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We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good and evil, according to what he has done in the body. -- 2 Corinthians 5:10


Some time ago a churchman asked me if I thought all periods of history were about the same. Was there, he asked, any real or significant difference from one century to the next? He had hardly gotten the questions out of his mouth when he began to answer them himself.

He said he felt there was really nothing new under the sun, that as things have been, they mostly continue to be. Each age is about the same as the last. He quoted the pessimism of Omar Khayyam with respect to progress in knowledge:

Myself when young did eagerly frequent Doctor and
Saint, and heard great argument
About it and about; but evermore
Came out by the same door as in I went.

Not only in knowledge, but in most everything, we humans come out by the same door as in we went, said my friend.

I pondered whether to answer my friend's questions, since his mind seemed already to be made up. Nevertheless, I did note how different our scientific understanding of the world is today than it was centuries ago. If once we thought earth, air, water, and fire were the basic elements, we now number over one hundred basic elements. If once we thought the earth was flat and the sky a solid dome, we now think quite differently. If once all disease was attributed to sin and demons, we now speak of germs, bacteria, and viruses. If once we thought the earth was the center of the solar system, we now think in terms of the Copernican Revolution. My friend was nodding in apparent agreement.

I continued by moving from the scientific to the historical realm. In more recent times we have given up the notion of the divine right of kings, an idea once embraced and endorsed by the Church. Likewise, the institution of human slavery was outlawed, as was child labor. In these realms, things are not as they always have been.

And the same is true in religion. If once the majority of humans offered animal sacrifices and even human sacrifices to the various gods so as to appease their wrath and win their favor, we find little of that today. And even in the Christian faith, we have found varying periods of different emphases. This is demonstrated by Yale University historian Jaroslav Pelikan in his insightful book, Jesus Through The Centuries. Each age has emphasized the Jesus it needed -- Jesus the Rabbi, Jesus the King of Kings, Jesus as the Monk who rules the world, Jesus the Prince of Peace, Jesus the Liberator, and so on. Or in Og Mandino's terms, "Jesus, the Greatest Salesman who ever lived." So our vision of Jesus does change with the Jesus we need and want.

And so does our vision of life's goal lines change. If Socrates could advise self-knowledge as the goal of life, Jesus might advise self-denial. If Aristotle would advise the Golden Mean and moderation in all things, Buddha might advise renunciation of all things. If Marx would advise from each according to his ability and to each according to his need, Adam Smith might advise capitalism built on natural self-interest and free enterprise.

And in the Middle Ages the goal of life was not self-knowledge, or renunciation of the world, or acquisition and accumulation of things. The goal of life, popularly understood, was the salvation of the soul. There was indeed a heaven to be gained and a hell to be avoided. And the Church, in the person of the priest, held the keys to that eternal kingdom, the paradise for the eternal soul.

And the Church also held the power to condemn, for it believed Christ had given to Peter and his successors the power to forgive sins and the power to withhold forgiveness. That is why prior to the Protestant Reformation, Tetzel could sell indulgences, letters of forgiveness of sin from the Pope, to raise money for the repair of St. Peter's and St. Paul's in Rome. It was profitable! (I have sometimes thought the church should return to that system of raising money!)

Do times change? Do people change? Do emphases change? Do generations change? Do human goals change? I think they do. And if we were to ask the men and fathers today, what their goals in life might be, what would their answers be? And if I were to ask you right now what the most important goal for your life might be, what would you say? What would I say?

I.

Many observers of today would say that greed has become a primary goal of many.

If in more ancient times we used to think in ages, epochs and centuries, we now tend to think in terms of decades. Change happens so fast and certain emphases come and go so quickly that predominant goals for people may change in ten years. So if the 1960s was the decade of protest, anti-institutionalism, and idealism, the 1980s were characterized as the self-centered decade, and the 1990s the decade of prosperity.

In his best-selling book, The Closing of The American Mind, Alan Bloom observes that "students these days are pleasant, friendly and, if not great-souled, at least not particularly mean-spiritied. Their primary pre-occupation is themselves, understood in the narrowest sense" (p. 83). He goes on to quote Tocqueville who noted that "in democratic societies, each citizen is habitually busy with the contemplation of a petty object, which is himself" (p. 86).

If in the 1960s young people, to the chagrin of their more materialistically-minded parents, were volunteering for the Peace Corps or serving in political or reform movements for little or no pay, young people of the '80s and '90s were flocking to Wall Street and the business world to make as many big bucks as possible and as fast as possible.

If in the '60s young people were rejecting materialism and compulsive acquisitiveness, young people of the '80s and '90s were in an all-out pursuit of the very best the material life had to offer. If heroism and commitment to noble cause have characterized World War I and World War II generations, survivalism and winning-for-the-self-at-any-cost-ism have been the slogans of the '80s and '90s. It was not only the one with the most toys that won, but the one with the best toys. It was not only greed, but greed with taste, greed in BMWs and Armani suits. But dedication to a cause larger than the self was scorned.

