God can’t be kept out
Those little Advent candles sure have a lot of darkness to
overcome this year. I see them glowing from church
windows and on TV, in homes and at midnight vigils,
here in Dayton and in Sandy Hook. Their stubborn
flames represent the divine promise that even the
smallest light can chase away the shadows lurking
in this world, that even in the darkest places, God
can’t be kept out.
overcome this year. I see them glowing from church
windows and on TV, in homes and at midnight vigils,
here in Dayton and in Sandy Hook. Their stubborn
flames represent the divine promise that even the
smallest light can chase away the shadows lurking
in this world, that even in the darkest places, God
can’t be kept out.
It’s a hard promise to believe right now, I know. The
children in the pictures are just too young, too familiar.
Our hearts ache; the darkness seems so heavy and thick.
children in the pictures are just too young, too familiar.
Our hearts ache; the darkness seems so heavy and thick.
We all grieve in different ways, and we must be patient
with one another as we do, but there is a rumor floating
around among the people of God that is so vile, so
dangerous and untrue, it simply must be called out.
It’s a rumor that began long before the shots rang out at
Sandy Hook and long before this Advent season.
with one another as we do, but there is a rumor floating
around among the people of God that is so vile, so
dangerous and untrue, it simply must be called out.
It’s a rumor that began long before the shots rang out at
Sandy Hook and long before this Advent season.
It’s the rumor that God can be chased out.
You might have heard it from Bill O’Reilly and those who,
every Christmas, work themselves into a frenzy over the
“War on Christmas.” They storm checkout counters to
demand that clerks issue them a “Merry Christmas”
instead of “Happy Holidays,” crying persecution when
inflatable manger scenes are moved from public court-
houses to private property. They demand that every gift
purchased, every mall opened late, every credit card
maxed out must be done so in Jesus’ name…or else
Christ will be taken out of Christmas. They do it because
someone told them that God needs a nod from the
Empire to show up, forgetting somehow that God
showed up as a Jew in the Roman Empire.
every Christmas, work themselves into a frenzy over the
“War on Christmas.” They storm checkout counters to
demand that clerks issue them a “Merry Christmas”
instead of “Happy Holidays,” crying persecution when
inflatable manger scenes are moved from public court-
houses to private property. They demand that every gift
purchased, every mall opened late, every credit card
maxed out must be done so in Jesus’ name…or else
Christ will be taken out of Christmas. They do it because
someone told them that God needs a nod from the
Empire to show up, forgetting somehow that God
showed up as a Jew in the Roman Empire.
In a barn.
As a minority.
After a genocide.
To the applause of a few poor shepherds.
If the incarnation tells us anything, it’s that God can’t
be kept out.
be kept out.
Or you might have heard the rumor from a red-faced preacher
who insists that if we can’t keep God’s name in our pledge,
on our money, and on our courthouse walls, then we can’t
keep God in our country. He has convinced his congregation
that the fight of faith is a fight for power, that we win when
we see God’s name on our cash, on our statues, on our idols,
and in our legislation. He thinks that the removal of God’s
name is the removal of God’s very self. He has forgotten that
when God showed up, God was executed by the government.
who insists that if we can’t keep God’s name in our pledge,
on our money, and on our courthouse walls, then we can’t
keep God in our country. He has convinced his congregation
that the fight of faith is a fight for power, that we win when
we see God’s name on our cash, on our statues, on our idols,
and in our legislation. He thinks that the removal of God’s
name is the removal of God’s very self. He has forgotten that
when God showed up, God was executed by the government.
On a cross.
Emptied of all power.
Only to rise from a borrowed grave three days later because
God can’t be kept out.
God can’t be kept out.
Or, most recently, you might have heard the rumor from Mike
Hucakbee ora friend on Facebook, saying that God abandoned
the children at Sandy Hook because, though children have every
right to pray in public schools, those schools cannot sponsor
prayer events out of deference to religious freedom. When asked
where God was on that awful Friday morning, these Christians
have said that God did not show up at Sandy Hook because
“God is not allowed in public schools,” because “ we have
systematically removed God” from that place.
Hucakbee ora friend on Facebook, saying that God abandoned
the children at Sandy Hook because, though children have every
right to pray in public schools, those schools cannot sponsor
prayer events out of deference to religious freedom. When asked
where God was on that awful Friday morning, these Christians
have said that God did not show up at Sandy Hook because
“God is not allowed in public schools,” because “ we have
systematically removed God” from that place.
Brothers and sisters, let’s call this one for what it is:
bullshit.
bullshit.
God can be wherever God wants to be. God needs no
formal invitation. We couldn’t “systematically remove”
God if we tried.
formal invitation. We couldn’t “systematically remove”
God if we tried.
If the incarnation teaches us anything, it’s that God can be
found everywhere: in a cattle trough, on a throne, among the
poor, with the sick, on a donkey, in a fishing boat, with the
junkie, with the prostitute, with the hypocrite, with the forgotten,
in places of power, in places of oppression, in poverty, in
wealth, where God’s name is known, where it is unknown, with
our friends, with our enemies, in our convictions, in our doubts,
in life, in death, at the table, on the cross, and in every
kindergarten classroom from Sandy Hook to Shanghai.
found everywhere: in a cattle trough, on a throne, among the
poor, with the sick, on a donkey, in a fishing boat, with the
junkie, with the prostitute, with the hypocrite, with the forgotten,
in places of power, in places of oppression, in poverty, in
wealth, where God’s name is known, where it is unknown, with
our friends, with our enemies, in our convictions, in our doubts,
in life, in death, at the table, on the cross, and in every
kindergarten classroom from Sandy Hook to Shanghai.
God cannot be kept out.
And although my doubt and anger make it hard for me to
believe today, I will keep lighting those little Advent candles
like a religious fool until they help me in my unbelief. May
their flames be a reminder to all of us that we don’t have
to know why God let this happen to know that God was there….
believe today, I will keep lighting those little Advent candles
like a religious fool until they help me in my unbelief. May
their flames be a reminder to all of us that we don’t have
to know why God let this happen to know that God was there….
and here,
and in those swaddling clothes,
and on that cross,
and in that grave,
and on the throne.
For no amount of darkness can overcome the light.
