HOW WILL THE WORLD KNOW? —

- April 23, 1989. :
8:30 and 11:00 am. Worship Services”
John M. Buchanan
8

Scripture oe
Revelation. 241:1- ~6.
John 13:31-35__

“By this.al] people will know: that you are » my disciples, if you have love
for one another." = Eee ee -John. 13: 35 (RSV)

For “twenty-four. weeks the’ book: that. has been at. or near the: top. Of
the best seller list is All I Really Need To Know “I- Learned In Kindergarten
by Robert ‘Fulghum, “a ‘sometimes. clergyman, “cowboy : ‘Ss 8
bartender .and artist. It. is a collection of. very. s
this and that... The title essay, "ALL 1 Need. to Know YT Learned In
Kindergarten,” has been printed widely, and. even read into the.
Congressional Record. To. give credit where. credit: dis. due, I. heard | it fipst)
at a church staff meeting, two. years. ago, when Karen Maurer, 0 ot :
Director. of Christian Education and the. Day School, _ presented it. to the

full staff as her report.

Every. spring, Robert Fulghum says he. has set. himself to the task of.
writing out his personal statement of belief, his. credo. When he_ was
younger, the statement was. long, complicated; like a Suprenie court brief.

-Butein: recent years it has been growing shorter and simpler. Now he has -

it down to “one page.

The. inspiration for ‘the project. came from mistakenly filling his. Ss
dilapidated. car. with super-— -deluxe, high- octane, high- ‘performance gas and
discovering the old car couldn't. handle it, ‘sputtered and. belched and.
stalled... "My mind and spirit get like that from time to time," he aos
explains.. "Too much shigh- content information, and. Te get the existential.
willies. The examined life is no picnic. aL re lized ‘that 1. already now
most ‘of. what's necessary. to: live a meaningful life — _ that it isn!’ 1 tha
complicated... eAlL =I really need to know about. how. ba: live and. what 5)
and how to" ‘be I learned in: kindergarten = not. cin. graduate school = but at.
the sandpile at ‘Sunday School." o : Pees PEE oe

“Share everything.

“Don't hit people.

: Put things back where you found them.

Clean up your, own mess,
_ Don! t take things that. aren't yours.
Say. you' re sorry when you. hurt sonebody.
“Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush. ,
Warm cookies and cold milk are good tor you. :
Dive a balanced life - =. learn. some and think
some and draw and. paint and Sing. and
dance and play. and work every. “day some.
_ Take a a pap every, afternoon.
ee When you: ‘go. out. into the world, watch out

for traffic, hold hands, and stick
: _ together

Be. aware: of wonder. Remember the littie ee
_ Seed An the. styrofoam cup: ‘The roots go
down and the. plant goes” up and nobody really
ane or why, but we are all like that.

aac and: hamsters. and white mice and ‘even ce
the little seed in the styrofoam cup > they
all die. So. do we.

And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and
us the first. word you learned - = _the biggest word :
oF all > Loor." H

: - Fulghum can't Tpésist preaching @ a Little at the end of his credo, but
-it's-all right-because what he preaches. is true, "Think what a better
world it would be if we all - the. whole world — had cookies and miik about
three<o ‘clock every afternoon: ‘and then lay down with our blankets for ae
nap... or if. governments | put things back where ‘they found them and | cleaned
up ‘theie messes.” — :

: The enormous “appeal and. popularity of All 1 Really Need To Know I.
Learned In Kindergarten dis. an expression, I believe, of ‘deep impatience

with the c complexity of modernity. Life ds “complicated. : it didn't seem to

be so complex just -a few. decades apo, ‘but it is today and it's getting — =
‘worse. The longer we're at it the “more difficult: it seems we make the
simple, everyday transactions of life. Organizational | ‘bigness breeds
bureaucracy which. by. its nature breeds complexity in language, process and
simple human regulations: Someone I- know broke. a finger on Saturday and
spent the next four days beating. his way through ‘emergency rooms, HMO's
policies and requirements, and. work. place procedures, before getting
approval to see a physician whose first question was "Why did you wait so
long?"