But greed is bigger than things; it also has to do with experiences, experiences like pleasures. If the "me-decade" believed it deserved all the money it could get, it also believed it deserved all the pleasure it could get. Consequently, the best foods and wines were not only their privilege, but their right. And if in the Middle Ages the anxious soul might want to be seen in the right church at the right altar at the feet of the right priest, today's anxious soul is far more concerned to be in the right city at the right restaurant at the feet of the right chef.

And the loose sexuality of today is as much a matter of greed as it is of eros, and I think this is true both of heterosexuals as well as of lesbians and gays. We want it all, and we want it all now. Not long ago on National Public Radio's program, All Things Considered, a college girl reported that her young roommate had already had sex with 35 men, one of whom she had met in a bar only two hours before.

This generation may well become like Hollywood children who always have a problem on Father's Day. It's not so much a question of what to buy -- it's who to give it to!

Greed for every possible pleasure, now, without regard to AIDS or other diseases, has led to an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases. The movies, magazines, novels, and television shows rarely let us see that tragic dimension to our erotic greed, our compulsion to have whatever pleasurable experience we can have, and have it now, with little regard for others. And so we enter into a life of mutual exploitation, trafficking in one another's bodies and souls as much because of greed as because of eros.

The great British preacher of the last century, F. W. Robertson, said that "there is strange penalty which God annexes to a life of pleasure: everything appears to the worldly man as a tangled web -- a maze to which there is no clue." If such a man says there is nothing new under the sun, it is a result, says Robertson, of his determination to live only for excitement and pleasure. "His heart becomes so jaded by excitement that the world contains nothing for him which can awaken fresh or new emotions."

Consequently, with many today, sexual looseness and immorality are commonplace. Fueled by affluence and protected by privilege, many are rushing frantically toward spiritual death. Empty, bored, without deep inward purpose, they give themselves compulsively to the stimulation of every nerve ending, believing therein they have life and love. Grasping every material thing, clutching anxiously to every physical pleasure and stimulation, the unseen and deeper realities elude them and life does indeed become vain. A sense of futility haunts them and boredom and depression begin to hold sway.

Is greed our goal line? Are we more concerned about entrance into the right college or graduate school or even the right nursery school, than about entrance into the kingdom of heaven? Are we more concerned to be in the right club than in the church? Is the wealthy man more esteemed among us than the holy man? Does Teddy Kennedy hold more interest for us than Billy Graham? Is it more important for us to live well than it is to live better -- better morally and ethically? Is it our goal in life to be rich or to be right with God, to be successful at any cost or to be saved at any price?

II.

Greed is a ruthless god, as is envy. That is why we are in need of grace to reach our goal lines.

And what is grace you might ask? And I would answer that grace comes from the Greek word charis, from which we get charisma, and charismatic means gift, a free, undeserved gift, which seems to flow out of the very being and nature of the giver.

In my native Wisconsin, along the Mississippi River, near where I grew up, there are many artesian wells. As you may know, an artesian well is where water flows up from the water pools below by natural pressure. Drive along the Mississippi there, and you will see numerous artesian wells, pushing out beautiful, cool, clean, fresh water in almost unlimited supply without the aid of a pump of any kind.

The notion of an artesian well is behind the idea of charis, or grace. Grace, the grace of God, is like an ever-flowing, fresh, life-giving, free gift of God. Its supply seems limitless. We do not have to work to get it. It just comes out of the nature and being of God. Therefore, unlike greed which is compulsive and acquisitive, selfish and self-centered, grace is selfless and giving, ready to share abundantly with all who wish to avail themselves of its gifts.

But grace can be frustrating to greedy people who think their status in life, their success and self-worth depend more on what they do than what God does for them. To truly experience grace, there must be a kind of dying to self-centeredness and an opening up to God who wishes to give his gift. The soul must go through a kind of Copernican Revolution to be released from the old way of seeing into the new way of seeing. It is important for the greedy soul to die, says Paul, so that the gracious soul can come alive.

That happened radically to a wealthy, self-centered, talented young man in one of our churches. He had gone away to college with everything -- money, good family background, neat car, good looks, brains, sports prowess, and status. As far as externals were concerned, and as far as status symbols were concerned, he had it all -- all of everything, plus a big, arrogant, selfish, greedy ego.

During his junior year in college, his mother came to me greatly concerned. He had become involved with a conservative evangelical Christian group on campus and had been radically converted, so much so, he was suggesting his parents needed to give themselves anew to Jesus Christ!

