Legally Paul

Pr. Jasmine Waring

May 14, 2023

Twelve Angry Men, A Few Good Men, To Kill A Mockingbird, Legally Blonde…these are some of the most famous courtroom films in our history. These films are filled with drama, forensic sleuthing, and persuasive rhetoric. We like them because if you have ever served jury duty, you know that courtrooms are actually not that dramatic or exciting. Our reading in Acts today is set in ancient Athens, the birthplace of the Western judicial system. The Areopagus, which means “the rock of Ares,” the Greek god of war, was the center for temples, cultural facilities, and the high court. Paul was at the Areopagus for reasons biblical scholars are unsure of. He could be on trial speaking to the court, or this could have been an impromptu speech he gave. Whatever the circumstances that led him there, Paul had some interesting things to say. First off, he insults them when he began his speech saying they were “extremely spiritual in every way.” The word spiritual or religious is actually better translated as superstitious, which is very dismissive. Not only that, he “mansplains” their own beliefs by confidently explaining to them the “unknown god” they worship is actually the God of Israel. They’re so ignorant, they don’t even know who they worship! This passage of scripture has been used as a model for evangelism and mission work, which has led to violently erasing indigenous cultures and religion through colonialism. It’s one thing to see our own conceptions of God in other religions and appreciating them, it is another thing to erase and rewrite other religion’s theology by elevating our own as a universal truth. As much as we can appreciate the Apostle Paul’s writings and his courage to be imprisoned for the sake of the Gospel, we are not followers of Paul, we are followers of Jesus. However, we can still learn something beautiful about the Kingdom of God in his words today. Paul critiques the use of idols, and talks about a God who cannot be contained in a temple or statue. This unknown god is the one who created the universe, so no one can say that God was created by human hands. We are all children of God. Although we are all different from each other, we are all marked with Divine DNA which unites us. The point Paul was trying to make was that God is not found in silver, gold, or stone. God is found in humanity! God is not found in riches or in what we produce, God is found in the flesh and bone of our neighbor, and ourselves. When we treat others as anything less than divine, Paul says we are being ignorant. To the ears of the Greek philosophers of that day, ignorance was offensive, almost like a sin. Their whole philosophy was about wisdom and enlightenment. So Paul said they need to repent, which leads to treating people with reverence and dignity. Then Paul brings in Jesus, without mentioning his name until the very end. He describes him as the One who will judge people by the standard of justice. Standing in the Areopagus, where murder trails were conducted, Paul tells of the One who was lynched by an angry mob, given a sham trail, and was executed as an enemy of the State. This is the one who sets the bar for justice. What a powerful and subversive grace-filled image of what justice looks like in the kingdom of God! The good news is, Christ’s standard of judgement is not based in coercive power and domination, its is coming from the experience of the marginalized. We can trust that he will be fair and set things right because he knows what it feel like to experience injustice. Continuing with our court room drama theme, in our Gospel reading today Jesus promises us an Advocate, which is the Holy Spirit. An advocate, or paraclete, is often used as one who is called upon to help in a court of law. Paraclete also means helper or comforter, or to come alongside someone. This is the Spirit of the word and wisdom of God, who guides us. It is with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit we are reminded and drawn into Jesus’ call to love God and love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Keeping his commandments is remembering each other’s divinity. Christ’s desire is for us to abide in him, as he abides in us through the Holy Spirit and with the Creator. More importantly, he wants us (humanity) to be one as he and the Creator are one. It is in this divine dance with the Triune God and humanity we “live, and move, and have our being.” Sometimes we will miss our step, or find it hard to dance with our enemy. When we see each other as divine, worthy of love, and as siblings born from the same source—not being color blind or erasing our differences— we enter into this divine dance, where there is justice for all. I don’t recall any movies that have dancing in the courtroom…maybe in the Legally Blonde musical. But there is a quote from To Kill a Mockingbird that captures what it means to be abiding in God and with our neighbor. Atticus Finch, a lawyer, had this to say to his daughter. “If you just learn a single trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” It is with empathy, we can stay connected to each other and overcome that which separates us. We remember that God is found within all children of God…and all means all! So may you remember that God is not found in riches or what we produce, but is found in the flesh and bone of your neighbor, your enemy, and within your own body. May you feel at ease knowing that justice does not come from a place of coercion or domination, but from the risen Christ, who experienced injustice and will one day set things right. May you call upon your Advocate, the Holy Spirit when you need help loving your neighbor. And may you live and move and have your being in the love of God, the grace of Christ, and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.+ Amen.