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Confrontation
Acts 4:13-20 (Common English Bible)
The council was caught by surprise by the confidence with which Peter and John spoke. After all, they understood that these apostles were uneducated and inexperienced. They also recognized that they had been followers of Jesus. However, since the healed man was standing with Peter and John before their own eyes, they had no rebuttal. After ordering them to wait outside, the council members began to confer with each other. “What should we do with these men? Everyone living in Jerusalem is aware of the sign performed through them. It’s obvious to everyone and we can’t deny it. To keep it from spreading further among the people, we need to warn them not to speak to anyone in this name.” When they called Peter and John back, they demanded that they stop all speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus.
Peter and John responded, “It’s up to you to determine whether it’s right before God to obey you rather than God. As for us, we can’t stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
_____
In the superlatives for the Senior class of 1976 at Frankfort Senior High School, I was voted “most honest.” I don’t think it was because I was the most honest, I think it was simply because I was so overtly open about my faith. I was religious, therefore, I must be honest.
I was 20 years old, and I was working for a moving company during the summer between my sophomore and junior year of college. One Saturday, the owner’s son and I drove up to Chicago to move a young woman to the Quad cities.
The owner’s son was a good guy, probably four or five years older than me, and was clearly the person in charge that day.
We chatted all the way to Chicago.
As we were getting close to her apartment, he said to me “I made a mistake and didn’t put a mattress box on the truck and the person we’re moving requested that her mattress go in a box.” So, if she asks about it, tell her the box is in the truck and that we will put the mattress in the box inside the truck.
To which I said, “Why would I do that? Why wouldn’t I just tell her the truth?” After all, I had been voted the most honest.
To which he said to me, “Come on dude, take one for the team,” which was his way of saying “don’t make waves, don’t cause trouble for me or the company.”
What do we do when someone in authority over us requests, demands that we do something that violates our values, or our faith, or creates problems for others?
And it has happened to all of us.
A supervisor or a boss has asked us to cover up something or take a short cut,
a member of our peer group has pressured us to go along with the group,
a parent has told us to lie on the phone for them to someone,
a coach has encouraged us to break a rule, or as sensei Kreese demands of Johnny Laurence, “sweep the leg,”
a governmental official or dictate might require that we ignore Jesus’ teachings as we understand them- my son was ordered by police not to pass out pizza to homeless people at a park in Philadelphia, people have been arrested for providing water to migrants passing through the desert.
What do we do when someone in authority requests, demands that we do something that violates our values, or our faith, or creates problems for others?
For those of us who hate confrontation, we often just capitulate and violate our own values rather than face a confrontation. The times when I have been most angry at myself are times of acquiescence when I have chosen an easy way over an uncomfortable encounter.
Some of us work hard to find compromises that allow us to do what we value (kind of) while not upsetting those who have authority over us.
Some of us just quit, we leave, we avoid, we take a different street.
What do we do when someone in authority requests, demands that we do something that violates our values, or our faith, or creates problems for others?
Let’s see what Peter and John do in the book of Acts.
It begins as Peter and John are near the temple one day. They pass by a man crippled since birth who is begging for alms.
Peter tells the man he doesn’t have money, but... he could give him what he has, and he heals him.
It creates quite a commotion and word spreads quickly that Peter has healed the man. A large crowd gathers around Peter and John. So, Peter takes advantage of the situation and preaches to the crowd.
The religious authorities confront Peter and John, and end up arresting them and putting them in jail for the night.
In the morning, religious, civil and legal authorities in Jerusalem get together and make a plan. They have Peter and John brought before them, listen to their impressive defense and then demand that the pair stop speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus.
The Scripture says Peter and John respond by saying, “It’s up to you to determine whether it’s right before God to obey you rather than God. As for us, we can’t stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
The authorities threaten them with dire consequences but have to release them because they haven’t done anything wrong except heal a man and tell people about Jesus.
