"Glowing In Spirit" - Romans 12:9-21 - September 1, 2002

If you have walked through the corridors of our local high schools recently you have seen posters which read, "Get the School Spirit," or "Support your Team with Spirit." I’ve often wondered how you can tell when one student has spirit and another doesn’t. Does having spirit mean you show up at the ball game with your face painted in the school colors? Does it mean you are able to make more noise than the other fans in the stands? Or, does it mean you’re like a cheerleader, urging people around you to talk positively about winning or rallying your friends to show up at the ball game on Friday night? Just what does it mean to have spirit?

Here we find Paul, encouraging the Church to be persons with spirit. "Be aglow with the Spirit," he said, and "serve the Lord." He was talking team spirit all right, but his words had nothing to do with football. His words, however do have to do with the competition, which in this case is the world.

In one sense Paul is like a coach, urging the community of faith to "outdo one another in showing honor." It’s as if he is actually encouraging a little competitiveness among us in the way we treat one another. He says this, not because he wants there to be losers and winners, but to make our "spirit" contagious.

To be persons of spirit for Paul has to do with some very basic messages, such as, making our love genuine, rejoicing in hope and living in peace and harmony. Other things Paul says are very practical. For example, he says "contribute to the needs of the saints," and "practice hospitality." But, it’s this last instruction that really challenges us.

To end his list of instructions Paul tells us "to overcome evil with good." He says we should never avenge ourselves, for that is up to God. It isn’t our place to get even, to rush to judgment or to take the law into our own hands. "For it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’" (See Deuteronomy 32:35) Paul takes it a step further when he tells us to "feed our enemies when they are hungry and give them drink when they are thirsty."

Feed the enemy, give them drink? Can you imagine using our resources to set up soup kitchens and drinking fountains in Afghanistan, instead of firing missiles?

In the Old Testament there is a story where Elisha the prophet told the King of Israel to give a banquet to their enemy, the Syrians, rather than kill them.. They prepared a great feast and the Syrians no longer made raids upon the people of Israel. (II Kings 6:20-23) Jesus followed with a similar episode when he told the crowd who was about to stone the adulteress, "to cast their stones if any of them were without guilt." Rather than stone the woman to death, they walked away. (John 8:7)

After reading Paul’s words it troubles me that our country is contemplating an invasion of Iraq. Are we trying to overcome evil with evil? Perhaps one could make that case. But my purpose here is not to make a case for pacifism. In fact, to use Paul’s words here as a scriptural basis to mandate pacifism may be stretching Paul’s intent. We have to remember that Paul was speaking to insiders, people of faith, the Church. He wanted the Church to be understood as folks who lived in the world but were noticeably different because of their loving Spirit.

The Church is supposed to be different from the world. Revenge, in any form belongs to God, certainly not us. The Church is a body of people which models love, hope and faith. Governments and nations may have occasion to destroy an enemy but Paul holds the Church to a higher standard. Revenge and aggression would be in opposition for what we stand for. What the world needs is peace and who better to represent peace in the world than the Church?

In a day when injustices are being broadcasted by the media there is tremendous focus on the offenders. Once the wrongdoer (or alleged wrongdoer), has been identified, his or her punishment gets plenty of attention. Sometimes they go so far as to take a survey and invite you to vote as to whether or not you agree that the punishment fits the crime.

Someone has to show the world a different way, and that someone is the Church, which includes you and me. Our primary focus is not to be on crime and punishment, but love, peace, harmony and the building of relationships.

It is not the Church’s role to bring justice to the world, that is for the governments and the legal system. The Church’s role is to model a life of love, hospitality, patience, hope, faith, all with a glowing spirit.

On May 15, 2000, Mary Beall, a Dayton Police Officer, was shot in a robbery attempt. The event left her badly paralyzed. The very next day, her husband, John, went to his son’s opening day little league ball game. Leigh Allan, columnist for the Dayton Daily News, observed John as people gave their condolences. Allan writes, "He was always very quiet, always politely accepting condolences, always, it seemed, striving for what normality he could achieve for his family."

In the midst of a tragedy, John Beall, attended his son’s ball games, but sat quietly on the side lines. There was no anger, no display of hate or revenge. He simply kept his poise and supported his son. John Beall gave the gift of a glowing spirit to his son, his son’s teammates, their coaches and to the whole community.

In this case, Mary Beall’s assailant, was tried and convicted for the crime. Unfortunately Mary Beall died this past week. Now John Beall has a tremendous challenge as he must now face the death of his wife. "He’s a man for whom I have tremendous respect," said Allan, and "if anyone can pull it off, he can."

John Beall is a man with a glowing spirit. Israel had a glowing spirit when they gave a banquet to the Syrians. Jesus had a glowing spirit every time he forgave someone for their sins. To have a glowing spirit is to be one who advocates peace, not war. To have a glowing spirit is to practice hospitality, not alienation. To have a glowing spirit is to leave vengeance to God.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio