I believe that for this to happen, world religions will have to come around to accepting each other. And not just accepting each other, but to proactively honor each other. To have a willingness to learn from each other. This does not mean that religions will lose their identity in some gigantic melting pot. It means that each religion will have an opportunity to discover something about itself by seeing its own truth reflected in other religions. What is needed for peace on earth and good will among all people? An open and compassionate integrity. An integrity that honors both our distinctiveness and our unity as a human race. An integrity that is the balance of LAW and LOVE. The word "universe" is made up of two Latin roots, "uni-" which means "one" and "-verse" which means many. A "universe" is many things held together in one unity. Each thing—individual, distinct. And all linked together in a common ONEness. A "university" is many colleges on one campus. A "universal joint" in a car receives force from one direction and can send it out in any number of directions. Religions are the operating paradigms by which we understand the universe. They function best when they embody the structure of what they represent. When we were in Santa Cruz, Connie and our guests went into a store to shop. I sat in the van and waited. And it was a long wait. I had two books with me, and I read both of them. Still, they didn’t come. I was about to go in to see what happened to them, and here they came, packages in hand. All of them, each had a sack of some kind, and smiles of satisfaction to go with it. Happy, and laughing, the satisfaction of a good time. When they got in the van, and before I could say anything, Connie handed me a little square container of cashews. A plastic container. What could I say? Maybe that was appreciation for waiting. She knows my weakness for cashews. I do believe in sharing, but when it comes to cashews, I have a hard time. I relented and passed around the container. Little hands can take awfully big scoops. When the box came back around to me—half empty!—we discovered something. The plastic container had a false bottom, an indentation that went up almost half way into the contents. That seriously compromised the volume. It was deceptive packaging. I know the argument of companies … "We sell by weight, not by volume." But that’s not how people shop. When people shop, they pick up what "looks" good. Thus, while companies are being "honest," they are in effect, being "dishonest." This, to me, is what’s wrong with the whole world. Truth becomes irrelevant. The appearance of truth is what becomes relevant. And as people become skillful at spinning truth – in advertising, in political campaigns, in relationships – a dark fog of resentment swells up and hugs the earth. I listened to the North Korean Ambassador, the other day, speak to the United Nations. I felt disturbed by the "rhetoric" of his speech, which seemed to me such a pretense. And then I compared that to the "rhetoric" that comes out of our own country. It is spin. A war of guns begins with a war of words. Each side calling the other "evil." Words bathed in political correctness and sanctified by religious and self-righteous paradigms. First words, then missiles fly across national boarders or over our neighbor’s backyard fence. My point this morning is this: Peace and happiness will come—both in our personal lives and among the nations of the world—when we learn to be consistent in our WORDS, CREEDS, AND DEEDS. No pretense. No spin. No bluff. Simply saying what we believe, and doing what we say. The scripture lesson this morning talks about compassionate integrity. Love balanced with Law.
Scripturally, it is called "righteousness." Being honest to God. Being honest with ourselves. Being honest with each other. Psalms 24:1-2 says: "The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers." I hear in this, LAW. Torah. Not human law—rules and regulations—systems of dos and don’ts—people showering each other with "shoulds" and "oughts" Rather natural law—the way the world works—how God creates things. By calling it "Torah" … we refer to God’s "natural law" for human responsibility in worship and community. The rules by which we prosper and live long in the land. Fail these, and there are "natural consequences." Life doesn’t work so well. Follow these, and we thrive. Psalms 24:3-4 says: "Who shall ascend to the Holy Mountain of the LORD? Who shall stand in his holy place. Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully." Who have a pure heart—real-time integrity. Who do not lift up their souls to what is false—simple honesty. Who do not swear deceitfully—in other words: Psalms 24:5-6 says, "They will receive blessings from the LORD, … such is the company of those who seek the LORD, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Amen." Torah is almost like a principle in physics. It is spread out in a huge network of causes and effects—a web that spans the universe—so it hard to measure, so hard to gage the timing. But in the long-term shuffle of things, justice will always prevail.
The prophet Amos gives us a beautiful metaphor … that of a plumb line. In today’s world, we have laser beams that help us level pictures on the wall and can tell us when a line is true, up and down. In ancient times, they would measure the level of water in a trench surrounding a building, or hang a weight on a string and wait for it to stop swinging. Amos borrows this image, a plumb line, for his metaphor of integrity. God will hang a plum line in the midst of his people, and measure their trueness. Not for some mystical blessing or curse, not for some ticket into heaven, but simply to measure TORAH, to help people look and see how they are doing, what they can expect, according to natural law. That plumb line stretches the depths of our hearts. To measure alignment. To show us how aligned are our WORDS, CREEDS, and DEEDS. Says the peacock to the rabbit, "Who's your tailor? Tell me, pray; For, good sir, he's cut your coattail In a most old-fashioned way. Look at me, Would you see What a stylish tail should be!" Says the rabbit to the peacock, "Who's your barber? Tell me, pray; For his shears have shorn your ears, sir, In the most old-fashioned way. Look at me, Would you see What a stylish ear should be!" [Poem by Esther B. Tiffany] It is pride that leads astray truth. It is seeing the world only from our own perspective that leads astray truth. It is sacrificing the common good for private gain that leads astray truth. My point this morning is this: Peace and happiness will come—both in our personal lives and among the nations of the world—when we learn to be consistent in our WORDS, CREEDS, AND DEEDS. No pretense. No spin. No bluff. Simply saying what we believe, and doing what we say.
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