“The Sin of Sodom and Gomorrah”

Sermon delivered by Rev. Ray Jordan at Central Congregational United Church of Christ

on July 28, 2019

Last week we discussed the difference between Religion and God. Indeed, there’s a difference between church and spirituality. There’s a huge difference between Law and Love and perhaps there is no greater example of this principle than the folklore and myth surrounding the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and the spiritual abuse committed to persons in the LGBT community.

-Today, Tanis read a portion of Genesis chapter 18 but the true misunderstanding centers in the next chapter, Chpt. 19. In Chpt 18 we see God indicting the people of Sodom and Gomorrah but in the next chapter we see why.

-There we see two angels disguised as foreigners, immigrants to the city, and in response a hostile xenophobic mob gathers, demanding they be turned over that so they may “Yada” them.

-Yada is Hebrew word used 983 times and most often—98.9% of the time— it is translated as “know”. To know them…however when we see Yada presented in Genesis chapter 19, depending on the biblical version, we see it interpreted as to have relations or to have intimacies or yes, some have translated Genesis 19 to say, have sex.

-The scripture goes on to say that Lot, to satisfy the murderous and violent thirst of the mob, offers instead his virgin daughters to the crowd (This is Father of the Year material, right?)

-So, let’s get one thing clear. What we see in the text is not “same-gender loving” relationships, but rather what commonly occurred in the ancient world. What we see here is mob violence that included rape.

-Unfortunately, it was not uncommon to see warring armies throughout the ancient world come into enemy territory, burn the city, kill the children and livestock and yes, as despicable as it is, as a form of intimidation and dehumanization, as a form of violence and war they would also rape the women AND men. Church, this is the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah. This is the behavior that rose to the heavens as an indictment before God.

-And if we just take a closer look, the biblical witness makes this clear for us.

·       Ezekiel 16:49- “This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride [someone say pride], excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy”

·       From The Message Translation, it says this: “The sin of your sister Sodom was this: She lived with her daughters in the lap of luxury—proud, gluttonous, and lazy. They ignored the oppressed and the poor. They put on airs and lived obscene lives.”

Church, the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah had nothing to do with same-gender relationships. The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was arrogance. The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was greed. The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was indifference to the least of these. It was the sin of radical inhospitality and for this their cities were destroyed.

-And quite frankly this really scares me. It would be much easier to blame and scapegoat a small minority of society. But this really worries me because when I see children in cages, it appears we are closer to Sodom and Gomorrah than many realize.

-The core of the matter is this, how do we treat our neighbor. So simple, yet why can’t we get it right?

-I believe our nation is desperately in need of a “Namaste” moment. Loosely translated from the Hindu faith and practice of Yoga, Namaste is simply but powerfully… “The light of God in me, sees the light of God in you.”

·       Regardless of your race or color, I see God in you.

·       Regardless of whatever name you call God or whether you call God at all, I see the light of the Divine in you.

·       Makes no difference how much money you have.

·       Irrespective of who you love or what your gender or sexual identity might be…I see the light of God in you.

·       You might speak a different language, live in a different part of the world, celebrate different holidays, look different than me, smell different than me, makes no difference because I am you and you are me. Your child is my child and my child is yours; we are all children of God and the light of God in me sees the light of God in you.

-What if we saw the light of God in our homeless neighbors? What if we saw the light of God in our immigrant neighbors? What if we saw the light of God in our Muslim neighbors? What if we say the light of God in our black neighbors? What if we saw the light of God in our transgender neighbors….Instead of being like Sodom and Gomorrah and screwing them all over.

-What if we saw the light of God in that neighbor that annoys us to no end? You know, the one we hate to see coming (we all have them)? What if we saw the light of God in them? What if we saw the light of God in that family member we simply can’t forgive or that person who hurt us? Yes, the light of God is in them too.

-I got another one for you… What if, just what if, we saw the light of God in our neighbors who vote differently than we do?

-The light of God in me, sees the light of God in you! [Singing the hymn: I want to walk as a child of the light. I want to follow Jesus. In Him there is no darkness at all. The night and the day are both alike The Lamb is the light of the city of God Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus]  Amen.

