Today, I would like to ask that you keep the people of Oregon, Washington and northern California in your prayers. I understand that there is another wave of high temperatures in their near future, and prolonged and excessive heat is an acute danger to life. To date, 115 people have died due to heat exposure. 110 degrees in Montana, 116 in Portland.
I remember as a kid back in Ohio we used to have some pretty hot summers, or so we thought at the time. On those days when the Mercury reached the 90s and there hadn't been a good rain for a while, it got so uncomfortable you just didn't want to do anything. Couldn't go on a bike ride; it was too hot. You couldn't go play in the backyard; it was too hot. We didn’t want to go swimming out at Kiser Lake, because we would have to climb into a really hot car to get there.
Compared to what’s going on out west, 90 degrees doesn’t sound like such a big deal. And, looking back, we probably weren't doing ourselves any favors by constantly reminding ourselves about the heat. I think if we had just gotten busy at doing something, we probably could have taken our minds off of it. In fact, we could have just remembered back a few months when the high for one day was a single digit, and think about how we longed for those warm, sunny days of summer. What an elegant lesson to be careful what you pray for!
Even in the absence of life-threatening conditions, It seems to be one of those lesser aspects of human nature to be always able to find something to complain about. Here, God gives us these beautiful Minnesota summer days and we grumble about the heat while turning our air conditioners on high, making the room about the same temperature as one of those chilly Autumn mornings that we’re going to complain about in November. And have you ever been around someone who does nothing but complain and criticize? Someone who can be sitting in the midst of the most beautiful day of the year and whine that the sun's too bright or the birds are too loud or the flowers are putting out too much pollen? It's not pleasant, all that negativity.
I suppose that's why the words of the Prophet Amos were so unappreciated. Amos was inspired to convey God’s message at a time when everything seemed to be going right for the people of Israel. The political scene was more stable than it had been in years past, the economy was in good shape, the borders were secure. People for the most part were happy. But here comes Amos, saying that the land would be invaded and the king would be put to death. I mean, some people!
Now it's possible that Amos may have felt a little reluctance to deliver such ominous warnings to Israel, knowing that they would react with annoyance. And it's understandable; no one really wants to be the bearer of bad news. Think about it - you walk around preaching to them all the time and pretty soon no one wants to be around you. No one wants to invite you to their parties. People tend to find reasons to cut the conversation short. But Amos had been given a message from God and it needed to be communicated. He could have spent a lot of time grumbling and complaining about the position he was in, but instead he took a deep breath and said what needed to be said. He just did what God wanted him to do, taking his mind off how uncomfortable the circumstances might be.
We are in the same position more often than we realize, and it's actually a blessing that this is so. To illustrate, I'd like to tell you something that happened to a man I used to know. Harry was his name. At the time, Harry worked for the public relations department of Polaroid, a large company with a large headquarters and a lot of sidewalk around it. Polaroid was contacted one day by a man who duplicated great works of art on sidewalks in chalk, and was apparently good enough at it that he could eke out a meager living. He asked Polaroid if they would be willing to compensate him for decorating their sidewalks at some point.
The consensus around the office was that, even though this man was talented, there was no way they were going to pay him the amount of money he was asking. The man's request was kicked around from department to department, no one wanting the job of telling this guy no. Harry eventually agreed to give him a call. He was straight with the man, telling him without beating around the bush that there was no way Polaroid was going to pay him for his chalk art, and the man, being a passionate artist, responded in anger. How dare this high and mighty Corporation pass judgment on his art. How dare they profess to have such a love for graphic design in their advertisements and refuse to support this simple thing. Harry calmly responded with, "Look, sir, I’m just the messenger, here. I don’t deserve this verbal abuse, and if you continue along this road, I'm going to have to hang up.” The man was even more outraged, and Harry finally said, " I'm sorry this didn't work out for you. Have a good day.” And he hung up.
Later that day, Harry's phone rang. It was the same man, but with a different attitude. He was full of apologies for the way he had acted. He told Harry that he was simply frustrated with the way Polaroid had kept him waiting for an answer, and when his hopes were so high, they finally told him no. At that point, Harry was able to connect with the man, because they had gotten past the irrational reaction that so many of us are prone to, and they were able to be mutually open and honest with each other.
And there's the blessing. Because Harry was able to say what needed to be said, he was able to bring healing and resolution to an uncomfortable situation that could easily have been prolonged indefinitely. Harry was able to help the man deal with the reality of the situation, and, lo and behold, between those two people community was born.
Likewise, Amos told the kings court, " Look, I'm just a shepherd. I would much rather be out in the field tending to my sheep, but God gave me a message to deliver. Don't take it out on me, I'm just the messenger.” As a result, Amos may not have been the most popular guy in town, but there were some who heard the message. There were some who were able to step out of the comfortable illusion that everything was healthy and thriving and see the reality for what it was: an invasion waiting to happen.
God grants inspiration to so many of us. As we watch the world going on around us, every so often we we see the dysfunction, and we are inspired with the realization that something needs to be said or done. Unfortunately, there may be a deadening knot of fear within us that prevents us from saying or doing it - fear of others not liking us for having said it, fear of others thinking of us as troublesome or weird, fear of being the one to bring a sense of doubt to an otherwise happy set of circumstances (upsetting the apple cart, as it were), and let's face it - we like happy circumstances. We very much like to get through a day without conflict.
