The Very Rev. Anthony R. Pompa
The Philosopher Nietzsche said, “You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.”
In a previous life in my vocation, having left the Diocese of Bethlehem as a missionary to the Diocese of Virginia, serving on the Bishop’s staff there, I was the Bishop’s assistant for Congregational and Ministry Development. It was my job to assist congregations with the tools that they felt they needed to better their mission. Traveling around that diocese and particularly spending a great deal of time in smaller congregations, there was a consistent question. And, the question was – “Show us the way to do it. Show us the way to grow our church. Show us the way to balance our budget. Show us the way to do evangelism. Show us the way to have a dynamic Sunday school. Show us the way to do group ministry. Tell us how to do it. Reveal to us the way.”
I spent much of my time in conversations like that and, because I was fortunate to be in a diocese that had some resources, I was fortunate to gather experts in their fields from all around the church, bringing them into the diocese to do workshops. Some of those experts came touting the way. They had the way. Some of the more humble came sharing some things that they have experienced along the way. What I realized and came to know, and knew intuitively, of course, from the beginning is there isn’t one way. There isn’t one thing that might work in one place that will work in another place.
I found myself ending all of my conversations with those I was with inviting them into a “yes and” world. It’s a “yes and” world I would say. It’s not an “either or” world. In other words, there’s more than one right answer. There’s more than one possibility.
I’m about to venture into a world that I shouldn’t venture into. But, quantum physics has something to teach us a bit about the fundamental nature of the world. How it’s ordered. How it operates. I promise I’ll be here briefly, particularly to those of you who know anything about physics. I apologize. What my neophyte understanding of quantum physics teaches us about the fundamental nature of energy is that energy is small and discreet in its units and that the elementary particles of that energy behaves like particles and like waves.
Where’s Tom Stone when I need him? The movement of these particles in quantum theory is inherently random. That is to say that as energy moves about us and in us and about the world we know that it operates randomly, but in relationship with one another. We don’t always know nor can we predict how energy will move, but quantum theory does teach us that in the end, energy is in relationship. In other words, it’s a “yes and” world. Energy does behave this way and that way. How am I doing, Tom? Just shake your head, please. Thank you.
This, of course, is in dialogue with plutonium physics, which is a cause and effect physics. This is the cause of that. It’s a “yes and” world. Quantum physics teaches us, not an “either or” world. And here comes the big leap.
There is a theme in the scriptures today. And it seems like our primary player in both the Old Testament and the Gospel lesson today seem to be stuck in a world view that is “either or,” as opposed to “yes and.”
For Moses, he is surrounded by the disgruntled. He is surrounded by those who have followed a vision that he has proclaimed on behalf of the God who anointed and called him, that is that their lives should be lived free. Following that dream, they find themselves out in the wilderness, pangs of hunger coming upon them, and growing quite bored with the menu of the day...manna.
The “either or” of the world in which they seem to be stuck is either we stay here in the wilderness and eat this boring manna every day and have our stomachs cringing with hunger, or we return to slavery in Egypt where we at least tasted some meat and some sweet melon. There is a profound limitation with this worldview for those in the wilderness. They cannot and do not see the options. And, they cannot and do not see the limitless nature of the God who has called them to freedom.
Even Moses himself seems limited in his worldview, and I myself am horribly sympathetic to Moses in this particular passage. Moses himself, never sure really of his call, questioning his call all the way along, now finds himself in the wilderness surrounded by a bunch of complainers. Surely, God, this isn’t the way you planned it he says.
He is stuck in this moment in an “either or” worldview. Either God you have brought us out here and promised us something new or I can’t possibly stand one more day with this clamoring. His very own worldview seems limited and small. Even having experienced the broadness of God. Both Moses and his people seem to be stuck in that “either or” worldview and God, it seems, once again is called upon to offer the “yes and.” “Yes, people of Israel, I have liberated you and you will not die and you will grow into a new nation and you will live and once again you will taste meat and sweet melon.” And, by the way, look up at the stars and be reminded. “Moses,” he says, “yes, you will continue to lead.” And here’s the punch line Moses, “you cannot do that alone.” “And, there will be one, no two, no three, no four, no five, no seventy...seventy elders who will gather around you and will help you do that and, by the way, there’s these other two who will also anoint in order to aid you. “Yes, Moses and.”
