A Sermon by our Deacon Perry King
Reading: Revelation 3:10-12; 15-22
I invite you to come with me on a psychological journey through the book of Revelation perhaps the most puzzling book in the bible. I also want to use this document to talk about a theme that is very familiar to me in my professional life which is overcoming psychological trauma. I’m sure a lot of religious liberals avoid Revelation as it has been used in so many negative ways by fundamentalist Christians who at various times have tended to use it as a document to predict the end times in history like the “Left Behind Series” which talks about the rapture or for those of you who grew up in the 70's “The Late Great Planet Earth” by Hal Lindsey. Certainly as Universalists, we just cannot accept doctrines where anyone is left behind or intentionally left out of the experience of grace as we just affirmed the final harmony of all souls with God in our declaration of faith. But we also affirmed the trustworthiness of the bible as a source of divine revelation. So where does that leave us with the book of Revelation.
I believe that it is best interpreted psychologically as the statement of an individual who had experienced extreme psychological trauma and who was attempting to overcome his trauma by means of his Christian Spirituality. In my research for this book I discovered that there is no agreement by scholars on who wrote the book or even when it was written. We do know that it was written on the Island of Patmos probably during the reign of the Emperor Nero, or shortly thereafter. Some scholars think that Patmos was a Roman Penal Colony.
Rev.1 v9: I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
10: I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
11: Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia
So John tells us that he was sent to Patmos as punishment for preaching the message of Jesus. It is likely that he was exiled to Patmos during the period of persecution of Christians before Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire. The punishment of exile was generally imposed on those from the upper classes while crucifixion was reserved for the lower classes. This suggests that John had some social standing that saved him from the penalty of crucifixion. John addressed his book to the followers of Jesus in Roman Asia. As it was certain that standing against the Roman Empire would invite persecution John prepared the community for what was happening and what was to come in the Roman World. The Romans were sophisticated imperialists and kept their power in the provinces by co-optation of the population. So by cooperating with Rome and empire some Christians could live very good material lives in the world. When co-optation failed of course then repressive violence followed. This seems to account too for the twin images found often in Revelation of the harlot representing the seduction of the empire and the beast representing the repressive violence.
I had the opportunity to listen to a CD of Revelation over and over on my recent long distance travels by car. I continue to be amazed at how such beautiful passages such as the ones we just read could be in the same book with such ugly and frightening passages depicting graphic violence, torture, and collective misery. I can only conclude that the writer was one who had experienced some severe psychological trauma.
Rev.9:1-10)
1: And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2: And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3: And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4: And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5: And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6: And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
7: And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
8: And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
9: And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
10: And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months
We can only imagine the horror and deprivation of a Roman penal colony. Certainly to be on the island of Patmos during a very wealthy time of empire had to be traumatic. 19th century writer Herman Melville was struck by the barrenness of the island landscape when he first saw it. “I was here afflicted with the great curse of modern travel skepticism. I could no more realize that St. John had ever had revelations here than I could believe in Robinson Crusoe. When my eye rested on the arid height my spirit partook of the barrenness.” (Herman Melville, Journals Up the Straights”) I quote Melville in the last century because today Patmos is a high end Mediterranean resort community which I would be happy to be exiled to at any time. You can even visit the cave where John supposedly had his revelation.
In my profession, clinical social work, there are often trends and hot topics that are popular at certain times. In our post 9-11 world the topic of psychological trauma is now a top subject. I recently completed a certificate program in trauma therapy at the University of Maryland, and currently work as a traumatic grief counselor. I see examples of the extreme psychological distress that the experience of trauma can bring. I use the word trauma to describe when a person experiences, witnesses, or learns of actual or threatened death or serious injury to oneself or others which results in intense fear, helplessness, or horror. Common traumatic events in or time are:
1. Witnessing someone being killed or badly injured: In Washington DC there are many adults and children who witness homicide. It affects some children very badly. I know of a case where a child had witnessed a homicide and after the Redskins football player Shaun Taylor was killed this year his conclusion was that the only way people die is to be killed. I hope he can be helped by psychotherapy and grace.
2. Being raped or sexually molested: the recent Catholic Church scandal shocked our society with the surprising pervasiveness of sexual abuse.
3. Fire, flood, or natural disaster: Last month our local Mount Pleasant community experienced a total apartment fire that displaced 230 persons.
4. Being physically attacked or abused or threatened with a weapon: I was once held up with a gun in Atlanta Georgia when I was 18 years old. It took me a while to get over the fear of walking the streets at night but I recovered completely with a lot of help from my religious faith at the time some inspiring adults, and grace and was able to come to DC to be a social worker.
5. Any life-threatening event, or exposure to combat or war: There are some new data out that suggest that one fourth of our service men and women will develop symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
We are also influenced by the collective traumas of our time that effect us all such as 9-11, Hurricane Katrina, the Tsunami disaster, and the massive dislocation and killing of persons such as in Darfur, Iraq, and Gaza.
Trauma can cause one to experience hallucinations, nightmares, and altered mental states. Overcoming trauma varies of course with each individual but usually involves a long intense struggle with some people getting worse and some persons showing gradual improvement over a period of time. It helps a lot of people to have someone to witness their trauma narrative and those lucky enough do this with the support and pacing of a trained professional. Sometimes it helps to do non verbal techniques such as art, music, or play therapy or body work such as touch and massage therapy. Those that overcome trauma well usually have the loving support of other persons in there lives and above all attach a positive meaning to their suffering. Victor Frankl in “Man’s Search for Meaning” writes about those who seemed to survive and endure the Nazi death camps were those who could find meaning in their suffering. Thus we see that John finds meaning for his suffering in his vision of “The New Jerusalem”.
