Proper 9A’26
5 July 2026
Matthew 11.16-19,25-30
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
North Little Rock, Arkansas
The Rev. Carey Stone <+>
Refresh thy people on their toilsome way, lead us from night to never ending day; Thy true religion in our hearts increase, thy word our law, thy paths our chosen way. Amen.
– From “God of our Fathers” The Hymnal 1982, Words by Daniel Crane Roberts c.1841-1907
Happy Birthday America! This weekend we have been marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of our country! As we look back over our history we find much to celebrate from the invention of the telephone to the first landing on the moon. We are also aware that there are a great many things of which we aren’t proud, such as slavery and the internment of Japanese Americans during the second world war. Freedom certainly isn’t free and it comes at the high cost of lives lost.
There have been periods of peace and progress as well as periods of war and regression backwards by filing to hold the moral high ground. A national anniversary such as this is a time for us to examine where we have made progress toward the realization of the American Dream of freedom and justice for all, and where we are falling short.
One of the ways that we have been falling short is our labeling and demonizing those who are different from us, either in the color of their skin, in their socio-economic class, their religion and politics, or in their sexual orientations. As Christians and Americans, we find ourselves living in the tension of dual citizenship – as citizens of the United States and as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. With responsibilities to both, we pledge allegiance to the flag of our country, and we pray to Our Father in Heaven.
This tension has been there from the founding of our country until the present day, but I think most would agree that not since the Civil War has our nation been so bitterly divided. What has happened over these last few decades to widen the gap and to increase the bitterness and discord?
My wife and I took our daughter to Sewanee last weekend for a young writer’s conference. While on our several hours drive, we listened to some podcasts. One was called, “Stuff You should Know” by Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant. The episode talked about something called “the Fairness Doctrine.” This was term used to describe laws and rules set up by the Federal Communications Commission starting in 1949 that required broadcasters to devote some of their airtime to discussing controversial matters of public interest and to air contrasting views regarding those matters. It emphasized the duty the media had for to the public welfare by a clear presentation of the facts, and to cover both sides of key issues and folks were free to make up their own mind.
This fairness doctrine came to an abrupt end in 1987 when the FCC abolished it.1 This then cleared the path for the explosive growth of partisan and single-perspective talk radio and television programming in the late 1980s and 1990s.2 Market share and ratings began to determine how the news was presented to the public, resulting in multiple news programs that intentionally slanted their perspective to suit the views of the corporate sponsors as well as particular partisan segments of the general public.
In the mid 1980s a volatile mixture of media, market share, and partisan politics developed and added to the mix was the religious right which became like kerosene on the fire – the result is what we have today. We are told what to believe about the news by our favorite media outlet. It really doesn’t matter whether it’s CNN or Fox News or MSNBC, we will be getting a one-sided spin without the whole story rarely ever being told. People selected media based on partisan preferences and things grew more inflamed. In the early 2000s along came social media, and I’m not sure what kind of incendiary chemical to call what that threw onto the fire, regardless it was explosive. Now people can’t fully hear a different perspective, we’ve lost the ability to have a dialogue and we’ve forgotten there is really only One team – it’s called America.
There is an allegory called the Allegory of the Long Spoons and it is used to describe the difference between Heaven and Hell. As the allegory goes, in each location, the inhabitants are given access to food, but the utensils are too long to feed oneself with. In hell, the people refuse to cooperate, and consequently starve. In heaven, the diners feed one another across the table and are nourished.
As the Rev. Edmund Harris pointed out:
“The Gospel does not ask us to reject our love of country. But it does ask us to measure every nation—including our own—against the character of Jesus Christ.”3
As dual citizens we can hold two truths simultaneously 1) we as American citizens are free and independent to vote an participate into the political process and 2) we as followers of Christ and citizens of heaven we are totally dependent upon Christ and to follow with God’s help his teachings.
During Jesus’ life on earth, he managed to disappoint both the political and the religious leaders of the day, by not siding with a single political party, and by not agreeing with religious fundamentalism.
If you find yourselves weary with all that is going on in our world today, you would not be alone, that’s why the best advice comes from Jesus himself, in the last paragraph of today’s Gospel reading:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Amen!
1 https://dividedwefall.org/fcc-fairness-doctrine
2 https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116
3 The Rev. Edmund Harris, Sermon given in St. Thomas Church in Medina, Washington.