And Peter and John, and others from the burgeoning church, continue to gather near the temple teaching, preaching and healing. They find themselves harassed and arrested continually. It will continue until a hate fueled mob turns on one of church’s young leaders, Stephen and murders him by stoning him to death.
I think one could, using John Lewis’ words, say that Peter and John promised, in response to the authorities demand that they not teach in the name of Jesus, to be the causers of Good Trouble.
They are saying to the authorities, when you request, demand that we do something that violates our values, or our faith, or creates problems for others we will respond by listening to God.
In the great documentary film, John Lewis: Good Trouble, Lewis says,
“My philosophy is very simple. When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, say something. Do something. Get in trouble. Good trouble.” That is the promise the Peter and John make to the authorities
In a tweet made in June 2018. John Lewis wrote,
"Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble."
What does that mean, “get in good trouble”? That sounds very different than what we learned growing up in church.
What does it mean, “get in good trouble.” It means being a voice for Jesus’ love, standing against injustice, working for a better world.
Peter and John promise to make good trouble because they believe in the message of God’s love through Jesus and won’t back down from that message.
To make Good Τrouble means standing up,
Rejecting
hate
racism
transphobia and homophobia
sexism
religious bigotry
religious structures and institutions that teach exclusion.
To make good trouble means speaking up,
Saying:
Yes to Jesus’ teaching
Yes to inclusion
Yes to acceptance
Yes to grace
Yes to second chances
Yes to justice and fairness and equity.
To make good trouble means
Acting out
Speaking truth to power
Following Jesus’ example of
Unconditional love and empowered kindness
Writing letters, making phone calls
Advocating
Organizing
Engaging the system
Of course, making good trouble involves following some basic rules:
1) Good trouble means change.
2) Good trouble does not evoke violence or hate. Just the opposite, good trouble is based in love.
3) Good trouble stands, or sits, or kneels or marches for justice and equity, not for personal gain or personal accolades.
There is this warning associated with causing good trouble:
There will be consequences for making good trouble.
The disciples refusal to shut up ends up costing them time in jail, threats, and death.
John Lewis understood the consequences well. Way back in 1965, in what was supposed to be a peaceful march for the right to vote, Lewis was beaten by police with billy clubs. His skull was fractured. He said about that moment, “I saw death coming. I thought I was going to die.” Additionally, in his lifetime John Lewis was arrested 45 times for making good trouble.
For others, causing good trouble might mean the loss of a job, the loss of a promotion, a loss of respect from certain quarters, rejection by peers or family. It will certainly mean discomfort and inconvenience.
There is a cost to getting into good trouble, but there is also a reward.
Through good trouble, the world is changed.
Through good trouble, the kingdom comes.
Through good trouble, a difference is made.
A 17 year old girl named Darnella Frazier was walking her 9 year old cousin to a convenient store near her home when she came upon an incident in which a police officer had a man pinned to the ground and was kneeling on his neck.
The girl pulled out her phone and started recording. She recorded for almost 10 minutes as George Floyd announced he couldn’t breathe, begged for relief, and cried for his mother. George Floyd would soon die.
The first published police report was headlined “Man Dies After Medical Incident During Police Interaction.”
Darnella made the decision to film the incident even as the group in which she was standing was threatened with tear gas, and then to post the incident online as a testimony about what really happened- she made some trouble, some good trouble, some necessary trouble.
And the world feels a little bit different because of it.
You never know when you might be in position to make some good trouble. And if you decide to, you can count yourself in good company.
Amen.
_____
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (The Message Bible)
There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:
A right time for birth and another for death,
A right time to plant and another to reap,
A right time to kill and another to heal,
A right time to destroy and another to construct,
A right time to cry and another to laugh,
A right time to lament and another to cheer,
A right time to make love and another to abstain,
A right time to embrace and another to part,
A right time to search and another to count your losses,
A right time to hold on and another to let go,
A right time to rip out and another to mend,
A right time to shut up and another to speak up.
