Sermon for the 29th of October - Bible Sunday with Holy Baptism

Today we shall shortly be baptising Edward.

I met Charlotte and Justin a few weeks ago along with other parents to think about baptism and faith.

It’s always helpful to articulate why we think it’s important to have our children baptised. And thinking about the sort of faith in which to raise our children.

It’s also a chance to inspect our own faith. What sort of faith do we have? Or have we rejected a faith that we’ve inherited from our parents or schooling? And what do we say when our children start asking faith questions.

Reflecting on the horrific acts of violence against the Jewish community in Israel and the rise in anti-Semitism here in the UK, these were committed by deeply religious people.

The novelist Umberto Eco put it like this [The Prague Cemetery]:

“People are never so completely and enthusiastically evil as when they act out of religious conviction.”

As someone who spent over 20 years of my life as a fundamentalist, one of the key features it lacks is that most civilising of human virtues: doubt [Matthew Syed]. Fundamentalists know they have the absolute truth, based on their holy texts.

Adherents of Hamas believe that they are not merely justified in slaughtering infidels; they would be failing in their duty if they didn’t do so. Of course, the situation in Palestine has political dimensions, but Hamas’ worldview is religiously inspired. And there’s no time to get into the plight of the Palestinian people who are now suffering as a result.

It’s also the story of religious fanaticism throughout the ages, including the Christian tradition. Catholics and Protestants burning each other in 16th century England. And let’s not forget that in Putin’s warped mind, he is involved in a struggle for Holy Rus, and supported by Patriarch Kirill.

It’s quite understandable for liberal secularists to conclude that the answer to these problems is to eradicate all religion. That would be tempting, but I’m convinced it’s the wrong conclusion. Let’s not forget that some of the most effective regimes of the twentieth century, killing 100s millions of people, [for the greater good, to create “new man”, a religion-free utopia] have been staunchly atheist.

I believe that the answer is not to do away with religion, but instead to stand for good health religion. The sort of religion that is open to questions, with a humility and inquisitiveness to learn from other traditions, a faith that’s not based on fear, a faith that stands up for the oppressed and vulnerable. A faith that is lived out, where we, in St Paul’s words, clothe [ourselves] with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

That is the faith I hope and pray Edward will be raised.

This is also Bible Sunday, and so its worth being honest with what a mixed book the Bible is. It has many different genres – law, history, poetry, prayers, love songs, letters. But in its pages, we can read of God sanctioning genocide. We can discover a God that is capricious, jealous and vindictive. The Bible both describes a tribal and exclusivist God…. Alongside a God of compassion, love, and inclusive welcome.

The very mix of theologies we get in the Bible raises a question.

How can those twisted versions of God made its way into the Bible in the first place? For a very simple reason. Scripture sometimes works as a window and at other times a mirror.

When seen as a window, it opens up our horizon to an uncontaminated view of God’s identity. It gives the perspective of God who is generous, forgiving, expanding our moral vision, beyond tribal markers, so that we include the outsider and all who are vulnerable.

At other times, the scriptures work like a mirror, reflecting back to us the image of the primordial, crude instincts that dictate how we would behave if we were God. [Luigi Gioia, Reflections p.18 CHP 2023]

So, the Bible as a window and a mirror, with much prayerful and careful reading needed to discern life giving truth.

Lastly, the Bible is to meant to transform us, which is what A.N. Wilson suggests in The Book of the People. The Bible is ‘not proved or disproved by a skeptic poring over its pages in a study. Rather, it is enacted when people such as Martin Luther King or Desmond Tutu are enflamed by it.’

The Scriptures, are not just words, verses, chapters and books, but are means of hearing and seeing, imagining and knowing, that we belong to God and can know how to live and love like him.