Next week, we will resume our Sunday evening adult education series discussing Walter Wink’s book, The Powers that Be. Wink is a well-respected theologian whose ministry and work for peace and justice over the last 30 years has led him to share his understanding of God’s hope for creation, of Jesus’ mission and ministry, and of our part in all this. The plan was that we would finish our study of the book in early Advent, but interesting things happen when people come together to explore their faith, and our group of a dozen or so folks decided we were not through talking—not through determining what impact this work might have on our own lives and ministries. So, we are going to be gathering at least two more times, and this morning I want to give you some of the headlines of Wink’s work.
Wink presents a world view in which every entity, every institution, every city, every nation, every corporation, every place of worship is imbued with spirit—a way of connecting with the holy, of being part of the holy, of moving toward or away from the holy. This spirit, living in each one of us and in each social institution which touches our lives, has capacity for both good and evil. Wink uses biblical language to describe these institutions which form the context of our lives as “the powers and principalities”. According to his understanding, a good institution, structure or system supports all humans in living as God creates us to live. On the other hand, an evil institution, structure or system, serves itself rather than the common good. Evil and good are not limited to the personal actions of humans but have their greatest impact as the consequence of the action of huge systems over which no individual has full control. When an entire network of Powers becomes integrated around values and actions that move away from God’s desire for the world, a domination system emerges and acts through violence at all levels to maintain the status quo.
That leaves us with a glaring question: if evil can be profoundly systemic, so deeply embedded in the world around us, so completely foundational in our lives, what hope do we have of ever seeing it transformed into goodness? What hope do we have of ever bringing the reign of God, the kingdom of heaven, into being on this earth?
There is a hope-filled answer to that question. If we see the Powers, the institutions that control so many aspects of our lives, as having true spiritual reality, we can hope for and work for their transformation. If we see the Powers as having capacity for goodness as well as evil—just like all other parts of creation, we can understand them as fallen. If we see the Powers as fallen, just as we know ourselves as having fallen short of the mark, we can see them as capable of redemption, of being brought into wholeness. If we see the Powers as capable of redemption, we can be participants in the transformation of the world.
And transformation of the world is exactly what we, as followers of Christ, are called to do.
When we are baptized, we become one with Christ Jesus. We are—each of us—God’s beloved child. And God calls each of us to respond to that—to respond to that great gift—to accept it, to honor it, to be strengthened and comforted by it—and to respond to it by working for the inclusion of all people at the table, by striving for justice in all the aspects of our lives, and by living in such a way that we can be signs of God’s love to all the world. As children of God, brought into community by our baptism, brought into new creation, we are the agents of God, called into church, into ekklesia—the gathering of the people for the purpose of God—to recognize our goodness, to recognize our fallenness and to work for transformation in all the world.
As we reaffirm our baptismal vows this morning, I want you to pay particular attention to one of the questions I will ask you:
“Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?” The answer is “I will, with God’s help.” My friends, as we speak those words this morning, as we renew our vows and ask for God’s help, I ask you to remember the words we have just read from Psalm 29: “The Lord shall give strength to his people; the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace. I ask you to remember that the words we speak as we renew our vows are covenant words. Through these words, we make covenant with God and God makes covenant with us; God stands with us to help us keep the promises we make in Christ’s name. I ask you also to remember that you are God’s child, the Beloved. I ask you to listen for God’s voice and for God’s guidance as we act together and individually in the world. I ask you to remember that God’s love, God’s delight in each of us, makes all things possible.