4/23/89

eee

said, = "Seek simplicity, and ‘then distrust den

deeds. He: lives. in your love," and. asks the question that . has. bothered |

“squeeze it into. too. email. va: “container. ony. proposa

Christ to. one | word: = Tove:

‘to. dove. one. another.

of God." ‘And here, at the center, at the table of the. Last. Supper, this os
very simple admonition.: "By. this all will know that you are my disciples

And 80: we react: we try. ‘to simplify things. like. Fulgham. and

“sometimes we over— react. by. refusing. to take: seriously. the - full couples

ofs-the problems: facing us:))-lt-was Alfred North Whitehead, qr believer who:

- Bute ‘the point is well. taken. “Complenity, takes. sour” minds and
and: prevents. us from coming to grips: with: things... Most of” what. as
Tnpor tant as not: terribly: complicated, and the same is_ true. of Ee religion:

“ugh ©. Kerr, “Senior Editor. of. theology. reday observed ‘that. “Chere ee
are tines. and perhaps ‘this is one of: them, when. itis. salutary to be LS
reminded: that we may make the goes! more complicated than necessary.’
{April, 1989, p: 4]. Kerr. cites. -sermon-he heard in: a: _Baptist. Church. An
Manhattan. in which ‘the preacher cad, “Jesus. lives. -He lives in your. good

Woe

thoughtful people... "whether we -can- pack: all. the theological. pagenee of :
the: centuries into such compact spaces. without. doing: historical and Se
intellectual violence £0 the Christian: faith." fe a

Testament: writer. An particular, would ‘come. down on. ae side of a more
aimee gospel = opamely John the Pyangel ist: ee bes :

only son," John wrote it. It is in John s Gospel: ‘that Jesus au

ee s: feet: and: fells them: ‘to. love one. another, as. he has” joved a

“bater, after he: dias: lived
the end. of. his: own life, John. ais writing letters. to. ‘Christian churches,
he is still at it. "Little children, Tet us. Jove one: another, for love is:

if you have love for one another." Not by your: power, wealth, othe | S
beauty of. your: buildings, : music, vestments, not even by. the. brillia Ice" of

your: theology, your: persuasive’ sermons. and books... but. by. your ‘love for |
one another. by this the» world is going to. know. hat you are my
disciples. :

You might | Say that: it's all he ever. specifically: asked us” ‘to. do,
love. one, another, Augustine. caught. the. spirit. of t when he. said that the a
essence of: Christian morality can be expressed as, “Love and ‘do-as. “you. a
please." “It's as. ‘simple as’ that and Just as. difficult | as. ‘Fulghun' Ss. “elean BS
up your own. 1 mess.” Se eee ae .

The. fact. of the | matter is’ that: what the. world: has: ‘seen. when t ooked_ SS
at. ‘the friends of Jesus was not: always. very. attractive. The church of ee
Christ has been an embarrassingly human institution in’ history and. it still
is. When you visit Scotland | you know with a terribie > clarity that the: -

4/23/89:

prey,

_ friends of Jesus have been willing to dispatch: one another. over-almost any
_ issue. Ste: “Andrews, “site” of the: oldest’ University in Great Britain, as
well as the Royal. and: ‘Ancient Golf Club, “ds: also. where the. first ‘Protestant

martyrs. were burned. ‘at the ‘stake, and where the Protestants sneaked into |

the castle and murdered Cardinal Beaton ‘and hung his body over the wall for _

: all. to:-see. "By. this all will know...?" ‘The tragedy of. Northern Ireland
sels: ‘nol fatealla. religious conflict these days, but-the combatants are. still

identi died. ecclesiastically, and: both sides use extremist. Protestant” and:

~ Catholic: rhetoric to enflame. their respective: constituencies: Reactionary
_ Protestant: ministers, usurping the name ECesbyreriany are among the least
- fee and: most Tiaele igures in that sad scenario, "By this all will -

ee Families, of cours can fight. better: ‘than anyone; ‘and the. : religious
- landscape ‘of our. culture. s still characterized by competition, : suspicion,

hostility, far more than cooperation, mutuality, cordiality, not to: mention

Jove. We can't even. break’ the bread and. share: the cup of communion | with
one: another. By ‘this. all will now?! Be Be DE oe