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By Pastor Steve MechemActs 4:13-20 (Common English Bible)
The council was caught by surprise by the confidence with which Peter and John spoke. After all, they understood that these apostles were uneducated and inexperienced. They also recognized that they had been followers of Jesus. However, since the healed man was standing with Peter and John before their own eyes, they had no rebuttal. After ordering them to wait outside, the council members began to confer with each other. “What should we do with these men? Everyone living in Jerusalem is aware of the sign performed through them. It’s obvious to everyone and we can’t deny it. To keep it from spreading further among the people, we need to warn them not to speak to anyone in this name.” When they called Peter and John back, they demanded that they stop all speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus.
Peter and John responded, “It’s up to you to determine whether it’s right before God to obey you rather than God. As for us, we can’t stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
_____
In the superlatives for the Senior class of 1976 at Frankfort Senior High School, I was voted “most honest.” I don’t think it was because I was the most honest, I think it was simply because I was so overtly open about my faith. I was religious, therefore, I must be honest.
I was 20 years old, and I was working for a moving company during the summer between my sophomore and junior year of college. One Saturday, the owner’s son and I drove up to Chicago to move a young woman to the Quad cities.
The owner’s son was a good guy, probably four or five years older than me, and was clearly the person in charge that day.
We chatted all the way to Chicago.
As we were getting close to her apartment, he said to me “I made a mistake and didn’t put a mattress box on the truck and the person we’re moving requested that her mattress go in a box.” So, if she asks about it, tell her the box is in the truck and that we will put the mattress in the box inside the truck.
To which I said, “Why would I do that? Why wouldn’t I just tell her the truth?” After all, I had been voted the most honest.
To which he said to me, “Come on dude, take one for the team,” which was his way of saying “don’t make waves, don’t cause trouble for me or the company.”
What do we do when someone in authority over us requests, demands that we do something that violates our values, or our faith, or creates problems for others?
And it has happened to all of us.
A supervisor or a boss has asked us to cover up something or take a short cut,
a member of our peer group has pressured us to go along with the group,
a parent has told us to lie on the phone for them to someone,
a coach has encouraged us to break a rule, or as sensei Kreese demands of Johnny Laurence, “sweep the leg,”
a governmental official or dictate might require that we ignore Jesus’ teachings as we understand them- my son was ordered by police not to pass out pizza to homeless people at a park in Philadelphia, people have been arrested for providing water to migrants passing through the desert.
What do we do when someone in authority requests, demands that we do something that violates our values, or our faith, or creates problems for others?
For those of us who hate confrontation, we often just capitulate and violate our own values rather than face a confrontation. The times when I have been most angry at myself are times of acquiescence when I have chosen an easy way over an uncomfortable encounter.
Some of us work hard to find compromises that allow us to do what we value (kind of) while not upsetting those who have authority over us.
Some of us just quit, we leave, we avoid, we take a different street.
What do we do when someone in authority requests, demands that we do something that violates our values, or our faith, or creates problems for others?
Let’s see what Peter and John do in the book of Acts.
It begins as Peter and John are near the temple one day. They pass by a man crippled since birth who is begging for alms.
Peter tells the man he doesn’t have money, but... he could give him what he has, and he heals him.
It creates quite a commotion and word spreads quickly that Peter has healed the man. A large crowd gathers around Peter and John. So, Peter takes advantage of the situation and preaches to the crowd.
The religious authorities confront Peter and John, and end up arresting them and putting them in jail for the night.
In the morning, religious, civil and legal authorities in Jerusalem get together and make a plan. They have Peter and John brought before them, listen to their impressive defense and then demand that the pair stop speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus.
The Scripture says Peter and John respond by saying, “It’s up to you to determine whether it’s right before God to obey you rather than God. As for us, we can’t stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
The authorities threaten them with dire consequences but have to release them because they haven’t done anything wrong except heal a man and tell people about Jesus.
