It's been so crazy to watch the news lately coming out of Illinois and New York. Unfortunately, stories of corrupt politicians, scheming businessmen and greedy lawyers may not sound all that new. But between the likes of Blagoyavich, Madoff and Dreier, it sure does seem a bit like the rule of three has been borne forth (let's hope so, that this is the extent of the craziness for now).
I spoke about these stories in my sermon on Sunday, since they seemed in such marked contrast to the story of John the Baptist that was the morning's Gospel reading. When asked if he was a whole range of important figures, he said "No," and that he was only there to point to someone else...the coming Messiah, whose coat (as Peterson puts it in his translation The Message) he is not worthy to hold.
The sad thing is, we are not, most of us, all that different from these three men. All too often, we are more likely to take credit that is not ours than to really understand not only who are ARE, but who we AREN'T. It feels nice when people think we can fix things, make things right. Until we can't.
And at the same time, we're also guilty of handing over too much power and accilade to others in our own desire to find quick and easy solutions to challenges and problems that we know are very complicated.
An example of this is Madoff. Now many people on Wall Street apparently saw his fund as a high-risk one. They didn't trust his policies. Some so much that they refused even to meet with him, let alone invest with him. Now, sometimes people can bear a high risk investment. In fact, experts encourage younger workers to be willing to take a bit of risk with their retirement (if they have the stomach for it) because they have the time to recoup losses on risks if that happens. BUT...what I find most troubling about those who invested with Madoff is not the risk itself (though I'd be concerned about investing with him if major companies wouldn't even meet with him)...but rather that so many people invested EVERYTHING with him. Now, it's much more complicated than that, I know. But I think it's just one more sign of what we've always known about ourselves...we want to be WINNERS and we're prone to run full steam towards the winning team, sometimes without thinking clearly.
During this Advent season, it is a time to be reminded of the importance of waiting. Thinking. Praying. Discerning. Seems as though some people were quite anxious in John's day for the coming of the Messiah. They were looking. Waiting. Even impatient. I wonder how it would have been different if John hadn't had a firm grasp on his role---what he WAS and WASN'T supposed to be and be doing.
And I wonder how our world would be different if we all took a moment to make the same assessment of ourselves, those around us, and our leaders. What have you claimed the power or authority to do or be that you really aren't (fix someone's life, be the calm in someone's storm), or what have you given over to someone that really isn't theirs (being your life, the balance in yours, fixing your problems, etc.).
Edwin Friedman wrote about familiy systems theory before his untimely death. And one of his major points was how the very worst thing we can often do is try to get involved in someone else's issues when they need to be the one dealing with it, or when we try to make someone else responsbile for that which is properly ours.
In a season where families, relationships and communities are strained (and all the more so in our nation in its current financial crisis) perhaps a good dose of some honest self-reflection, humility, and pointing to the only One who is able to be our calm and center isn't a bad idea.
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