An alternative vision?

One  of the things I enjoy about social media are the little snippet of wisdom, the quotes that folks or organization post and that  that pop up on my feed from time to time. 

Just the other day as I was writing the sermon the  Clergy Coaching network posted this, “ If we could spread love as quickly as we spread hate, what an amazing world we would live in.”  

Last week a friend posted something about arguing from mindful Christianity,  ”I have no desire to argue with anyone, I choose to walk away because I just want peace.”  

Little  snippets of wisdom—these types of posts  like these  litter every corner of social media--they became tweets and Facebook  memes and Instagram posts.   Sometimes hundreds and thousands of people share and retweet them--they go all over the internet.  

And this week I began to wonder about why this might be—why are we attracted to these little bits of wisdom.

What I’ve come to realize about why these posts are so popular is that sometimes they  offer  an alternative vision  for the way things can be in our lives or in the world. I think these posts --these bits of wisdom are so attractive to us because in them  we can taste for a moment the real sweetness of  an alternative reality for how things might be. 

They offer a vision how things might be better or how thing might be better if I am able to do x or y.  If I can clamp my mouth shut when I really want to argue with every fiber of my being to try to win—maybe there might be a little more peace.  If I made spreading love the key aim of all that I am --- then maybe the world might be a little bit more amazing.  

Of course the snippets of great wisdom that offer an alternative vision aren’t exclusive to social media--they can be found when you open greeting cards—or on a bumper sticker--  they are works of literature and poetry- they often cast an alternative vision-- we can find them in articles in  newspaper and magazines and

And they even  show up sometimes when we open up our bibles.  

Today  in our  Epistle reading we hear James talking about  two competing visions--he calls one vision---wisdom from above and  the other  vision--- wisdom from below-- wisdom from below he says is born out of envy and ambition and causes things like chaos and  disorder and wickedness  and James characterizes it as devilish---  while wisdom from above he implies comes from the beating heart of God and sows things like peace and gentleness.    

Wisdom from below says that there are winners and losers and we should try to win at all costs.  

Wisdom from below  tries to get us to believe that fulfillment and happiness is found within material success and moving up the ladder ---- acquiring the newest shiniest next things and it says our value as a human being is  found in what I produce.

At first glance these two  wisdoms/visions seem to diametrically opposed-- ying vs yang--world vs God- below vs above--but what if they are not oppossed but rather what if wisdom from above were simply trying to infiltrate the world we know---- what if wisdom from above was simply looking for a way into our lives.   

Religion at its best can offer an alternative vision for how things can be  and how they might be better The alternative vision that James is casting today is a vision of peace and gentleness and harmony and mercy and unity  which at their  best can erode some of the very worst things in  our world-- likes racism or class-ism or sexism.

Growing in faith is about more and more living by that alternative vision-- that James offer-- that Jesus offers, that the bible casts  for how things can be-- faith is about doing things that can help make that alternative vision more a reality. 

So how do we do this --James says simply --resist the devil--  

I have to say  that’s  real helpful isn’t it—Resist  the guy with the horns and pitch fork and the cloven hooves – But  I think what that means is don’t believe the lies that world tries to peddle that we should try  to win at all costs at all costs--- that it’s ok to be a winner even if you step on people along the way – that your needs are more important than others---or that fulfillment comes  from what we acquire.

Resist the devil  James says and draw close to God and God’s ways.  That is the key. 

I think one way we draw close to God is  believing there is a better way --believing God’s alternative vision,  and living the alternate vision and being that alternate vision. 

So friends --How will  you be the alternative vision—how will this church be the alternative vision---how will we draw close to the beating heart of God and turn what we hear into action?