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April 30, 2006

Bill Schooler - April 30, 2006

Trinity Parish 4-30-06
3 Easter Acts 4:5-12

“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved”

For most of my life, I have not had any trouble with the theology expressed in those words. Lately, however, because of my work as a hospital chaplain they have caused me increasing difficulty. How do those words strike you? Are you having any difficulty with Jesus being the only path to God?

In the VA Hospital System there are 39 known, recognized, and claimed religions by the patients we serve. Not all of them are Christian. At least 8 of them are decidedly non-Christian. The other 31 see God and Christ in very different ways.

The fact that we claim there is salvation in no one else but Jesus has become offensive in today’s cultural pluralism that commends diversity and variety. The challenge to us Christians today is “to interpret the exclusivity of this way to divine blessing in (a language) that is relevant to all people no matter what else might characterize them as individuals.” The religion of our childhood might no longer serve us well in our adulthood. We might want to take a new look at our relationship with God and where we are today instead of where we were.

As a hospital chaplain I minister to all patients and staff, regardless of their religious zip code. To do that requires me to be very clear about where I stand in my own faith.

Today’s reading from Acts is referring to a previous healing of a crippled beggar—or as we would say today, a handicapped person. Peter refers to “…how this man has been healed…” At the end of the reading, Peter uses the word, “saved.” The Greek word that Peter uses in both instances is, “Sozo,” which means both “healed” and “saved.” Throughout the book of Acts, this word, “sozo,” has the double sense of, “to heal” and “to save.” Knowing this has helped my struggle with the exclusivity issue.

If nothing else, I have learned in hospital ministry that there are many pathways to God. A hospital is a place of healing, not merely a place where a person is restored to health. Healing occurs on the spiritual level as well as the physical level. Both are necessary to the wholeness and well being of a person. A hospital has to treat the “whole” person. In our VA hospital we get many patients who suffer from grievous spiritual injury as well as physical injury. Both have to be attended to.

If I am called to the bedside of a dying American Indian patient, or to minister to a patient severely wounded in combat in Iraq who is Jewish, or has no preference of religion at all, or who might claim to be agnostic, I must minister to them, just as Jesus did. Jesus was not exclusive. He was extremely inclusive; so much so that it got him in trouble with the religious authorities. At these times I must honor the fact that there are many pathways to God. At these times, remembering that “saved” also means “healed” helps keep me focused on the spiritual injury in front of me. At these times I must do all I can to strengthen that person’s relationship with God.

Bishop Swing had a vision for all faith groups which resulted in the United Religions Initiative. He felt strongly, and rightly I believe, that our world’s problems would never be solved by governments and politics alone. Until the world’s religions began to talk to one another at the same table, nothing would ever get better. What do you think?
Someone described the world’s religions as the spokes of a wheel. At the outer edge of the rim they are far apart. As they approach the hub, the core, the center, they come closer together until they touch each other as they attach to the hub. Each spoke gives strength to the wheel.

The current struggle over immigration policy in our country strikes me as a clash between our national identity and multiculturalism. It is the same, to me, in our frequent appeals to patriotism, which I believe is really an appeal for nationalism. Real patriotism is dialogue. Nationalism is monologue—my way or the highway.

These struggles manifest themselves in religion as well. For example, there are those who identify themselves as Christians and believe Jesus is the only path to God. Perhaps they are right. On the other hand, Jesus has to be in their image as they see him for true salvation to work. It seems they have taken Jesus out of the path and substituted their Jesus in his place. They have the answer. Their view is the only view. Scripture is as they say it is. Using this approach makes it very difficult to reconcile 39 different religions where I serve.

I must confess that I am a Christian. My relationship with God has been formed and shaped by my knowledge of Jesus Christ as the Episcopal Church has taught me since I was a child. Jesus’ teachings and the life he led teach me about the nature of God. It is through Jesus Christ that I know that God loves us and how God loves us and how God expects us to love God in return and to love each other. “No other name in heaven is given by which we must be saved” [=healed]. It is in the healing that I see the face of Christ.

God works in mysterious ways. God also heals and saves in mysterious ways, ways that may not be our ways. Paul teaches that we must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. The Episcopal Church can be a hard place to do that for some people, because the Church won’t come right out and tell you what to do about everything. You must think for yourself. Of course the Church has doctrine and theology along with its own set of rules and regulations. We differ in a number of respects from our fundamentalist brothers and sisters. For example, fundamentalists believe that the Bible is the literal Word of God. Intellectually, academically, and theologically we cannot accept that. We believe the Bible contains the Word of God and each generation must search out and interpret its meaning. God is a living God, not a dead God. This puts us at odds with others who say that their view of scripture is the correct and only one, and this is all done in their Jesus’ name.

Where do you think you stand in all of this? Have your views of religion, church, Jesus, God changed over the years? If so, how have they changed? Have you become closer to God or separated farther than before? What do you need right now to feel the presence of God in your life? Which is more important to you—religion or your relationship with God? Is there a difference?

Today’s Collect prays that Jesus made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of the bread. It further prays to God to open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work. Jesus did not hide himself from us. On the contrary, he made himself clearly known to us, so much so that the disciples deserted him when things got rough.

Jesus brings his transparency to all of us.
“God is light and in God there is no darkness at all. If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.” Here is the inclusiveness of Jesus. Light does not discriminate. It shines on all that it touches. It hides from no one. It excludes no one. Here is the healing power of Jesus, to love all persons, regardless of their religious zip code.

“We’ll walk in the light, beautiful light,

Come where the dewdrops of mercy are bright,

Shine all around us through day and through night,

Jesus, the light of the world.”