Self-Discovery

“Your 20s are about finding yourself. Your 30s are about proving yourself, but your 40s are about wanting to be left alone and not caring about what other people say.” ~ My Therapist

Recently I spoke publicly about seeing a therapist (I wanted to do my part in combating any stigma about seeking counseling). Granted, it was at the suggestion of a good friend who knew I was going through a lot of transition in several areas of life. So, he suggested I go get a “tune up.” The above quote came from my conversation with said counselor and while it’s a generalization it did resonate with me but with some exception.

I have spent a large (too large) portion of my life in angst around the thoughts and expectations of others. As a typical oldest child overachiever, my “role” in the family was to balance the system by being a do-gooder. Somehow in my young mind, if I performed well or behaved perfectly, I could fix the dysfunction of my family. While as an adult I can intellectually understand this is not true I have to admit that old habits die hard. So, as I enter a new decade I have a newfound commitment to being authentic, following the desire of my own heart and living my best life.

One of the most surprising parts of this new decade and my new commitment is self-discovery. Yes, our 20s may be about finding ourselves, but for me (and I can imagine for many of you) that self-discovery doesn’t end there. I have been stunned by simple things I have come to know about myself recently. I have said multiple time, “I can’t believe I didn’t know that about myself” or “Duh! Of course that’s what I like/want!”

There is a strong impulse within American society to conform, be uniform and shut up and go along to get along. A lot of this is connected to our unhealthy obsession with capitalism and materialism and the need of the capitalist machine to line us up like mindless sheep led to the slaughter in order to fuel the retail economy. However, I have come to believe that the risk of being authentic is worth any possible consequences.

This blog, however, isn’t just about me. I wonder which ways you have quenched the spirit of your soul in order to conform. What ways have you listened to the voices of the peanut gallery instead of following your own passion and heart’s desire? Personally, I have oft wondered what I would be or what my life would be if I had had the appropriate love and support to free me to be me. Nevertheless, the woudla-coulda-shouldas help no one. All any of us have is the now. So, my commitment is to really learn myself while also freeing myself to fully embrace the person I find.

My grandmother was fond of making the distinction between living and merely existing. Friends, unequivocally I want to LIVE!! Live my best life and as far I know my only one. Don’t you? Yet, to do so I think we must fully face the obstacles that prevent us from following this path. Underneath it all I wonder what mental, emotional and/or spiritual impulses prevent us from being our truest self. What are we so afraid of? Is it that we’re afraid of where our deepest passions might lead us? What they could lead us to do and risks they might lead us to take?

This I know for sure. There is something on the other side of where we are. Listen to me and listen to me closely. This is only for those whose restless heart KNOWS there must be more. You are right; there is more. More love, more joy, more peace, more excitement, more gratitude, more satisfaction, more justice, more fulfillment, more YOU.

Don’t be afraid of you. Allow your heart to soar. Find your muse and follow it. I certainly am. There is an expression of God that can only be manifested through our individual lives and personalities. So, get about expressing God through your divine self! And remember that the best is not behind us, it's ahead of us and there are #bigthingscoming.

Birthday Revelation

Wow! Today I stand at the intersection of many shifting realities. In other words, my whole life seems to be in an uproar and upheaval and yet again I find myself looking for answers.

Before anyone feels the need to call me to offer help, let me say that I am fine (did you hear that mother, I’m ok!). In fact, I’ve become so accustomed to just putting my head down, working hard and pushing through any seeming adversity that it didn’t quite dawn on me how much my life was in transition until a good friend, after hearing all the balls I have in the air, suggested that I might benefit in seeing a therapist to help talk me through some of it. And here lies the story of my life.

My job is ending, my relationship is ending, my sons are not in a place that feels comfortable for me, I have a ton of other obligations making demands upon my time and resources and I literally don’t know which city I’ll be living in three months from now. Yet, it never occurred to me that this was enough to require special attention. Nope! That’s not how I’ve allowed myself to function….ever. I was taught to work hard, not complain, and push through any adversity that might be present. However, I’m not ashamed to say that this path is no longer working for me.

Next week I will be 40 years old. Geez, it’s still hard to say out loud or even put in writing. This isn’t because I am ageist or afraid of getting older, per se. Granted, I have mixed feelings about getting older. In one breath I am amazed at my journey and how far God has carried me. I feel as if I have earned every year and I’m so proud of the wisdom I’ve gained along the way. Still, on the other hand, I feel 28 at the most. Also, NOTHING in my life has gone according to plan, so 40 feels like a letdown. So, here we are again; this is the story of my life.

