A Sermon Delivered by Rev. Marlin Lavanhar, Senior Minister
At All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, OK
on November 4, 2007
I begin with
the poem, The Altars in the Street,
by Denise Levertov. On
June 17th, The New York Times reported that, as part of the Buddhist
campaign of non-violent resistance, Vietnamese children were building altars in
the streets of Saigon and Hue,
effectively jamming traffic.
Children begin at green dawn nimbly to
build
topheavy altars, overweighted with
prayers,
thronged each instant more densely
with almost-visible ancestors.
Where tanks have cracked the roadway
the frail altars shake; here a boy
with red stumps for hands steadies a
corner,
here one adjusts with his crutch the
holy base.
The vast silence of Buddha overtakes
and overrules the oncoming roar
of tragic life that fills alleys and
avenues;
it blocks the way of pedicabs, police,
convoys.
The hale and maimed together
hurry to construct for the Buddha
a dwelling at each intersection. Each
altar made from
whatever
stones, sticks, dreams, are at hand,
is a facet of one altar; by noon
the whole city in all its corruption,
all its shed blood the monsoon cannot
wash away,
has become a temple,
fragile, insolent, absolute.
I don’t know about you, but I can just picture the
altars in the streets. And I can see in
my minds eye, the hale and the maimed together creating them. I came across this poem a few weeks ago,
right after the military junta in Burma violently stopped the
protests of the Buddhist monks and the citizens of that country. I wished I could send the poem to them.
The people of Burma are devout Buddhists. And I know they wanted to support the monks
who risked their lives and took to the streets in order to bring an end to the
oppressive and authoritarian rule that is stifling their country and its
people. I suppose that most Burmese people
were scared or didn't know what to do. Imagine
if the people all took to the streets and made altars in the intersections. They could have shut down the Capitol in Rangoon and the commerce. They would have created a moral blockade of an
immoral system.
People have that kind of power when we unite in
common cause. We witnessed it in India, when
Gandhi inspired the farmers and the common people through faith and
determination and guided by love and purpose, and they conquered one of the
strongest empires the world had ever seen.
We've seen it in this country, most powerfully, during the civil-rights
movement. In order to end legal
segregation Americans took to the streets guided by faith and love and offered
a moral critique of our culture and our government and its laws. This is the power of the people -- when
people are united in the common cause of justice.
I remember a story I heard some years ago about a
town somewhere on the East Coast. It was
during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, and a group of neo-Nazis started to terrorize
Jewish families by throwing rocks through the windows of Jewish homes where
they saw a Hanukah menorah burning in the window. Within a day or two, the entire town had placed
menorahs in their windows in solidarity with the Jewish community. They sent a clear message, that hate was
unwelcome in their town. And they also showed
the Jewish community that they were welcome.
About 10 days ago, I read in the newspaper that a
state legislator from Oklahoma
had declined the gift of a Koran that was being offered as part of the Oklahoma
Centennial celebration. Initially I was
disappointed that instead of graciously accepting this goodwill offering from
his constituents, the legislator decided to make a political point. But I know as well as anyone that ours is a
free country, and anyone can freely offer, as well as freely refuse, a gift.
But
when I read that the legislator, in his response to the gift had written to the
people offering it, and said that "most Oklahomans do not endorse the idea
of killing innocent women and children in the name of ideology,” I thought to
myself, “I hope most Oklahomans don’t endorse the idea of maligning the
religion of innocent woman and children in the name of politics. I realized that a representative of the
people had just, in effect, condemned an entire religion and its people. And that’s unacceptable.
There have been Muslims living peacefully in Oklahoma for over 50
years. They have contributed much to our
state and its culture and economy. I
expected that within a day the legislator would have clarified his remarks. I thought for sure I would hear the words,
"I was misunderstood. In no way did
I mean to imply that the Muslims of Oklahoma or that the Muslim religion
endorses the killing of innocent women and children." Instead the legislator defended his remarks on
television and in the newspaper, and added fuel to the fire by accusing the
Muslims of Oklahoma of not speaking out publicly against terrorism.
Now, I have personally heard Muslim leaders in Tulsa speaking out against terrorism, in interfaith worship
services and at forums around Tulsa. I watched as the Muslim community invited the
citizens of Tulsa
to the mosque many times to learn about their religion and culture.
I've
seen the statements against terrorism and violence on their website. And I know that they have spoken in schools,
to Rotary clubs and throughout our city and state. I will never forget watching the Muslim
Children’s Choir singing along side Jewish and Christian and Unitarian and Native
American children as part of the September 11th memorial service at
the Performing Arts Center in Tulsa
in 2002. That service was a testament to
the beauty and diversity of our city and country. And it was an example that the religious and
ethnic divisions that divide people around the world have no place in Oklahoma.
Yet the rhetoric last week in the media continued, and
there was no public apology or effort to clarify to the public what was meant. So by Friday of last week, interfaith leaders,
joined Muslim leaders for a press conference.