And Peter and John, and others from the burgeoning church, continue to gather near the temple teaching, preaching and healing. They find themselves harassed and arrested continually. It will continue until a hate fueled mob turns on one of church’s young leaders, Stephen and murders him by stoning him to death.
I think one could, using John Lewis’ words, say that Peter and John promised, in response to the authorities demand that they not teach in the name of Jesus, to be the causers of Good Trouble.
They are saying to the authorities, when you request, demand that we do something that violates our values, or our faith, or creates problems for others we will respond by listening to God.
In the great documentary film, John Lewis: Good Trouble, Lewis says,
“My philosophy is very simple. When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, say something. Do something. Get in trouble. Good trouble.” That is the promise the Peter and John make to the authorities
In a tweet made in June 2018. John Lewis wrote,
"Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble."
What does that mean, “get in good trouble”? That sounds very different than what we learned growing up in church.
What does it mean, “get in good trouble.” It means being a voice for Jesus’ love, standing against injustice, working for a better world.
Peter and John promise to make good trouble because they believe in the message of God’s love through Jesus and won’t back down from that message.
To make Good Τrouble means standing up,
Rejecting
hate
racism
transphobia and homophobia
sexism
religious bigotry
religious structures and institutions that teach exclusion.
To make good trouble means speaking up,
Saying:
Yes to Jesus’ teaching
Yes to inclusion
Yes to acceptance
Yes to grace
Yes to second chances
Yes to justice and fairness and equity.
To make good trouble means
Acting out
Speaking truth to power
Following Jesus’ example of
Unconditional love and empowered kindness
Writing letters, making phone calls
Advocating
Organizing
Engaging the system
Of course, making good trouble involves following some basic rules:
1) Good trouble means change.
2) Good trouble does not evoke violence or hate. Just the opposite, good trouble is based in love.
3) Good trouble stands, or sits, or kneels or marches for justice and equity, not for personal gain or personal accolades.
There is this warning associated with causing good trouble:
There will be consequences for making good trouble.
The disciples refusal to shut up ends up costing them time in jail, threats, and death.
John Lewis understood the consequences well. Way back in 1965, in what was supposed to be a peaceful march for the right to vote, Lewis was beaten by police with billy clubs. His skull was fractured. He said about that moment, “I saw death coming. I thought I was going to die.” Additionally, in his lifetime John Lewis was arrested 45 times for making good trouble.
For others, causing good trouble might mean the loss of a job, the loss of a promotion, a loss of respect from certain quarters, rejection by peers or family. It will certainly mean discomfort and inconvenience.
There is a cost to getting into good trouble, but there is also a reward.
Through good trouble, the world is changed.
Through good trouble, the kingdom comes.
Through good trouble, a difference is made.
A 17 year old girl named Darnella Frazier was walking her 9 year old cousin to a convenient store near her home when she came upon an incident in which a police officer had a man pinned to the ground and was kneeling on his neck.
The girl pulled out her phone and started recording. She recorded for almost 10 minutes as George Floyd announced he couldn’t breathe, begged for relief, and cried for his mother. George Floyd would soon die.
The first published police report was headlined “Man Dies After Medical Incident During Police Interaction.”
Darnella made the decision to film the incident even as the group in which she was standing was threatened with tear gas, and then to post the incident online as a testimony about what really happened- she made some trouble, some good trouble, some necessary trouble.
And the world feels a little bit different because of it.
You never know when you might be in position to make some good trouble. And if you decide to, you can count yourself in good company.
Amen.
_____
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (The Message Bible)
There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:
A right time for birth and another for death,
A right time to plant and another to reap,
A right time to kill and another to heal,
A right time to destroy and another to construct,
A right time to cry and another to laugh,
A right time to lament and another to cheer,
A right time to make love and another to abstain,
A right time to embrace and another to part,
A right time to search and another to count your losses,
A right time to hold on and another to let go,
A right time to rip out and another to mend,
A right time to shut up and another to speak up.