Our good friends the disciples in today’s gospel also seem to be rooted strongly in that “either or” worldview. They come across a man who, believe it or not, is casting out demons, quickly recognizing that he is not a follower of Jesus; he’s not in their group. They quickly do what they think they should do and that is to stop him. No evil spirits cast out today...sorry, say the disciples.
It seems they cannot fathom that God’s kingdom might be spread outside of their domain. It seems that Jesus’ response to them reminds them of the yes and the and. Jesus reminds them that if one casts out in his name that he cannot continue his life without understanding that he is acting on behalf of the principals of the kingdom of God. And then, of course, Jesus goes on with all of that other stuff. You know, the pluck out your eye stuff, the cut off your hand stuff. You see here’s what I think about that. I think Jesus is hacked. I think he is hacked off. I think as is the theme in Mark’s gospel the disciples once again aren’t getting it. They stopped someone from doing a kingdom thing. And, therefore, they’re not getting it again. And Jesus reminds them though he grabs their attention and reminds them of the most prolific imagery he can find and reminds them that God’s a yes and the Kingdom of God is expansive and that the very last and very least they cannot be a stumbling block to that. Get out of the way when it’s important and part of the plan. And if that means plucking out your eye or cutting off your hand then do it. He doesn’t mean literally. There is it seems a yes and way to the Kingdom of God being spread. So the question for you today is the question I live with this week and that is...is it either or...or is it yes and? Is your rule to the way you approach life the way you see the challenges and opportunities of life one that is either or? Or yes and?
When we’re trapped in an either or worldview and I sometimes, indeed, am trapped in that either or worldview, we come to a place where we are closed off. We are incapable of being expansive and creative. We lack the perception to see the options that are around us. And we may even miss one more opportunity to grow. Now we know why we get there, you and me. We get there because we’re tired. We get there because as psychologists now call it the cumulative stress in our lives is high. Cumulative stress is now the psychology for burnout. We get to that place because we’re stressed. We get to that place because our relationships are taxed. If I have to find one more part of my heart that allows me to forgive my father one more time I’m just going to spit. If my father has to come to one more place in his life where he has to find one more part of his heart to forgive me in our relationship he’s just going to spit. That’s on the cumulatively stressed high part of that relationship. We know that we live in difficult financial times, and if we ourselves are not financially taxed, many who we love and know are. That, of course, puts us sometimes in places that we believe is either or. And, sometimes we’re in those places where we are not appropriately seeking the stimulation that we need...that stimulation in our mind and our body and our spirit. Perhaps we have forgotten what brings us joy in what we read. Or, depth to our experience in our work place by what we discover. Perhaps we’ve forgotten how important that mile walk we take every morning is. Or perhaps we’ve lost the way to the gym all together. And perhaps we’re taxed in our spiritual lives. Perhaps we’ve come to that place where we’ve forgotten how to pray. Or, where we’ve forgotten whom it is and where those places those touchstone places are in our lives that bring a step to our spirit. And, as in the disciples’ case sometimes we get there because of our arrogance or of our own control needs.
I invite you to consider the yes and worldview for you and I in our vocations. Can we lead and discover, and love and be compassionate? In our relationships, can we really live in a way that we give more of ourselves only to discover that and we will find more about ourselves?
In our finances, can we really spend less and give more? In our spiritual lives can we really let go and discover a safe place to be? We’ve been having Stewardship desserts. If you’ve not been able to get to the one you’ve been invited to or if you have no idea what I’m talking about call the office.
Recently, as recently as last night in our small group, having dessert and enjoying it, we talked about together the power of the yes. What it is just to say “yes”. Yes. Say “yes and” to the way we approach our every day work. Say “yes and” to the way we approach our relationships. Say “yes and” to the way we approach our spiritual lives. And say “yes and” to the way God may be working through us as individuals and as a community of faith. Amen.
