A Sermon preached by the Rev. E. Scott Winnette

Ocotber 22, 2006

Called to Float

Selections from Genesis 6-9

            We know the Noah story. We know the animals: elephants, giraffes, lions, cows, poodles, parrots, platypus, and in some renditions Stegosaur and T-Rex. We know the symmetry of their boarding, the heroic faith of Noah, the wicked & doubting neighbors, the massive wooden ark, the storm, the flood waters, the restful sea, the drying winds, the dove, olive branch, and rainbow.   We hope to suspend our need of facts, so that we can believe in this magical first cruise of Creation.   Really, all those animals fit on a boat?  Why protect the fleas?  Where did they get the food; what about the dung; what about lions and lambs lying together? The time on the boat echoes the beauty of the original Garden of Eden, the contentment of prophet Isaiah’s Peaceable Kingdom, the peace of Jesus’ promised beloved community. The time on the boat is how God yearns for Creation to be, a worldwide harmony birthed in trust. The animals and humans live together trusting God’s providence. They trusted that God would not abandon them on the terrifying waters. 

            Some argue that we belittle the story focusing on the color, and cadence of Noah and his animals, the promising rainbow, the kindness of God.   We disney out the catastrophe. We diminish the gore.   We ignore the depth of human wickedness.   We overlook God’s massive genocide strike.  We wallpaper our nurseries and Church School class rooms with positive spin. 

            But, we got it right; it is a positive story. It is a story of redemption, of grace, of salvation. It is Easter in October.   We got it right -- except our bright tempura portrayals too often leave out the most important character, Creator God.  The first portion of the book of Genesis is all about Creator God.   The stories tell about the relationship of God and humanity. We hear God declare all Creation good, beloved. The origin story tells of God walking in Eden with Eve and Adam. God creates the world with companionship. Our God was welcome in the world, walked with the people, shared their lives, and they trusted Creator God.   Our Lord Jesus called God, Abba Father.   I believe God’s vision of the world includes a companionship with humanity, an apprenticing relationship where God guides us in caring for Creation, in creating community.  

            Yesterday, as I was writing these words, Katya lay sprawled in my lap. Up arose a whine from downstairs, a caterwauling fierce with fear and longing.  Little Tasha cried and cried. Her meows sounded like, “Is anyone home?” “Where are you?” “Where are you?” While I was translating the meows, Katya stood in my lap and slipped to the floor.  She rushed out the door. I heard her descend the stairs.   I quietly followed her to the dining room. She had reached Tasha, they touched noses.  Then they plopped down on the floor and bathed each other.    Eden, the Ark, Isaiah’s vision, Christ’s teaching show creatures of God caring for each other trusting God’s love and providence. We are hard-wired to be lovers, imagio dei. We are also hard-wired with a free will that enables us to forget God. We learn to fear the chaos uncertainties of creation. We seek powers to control our environments.   Rather than trusting in God’s Providence, we injure each other and the world, pursuing self-sufficiency. 

            The Flood story begins with God’s declaration of the thorough wickedness of humanity.  Noah is singled out for salvation, not because of a holier-than-thou, goody-to-shoes perfection. He is singled out because of his faithfulness to God. He walked with God. He was in relationship with God. He trusted God.   Noah’s friends had little time for God. They abandoned God’s dynamic apprenticeships. They rejected God’s unending ways of whispering wisdom.   Listen to the story. Hear not an angry but a grieving God. The tears of our rejected God wash the world.    

            There are problems with this story. If God loved all of creation, then how could God destroy all but this floating remnant?  Say, Noah really was the only one who trusted God, why kill all of the innocent animals? God declares humanity wicked to the core; destroys the world; re-establishes Creation and humanity through Noah.   And then declares, “I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, for the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth…” What? All that destruction for nothing, humanity is still inclined to evil. Why punish sin, if it doesn’t remove sinfulness?

            The problems have been answered in many ways.   One view, God just unmade all those wicked people and most of creation. They/it felt no pain. Another, God had to do what God had to do, and will again but with fire instead of water. Another, God changed in an amazing way from a God capable of cleansing destruction to a God who refuses to destroy again. 

            Here is what I believe. God created humanity with free will enabling us to great works of beauty, to deep relationships of love, to deep relationships of distrust, and to great works of evil. God created an array of creatures with extraordinary symbiotic ecosystems and amazing disharmonies. God created the world in freedom: free air, pure goodness and sometimes tornadoes; free earth, pure beauty and sometimes earthquakes; free waters, amazing life and sometimes amazing destruction.  

            The waters become synonymous with the chaos of life, the unpredictable and fearful attributes of life. God promises to be with us, to help us deal with the unpredictable dynamism. God yearns to be in relationship with humanity teaching us to be good stewards of the amazing Creation, teaching us to live in healthy community.  God invites humanity into an adventure calling us to float upon the waters.

            And humanity, way back with Adam and Eve abandon trust in God. We fear that God will not really be with us, that God will not come when we call.  So we rebel against God daily going our own self-sufficient ways. “No God, we don’t need your opinion while having our morning coffee. We don’t want your interruptions while were driving. Leave us alone when were young, we will get to you later. Don’t call us, we will call you.”

            But we don’t just cast God out of our daily living and decision-making, we blame everything that hurts us on God.  

            God is given a bad rap. Whenever a Cain kills an Abel, Cain blames God. Whenever a virus plagues a people, God was said to send it. Whenever a nation wants to steal land or goods from another, they say God sent them. When the floods hit, God must have sent them.  Rather than trust in a Loving God, we usher in the Reign of the Curse. All bad things are curses sent by God to sinful people. Rather than learning to love and live with Creator God, we transform God in our imaginations into a vengeful force of destruction.  “I don’t know what I did to deserve this.” “God is punishing them for their __________________.”   

            I don’t believe God sent this world re-making flood; but God does rescue Noahs. I don’t believe God sent the plagues against Pharaoh; but God helped free the slaves. I don’t believe God sent the Bubonic plague, or lung cancer, or job loses, or HIV/AIDs. I believe God was and is present in each moment offering a providence of care and concern.

            The flood story answers the difficult question of theodicy. The story ends declaring God’s promise never to send suffering. Not to punish for sin, but to forbear us, and hope for us. We are back to the original plan, potent relationships with God. God remembers Noah and the animals, loves them, rescues them, and again tells them to care for one another. 

            It’s an Easter in October. God is abandoned by humanity - Garden of Gethsemane. God takes on all the blame for suffering in the world, Good Friday. The Gospel is not in the death of a wicked humanity, not the rejection, suffering, and death of Jesus. The Good News is a God again saying, “I made creation good. I will partner with humanity to protect it and build community. Trust in my goodness, my wisdom, my providence. I will resurrect hope through the Ark and my son, Jesus.” Our God reaches out again and again offering to walk with us, to fly with us, to swim with us, to sleep with us, to cook, garden, work, clothe children, rest and grieve with us. We are called to float with God on the willful waters of this world. Our God, with the voice and hands of Jesus Christ will calm the storms and lead us to the promised land, promised peoples, promised peace, and to the beloved Easter lilies, butterflies, bunnies, elephants, hippos, kitty cats, puppy dogs, moo cows, arachnids, aardvarks, asparagus, and apple pies of a good life. May we be with God. Amen.