As Jesus and his friends sat on the Mount of Olives one day and looked to the west across the sun-drenched Kidron Valley, they could still see the Second Temple. When Christians visit the Mount of Olives today, as we St. John's pilgrims did last summer, they can see the golden Dome of the Rock and the blue dome of the Al-Aqsa mosque, but they can't see anything Christian, at least on the Temple Mount. We are linked to that sacred place by unseen bonds alone. Indeed Christians who have visited the Holy City may find that they now take it more personally when Israelis and Palestinians despoil it with violence. More than we may like to admit, the ruggedly individualistic American faithful are also profoundly influenced by unseen bonds of culture, history, sacrifice, and politics -- but especially the bonds of our oneness in Christ. My Sunday sermon is here.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
"Bonds Unseen": Sermon for 24 Pentecost
As Jesus and his friends sat on the Mount of Olives one day and looked to the west across the sun-drenched Kidron Valley, they could still see the Second Temple. When Christians visit the Mount of Olives today, as we St. John's pilgrims did last summer, they can see the golden Dome of the Rock and the blue dome of the Al-Aqsa mosque, but they can't see anything Christian, at least on the Temple Mount. We are linked to that sacred place by unseen bonds alone. Indeed Christians who have visited the Holy City may find that they now take it more personally when Israelis and Palestinians despoil it with violence. More than we may like to admit, the ruggedly individualistic American faithful are also profoundly influenced by unseen bonds of culture, history, sacrifice, and politics -- but especially the bonds of our oneness in Christ. My Sunday sermon is here.
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