I was asked to speak in my role as the president of Tulsa Metropolitan
ministries. For me, the most powerful
statement of the day came from David Bernstein of the Jewish Federation. He explained his many roles as a Jewish
leader in Tulsa,
but said “Today I am a Muslim standing with my brothers.”
It reminded me of the menorahs in the windows. It reminded me that when a minority is being
threatened or discriminated against, that we
the people need to stand up together and say: no more. Not in this neighborhood, not in this city,
not in our state. You may have seen me
quoted on the news or in the paper.
Here is what I said:
Diversity is
difficult, but it’s worth it! One of the
greatest gifts that America
has offered the world is an example of how people of different religions and
ethnicities can live together with respect and
dignity and
justice for all. As a representative of
TMM, I want to acknowledge that I believe Governor Brad Henry showed Oklahomans
the appropriate way to handle the situation.
He received the gift of the Koran from his Muslim constituents
graciously as a goodwill offering. He
recognized it as a gesture of friendship, offered in the spirit of kindness and
cooperation. Diversity is difficult, but
it’s worth it. And it’s a defining
characteristic of the best of America!
Our state representative
has handled this situation in a way that is disrespectful of his fellow
Americans. His comments have promoted
religious bigotry against American citizens.
At the centennial of our state, we must all tell this representative
that his discriminatory words and his unapologetic bigotry towards his fellow
American citizens do not represent our great state or our blessed country. We are one nation, under God, indivisible – and
we will not be divided by politicians who use religious and ethnic rhetoric to
enflame bigotry.
I’m honored
today to stand with my Oklahoman Muslim neighbors who have proudly stood with
this nation in good times and bad and who have publicly denounced violence in
the name of their religion time and time again.
These are people dedicated to peace and justice for all. God bless Oklahoma.
And God help our legislators learn what it means to represent America and all
her people!
You should read the letters and emails I’ve received
since last Friday. After reading the
letters there is no question in my mind that the words and deeds of certain
legislators have both inflamed and promoted bigotry and hatred. Whether they meant it that way or not, that
has been the sad result. One letter-writer
called me an antichrist, and quoted chapter and verse of the Bible to explain how
I was condemned by the Lord. Most of the
letters contained hateful words about all Muslims and about their religion. It made me realize all the more, that when an
elected official or other public figure speaks discriminatory words, it gives
permission to other people to do the same.
I believe that these people who have written these
things to me feel even more justified in their prejudices since they have heard
a respected leader quoted with prejudice.
And that’s why it is so important that public figures not discriminate. And if they are misquoted, they need to
clarify that they were misunderstood quickly and definitively.
Now, I realize that if a person reads a translation
of the Koran, and decides to take certain verses out of context, that it can appear
to endorse violence. But the same is
true of the Bible.
And
zealots in many religions, and many eras, have exploited scriptures to
perpetuate their political agendas.
Let’s look at the Bible for a minute. We all know it includes the commandment: Thou shalt not murder. But in the same Bible that God commands us
not to murder, God also tells the Jews to annihilate the Canaanites in order to
take over their land. This leaves the
impression that there are two kinds of murder, and that one is apparently
ordained by God. The human rights of the
Bible evidently did not extend to the Canaanites. Reading the Bible literally makes it quite
clear that killing and even exterminating people is part of God’s plan.
In Deuteronomy 7:1-6: it reads:
When Yaweh
your God has led you into the land you are entering to make your own, many
nations will fall before you… Yaweh your God will deliver them over to you and
you will conquer them. …deal with them
like this: tear down their alters, smash
their standing stones, cut down their sacred poles and set fire to their
idols. For you are a people consecrated
to Yaweh your God.
Now, as we know, Moses never made it to the promised
land. It was Joshua who led the
Israelites into Canaan in 1200 BCE, and he
followed God’s instructions to the letter.
We read in the book of Joshua 8:24,25,28 and 11:21,22:
When Israel
finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the open ground and where they
had followed them into the wilderness, and when all to a man had fallen by the
edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai and slaughtered all its people. The number of those that fell that day, men and
women together was 12,000, all people of Ai...
Then Joshua burned Ai, making it a ruin for evermore, a desolate place
even to this day. Then Joshua came and
wiped out the Anakim from the highlands, from Hebron,
from Debir, from Anab, from all the highlands of Judah
and all the inhabitants of Israel;
He delivered them and their towns over to the ban. No more Anakim were left in Israelite
territory except at Gaza, Gath and Ashod.
For the next two centuries, the Israelites holy wars
continued under the leadership of people such as Gideon, Deborah and Samson. So, to set the background for religious
endorsement of violence against innocent woman and children, we now know that
in the Bible we not only have a God that
smites this people and that, but we have a God that chooses one people to be
moral exemplars to the world, and this God instructs those moral exemplars to
kill and exterminate other peoples.