: Ie it any wonder that all ‘do not know? In Cc. Ss: ‘Lewis’ s Screwt ype:
Letters, from a. Senior: to-a Junior devil on. the: topic of winning back the

soul: ‘Of a man” who. seems” to be. slipping into faith, Satan urges. his

Heutenant to use the church —

"lean heavily on the. ‘people he ‘sees. in the:

“pews = the: cones he is’ now: supposed to love — - the ones that ‘sing out. of |

tune, ‘whose boots: squeak, have double. chins. ‘and wear odd- clothes. Work |
“hard: on ‘the. disappointment which is certainly coming during his first few.

weeks” as a churchman." Later on Satan returns to the. topic... “count on
church people. to argue: over. and finally to hate: one. another, not. over

doctrine but over | Candles: and. clothes” and what not." fp 16, gaye

: “It ‘may be. a very. simple ‘imperative. ‘but the truth of the matter-is”
‘that: we have- not. found Lt: easy to. love one another in the church, and

perhaps the reason is that" we have not found it. easy. to love at all, Jesus”
kneeling before: his’ disciples, washing | their feet, ordering them to imitate

him: by. loving one - another and. then: saying that’ all will know. who | they. are,
may seem the very. picture of. simplicity. But the fact-ofthe matter is.

_ that it was one of. the most radical. things he ever said. The fact-is<that
oo hee was” turning. upside down the very structure of human relations which had
guided: humankind: from: the. beginning of time. The fact of the matter is.

that. when. ‘Jesus. asks- us. to love one another — ‘without qualifying: it

somehow, without. saying anything else —- he is, in fact, proposing something

startling. and: new. and. revolutionary, inthe: first. century and. in ‘the |

_. twentieth century.

“His ‘command. falls. ‘on: deaf ears, the late Carlyle Marney used to
‘teach, because we. don't use: the same grammar. We have, in American.
culture,” replaced the primal verb “to be:- with. “to. do! and: !'to have
The essence of a person in Western culture, said Marney, -is:not: in his-or
her: existence, being itself, but rather in what he or she. does and has.
Jesus, on the other hand, is asking his people to love one another, simply. :
for: ‘the sake of. love, Furthermore, that's:-the way he lived: -. by: loving os,
people who. had very little to. commend themselves, welcoming all sorts of
People into Ms circle of friends.

4/23/89

"ited!

| hile ‘Every. parent. knows. that a. child. needs love at just tha

cojustify- withholding your. love, Saving | it. for. ab

to find love he always said, "You will find Wovens I
- by giving it away," And then. he ‘said something which. 1 brought, him:

the most tragic problems we face are at least in part a result of J

ALA8/ 88, “Loving a Frost i tute,” Judith fend

ae It! s that simple.

: We. are utilitarians. at. heart. The: value. of: a person is based | on, his
or her. utility. So deeply is this a part of. the way we. think. that ; :
love, we value utility, what. ‘we will get in return. “It turns: people | into.
objects, this way of: thinking does. It. makes us: bingy lovers, p: ye
careful lovers. We love. those who e: : :

The. tragedy. is ‘that people need. dove” prec
when. he. and she is least. attractive. If your love ds. dispensed on
basis of the. utility. of the other,. you aren going to. _be much: of
Tf you. love only. those who. measure Up, meet your standards, a
love you aren As going to. love | ‘much, The ‘simple

depends on. anything in. the: other, ‘the potential ete 2 yeu Ao)

probabiy: find enough about the. other that: is unattractive,

happens to many of us, I fear. -We. shrivel up. and die oe waiting
for. someone or “something to. come along and be. deserving: of our love.

