Sunday Sermon - June 23, 2013

Searching For Peace

Sermon by Stephen Ricketts

Providence-Fort Washington United Methodist Church

1 Kings 19:1-15a; Luke 8:26-39

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost – June 23, 2013

 

Today’s reading from First Kings is one of my favorite passages from the entire Old Testament. I am really drawn to the image of Elijah standing on the mountain of God and being overwhelmed by the wind and by the earthquake but not hearing God’s voice in either of those spectacular events. Instead, God spoke to Elijah in the silence that followed. I think I like this passage because it speaks to our need for silence in our lives; it speaks to our need to shut out the world’s noise so we can hear God’s “still small voice.” In fact, the service was designed around this idea – the notion that God speaks to us when everything else in our lives is quiet. My plan was to build the sermon around the story of Elijah and I only included the gospel reading because I feel we should hear the story of Jesus every Sunday even if the sermon goes in another direction. But, as is often true, the Holy Spirit had other ideas. The Holy Spirit kept urging me to look more closely at the story of the man possessed by a legion of demons. One thing I have learned over the years is that there are, in general, two ways to do things: my way and God’s way. When I choose my way the path ahead can be rocky and difficult. But, when I choose God’s way then the way ahead seems smoother. So, I reluctantly abandoned my plans to preach on Elijah and instead decided to explore the story from Luke. Perhaps the Holy Spirit will lead me to preach on Elijah sometime in the future.

I think one reason I was reluctant to take on the passage from Luke is I do not really know what to make of demons. In Jesus’ day, many ailments (especially mental illnesses), were thought the be the result of demon possession; people believed that malevolent spirits roamed the earth and actually tortured and took control of people. These demons are frequently pictured as little devils with horns and pitchforks. Today, our theories about mental illness focus on things like chemical imbalances or trauma to the brain; and, we have largely rejected the idea of demon possession. But, when we take the time to listen to people who are suffering as the man in today’s gospel reading was suffering, we soon come to understand they are truly dealing with “demons.” Now, their demons may not have horns, but they are beyond their ability to control. Today, we use terms like post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, schizophrenia, substance abuse or bipolar disorder; but, these are just other words for the demons that threaten to overwhelm and destroy us.

Another reason I think I was reluctant to take on this passage is that I cannot easily find myself in this passage. One technique I frequently use when studying a passage is to put myself inside the story and listen for new insights. However, that is a challenge with this passage because it seems to offer few good places to go. It would be nice to be Jesus, but I know better than to cast myself in that role. I am also reluctant to cast myself as the man possessed by the demons; not because I do not struggle with my own demons, but because he does not have an active role in the story. When I am honest, I find that I am a citizen of the nearby town – I am one of the people who drove the man out into the wilderness and refused to minister to his needs. Now, I can sympathize with the town’s people because it is difficult to know how to deal with someone who is being tormented by demons. Frequently these people act “weird” – they are unable to conform to what we consider social norms. They espouse strange ideas; they disrupt our quiet and orderly world; they are sometimes dirty; they are just not “normal” (whatever that is). So we fear them or we see them as a nuisance. We are also frustrated because we do not know how to deal with them; we may want to help but we do not know what to do. So, when confronted with someone who is possessed by demons we tend to turn away and force them into the shadows. I am not proud to admit it, but when I look closely at this passage, I am one of the town’s people who has forced this man to live among the tombs.

So, today I want to offer some guidance to all who are frustrated and afraid when they encounter someone possessed by demons. Perhaps I can offer a few things that will help rather than hurt; a few suggestions for how to minister to anyone possessed by a legion of demons. First, we need to be clear about the role we play when we interact with someone who is fighting demons. We need to be clear; we are not Jesus. It would be nice if we could speak to the demons and banish them to the pit. It would be nice if we could cure someone simply by laying our hands on them. But, Jesus’ role is unique and we simply do not speak with the same authority as Jesus. I have trained as a Stephen Minister (a program designed to train people to offer compassionate Christian care to those in need) and one of our mantras is that Jesus is the cure-giver; we are the care-giver. Also, few if any of us are trained professionals when it comes to dealing with people in these situations. Some people have the training and skills to intervene in these situations; but, unless we are a professional, we cannot provide the care they can. So, where does that leave us? What role do we play when it comes to caring for those fighting demons? Sometimes we are simply passers-by; we are walking down the street and we are approached by someone in need. In these cases our interaction is limited but that is not an excuse for inaction – we can still do something to help and certainly we must avoid doing harm. In truth, most of us will find ourselves as a concerned friend or family member. We will become involved because someone we love is fighting demons beyond their control and we want to help. But, even here we must remember that we are not Jesus; we cannot offer the cures he can. But, we must offer all the love and care we can in a way that, with God’s help, they can find a path to health and wholeness.

