I also reference the first reading: Isaiah 45:1-7.
El
santo evangelio según San Mateo (22:15-22)
15Then
the Pharisees went
and
plotted to entrap Jesus in what he said.
16So
they sent their disciples to him,
along
with the Herodians, saying,
“Teacher,
we
know that you are sincere,
and
teach the way of God
in
accordance with truth,
and
show deference to no one;
for
you do not regard people with partiality.
17Tell
us, then, what you think.
Is
it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor,
or
not?”
18But
Jesus,
aware of their
malice, said,
“Why
are you putting me to the test,
you
hypocrites?
19Show
me the coin used for the tax.”
And
they brought him a denarius.
20Then
Jesus said to them,
“Whose image is
this, and whose title?”
21They
answered,
“The emperor’s.”
Then
Jesus said to them,
“Give therefore
to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s,
and
to God the things that are God’s.”
22When
they heard this,
they
were amazed;
and
they left Jesus
and
went away.
El
evangelio del Señor.
-----
you
see
your face.
you
see
a flaw.
how. if you are the
only
one who has
this
face.
–
the beauty
construct
(Nayyirah
Waheed)
There
are images all around us every day.
Images of violence, of pain, of joy, of anger. Images of jobs and vocations, service, relationships, and
estrangement. Images of power and
privilege, of isolation and marginalization.
These
diverse images are on our money, too.
An image of a man of power: Washington, Hamilton, Franklin—soon Harriet
Tubman, an image of freedom and resistance to oppression. An eagle – an image for this country,
with a head pointing toward the olive branch of peace and away from the arrows
of war.
A
pyramid image of endurance, withstanding the test of time, with the Eye of
Providence, or is it the eye of God? Claiming God’s presence and blessing,
perhaps, though other countries also make that claim. A new order, this great seal declares. At the top, the united states of
america. Below that, on the back,
the phrase “in god we trust.” And
those are just a few, easily spotted on this one, old bill.
Images
are all around us and even on us.
Images that seem perfect and images so full of what we call flaws: lines
of wrinkles from laughter, worry, and surprise trace across our faces; scars
from illness or injury; marks we try to cover up or choose to create as art;
marks from violence that we hide from others, struggling to seek help or a way
out. All over our bodies, we carry
images.
But
there is one image more precious and more powerful than the rest. An image that challenges our
assumptions when seen on others whom we might call “interesting” or
“different.” An image that brings
comfort when we cannot find the good in our own selves.
Jesus
asks, “whose image…whose title?”
and it is “the emperor’s.”
When the image is marked “for the Empire,” then it is for the
Empire. When the image is marked
for God, then for God.
But
“in the beginning when God went about creating the heavens and the earth andthe earth was a formless void…God created humanity in the divine image. In the image of God humanity wascreated”—in all our diversity.
Certain
images may be marked on money and things, but the everlasting image of the
Divine is marked on all of creation and on all of us created beings. And that makes a difference. We are made in the image of God. Together with all of the ways we are
unique, we belong to God—the God who calls us by our name and surnames us.
And
if we belong to God, it is not just us, but all of humanity. Every soldier killed fighting for this
government, every soldier killed fighting for other governments, even every
soldier killed fighting for ISIS bears the image of God and so belongs to
God. Every family that goes hungry
on the weekends or in the summer bears the image of God and so belongs to
God. Every billionaire CEO and
every family on welfare and everyone just trying to stay in the middle class bears
the image of God and so belongs to God.
Every
baby born and every person who dies bears the image of God and so belongs to
God. Every victim of
violence—sexual harassment and domestic violence, economic violence, gun
violence, terror attacks and mass killings—and every perpetrator of violence bears
the image of God and so belongs to God.
Every janitor, firefighter, sex worker, pastor, administrative
assistant, nurse, teacher, elected representative, telemarketer, and community
organizer bears the image of God and so belongs to God.
Every
person with documentation to live and work in a country, every person without
documentation, and every person awaiting deportation bears the image of God and
so belongs to God. Every lawyer,
every government employee, every person in prison bears the image of God and so
belongs to God.
Every woman, every
man, every transgender person, every person for whom the gender binary doesn’t
fit; every bisexual, heterosexual, asexual, lesbian, gay, and queer person
bears the image of God and so belongs to God. Every one who is single, divorced, widowed, struggling with
their marriage, and happily married bears the image of God and so belongs to God.
And
if all of humanity bears the image of God and so belongs to God, then all of
Creation bears the image of God and so belongs to God. Every tree, river, bush, and lake bears
the image of God and so belongs to God.
Every bluff, mountain, valley, desert, sea, and glacier bears the image
of God and so belongs to God.
Every creeping thing upon the earth, every swimming thing every flying
thing bears the image of God and so belongs to God. Every planet, moon, star, galaxy, black hole, asteroid, and
supernova bears the image of God and so belongs to God.
And
if all of creation bears the image of God and so belongs to God, then even “the
things that are the emperor’s” are really “the things that are God’s.” The things we think we can separate out
from our faith are a part of our faith.
They belong to God just as we belong to God.
So
in all that we do and use we find divine belonging. When we spend our money, we are using God’s resources and
God’s creation. When we are
spiteful or cruel, we are doing so to God. When we are honest about pain, oppression, and conflict, we
are being honest with God and all that belongs to God. When we care for another and for
ourselves, we care for God.
Nayyirah
Waheed’s poem, which I began with holds the truth about this image of God:
you
see
your face.
you
see
a flaw.
how. if you are the
only
one who has
this
face.
–
the beauty
construct
(Nayyirah
Waheed)
In
all you see as a flaw, God recognizes the beauty that is your truest self. And the same holds true for the flaws
we see in others.
As
a reminder, please turn to a neighbor, ask their name (just to make sure—if
everybody does it the person whose mind goes blank will have an excuse), ask if
you can bless them, and if they give permission, mark their forehead or their hands
with the sign of the cross and say, “You are a beloved child of God. You belong to God. And that will never
ever change.”
…
Amen.
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