F= aith, Hope, and Charity

September 18, 2005

Rev. Paul Beckel<= /p>

First Univer= salist Unitarian Church ~ www.uuwausau.org

The charity that begins at home cannot rest there but draws one inexorably over the threshold and off the porch and down the street and so out and out and out and out into the world which becomes = the home wherein charity begins until it becomes possible, in theory at least, = to love the whole of creation with the same patience, affection, and amusement= one first practiced, in between the pouts and tantrums, with parents, siblings, spouse, and children.

Nancy Mairs

If we= agree in love, there is no disagreement that can do us any injury; but if we do n= ot, no other agreement can do us any good.

Hosea Ballou

Be a lamp, a lifeboat, or a ladder.= &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; = Rumi

I often dream I am a tightrope walker. [As] I climb the rope ladder...the woo= den slats mutter to me all the way up. The rungs my right foot stands on say “If you are afraid of falling you will fall,” and the rungs my = left foot presses say “If you believe you cannot fall you will fall....= 221;

Sara Maitland

READING &= nbsp; from The Letter of James (Christian Scripture, circa 70 C.E.)<= /span>

...If a p= erson with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, "Have a seat here, please," whi= le to the one who is poor you say, "Stand there," or, "Sit at my feet," have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become jud= ges with evil thoughts?

... What = good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good = of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. ...Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.=

MESSAGE

= Beware of Faith, Hope, and Charity. These can be very bad things. They’re tiny words attempting to contain a vast array of human longing and experience — so naturally they’ve spilled over in many directions as they’ve been translated from one century to the next.

= Faith is often used to mean a steady unchanging conviction... that is, whatever our private irrational delusions, if we hold ‘em tight—even in the face of contradictory evidence—then we can ca= ll ourselves “people of faith.” Sadly, this seems to have become t= he dominant understanding of faith in contemporary American culture.

And h= ope—hope is just plain evil. By one definition, our hopes reveal our innermost desires. And from a Buddhist perspective, desire leads to suffering. So, not only should we be careful w= hat we hope for...maybe we shouldn’t hope at all. Dashed hope can lead to disappointment. But even fulfilled hopes can lead us astray—fulfilled hopes can lead us to expectation that things will continue to turn out the = way they have in the past... and even to entitlement—a sense that we deserve to have things turn out as= they have in the past.

In ancient Greek mythology Hope fir= st appears in Pandora’s box. Before Pandora came along, to be human was = to be carefree. Then Pandora was sent in with a sealed box containing all of t= he world’s evils. Eventually, of course, she lifted the lid to see what was inside, and all the evils escaped. All except hope. Pandora quickly closed the lid, and hope remained trapped in the box. So humankind was miserable—living w= ith all of those evils and no hope—until Pandora opened the box again to = let out hope.

Notice that hope was in the box wit= h all of the evils. That is, hope itself was one of the evils. Why? Maybe because= it can imply control over the future—a dangerous delusion.

But still, it seems human beings ha= ve been better able to survive in a world with hardships and evils ever since = hope got out. We haven’t yet eradicated the evils and returned to the idyl= lic state prior to Pandora. But soon the day will arrive. That may seem like a totally irrational prediction. In fact I don’t even believe it myself. But I’ll still sing it. (Does this mean I’m hopeful, faithful, = or just flaky?)

And charity. Charity was the= word of choice in 1611 when the Greek word agape was translated into Engl= ish for the King James Bible. St. = Paul, writing in Greek to the Corinthians, chose the word agape which was considered the ultimate human virtue -- the truest reflection of God in humanity. But over the centuries, our English word, “charity,” = has evolved to mean alms for the poor, and organizations created to do good wor= k. So in most translations “charity” has been replaced with “love.”

Several ancient Greek words have be= en packed into today’s word, “love.” Words for erotic desire, friendship, fondness, and this agape, which meant universal goodwill= and respect. Maybe it’s good that “love” has become a catch-a= ll term. It makes it pretty obvious that no one can capture “love”= or narrow it down precisely. So “love,” for now, is ambiguous and poetic. It’s a feeling, AND an inclination, a decision, an action, a commitment. Love means desire AND pleasure experienced with another being. =

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But enough of “Love.” I= chose the title for today’s sermon because I wanted to explore “Charity,” which seems to have lost its charm. Today the word “charity” contains connotations of frivolousness. Like ineffectively throwing coins at beggars.&n= bsp; Or it is used sarcastically to mean false generosity for purposes of elevating ourselves morally in the eyes of others, or to alleviate our guilt.

St. Paul says that even giving away all that I have, if I have not love/charity/agap= e I am like sounding brass. That’s not like brass instruments. (I hope you haven’t been having your feelings hurt all these years if you enjoy b= rass instruments.) Why isn’t love/charity/agape like sounding brass? Becau= se Paul was referring to the large brass urns set at the back of stone amphitheaters (like the one in Corinth). These sounding brass devices were tuned to resonate and thereby amplify the actors’ voices. So if I have not charity I am like sounding brass. Th= at is, I have no voice, no integrity of my own, I’m just mouthing the wo= rds.

