Who I Am                            1 Samuel 8:1-9

Today’s message is a little different. As you may know, over the past several weeks I have been confronted by several who criticize the way I see God speak through scripture, and by those who try to prove to me God is explaining a political agenda through his word. At times these conversations have gotten loud and accusatory. I have spent many hours contemplating what’s happening and how I have responded, and how I should have responded. Today’s message is in a way, my thought process, and my prayer

Today’s reading introduces us to the prophet Samuel as an old man. The nation of Israel is realizing his time is almost past, so they ask him to have God send them a new leader. Not just a new leader, not a new prophet, they want a king.

Deuteronomy 7:6, “The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, to be his people, his treasured possession.” Israel is God’s chosen people. They have the greatest leader in all the universe, God, leading them through the tempest of life, securing their lives and their posterity. And when their leader Samuel, comes to the end of his time, does Israel look to God? Do they look for one who represents and speaks for God? “Appoint a king to lead us…” But they go farther, “Appoint a king to lead us, such as the other nations have.”

God has called Israel to be a chosen people who would be his witnesses. A people who would be apart from the others of the world. A people who would bring his holy ideals and mission for all mankind to every corner of the world. And rather than understand that mission, rather than understand that to do what God wants can cause personal setbacks and difficulties, but also delivers sanctity and holiness, the nation wanted to be like the nations around it. They wanted the title of God’s people but also wanted God to leave them alone. They wanted the title of God’s people but didn’t want the expectations that go along with that title. As a nation, they wanted to live by their desires and ways and not God’s. They wanted to follow a man instead of following God.

Ecclesiastes 3 tells us “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…” Israel forgot God is in control, that God has a timetable. And they didn’t want to wait on God’s timing, they wanted what they wanted, when they wanted it, as they wanted it.

What about our national identity? There is debate as to whether this is a Christian nation, or does our separation of church and state dictate we ae an atheist nation? I’ve read our nation’s founding documents and believe we are a nation founded on Judeo-Christian fundamentals. Killing is against the law; stealing is against the law. And no national religion copies God’s gift of free choice; the freedom to follow Jesus or not to follow Jesus.

I believe in Jesus. I have accepted him as my Lord and savior; but I believe the push to make our society one that follows the beliefs of a single orthodoxy or belief system shortchanges the vision of our founders, and circumvents the choice granted by God to all people.

Each person who believes in God bases their political view on what they interpret as God’s way. Leviticus 19:33, “When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them.” Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vein conceit.” Matthew 7:12, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them.” Each of us comes from different backgrounds. We each have different experiences that shape us. Each of us must consider God’s words and ways when we look to our national identity, and in how we identify ourselves in our society. One is not absolutely right while another is absolutely wrong. All we can do is be clear of conscience in our beliefs, and be settled in spirit in our actions.

Verse 4, “So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel…” These elders came from all corners of the nation. They talked with and listened to those around them. Our reading has national identity around it, but it goes beneath the nation, it goes to the individual. The people of Israel were called by God to be children of God. We are here because we are called by God to be children of God. What I ask now I ask of all Christians across our country and across the entire world: Do we want God as our leader, following his ways, doing his will, or do we want to follow man as our leader, following another’s ambition and ideals?

Are my ideals based on what a liberal politician says? Are yours based on what a conservative politician says? Or do we base our personal identity on what God says?

I am a fallible man; I’ve fallen into Satan’s trap. I started to use political ideology as spiritual ideology. I didn’t want to discuss certain things with people who held differing opinions. Scripture tells us to love God and to love our neighbors. I was doing neither. The parable of the “Good Samaritan” demonstrates God doesn’t mean our neighbors are just those who think like we do. According to Jesus, our neighbors are those who do not think like we do. In God’s way, our neighbors are exactly those who believe different than us, who live different than us, even those we don’t necessarily like. John 13:34, “A new command I give you: Love one another as I have loved you…”

Shawna’s message last week touched me deeply, and spiritually. And almost immediately after, I spoke with a friend who reminded me how she forgave those who harassed her life, and how this act of forgiveness gave her peace. I have been asking God to heal me, to allow me to forgive the things people have said to me, And the things people have called me.

In 1973 the play “Godspell” was popular. In it was the song “Day by Day.” The lyrics go, “Day by day, three things I pray, to see thee more clearly, to love thee more dearly, to follow thee more nearly.” In my effort to do these, I pray God gives me the strength and the opportunity to ask forgiveness for the things I said, and the things I called those I am trying to forgive.

As I said, I have been praying a lot, and reading scripture a lot, trying to resolve the things I’ve been confronted with lately. For some reason God led me to this book and verse. As I worked on it, I came to see some things. Israel’s identity was a nation of God’s people. And in Samuel’s day, they let nationalism, pride, envy, even fear, replace this identity with another. The individuals of that society started to blame their problems on certain leaders. And they started to want leaders who looked like the leaders of other countries.

I see a lot of similarities in our country today, not just nationally, but in many town and state governments. Many in our country see the difficulties, the gap in issues and opinions, they let uncertainty and fear rule.

Like I said, we all have different experiences, differences that shape our ideas and beliefs and values. That is how God intended it. I ask all Christians to not forget the words of God’s holy scripture. Read it. Let it help shape your values. And whatever ideals it helps you form, make sure they are settling to your soul and peaceful to your spirit.

My prayer for myself and anyone who needs it is this:

Lord God,

I pray you remove the sense of righteousness from me.

Let me have open discussions with those of differing opinions without the rising feelings of indignation.

Let me love others as you have loved me.

Let me forgive the harshness of others as you have forgiven my harshness.

Lord Jesus,

I pray that your Holy Spirit leads me to see you more clearly,

To love you more dearly,

To follow you more nearly.

Again I pray that violence over politics end,

And that all Christians come together as God’s children to work toward the betterment of all.

God’s peace be with us all,

Amen