Now, let’s skip ahead a millennium to the origins of Christianity. Jesus brings the world the teaching that if
someone strikes you on the cheek, you’re not to fight back, but are to turn
your other cheek so the person can strike it as well. He emphasized loving your neighbor as
yourself and forgiving others. He
explained: “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children
of God.” He’s been called the Prince of
Peace. And yet, more brutality and
killing has been done in his name than probably any other religion. Listen to the words of Pope Urban II who
initiated the first crusade against Muslims in 1095 CE:
…I exhort
you with earnest prayer – not I, but God – that, as heralds of Christ,
you urge
men… of all ranks, knights as well as foot soldiers, rich as well as poor,
to hasten to exterminate this vile race
from the lands of your brethren. Christ
commands it. And if those who set out to
do so should lose their lives on the way by land, or in crossing the sea or in
fighting the pagans, their sins shall be remitted.
Oh
what a disgrace if a race so despised, base and the instruments of demons,
should so
overcome a people endowed with faith in the all-powerful God,,
and
resplendent with the name of Christ…
Here what we have is the most influential Christian
leader of his time, a person who is thought to be God’s representative on
earth… imploring Christians to kill in the name of God and Christ and explaining
that if they die in the cause, their sins will be forgiven. The Christian crusaders often slaughtered
Jews in Europe as they set off on the
crusades. Some, who didn’t go on
crusades, killed local Jews so they could feel like they were playing a part. They believed it was the Jews who killed Jesus,
so they thought, “Why should we travel so far to fight the Muslims, when the
killers of Jesus are right here among us?” For the next four centuries, Christians could
be found butchering and driving out Muslims, Pagans and Jews. They were guided by religious leaders and a
belief that their actions were ordained by God.
It is important to remember that during the years
that the Muslims ruled Spain,
Jews
and Christians were protected and were able to hold political offices. Then after the Christians regained control of
Spain
in the 15th century, they slaughtered, converted and drove out the
Muslims and the Jews.
So what does the Koran say? For one thing it states that “There shall be
no compulsion in religion.” (2:257) Therefore
the Koran probably contains the world’s first declaration of religious tolerance. Historically, it seems that when Muslims were
in power, they were tolerant of Christians and Jews. It’s only since losing much of their power
and sovereignty, that some Muslims have begun to redevelop the notion of a
militaristic jihad, or holy war. The
word jihad literally means “striving
or exertion in the way of God.”
In Islam there’s a notion that there is a greater and
a lesser jihad. The greater jihad is the
internal battle we all face within ourselves to act righteously. The lesser jihad is the external battle for
justice and equality in the world. In a
well known passage from the sayings of Muhammad we are told:
A group of
Muslims soldiers came to the Holy Prophet [after a battle]. He said: “Welcome, you have come from the
lesser jihad to the greater jihad.” It
was said, “What is the greater jihad?” He
said, “The striving of a servant against his low desires.” (Al-Tasharraf, Part
I p. 70)
Nevertheless, the Koran is certainly not a pacifistic
scripture and it clearly states that if it’s necessary to fight to end
oppression or tyranny, then it’s a Muslims duty to do so. There are however restrictions on such
fighting, outlined by the Koran. And in
this sense, Islam is the only one of the Abrahamic faiths to have clear scriptural
limitations on warfare. For example, war
cannot be an act of aggression, only self defense. Civilians cannot be harmed, and prisoners of
war must be dealt with fairly. The Koran
even states that vegetation and animals are not to be destroyed in war. In all these ways we can see that what modern
Islamic terrorists are doing does not meet the criteria of justifiable war as
set out in the Koran. Those who use the
Koran to promote violence against innocent people are misusing and exploiting
the scripture for political purposes.
It is also dangerous and unfortunate when Oklahoma politicians
misuse and exploit their interpretation of the Koran for their own political
purposes. In this time of war and fear
there are many misunderstandings about the Islamic faith. I imagine the Muslim community in Oklahoma is giving out
copies of the Koran, in part, to help people better understand them and their
religion.
The
incident that has occurred here in Oklahoma
helps me realize how necessary it is for all of us, but especially for our
public officials, to know more about Islam.
Our founders brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in
liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men and woman are created
equal. The American Revolution was won
because in order to form a more perfect union, we the people joined together in
common cause for liberty and justice. In
doing so, our forbearers left us a new and different kind of nation. A nation based on human rights. A nation that has been drawn from all the
peoples of the earth. A nation drawn
from all nations.
We are not a country bound together by “blood and
soil”, but rather by faith in liberty, equality and justice. It is these noble principles that unite the
people of America
as one family.
In
fact, our faith in these rights is so strong that we believe they belong to
people of every tribe, tongue, territory and tradition on earth. In that way, America is not so much a nation as
it is a faith in the brotherhood and sisterhood of humankind. A faith that transcends nations and creeds and
unites all people upon this earth in a mutual longing for a world of harmony
and peace where no one is defiled, and no one goes to bed hungry, and wherein all
God’s children come to know and to cherish one another.
Amen.