October 19, 2008
(Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost; Proper 24)

In God We Trust

By The Very Rev. Terry White, Dean

Exodus 33:12-23  •  Psalm 99  •  1 Thessalonians 1:1-10  •  Matthew 22:15-22
(From The Lectionary Page)

This past week, I received several electronic messages promising me much.  It seems, according to one of these messages, that I have been chosen to receive a substantial portion of some $6,000,000. An attorney for an estate that has no heirs is seeking to disperse this money to well-deserving recipients like myself.  Now, because the money is held in a bank in a distant country, it will take some time getting the money transferred to me. However, if I forward to this solicitor my bank account information now, the transfer of funds can take place immediately. And, I was assured, I can trust this attorney.

In addition to the substantial share of $6 million, other emails assure me that I have been chosen to receive two new Mercedes Benz automobiles, some stunning diamond jewelry, and some 250 pounds of gold dust.  And in each of these cases, the emails assure me that I can trust the sender.

Every so often you hear about someone who has fallen prey to such scams. And over the last several weeks, no doubt there have been more victims. Stress makes all of us more susceptible to making poor decisions. Especially financial stress.

Worry about the present as well as the future is increasing as this financial crisis continues to unfold.  No matter the age, people are worried.  A young couple saving for a down payment on a home no longer has much of that money, or an older couple who have built up a college fund over the last eighteen years has seen its value fall dramatically. Those who have done the right thing by saving for a well-deserved retirement, and those now in retirement living on a fixed income, have also seen circumstances change dramatically. Agencies and charities depending upon endowment income and donations know the end of this year and next year will look quite different for the people they serve.

So we gather this morning living with, and surrounded by, anxiety and worries that are real. And we also gather this morning to engage our faith which is real.

On this Sunday, the weekly celebration of the Day of Resurrection, we proclaim the sure and certain truth that since Christ has defeated death, with God, we can face everything else in life. “Our help is the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”  We come together as the community of faith, to renew our trust in God, and seek God’s wisdom and guidance as to how best to love and serve.

The Gospel lesson for today comes down to an important question. Jesus asks those who have come to trap him to look at the coin he is holding. He inquiries: Whose head is this, whose title?  And he says, Give to the emperor that which belongs to him, and give to God that which belongs to God.

In other words:  Decide clearly to whom you belong, then give your life to that one.

Our Faith, our Baptism, make it clear. We are God’s. Traced with the sign of the cross, at Baptism we are told: You are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ’s own forever.  Therefore, throughout all of life, whatever the circumstances, and especially in times like these, in times of trial, we give ourselves to God.

Again, life tells us that stress makes us more susceptible to poor choices. The island of Manhattan in New York City is once again Ground Zero, this time due to the crisis on Wall Street.  And there on that same street, since 1698, stands Trinity Episcopal Church.

Since the financial crisis began several weeks ago, Dr. Mary Ragan of the Psychotherapy and Spirituality Institute has offered seminars at Trinity on Coping with Stress in Uncertain Times. She posted on the parish’s web site answers to a couple of frequently asked questions. ( http://www.trinitywallstreet.org/welcome/?article&id=1022)

One of those is: When I’m under stress, I feel as if it goes directly to my body. Why is that and how can I best deal with it?

She replies: Intense stress is primarily a biological experience that affects the whole body. It’s not uncommon for people to feel immediate reactions in their nervous system: rapid heart beat, an increase in blood pressure, shallow breathing and a rush of adrenalin.

We also know that muscle tension, a common response to stress, can produce headaches, backaches and jaw pain. And the upset stomach [is] a sure sign that the digestive tract has shut down in a way that causes discomfort.

Dr. Ragan was also asked, “You make it sound as if stress is all about the body, but for me it’s an emotional experience, mostly a feeling of helplessness. What can I do about that?”

Here, she responded: Many people feel helpless about the current financial crisis. In fact, the most common comment I hear is: “This is scary.” How are we to understand what the $700 billion bailout means? This “financial storm,” invites feelings of helplessness – precisely because we can hardly wrap our minds around what it really means for us.

Dr. Ragan goes on to say: This is one of those times that we need to clearly identify what is and is not in our control. Spend your time on what you can control. Recognize that feelings of helplessness often increase the possibility of a deepening depression. Take control where you can, reach out to family and friends, and do not neglect those activities and people that bring you the greatest pleasure. If you find this sense of helplessness deepening, get psychological help. Do not view psychological counseling as a sign of weakness.

“This is one of those times that we need to clearly identify what is and is not in our control.” Dr. Ragan is exactly right.

One of the most important things that we can control in these times is how sincerely and completely we place our hope and security and trust in the Lord. The Psalms are filled the promises we need to trust.

Today’s Gospel speaks of what we can control.  The Pharisees and the Herodians are an unlikely team. The Pharisees as strict religious purists despised the Herodians because they compromised religious law in order to cooperate with the Roman officials. But in this episode in Matthew’s Gospel they team up to first flatter Jesus, then trap him. Rabbi, you are the best. Your record of favoring no man is impeccable. So help us. Teach us: should we pay taxes or not?

Say yes, the Pharisees can claim Jesus recognizes the authority of an occupying army and acknowledges Caesar as a god. Say no, don’t pay taxes, and the Herodians can betray him to the Romans for inciting treason and rebellion.

A trap just like those emails promising millions of dollars to someone so worthy . . .if you will just send your bank info.

Jesus’ first response is a gem: Nice try – it won’t work. No trapped rabbi here. Then he teaches: the coin bears the emperor’s likeness and title, so this must be his. Likewise, wherever you see God’s likeness and title, well, those things belong to God.

What does not bear God’s image?  Hatred, injustice, indifference, greed, to name a few “things.”

What does bear God’s image?

To look at this passage in another way: coins bear certain images. Every human being is made in God’s likeness, each baptized person bears the image of the cross. Meaning: we are God’s.  In God is our hope.

Though even the mountains be moved, we will not be afraid.

Though markets rise and fall, the word of the Lord endures forever.

Beloved, in spite of all that has unfolded in finances and all that is likely to come, in these anxious days, in terms of faith, we are in a bear market. In matters of faith, there is much for each of us to gain now, much to reap, much to invest in that neither rust nor moth nor greed nor lack of regulation or discipline can ever take away.

If Jesus were to walk down Wall Street today, or sit at the corner of 13th and Broadway in KC, and be confronted as he was in today’s Gospel, he would ask for a coin or some paper money. And He would ask us, “What is written here?”

We would reply, “In God we trust.” And he might simply nod his head and smile.

In these times we are not helpless.  We are hope-full.

You and I can control where we place our hope and confidence.

We can control to whom we belong.

In God we trust. And so we should. And so we will.