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Good or Scared


I go to a few different places on Sundays when I worship.  And some Sundays I don’t go anywhere.  It was certainly true, when I was growing up, that the implication was one would probably go to hell if you did not go to church somewhere.  I don’t know that anyone ever told me that would be the case, but it seemed implied.  And I do not ever recall anyone tell me it was not true.

So I grew up assuming church attendance, while not compulsory, was very important.  Those were the “Leave it to Beaver” days!  How times have changed.  No one in my circles would consider playing golf on Sunday, even though I knew many people were out there on the golf course as I was dutifully riding to Quaker meeting with my parents.  How times have changed!

I am sure there are still Christians (and maybe Jews and others) who still feel attendance at the weekly or routine gatherings are a “must.”  However most people with whom I associate do not see it as a necessity.  Of course, my own theology has changed---I don’t know that it is fair to say it has grown, although that’s is how I see it.  With my view of God now, I cannot see how God would send me to hell for missing Sunday morning.  But I still go with some frequency.

I go not to avoid hell, but to find community and spiritual nurture.  I certainly would like to avoid hell!  Who wouldn’t?  I do not know anything about the potential heaven and hell after death.  What I do think humans can have if they want is hell right now, here on earth.  So when I say I would like to avoid hell, I would like to avoid the hell right now, here on earth.  Maybe going to church can help me in that process.

This past Sunday I was helped.  I went to a place which has a fairly rich sense of community.  The people enjoy being there and they seem glad to welcome me.  Since it is not a Quaker place, there is virtually no chance they will want me to do anything---certainly not be a leader there.  I can sit back and participate fully.

I had to smile when I heard the scripture reading.  I knew the passage well.  It was from Mark’s gospel.  One of the disciples approaches Jesus and told him someone was driving out demons in Jesus’ name.  The disciple told Jesus that he had tried to stop it, but to no avail.  Then comes the classic phrase from Jesus that “whoever is not against us is for us.” (9:40)  Following that is the admonition from Jesus that no one should cause the little one to sin, that one should hang a huge rock around the neck and go jump in the ocean.  And if the hand causes you to sin, cut it off.  And so on with the foot and the eye.  This, says Jesus, is what you should do to avoid being thrown into hell. 

I have always known that my hands, feet and eyes have caused me to sin.  Surely, the New Testament is not meant to be read literally.  If so I should be missing hands, feet, and be blind.  As I sat back pondering this, the speaker began to go in a creative direction.  He agreed; no one takes the entire Bible literally.  We all pick and choose---or we don’t even choose to take the Bible at all.
I liked the way the speaker framed the Gospel reading, as well as our take on life.  I know I have sinned.  I also know that I have both eyes, both hands and both feet.  If I read this passage literally, then I should be scared.  I should be scared that I am going to hell.  Of course, there is every good reason I should go to hell.  Doubtlessly I have done my share of creating and nurturing hell here on earth. 

Every time I sin, I nurture hell in some way.  And there clearly are times when I know I am living in the hell others have created.  These hells are not some post-mortem experience.  I like the advice of Jesus not to be scared, but to be good.  It is not a call to be good, however, to avoid some future hell.  It is a call to be good to eradicate the hell I and others have created right now, right here.

When Jesus prayed for “thy Kingdom come,” I think this is what he meant.  We need to work for the good, first by being good.  And then we work for the good by nurturing the good in others.  Working for the good in my life means basic things like love, justice, compassion and forgiveness. 

The message is not to waste time in fear.  Being scared accomplishes nothing.  I feel called to be a co-laborer of the Kingdom---the Kingdom to come in this world right now, right here.  I do it not through fear of hell, but engaging the hell I and others have created in order to transform that hell.  I do it by being good and by working for the good.

This is why I know I need community.  On my own, I am tempted by fear---scared as hell, as they say.  With the community of others working for the good, I am encouraged and take courage to cast out demons.  The world needs it.  It is a good thing to do.  And I am not scared to take on the demons that cause hell on earth.  
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