The Bungee Cord. 7

-3-23

Hello,

I am writing this Bungee Cord on the day before our country’s birthday. Over the past several weeks much red, white and blue has been draped over fences, shoulders, and heads. American flags have sprouted up from people’s yards and out from people’s houses. People are wearing shirts with USA blazon on the front and dangling American flag earrings decorate their ears. Patriotic songs play over the airwaves, and fireworks explode in the dark sky. Red, white and blue blood gets stirred up around the fourth of July.

Several years ago, a very generous man in one of my congregations wanted to donate a tall flagpole to be erected in the front yard of the church and on which the American Flag would be flown. He had fought in World War II. He was very proud of his service, which he said kept us able to live freely and worship freely. For him, it was a holy war. It was also a war in which many people had their lives taken away from them in order to win. It was for this holy service and sacrifice that he wanted to have an American flag flying high in front of our church.

It is hard to imagine what our world would look like now if this man and his comrades had not triumphed. And it is hard for me to imagine, because I have not had it happen to me, what it would be like to have a carful of military people drive up to my house with long looks on their faces, there to tell me the worst news my ears could ever hear. Having never fought in a war (I graduated from high school in the year that the Viet Nam war draft ended.) and all three of my sons grew up in years that excluded a military draft, I have only second-hand knowledge of the ravages that war inflicts on people. So, I have much to learn and much to listen to when those who have found themselves in harm’s way for the sake of this country start talking.

And so that is what I did when this generous man presented his desire for a flagpole flying an American flag in front of our church.

After listening to him, I said to him, “This is very generous and kind of you, and I am sure that a high-flying American flag in front of our church would mean a lot to many, many people. Thing is, though, a high-flying American flag in front of our church would not be a welcome sight to many, many other people; people who come from countries that view America as an enemy. Christ’s church, and the love and forgiveness that is found there, is bigger than any country. The very people that our servicemen died fighting are also the very people that Jesus died for, too. “For God so loved the world…”. When a person drives past our church, we want them to know that no matter who they are, be it military enemies, convicts, bullies, haughty high and mighty’s, pillars of the community, drug addicts, juvenile tempered, greedy, on and on…everybody… are being told that they are welcome here. So, I don’t think we can accept your offer of a flag and flagpole.”

The generous man got what I was saying, and we found a different way for him to honor the men and women of the military, and at the same time proclaim the love of God within the church for all people.

On this Fourth of July week, God would want you to know that his love and forgiveness is for all, including you and me. Wars are being fought daily all over the world. Some of them are between nations, but most of them are between neighbors and friends, husbands and wives, brother against sister, and even self against self. The powers of this world are determined to fasten their shackles on us and make us prisoners of war, but God will not let that happen. God, himself, took all of those shackles with him when he was bound on the cross, and on Easter Sunday morning, in the jailbreak of all time he left them all behind in death’s grave, never to have any grip on anyone again.

Every Sunday, the doors of churches all over the world are thrown open in an explosion of grace with a nuclear reactor of love drawing all people in, and there at the reactor’s core there is power, unbeatable power…power to change you and your life…to change you from an enemy to a friend, from a sinner to a saint, from a stranger to a beloved child, from a homeless wanderer to one who has an eternal home in God’s heavenly mansion, from a self-hater to a self-lover. And there is a symbol that aligns itself with this power…not a national flag, but a cross, a cross that announces Jesus’ passion to everyone who drives by, “I died for you! Come on in!”

Have a great week.

God’s grace and peace, (ggap)

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger

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