Prior to seeing a counselor at my friend’s request, I had already begun doing a lot of thinking and reflecting (a milestone birthday is good for that). During these times of reflection it became apparent to me that my life force seemed blocked. After speaking with the counselor, she suggested that I was “out of balance”. For me, the terminology isn’t important. What’s important is the fact that I can hear the reality of my experience screaming at me and it’s saying that something must change. So, I began seeking the “what” and the “how”.

I have long believed that our lives are our best teachers. If we simply pay attention and ask questions of God/The Universe, we will find the answers we seek. Therefore, when surveying my life I began looking for common threads and similar or connecting experiences. What I reluctantly realized is that I have not loved myself enough. Even typing those words, I find myself flinching. Not because the statement isn’t true but because I don’t want it to be.

How can I not love me? Theoretically, I love the hell out of myself (sometimes, literally). However, actions can speak louder than words, and if I look to the dark corners of my life, I can see that I have consistently put the needs and wants of others before my own. This is the uniting thread; this is the common denominator among all parts of my life.

I’ve been told that confession is good for the soul, so here it goes. I am fixer. Some might call it a “messiah” or “savior” complex. I don’t say that proudly nor do I choose that consciously. If I were honest (and when I started this blog, I promised to always be), there are deep parts of my self-worth that are damaged and deep, DEEP within myself I hold some beliefs that have not served me well. 

Defeating Belief #1: Somewhere within myself I believe that I must earn the love and acceptance of others. Furthermore, there have been times in my life that I have believed that this love and acceptance must be earned at all costs. So, when someone offers that kind of love unconditionally, it scares the shit out of me because…well, I don’t think that I deserve it. Ouch!! (I can’t believe I’m saying this publicly).

Defeating Belief #2: Also, somewhere deep within, I believe that I can’t have good things in my life unless I have appropriately suffered for them. Therefore, I’ve had a difficult time receiving God’s abundance and bounty if I haven’t suffered dearly to have it (i.e. I don’t feel worthy of them).

Defeating Belief #3: Because I somehow believe I have to earn love and suffer for blessings; I have a magnetic ability to attract hurting and broken people in need of fixing. Ray the fixer, the savior, the hero…because what other value do I offer another person if not as the solution to their dilemmas?


Now, why do I write these horribly personal things about myself. Well, first of all, writing is cathartic. Secondly, I do honestly want to be of service to my community and I want to contribute something helpful to the world. I always have and I always will. Also, to put them in writing and to share them publicly helps me be clear about what pain I hold within and thereby helps to hold myself accountable to the healing process.

One of the blessings of my life is that I have the ability to change swiftly. Once I become aware and informed, it doesn’t take me long to put new practices into place. So, once I got clear on what was happening to me and within me, I began to immediately put some changes in place. What do these changes look like? For example:

• I am intentionally and consciously putting me first. What I need and what I want takes priority over the needs and wants of others. That may seem simplistic, but you might be surprised how many times I (and possibly you) betray myself daily to meet some external standard, false obligation or unrealistic expectation. I come first. To survive and thrive, I must! What I need matters and what I want is important. And if it isn’t hurting myself or someone else, then why can’t I have it? Why have I felt guilty or ashamed when I choose me? No more!

• I am intentionally and consciously speaking (and living) my truth. I can’t tell you how many times I have silenced myself, making myself unhappy in order to make someone else comfortable. Quite frankly, I have vowed to stop caring so damn much about what others think. No more!

• And this is the really big one. I am no longer willing to dim my light or make myself small in order to fit into a box someone else has created for me. I have vowed to not only love myself but believe in myself. No matter what others see in us, if we are not willing to affirm those gifts in ourselves, then our work is in vain. Each of us is God’s handiwork. Each of us is beautifully, fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of the Divine. Sooooo, let’s start acting like it.

Lastly, I am well aware that the defeating beliefs listed are connected to childhood trauma. There’s no real need to go into all of that here (if you’re interested, you can find mention of some this in other blogposts). Also, as I unpack my milestone birthday I’ll likely be writing about the specific areas of transition in my life (church, relationship, family). So, look back for insight about those.

I began by saying that I felt my life force had been blocked. Meaning, I’ve been blocking my blessings without recognizing it. As I turn the big 4-0, I am determined to clear out any metaphysical clutter that I might truly live my best life. I hope you’ll join me in decluttering any unnecessary baggage from your life as well because the best is not behind us, it's ahead of us. So, remember, there are #bigthingscoming.