Oddly, it’s all of these thin= gs that Paul says charity is NOT that have become wrapped up into today’s derisive term “charity case.”

Which leads easily to the argument = that charity is a bad thing because it traps people in cycles of dependency. It’s especially bad if the charity is in the form of money administer= ed by the government (though apparently less bad when tax dollars are funneled through “faith-based” organizations).

Faith, hope, and charity have taken= on some pretty heavy baggage over the years. So much that I’m reluctant = to even use the words. So today,= in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, what could they possibly mean? The full f= aith and credit of the U.S. Government, for example. Does this have any mean= ing? Hope—hope for the future. Does this have any meaning for those= who wish to rebuild? Where is the line that divides hope from foolishness?

And what does charity have t= o do with Katrina? In ancient Greek mythology The Charites were the godde= sses of charm, nature, and human creativity. Well New Orleans had it’s charm, a ful= l dose of nature, and perhaps more than enough human creativity when it developed a major seaport below sea level.<= o:p>

Still, amid the chaos, that earlier= ideal of charity seems to be making a comeback.

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Tammy Ra= jek has been training with the American Red Cross and will take a leave of absence = from her job, to go to the gulf coast as a volunteer for 3 weeks.

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Last wee= k we collected over $1,000 for hurricane relief. The Unitarian Universalist dist= rict which encompasses the gulf coast has raised over a million dollars.

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In a sad coincidence, just before Hurricane Katrina, several Unitarian villages in <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Transylvania were devastated by floods. The UU Transylvania Flood Relief fund has received a bit over $23,000. They’= re anticipating over a million dollars in damage to hundreds of homes and farms and some churches.

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It certa= inly raises questions about charity: Would it be more charitable to give money to the Transylvanian flood victims if they can build hundreds of buildings and roads with only a million dollars?

When the First Unitarian Church of Worcester suffered a roof fire and a extensive water and mold damage in the summer of 2000, the costs to the congregation beyond the insurance money was approximately 1= .2 million dollars. And none of their congregants lost their homes = and jobs.

Here at = home we’re hoping to finance a $1.6 million project. When should charity begin at home = and when should home begin way way way out there?

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In the f= ace of such overwhelming needs—up close and far away, does it even matter th= at a few dozen RE kids are learning about “stewardship” and planning creative ways to support their congregation by befriending or assisting mem= bers who are homebound?

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In the f= ace of such overwhelming needs, does it matter that Julie White spent a good part = of her summer cleaning our kitchen, or that Jenny Sorenson did the same in our classrooms?

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In the f= ace of such overwhelming needs, does it matter that within and beyond these walls = our church members have been building civic and cultural and environmental organizations, business and governmental agencies, the first child care cen= ter in Wausau, have been leaders in creating and sustaining Hospice, meals on wheels, the YWMCA and YWCA, the public libraries, the public response to a racist hate group in the 70s, have taught hundreds of teens about safe and responsible sexuality, initiated countless dialogues on peace, and more recently initiated the public response to an antigay hate group, public dialogue about the Patriot Act, the MLK day celebration, diversity dinner, = and have been promoting interfaith dialogue and tolerance by bringing speakers here, by daring to engage in unfamiliar spiritual practices, and by bringing our Sunday school classes to other houses of worship to respectfully learn = of their traditions and commitments?

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Does it = matter that my hero, Doris Ullrich, served on the Wausau School Board for 15 years= . As well as being a bedrock supporter of Wisconsin public broadcasting in its e= arly days, financially and as a volunteer, driving from Wa= usau to Madison (probably in an oxcart back then) for countless meetings. Was this “just” charity work?

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And besi= des, does charity, work? =

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It’= ;s a rare crisis that shifts our beliefs. Even in the face of the greatest catastrophe, anti-government people can always say “See, we shouldn’t rely on the government to help us.” And those who bel= ieve that government does have a role in society can say, “See, government should be better funded.”

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There wi= ll be lots of new and conflicting evidence to aid our ongoing dialogues about whe= ther the work of caring for one another can be more efficiently done by Wal-Mart, which quickly brought trucks full of supplies to the gulf coast. Or is anar= chy the way to go? Arguably the unatten= ded Wal-Marts also provided many necessary supplies to people, and at a low low cost.

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Can our = work of caring for one another be done more efficiently by private charities or by FEMA? By government employees or huge government contractors? Or by thousan= ds of little contractors? Or by self-motivated individuals, compassionate neighbors, and insurance companies with the foresight to prepare for this k= ind of mess? Or are we best served by a diverse consortium of economic AND ethi= cal incentives, by both competition AND compassion?

