Message: Nourishing Body & Soul / Ex 32:7-14 & Phil 4:4-9
Ants are like a great team, always working together like one body. When they share a nest, they rarely fight. But there's a way to make them fight: remove their antennae. Ants rely on these tiny feelers to recognize their buddies. Without them, they can't tell who's who, which makes them feel lonely and scared. This loneliness and fear turn them into fierce fighters, even attacking their own family, not knowing who's who.
Recent news makes us very sad and shocked. In a place called the Holy Land, violence and terrorism are causing great pain. Like ants without antennae, those with guns are ruthlessly killing people. As the war in Ukraine continues, we are witnessing another tragic situation. Many children lose their lives, hospitals crumble, and the noise of air raids and bombs doesn't stop, which breaks our hearts and leaves us feeling helpless.
Genesis tells us two stories about the creation of humanity. According to the first creation story (Genesis 1:1-2:4a), all humans are created in the image of God. The Bible proclaims that everyone on earth is one big family, regardless of nation, race, age, or gender identity.
The second creation story (Genesis 2:4b-24) tells us that God formed the first human being from the dust and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Here, the word for the breath is "נְשָׁמָה (neshamah)" in Hebrew, which also means soul. In other words, we are alive because of the breath and soul that God has given us.
We're all connected through the air we breathe. The air God provides can't be claimed by anyone. The breath I'm taking right now is the same air someone else breathed out, and the oxygen that keeps us alive comes from trees and grass through photosynthesis.
Likewise, we’re all spiritually connected through our souls. As an invisible antenna, our souls connect us to God, other people, and all creatures. Through our spiritual connections, we feel God's presence, understand that all people are part of God's family, and see that all creatures are God's masterpieces. We call this spirituality.
If people lack spirituality, they end up trapped in the fear of isolation, just like ants without antennae. This is similar to what happened in today’s first Scripture reading. When Moses went up to Mount Sinai, the Hebrews who had just been liberated from slavery in Egypt started to get scared. Despite experiencing God's protection through many miracles, they did not believe that God was with them. Their fear led them to make a golden calf and worshipped it, becoming slaves to idols.
People with a lack of spirituality turn to idols instead of God, looking to visible things to escape their fears. They can make idols out of money, power, nation, ideology, charismatic political leaders, or celebrities. Even religion, churches, doctrines, or ministers can become idols. This idolatry isolates people, makes them more fearful, and turns them more violent because idols cut off the spiritual connection to God, fellow human beings, and all creatures.
A Song of Faith, one of the four faith statement of the United Church of Canada, says that God is Holy Mystery and Wholly Love. As the Holy Mystery, God is beyond our understanding and can't be fully defined by any image, statue, or word. However, we experience God as the Wholly Love throughout our lives. The love of God created this world. The love of Christ saves us from sin and idols. The love of the Holy Spirit protects us and restores our souls.
That's why idols and God are very different. Idols oppress people, but God liberates them. Idols isolate people, but God unites them. Idols make people addicted, but God makes them connected. Idols divide people, but God reconciles them. Idols stimulate anxiety, but God gives courage. Idols force sacrifices, but God sacrifices Himself.
So, how can we restore our spirituality? In today’s second Bible text, the apostle Paul says, "Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:5-6). In this verse, the words "prayer," "supplication," and "request" all relate to prayer. Paul emphasizes prayer because it's one of the main ways to restore our invisible antennae.
The Christian church was born through prayer. After Jesus ascended, his followers gathered in Jerusalem and prayed. Unlike the Hebrews who made a golden calf when they were afraid, Jesus’ followers prayed, which encouraged them to resist the temptation of idolatry. Their prayer led them to be filled with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost and transformed them into the foundation of the church.
Through prayer, they no longer felt fear or despair. They believed that God, the Holy Mystery and Wholly Love, was with them. Nothing could separate them from God's love, not even death. They knew God was as close as their own breath. They welcomed everyone into their faith community, no matter their background. They were passionate about sharing the Good News and helping those in need. They fed the hungry and cared for the sick. Their ministry nourished both the soul and the body.
Prayer doesn't require fancy words. Sometimes, a simple sentence is enough. Some great spiritual teachers in the Christian tradition recited only one prayer throughout their lives: "Lord, have mercy on me." When we pray sincerely, our invisible antennae gradually are restored, which leads us to pray not only for ourselves but also for those in need. Prayer forms the basis for our actions to seek peace on earth.
Many people around the world still suffer from poverty, violence, and war. When we see such pain, we get angry and our hearts ache. Then some of us may ask, "Where is God, and what is God doing?" Unfortunately, there are no easy answers to these questions.
But what is certain is that the heart that sympathizes with those who are suffering comes from God. Therefore, we should respond to the question, "Where is God?" not with empty theological ideas or doctrines, but with prayer and action. As Paul says, we should let everyone know our gentleness in order for them to realize that “the Lord is near.”
Today is World Food Sunday. The United Church of Canada has a long history as a member of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, which works on food security. Gary Kenny, who represented the United Church on the Canadian Foodgrains Bank’s Board of Directors for 12 years says, “This year, the Foodgrains Bank is marking 40 years of Christian service and celebrating what it and its members, overseas partners, and supporters have accomplished in that timeframe: more than $1 billion allocated in food assistance, and collaboration with some 100 overseas partners in more than 70 countries.”
God never remains silent. God is never absent. God never abandons His children. God nourishes people's bodies and souls through our hands. Let us pray, and pray, and pray, so that there are no more people who go to sleep with hunger and fear.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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