The theme of today’s readings is that our earthly lives – our lives where we dwell in bodies – are not eternal. We all must die. But one day eternity will break this pattern. Eternity will become a reality. Humans will be set free of their earthly and limited bodies and be clothed in a “heavenly dwelling”.
From here the theme goes in two directions that is linked although it might not seem all obvious how:
First, the readings try to comfort us as we walk through our earthly lives. We have nothing to fear because the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is and will always be with us. And if we believe in that we can be set free of judgment already during our earthly lives.
Second, the readings talk about a final judgment and how those who believe have already been set free from judgment because of faith. And how those who do not believe though, will be facing judgment some kind of final judgment. A judgment that in the Gospel of John almost solely seem to be depending on whether you believe or not.
Actual deeds – good or evil – are of less importance – even maybe of no importance – because what matters is the transformation in you that faith grants. A transformation that most probably in the Gospel of John is thought to entail good deeds.
These directions are linked. The talk about a future judgment and comfort here and now are linked. And the consequences of them being linked are quite notable. At least I will say so. Because it says something were important about judgment. Something that we should always try to remember.
It says about judgment, that judgment is an earthly thing. A thing linked to our lives here and now. After all it is here and now that we can be set free from it.
The reason I said earlier that this link is not all obvious is that this is something that I think we often tend to forget. When we hear the word judgment, we do not feel comforted.
But we have every reason to feel comforted when we hear the word judgment. And if this sermon can help us in doing that, I believe I will have succeeded just a little as your pastor.
Judgment. When we listen to the word in a religious context we often see before us a separation of human beings. Those who proceed to an eternal life. And those who will be condemned.
I will not disregard this picture all together, but I want us to realize how judgment really is not a religious term. How it is an earthly term. And what we do with the term when we see the above-mentioned picture is, that we separate the term from its earthly reality. Something that does not make sense.
Judgment is not a religious term. Judgment is linked to our earthly lives. Even when we talk about a final judgment or a Judgment Day.
That it is so is rather easy to comprehend even though we do not do it. We just must remember to think about how the term is used in general.
Judgment. We for instance use it when we judge ourselves and other people. We judge ourselves through our conscience. We for instance feel bad if we did not say sorry, if we were impatient, if we did not say yes to aid, or something similar.
Notable about these examples is that it becomes clear how judgment always is and will be an earthly term – a term that has to do with time – because our judgment is not something that springs forth immediately following an act. Judgment is something that follows. Judgment is a kind of reevaluation. Hence time is necessary for judgment to exist.
We also judge ourselves if we – following an act or a deed – realize how we did not act on objective grounds but did certain things due to for instance selfish reasons or because of us wanting some kind of vengeance. These motives are not all the time visible to us as we act, but only become clear to us in time. As we judge.
That judgment is linked to time – and therefore earth – also becomes clear to us in a way we often express ourselves: History will judge.
“Today we made history.” It is an expression often used. An expression that is linked to judgment. After all the thoughts behind the expression is that history will judge our act as notable making the act historical.
Maybe we are too fast to judge our own act as historical. After all, today’s readings and what I so far have talked about regarding judgment is that only time can judge.
Only time can judge. Last time I heard the expression, “today we made history,” I did not agree with the person uttering it that the act would be notable. At least not notably good. Therefore, let time judge. Not us.
How do we let time judge? Well, tomorrow we have a good example of just that. Tomorrow we will be celebrating Remembrance Day. We celebrate an historical event that we have judged.
Or rather: We celebrate that we will not forget what we did wrong, nor what we did good. We will remember, and we will do our utmost for history not to repeat itself.
That is why we say: Lest we forget.
Remembrance Day. With the crises our world currently is in I believe this day is more important than ever. The biggest crisis of our time probably is that we as people once again are getting more and more estranged from each other. Something that sadly leaves us with a tendency where we judge ourselves righteous – others the opposite – before time has had its time to judge properly.
In other words: Morality has gone.
I have prayed a lot for the world currently. And I continue to pray. I continue to pray that people may once again step together, and let time be the judge of our acts instead of letting current echo chambers resound the judgment that we would like to receive and disregard the voices that we do not want to acknowledge.
I only see two ways going forward:
First, truly let us not forget. And let us not forget by overcoming the current estrangement of the world and its people. Let us be brought together and let us listen to each other. That is what we need if we want history to judge us good.
Second, let time judge. And let time judge by letting us learn from the past. Let time judge by putting an end to present time judging. Let us carry the good of yesterday into tomorrow. Because currently we are in no position to make proper judgment. We are too divided.
It takes time to listen to all voices. Hence, it takes time to make proper judgment. Do we have the patience it requires? I am not sure of it. But we need it. We need it oh so much.
I saw these two ways going forward. But with today’s readings in mind, let us not forget the third. The way in which we through faith during our mortal lives already will be set free from judgment. Set free because we somehow will be transformed by our beliefs.
Dear Lord, I pray that as many people as possible will follow, if not the third way, than the first and the second. We need to heal. We need to remember. We need to believe.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.