A Poem/Reflection for 14th Sunday after Pentecost September 3, 2023
Holy Trinty Episcopal Church, Hertford, NC Thomas E Wilson, Guest Celebrant
Exodus 3:1-15 Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c Romans 12:9-21 Matthew 16:21-28
Taking Faith Down From Sunday's Shelf.
Thank you for letting me come to you today. I need to tell you that in looking over the lessons for today, I have received a diagnosis, I have given my self, that I have a disease, which can be contagious,. The Disease in question is “Self Importance”. It is a chronic disease and one of the cures is when I walk down to the ocean a couple blocks from where I live and I see nothing but water between me and Casablanca in Africa. It will be about a 3,800 mile, ten hour flight and when I get rich and famous from being a retired Episcopal Priest I just might make that pilgrimage.
However, as a person who sees himself as the center of the universe, I made an assumption; and as they say an assumption is well named because it makes an ass out of both the speaker and listener. I assumed that everybody has memorized the 1942 movie “Casablanca” directed by Michael Curtiz and staring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman as a pair of star crossed lovers finding themselves in the Vichy French colony under Nazi control. The movie is a classic drama as the characters try to make decisions between doing the faithful choice and doing the fear filled choice, Faith versus fear is the central core of all Drama and life itself. Being faithful means being formed in the image of people created in the image of God, living into loving thoughts and actions, and knowing that they have a spirit more powerful than themselves being breathed into themselves and others. Being fear filled means making actions that fall far short of love as if there is no higher power breathing into themselves or others Bogart's character, “Rick” is an American disillusioned with the world he tried to save and failed. He is drinking himself into oblivion so he won't try again to do a noble deed.
Ever since seeing the movie “Casablanca” I have wanted to get there. I wanted to be cool, like the Humphrey Bogart character “Rick”. I wanted to walk through “my”place and feel the envy of everyone looking at me. There is another actor, Claude Raines, the oh so smooth Vichy Police Captain Louis Renault, who lives in the tension of being a man who loves the France he grew up in and, out of convenience is trying to get along with the Nazis. When you see him, you are never sure to which side he gives true loyalty to. I want someone to ge through the lines of the movie with me:
Renault: What in heaven’s name brought you to Casablanca?
Rick: My health, I came to Casablanca for the waters.
Renault: The waters? What waters? We’re in the desert.
Rick: I was misinformed.
The reality is that I will never be as “cool” as Rick in my fantasy. I have a choice; I can choose to be ruled by fear about my limits and weaknesses, and in that fear, try to conquer it by relying on my own power and swagger in a fantasy, like Rick is doing at the beginning of the in movie. Or, I can choose to accept the limits of my own power and place my trust in a power greater than myself, who created me, not as a wannabe Rick, but to be the best Tom Wilson I can be.
When questioned by the Nazi Major Strasser, played by boo-hiss, Conrad Veidt, Rick is asked about his nationality. He answers that he is a Drunkard. To which Renault chimes in “ He is a citizen of the world.” Rick drinks in order to swallow down the fear of having hope. This is the beginning of his facing his addiction and hope for something larger than himself comes back into his life when Ilsa, the Bergman character, a former lover, whom he left before he got disillusioned, shows up in Casablanca. She has since married Victor, who she admired for his faithfulness to do loving and brave actions and shows a life of looking beyond oneself. Ilsa and Rick struggle with a decision to fearfully cling to each other in memory of the past in Paris or be faithful to the new reality. Close to the end of the movie Rick and Ilsa say good-bye without fear and Rick says, “We'll always have Paris”, a line I used to say to my wife often as we would face a situation calling for a less than favorite choice. Rick looks deep into her eyes with love, respect, honor and support and says, “Here's looking at you, kid.” It is my favorite line and I used to say it to my wife not long after I would say, “We'll always have Paris.”
In the movie, the embodiment of slimy evil is Signor Ferreri, played by Sidney Greenstreet, who gloats:“As the leader of all illegal activities in Casablanca, I am an influential and respected man.” Yet, he is filled with fear, because it may all crumble.