“When. Jesus “ordered his disciples. to love ‘one another and then sa
the world would know ‘who they are. by the quality of their relation i
} Of c ati he. gospel” ‘to. the
he was: ‘in fact telling them how’ to | participate in their: ‘own salva

-Reuel Howe ‘once. wrote, very Wi

close to: that essence of. the ‘truth: lived. by. Jesus. SS
where to. ‘find God, I tell. them to go find someone (fo love."
Herein is Love, p. 45: fil = ale

[Reul 1

= We know intuitively: the. ‘power of. iu somet times negatively, son

unexpressed, withheld... It doesn't take Jong talking to the. homeless: to po
discover. that Af love ‘and. acceptance | are. withheld | long | enough the result is

a heart so broken it can no longer love or. ‘trust or care. A counselor at
Genesis House, a facility. which helps women ‘out. ‘of the. abyss. of :

prostitution, says” that: most. of the. women “enter. prostitution. between the ae oes
ages of 14 and 16; 70% to 80% are victims: of. incest They enter life with ee
low self-esteem, or no sel f- -confidence,. no: job. skills, and. minimal | a

education. Many become. substance addicts” and live. in an abusive |
relationship with a pimp." Are. there alternatives? Genesis | ‘House »
so. = The. counselor. wrote, _ "Perhaps the greatest gift. anyone. can giv
unconditional | love. ce My. work at. Genesis. House: ha aught _ me tha sch
possible if honest, caring love supports it." - [The Christian. Centur AD

‘Love. ‘transforms, Love. heals. Love” saves Hove [mparts: God

Paul Tillich, -whose. ‘theology is ‘difficult ‘and. ‘complex, ‘preached |

"sermons that: were: elegantly simple. In one, based. on our. text. today, he”

simply told the story of: Elsa Brandstrom, daughter. of. the Swedish. S eee
Ambassador. to Russia who gave her life to the human treatment of prisoners. ee
during World War 1,2 and: then afterward to war orphans. : Tillich wrote, “We.

eo])

4/23/89 - 2

never” had. a theological conversation. Tt “was” unnecessary. ‘She made God.
= transparent | in every moment." ‘Ute New Being, Pe 28) | ee

“And ‘$0. Malcolm: Mugeeridge found faith and became a z believer when’ he

- observed Mother ‘Teresa of. Calcutta. Sent to India to do. an interview for. :

the ‘BBC, -Muggeridge, a. life- ~long. skeptic, who shad: heard every conceivable

: intellectual argument for the’ faith, was so taken by. her unconditional love
for the. dying” on-the? streets” of ‘Calcutta, that” he began. a’ pilgrimage that
brought: him to full Christian: faith. About. Mother Teresa's Home - for’ the
Dying, he wrote that it: “is” overflowing: with love, “aS one senses:

immediately. This” love - is luminous, ‘like the haloes" artists have ‘geen and
Made visible around the” heads of ‘the faints, [Something Beautiful: for oe

- oe qt. can” ‘be. stated with subline | simplicity. = love one another. » by
g this. all will know that. yeu are my disciples. oe Ue

Perhaps. itts “not so ” complicated after all. a it's not at alla

2 matter of understanding it, PEC Simply doing: it.

: | loveable.

encounter. ‘God.

: Maybe Et begins. very simply by. leabning’ how to. say: I. love you. it.
ae that's. too. difficult to manage, ‘perhaps | you. can: say “T care” about you.:
you matter to me., tell” me how it is with you, tell. me > your. hurts and your
tell. me. what makes” you. ween: and dau :

ee

ae

Bee Maybe. it bezing: with the honest t deknowledgaent: that: we are stingy.
; - lovers, that | we. evaluate | first, very jearefully and that Tew people make
pene: grade. ao Bons : :

‘ And maybe it begins with. the honest acknowledgment that if ove
depends” on: deserving, ‘there aren't many People: who are going. fo ‘find us.

a "How," rt em

: A oe (En eee EE es :
“Well, it ‘starts: 1 believe. with. Gospel: with the pood news ‘that

= someone loves us. Regardless of our utility, attractiveness, Fegardless

oe of our. sin, we are foved: God, in Jesus Christ has’ loved Us.

And wayoe. it. cbevine: Siply- ‘when’ we hear what: he said. "Tove. one
another: -and then go. out and do it: find love by: giving ours away.:
: and discover Something else, namely | that when we find someone to. love, we

: -[t-was indeed, one of the simplest things he ever said, one. of. the
few ‘specific. things he asked us todo. ‘It can ‘revolutionize your life and
: Save your soul in the bargain. It. will also, he promised, ‘help in his: task
of Teereat ing the world, .
“Love one > another.. By. iis: all will know." - ee nee oo

- Amens © -

(4/23/89