Have you ever been in a meeting where everyone's happy, talking, joking with each other, and all of a sudden, seemingly out of nowhere, someone says something uncomfortable—brings up a sore spot that most people hope wouldn’t come up. And the room gets silent for a few seconds. Everyone stands stunned for one uncomfortable moment, not sure about what to say or what to do, hoping that someone else will say something. Finally, someone will break the silence with a redirectiing comment--”Let’s not bring that up right now. Let’s table that discussion for another time. We don’t need to get into an argument over that right now.” The subject gets changed, and everything continues so that everyone can walk away from the table with at least the appearance of satisfaction.
Now we all know that an issue has just been expressed that needs to be addressed, but we don’t like it when people upset the apple cart when we haven’t had the chance to prepare for it. And many of us are so full of fear and uncertainty that we don't even want to be the one who brings it up. We don't want to be the one that people blame for that unruly mess of spilled apples, but consider this the next time you become aware of a dysfunction: God gave you that inspiration for a reason. God needs a voice that people will listen to. God needs hands that will accomplish things in this world. When you feel that something needs to be said or done, that's usually God's subtle way of suggesting that maybe you are the one to say it. Maybe you are the one to say, "Guys, we need to talk about this, or it’s going to fester.” God also needs people who are brave enough to respond with “well, I don't really agree with that but I hear what you're saying. Let's talk about it.”
Being the unpopular bearer of bad news is what prophets do. At least, it’s half of their job description. The other half is to bring reassurance and healing.
As a prime example of that, we have the beautiful parable of the Good Samaritan. There were a hundred reasons why the Samaritan could have passed the injured man by the side of the road. Samaritans were outcasts in Jewish Society at the time. Those devoted to the Temple were not encouraged to do business or interact with the Samaritan community. But because the Samaritan was a good and loving soul, because he was centered in Divine love and wisdom, because he didn't let his fear speak more loudly than his compassion, he did what needed to be done.
In the words of the Teacher, "Go and do likewise” Sure, people might get a little irritated with you. May respond to you in ways that make you feel awkward or uncomfortable. But each of us was put here to be active contributors to this thing we call "heaven on Earth”. Heaven doesn’t happen until the hells, the fear and the dysfunction, are addressed, put into order.
You might be asking, what does all this have to do with a heat wave? It relates in a couple of ways. Firstly, the causes of all the weather extremes we are experiencing lately is an uncomfortable subject for many, especially for those who might have to sacrifice monetary profits in order to address the issue of human-made climate change. We need the persistent courage of a prophet like Amos until our species can become a source of healing for the planet. It is very likely that our very future depends upon the choices we make right now, and we just can’t ignore that uncomfortable reality. We can’t ignore the fact that people are dying because of our inaction. We need to be the Good Samaritan for our planet.
Secondly, and even more personally, however oppressive the environmental heat has become, we need to remember that spiritual heat is a good thing. Swedenborg wrote that love is a spiritual heat that vivifies us. Love opens our eyes and gives us the insight to recognize the things that we need to change. Think of the wildfires out west. Fire is generally a good thing, but when fire becomes out of control, it consumes, it destroys, it kills. Likewise, if we permit our love and our enthusiasm to become self-centered, self-absorbed, it too becomes destructive. The inner fire that gives us the courage to speak and act must never be permitted to become self-interested. True prophets never speak to call attention to themselves, only to give voice to the inspiration that they have received from Divine love and wisdom.
Keep your inner fires burning, but keep them contained. Call out falsity and evil when the Lord shows it to you, but keep your motives pure. If you can do this, you will be a blessing, not a burden, to whatever community you choose. Amen
READINGS
Old Testament reading: Amos 7:7-17
This is what was shown to me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord said to me "Amos, what do you see?” and I said, "a plumb line”, then the Lord said, "See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel: I will never again pass them by; the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword. "
Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the very center of the House of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. For this Amos has said, ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land’."
And Amaziah said to Amos, "O Seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there; but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom."
Then Amos answered Amaziah, "I am no Prophet, nor a prophet's son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘go, prophesy to my people Israel’. Now therefore hear the word of the Lord. You say ‘do not prophesy against Israel, and do not preach against the house of Isaac. Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘your wife shall become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall By the sword, and your land shall be parceled out by line; you yourself shall die in an unclean land, and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land’."
New Testament reading: Luke 10:25-37
Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must I do to inherit eternal life? "
He said to him, "What is written in the law? What do you read there?"
He answered, "you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."
And he said to him, "you have given the right answer; do this, and you will live."
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
Jesus replied, " a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half-dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend’. Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?"
He said, "The one who showed him mercy. "
Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
Reading Swedenborg: Arcana Coelestia (Secrets of Heaven) #4906
In many passages in the Word "fire” and "flame” in the spiritual sense denote good, and hence "heat” denotes the affection of good; but in the opposite sense "fire" and "flame" denote evil, and the "heat" thence the affection of evil. Moreover, good is actually spiritual fire, from which comes the spiritual heat which vivifies, and evil is the fire and the consequent heat which consumes...Spiritual fire or heat which produces life becomes a burning and consuming fire with the evil, for with them it is turned into this kind of fire.