Although his mother was concerned with some of his doctrines (and so was I), she said, "Whatever else has happened, my son is a completely new person. He is just a beautiful human being. He reads the Bible, prays, worships regularly (we could never get him to go to church) and now wants to give his life to some worthwhile religious cause. It's just amazing," the mother said. "This one-time spoiled rich kid who wanted everything and got everything now wants to give everything, even himself in Christian service. It's truly a miracle," she exclaimed, "a miracle!" It truly was and is.

What is grace? It is that life-transforming experience of the artesian well of God's life-giving love which causes us to realize that we do not have to save ourselves, but that God saves us. Grace is the release of the ultimate anxiety of having to save our own souls by our test scores, or by grade point average, or by being in the right family from the right school in the right town, or by acquiring wealth and power, or even by being famous for fifteen minutes.

What is grace? It is, says psychiatrist Scott Peck, in his best-selling book, The Road Less Traveled, "A powerful force originating outside of human consciousness which nurtures the spiritual growth of human beings" (p. 260). Grace is the miracle of the human mind and its capacity for transformation and renewal. Grace is the gift of becoming a new person, says Paul the Apostle, a person centered on God rather than on the self. Grace, says Peck, is the miracle of serendipity, the miracle of wonderful, good, life-transforming things happening without our having to make them happen.

And what is the purpose of this grace? It is, says Peck, to bring us to the ultimate goal line of all our living. It is, says Peck, to bring us at last to God, who is both our alpha and omega, our beginning and ending.

Then Dr. Peck adds the surprising words when he says, "It is one thing to believe in a nice old God who will take good care of us from a lofty position of power which we ourselves could never begin to attain. It is quite another to believe in a God who has it in mind for us precisely that we should attain his position, his power, his wisdom, his identity" (p. 270). "God's responsibility must be our own" (p. 271).

In other words, God's grace is not given to us so we do not have to strive for the goal line. Rather it is given to us so that all our striving will be in the right direction for the right causes and the right reasons. Grace is given to us not for spiritual laziness, but for spiritual growth, so that when we do come to the goal line at the end of our lives, the Lord of all the universe will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of my kingdom."

So for all fathers anxious about themselves and their children, for all men tempted to win at any cost, to all persons tending to worship at the feet of the god of greed, for all of us rich or poor, spoiled or unspoiled, the question the Lord of the universe ultimately asks, is not, "How popular were you?" or "How much money did you make?" or "How many big boy toys did you accumulate?" or "How many awards and accolades did you win?" No, none of these questions will be asked at the final goal line. Instead, the Lord of all time and peoples will ask not what the world asks, but instead will ask, "How well have you loved?"

John Newton grew up with a seafaring father and himself went to sea. Eventually he became involved in the African slave trade. For several years he bought and sold human souls for the sake of greed, of money.

But then a miraculous thing happened. He was converted by the experience of the grace of Christ. He went back to England, studied for the ministry, and devoted his life to the ministry of the Gospel of Christ.

And he wrote poetry and hymns. One of the best known of all is "Amazing Grace."

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

It was grace that really prepared John Newton for the ultimate goal of heaven. May it so prepare us.

Prayer

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father, from whom the whole human race has its genealogy, and by whom we all have a divine family tree, we gather in your presence to worship and adore you and to honor you as the Source of all our life and living. Just as we were conceived and born by the will of our earthly fathers and mothers, so have we all been conceived and born by your divine mind and will. We praise you for life with all its mysteries and possibilities.

If you have brought us into being to live and love in your divine family, it is for us to confess how far we fall short of your ideals of divine family life. Some of us are peevish and petulant. Some are violent and destructive. Many are thoughtless and selfish. Others are consumed with jealousy and envy. Anger and revenge are the goals of others. Some think only of money and pleasure with little or no regard for genuine personal relationships. Some are so greedy and gross that gratitude and appreciation are absent from their character. O, Divine Father, whatever our grievous fault, whether as prodigal sons or self-righteous older brothers, forgive our transgressions against your divine family and restore us to your good graces.

On this day we pray especially for the men and boys. In these times of rapid change, many are struggling with identity questions, with what it means to be a man in today's world. Grant them wisdom, insight, and agility to do well and to maintain a wholesome balance in times of uncertainty and stress. Let them know your divine guidance.

And for our men in various stages of life, we ask your blessing. For young men needing work, but not finding it, we pray your assistance. For older men in mid-life crisis, unsure about career and marriage, we pray your strength and wisdom. For men in retirement and old age, we ask good health and the reassurance of their infinite value in your fatherly love. For young boys coming to self-consciousness and older boys coming into puberty, we pray your special guidance that they might have a healthy sense of who they are and an identity unspoiled by malice and greed. Bless all our males so that their relationships with females will be honorable and loving, in keeping with your high intent in sexuality.

O God of all nations and peoples, in each generation you begin the world anew, hoping for a greater fulfillment of your divine love. Help us in our families and churches and schools, to bring forth a new generation more noble and loving than the last, so that we might grow more and more into the family of nations you want us to be. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.