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A couple= were walking along a river when they saw a baby floating by. Well one jumped in = and saved the baby, but before they could stop to think of their relief or surp= rise or satisfaction, along came another baby. Of course the other person dived right in to save it. Then came another, and another. They knew they shouldn’t leave, but finally one of them said: “You stay here a= nd save babies, I’m going upstream to find the bastard who is throwing t= hem in the river.” Is it more charitable to give for immediate or for long term needs?

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It’= ;s easy to point fingers at those who didn’t fix levees. But if charity begin= s at home, we should be aware that when we recently attempted to recover money f= or water damage around the stained glass windows in the steeple tower, our ins= urer denied the claim, noting that the water damage was due to overdue maintenan= ce.

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It’= ;s good to ask and to think about these vast questions about charity, but they are always at least one step removed from reality. And they are hopeless to ans= wer in any final way. William Blake wrote: “If one is to do good, it must= be done in minute particulars.” Perhaps we need faith that, if we dare to live in the particulars, the universals will take care of themselves.<= /o:p>

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Last wee= kend one of our congregations doubled in size. You might think of that as good news,= you might think that the membership committee of the church in Baton Rouge has been remarkably success= ful. But in fact the entire city of Baton Rouge has doubled in size. The = Shreveport, La. Congregation is also inundate= d with refugees and work. They are seeking very specific lists of concrete things, from condoms to IV tubes to baby bottles, and will take them to the appropriate agencies if they are mailed to the church. check the UUA website (uua.org) for updated lists.

The Community Church of New Orleans, which is only six blocks from one of the burst levies, stands in at least 10 feet of water. The property may be a total loss as rebuilding will probably= not be allowed in that area. (The church is insured by Church Mutual in Merrill WI). Rev. James VanderWheele has accounted for around 80 percent of the congregation. He will not be able to go back to = New Orleans for months, so he’s gone up to the Baton Rouge congregation to help with evacuees.

First UU Ch= urch of New Orleans has accounted for around two-t= hirds of their members. The building has at least five feet of standing water but can most likely be saved.

In the suburbs, one UU church has had its roof blown off and suffered significant tree damage. Two congregations from Houston, and one wonderful man from Madison, Wisconsin (with a truck load of the right stuff!) found their way in on Labor Day weekend, got the property somewhat cleared and the roof covered with tarps. <= /p>

The UUA, which holds the mortgage o= n one of these properties, has deferred mortgage payments. UUA dues for these con= gregations are being forgiven. Partner churches are being found for each of these congregations. Appleton Wisconsin has been selected to partner= with Community Church UU—the one whose building is likely a total loss. Re= v. Roger Bertschausen writes that the Appleton congregation will match the church's needs with offers of help. This = is certainly a leap of faith for the congregation to volunteer when they did n= ot quite know what they’d be getting into. (They’re already in partnership with a Transylvanian congregation, outgrowing their building, in search for a 2^nd minister, and just hired a FT membership coordinator... in other words, they’re doing great work, but they’re stretched. Is this evidence of faith, hope, charity, or stupidity?)

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Congrega= tions in almost all other southern cities are feeding evacuees, gathering supplies, working with agencies, counseling, and more. Dave Rickard was here yesterday from Arkansas. He says his state has taken in 60,000 new people.

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How can we = continue to help? Mone= y will continue to make a real difference. Whether it’s to your preferred organization or through the UUA website. When the time comes to rebuild, lo= ts of hands-on volunteer help will be needed. We don’t know when t= hat will be, but anyone able to hammer and carry could probably be put to work.= Can we get a crew together to be ready for the call?

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Charity,= of course, is a political issue. Who, what, where, when, and how charity is to= be delivered – these are definitely political questions. “Why?R= 21; may be more specifically a question of faith. Jesus, as I understand him, h= ad some opinions on the who what where when and how, as well as the why. He ur= ged those he met to retain the spirit of their Jewish community, even as their nation was being overrun by the Romans; even as their own Jewish leaders we= re caving in to the Empire and becoming legalistic bureaucrats instead of ensu= ring that the least among them would be cared for.

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The love= , agape, or charity taught by Jesus required loving people not in terms of what they deserve but treating them AS IF they had inherent worth and dignity. ItR= 17;s a pretty exhausting prospect. How can we hope to be any good to anyone if we’re being pulled by these endless demands for compassion? In the Buddhist loving kindness meditation we begin with ourselves, knowing that f= irst we must be filled with loving kindness. So, yes, charity begins at h= ome, but it does not end there.

I’ll close with a poem by Rumi—the 14^th century Sufi poet who suggests an attitude t= hat may sustain us even if we dare to live a life of radical charity:

= This being human is a guesthouse, Every morning is a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
Some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house,
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

I’m guessing that there wer= e a lot of us whose first inclination when we saw people displaced was, “let’s take them in.” Well, we’ve found that these particular evacuees aren’t eager to come to Wisconsin. Go figure. But still: we ca= n each be guesthouses in our hearts. We have that capacity. We each have the room = for these refugees: pain, despair, happiness, curiosity, winter storms, charitable organizations. Can we welcome them in?