The early 20th century author of supernatural horror fiction H. P. Lovecraft writing about characters he created, and indeed how he lived his life, wrote: “ I never ask a person what his business is, for it never interests me. What I ask him about is his thoughts and dreams.” In his lifetime Lovecraft was never able to fully support himself with his writing. Yet he was faithful to his calling as a writer..Years after his death he was considered a master and much of his works are still in print. The strength of the movie Casablanca is that the good guy characters uncover their thoughts and dreams and bring their strengths to play. The villains cover up their thoughts and dreams by posturing business power to cover up their fears.
Let take a look at the people in the lessons for today, not just their business but about their thoughts and dreams.
In the Hebrew Testament Lesson from Exodus we have the Pharaoh who is so afraid that his power will be eroded by all those Hebrews in Egypt, that he works over time to make life miserable for them. He uses all of his power to make life difficult and to cover up his fears. He uses the Army, the pomp and ceremony, the splendor, the riches he has and it all crumbles into dust. Moses on the other hand, after a brief encounter with fear, had escaped from Egypt and found peace in herding sheep. However, in his peace he discovers a strength in the awareness of a power greater than himself. This Power, the “I AM”, the being of the Divine, fills him with confidence and he returns into danger with a confidence that there is a vision of wholeness to be achieved.
In the Epistle for today, Paul writes about the choice we make between our own power and the power of God's love. Paul suggests if we rely only on our own power, then we tend to destroy ourselves. But if we live into the power of God's love living in us, then we are set free when we follow Paul's admonition; “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Jesus in the Gospel lesson is challenged by Peter who wants a life where every need he has will be met. It is magical thinking that nothing bad will happen because he is surrounded by, as the old commercial used to say, an invisible protective shield. No, life of faith is to enter deeply into the brokenness of the fallen world. The promise is that all will be redeemed, not that all will be rosy. We are people of the resurrection not people of the easy chair.
Often we Christians live a divided life. We come to church on Sunday and take the religious stuff of prayer, confession, praise, community, communion and service, off the shelf during the time of the service. After the service we put all that stuff back on the religious shelf to be there when we get back. Prayer, the awareness of something, a power greater than oneself is something we are called to live into everyday life, not just visit on Sunday. Confession is the rigorous honesty with ourselves and our neighbors in everyday life , nor just visit on Sunday. Praise is the seeing the majesty of God in each moment of life; looking at the world and being amazed rather than terrified in everyday life, not just on Sunday. Community is the living into the Holy space between us and our neighbors in everyday life, not just on Sunday with fellow Episcopalians. Communion is the sharing the love that we have with others we know and with strangers in everyday life, not just on Sundays. Service begins when the religious meeting is over and serving God in our neighbor begins in everyday life.
To go back to Casablanca with Captain Renault's line, “What in heaven's name brought you to Casablanca?” Notice he uses “heaven's name” as a hint that he is able to see something greater than himself is operating there. It is that line that drops a hint that at the end of the movie Rick and Renault will walk side by side as Rick says the last line, “Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
So let me ask you: “What in Heaven's name brought you to Holy Trinity in Hertford?” My hope that it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship with the Risen Lord to bring love to your community in everyday life, and that you keep coming back because you need to be reminded that there is a power greater than yourselves, redeeming all things. Maybe you will hear that power say with love; “Here's looking at you, kid!”
Taking Faith Down From Sunday's Shelf.
He wants to swagger like Casablanca's “Rick”,
Leaving behind in his wake, rapt admirers;
In awe of his control of smoke and mirrors.
But his life's not a character in a 40's flick.
Hiding behind fantasies exists a real person,
Who has to live where he is called to be,
As an old man with more days behind he
Than ahead, keeping his world from worsen.
Each day, being aware of threatening fears,
Which he knows will challenge him to face,
Pridefully with only his own power to chase
With limited strength through these years.
Yet, there is a power greater than himself,
To be used instead of leaving it on a shelf.
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