So, assuming that you are not Jesus and that you are not a professional care giver, what are some of the techniques the rest of us can use? What can we do to help those who are battling the demons in their lives? Well, the first thing is one of the hardest: we must love people right where they are; love them with all of the problems that they have. Our love cannot be conditional on them changing. Our love cannot be conditional on them getting professional help. Our love cannot be conditional on them conforming to our idea of normal behavior. So, we begin by loving them.

Next, we need to engage them by listening to them. And by listening, I do not mean listening for data so we can formulating a treatment plan, or tuning out their words as we prepare our response. I mean listening to understand their situation and their pain; listening to understand who they are beyond the problems we observe. As we listen we need to keep the conversation focused on them and not try to move it to our issues. As we listen we must give positive responses; we can say things like, “I have never thought about that in that way before; tell me more.” or “I am not sure I understand; can you give some more examples?” or “Here is what I think you are saying. Am I on the right track?” All of these simple responses will let them know you are listening and engaged and that you want to hear their story – demons and all.

We also need to be compassionate as we interact with others. We need to lower our emotional barriers so we can feel their pain and frustration. Now, we must be careful not to become so involved that we lose ourselves in their problem; we must not let their demons threaten us. But, saying something like, “Your pain sounds overwhelming.” or “I never realized how much you hurt.” can let them know that you understand, at least in some small way, the suffering they are enduring.

Love, listening and compassion are absolutely necessary as we seek to offer care to those in need, but we also need to help them move to new and healthier places. Now, we must be very careful here; we are not qualified to create treatment plans, nor can we force them to “do it our way.” We may think we know what is best for them but the moment we offer our solution we are moving from caring to attempting to cure. So, what can we do? Well, we can ask about their plans; we can say something like, “What do you think are the issues you are dealing with?” and “Have you thought about ways to address the challenges you are facing?” And then listen to their responses. We can be supportive of their plans; we can ask probing questions like, “What do you expect to gain from that approach?” But, we must remember that people will rarely follow our plans for their lives; they need to find their own way forward.

One pitfall we need to avoid is trying to do it all ourselves; we must avoid taking over. It is possible to offer so much help that they give up and become dependent on us for everything. Now, I realize that there may be times when a person is incapable of taking care of themselves and someone must step in; but, as much as possible they need to be given as much control as possible. We must also be careful not to offer something we cannot deliver or promise outcomes beyond our control. It is better to say “I will pray for your recovery.” rather than “God will fix everything.” We need to remember that ultimately they must make their own decisions; and, ultimately God is the only one who can completely banish their demons.

I feel I do need to offer one very specific word of advice. Never be afraid to admit that you are in over your head and seek help from others. If you suspect someone is going to hurt themselves or others, get help. It is far better to report a false alarm than to live with the regret of not getting the help that might have prevented a disaster. Also, be honest with the person you are caring for. It is okay to say “You are dealing with things that are beyond me; perhaps there is someone else who can help.” Sometimes the most loving and caring thing we can do for someone in need is to admit that we are not capable of giving the care they need and supporting them when they seek help elsewhere.

Finally, do not forget our most powerful tool; do not forget to pray. And, as you pray begin by praying for yourself and ask God for the wisdom and guidance you need to care for another person. Next, pray for the person and ask for God’s power and strength to banish the demons they are fighting. Offer to pray with them, but realize that sometimes the demons will take control and refuse your offer. Do not be offended, but keep praying within your heart that God will give the cure that is needed. Remember that God does not expect or intend for us to fight the demons of this world alone; God is present; God is battling the forces that seek to overwhelm us. Knowing this, we can offer God’s power and God’s strength to those fighting the demons in their life.

The story from Luke’s gospel is the story of a man who was seeking peace in his life; the story of a man who longed to have the demons silenced so he could hear God’s voice speaking to him. Jesus banished the legion of demons and gave him the peace he needed. Today, many around us are battling demons and seeking peace in their lives. We cannot usurp Jesus’ role, but we must not shirk our responsibilities as disciples of Jesus to love our neighbors. We must be strong Christian caregivers; we must be witnesses to God’s power in our lives and we must support others as they allow Jesus to enter their lives and give them the cures they so clearly need.

Amen.