Sermons
It was minutes before the recent debate and an online meeting was ending. One of the participants said, I’m calling all angels, all the spirits, all the ancestors. She had high hopes for her candidate. And she asked if I knew the song by k.d. lang about calling all angels. I didn’t. But it’s perfect for today.
How many times, oh, before it's too late?
Calling all angels
Walk me through this world
Don't leave me alone
Calling all angels
We're tryin'
We're hopin'
But we're not sure how.
We know that the devil’s time is short, and while it isn’t easy to persist in the face of the devil’s wrath we know that St. Michael and all the angels are on our side in the battle. Moreover, God has prevailed through Christ over the forces at work against the purposes God, those demonic, satanic, dragons that are raging everywhere from gun violence, to environmental destruction, to racism, to that voice in your head that tries to convince you that you are not enough. Those forces and the voice of the accuser are coming from a desperate, defeated place, and we through the power of God in Christ can and will overcome those forces and ignore those voices trusting in the victory of Christ.
So who or what is the enemy, then? What would you say? Sin inhibits us from realizing our full human potential. And one prime example is when we dehumanize others. We talk about dismantling the structures of racism. Think of Michael’s spear as a dismantling sword. Power systems need to be dismantled as we seek the common good, not only for the human family, but for our very planetary home. Yet, in Revelation, Jesus is the nonviolent Lamb whose victory is marked by suffering love. The Satanic power of violence is cast out of heaven in the cosmic war. It may be angel day at church, but everything points to the cross of Christ and the victory of Easter.