The book of revelation is a profoundly psychological book written by an individual attempting to overcome a difficult personal and historical situation. It reminds us of our own struggle against overcoming the memory of our bad experiences. I was talking to my friend Joella about the book and she reminded me that revelation is going on in each of our minds all the time and that we each have our own struggle of heaven and hell going on. To some extent we have all been traumatized just by living in our time today. Certainly we were traumatized as a nation by 9-11 and Katrina. How can we endure this trauma and find a positive meaning in our suffering. John suggests an answer by clinging to a vision of the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven. John uses the word overcome frequently in his book.
Overcoming means to John to be faithful to one’s values and to hope for the final victory of good over evil. For us it can mean to continue to have hope in the face of disaster and to cling to our Universalist values that hold the hope that no soul is forever lost to the all conquering love of God. This means not to cave in to fear mongers who would demonize the whole Muslim world an especially not to give in to those who would espouse the ideology of racism. It means to continue to hold the people of Indonesia, Darfur, Iraq, and Gaza in our prayers and to give concrete support when possible. Our church lived out these Universalist values recently in our event “From G. St. to Gaza” where we raised money for the people of Gaza, a severely traumatized people whom it seems are being collectively punished by being in the wrong place and historical circumstance.
We affirmed that these persons matter before God and that they deserve to live secure lives like all humans. We are called to connect to persons in trauma with an attitude of hope and healing as we said in our declaration of faith earlier. I attended the recent Winter Soldier hearings as a mental health volunteer and heard two days of testimony from our soldiers who had experienced the trauma of the Iraq war. One thing that was said over and over was the disconnect they felt when they returned home having been through this experience and people here were uninterested or had the attitude that they didn’t care that there was a war going on and that they had been through this trauma. This sentiment is repeated across the spectrum by both pro-war and anti-war veterans. Whatever may be our opinion about the war we must be mindful of the sacrifice and severe trauma experienced by our young people in Iraq and Afghanistan. What does John call us to do in our current situation?
I think that John in Revelation is calling for his fellow Christians to come out of their comfortable lifestyles, to connect with Christians who are experiencing persecution, and to live out their values when he says: “Because thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed.” It is important to remember that Rome was very wealthy during this time. Historians have estimated that 6,000 ships per year came into the ports of Rome. Listen to John describe the wealth of the empire that he was certainly deprived of. It is almost certain that John was talking about Rome whenever he used the word Babylon.
Rev: c18, v10 (Phillips). Alas, alas for the great city, Babylon the mighty city that your judgment should come in a single hour. The merchants of the earth shall wail and lament over her, for there is no one left to buy her goods-cargos of gold and silver, jewels and pearls, fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet, all kinds of scented wood, every sort of ivory vessel, every kind of vessel of precious wood, of bronze iron, and marble; cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour and corn; cattle, sheep, and horses; chariots, slaves, the very souls of men.”
In the same way we in the US live in a traumatic world surrounded by the wealth of material and entertainment. We have our cell phones, ipods, digital cameras, portable computers, fine furniture, restaurants, sports, entertainment, fine clothes and jewels, luxury vacations, pets, art, concerts, Youtube, etc. Can we become healed by a life devoted to these distractions. No says John. All these shall pass away. What could be the true gold that he calls us to but a greater connection to God through a greater connection to those who are suffering and living out our values in a corrupt and traumatic world. For those who struggle against trauma life becomes very intense with its highs and lows. By our greater connection to this trauma our lives become more intense and real and not just “lukewarm” as John says.
Being connected does not mean that we all become trauma workers but does mean that we become mindful of the world’s suffering. We can do several things today such as read articles about today’s refugee crisis and remember these persons in our prayers or meditation. We can of course decide to send money or volunteer time. We can even start by wearing an armband for the people of Darfur. We can bring up the plight of our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan in our ordinary conversations in the week and thus begin to be mindful of their sacrifice as they ask us to do.
What does a larger vision mean for us living in the US now? It could mean that we get in touch with that yearning that must be part of every human soul’s experience, the yearning for that better place, better world, place of healing in us, the New Jerusalem. It is clinging to the hope that dares to work for a vision in the face of pessimistic facts. It is to go forward toward our own healing from bad memories and personal trauma, seeking help if we need it and relying on our community of support. It is to dare to become a reconciler and live out our belief in the inherent worth and dignity of all humans. None of us should expect to see the New Jerusalem in our lifetime. As Martin Luther King said in his last speech the night before he was killed, “I’ve been to the mountaintop and I’ve seen the promised land. I might not get there with you but we as a people will get to the promised land.’ (Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King Jr.) King died of an assassin’s bullet the next day and we can be sure that John’s earthly life probably didn’t improve. But like John we are challenged to cling to our vision of a world where all can be healed of their trauma. Listen to John again in Revelation:
Rev:21,1-7
1: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2: And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3: And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with people, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4: And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5: And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6: And he said unto me, it is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7: He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my child.
I had the privilege of journeying to Jerusalem last year and can appreciate John’s idea of the New Jerusalem with the Golden gates and the streets paved with Gold. I have my own vision of the New Jerusalem which I cling to. It is a city of reconciliation that has become a tourist Mecca, where Arab and Israeli cooperate together in a booming economy that includes great hiking and bike trails to the various Biblical and Koranic sites and centers which hold conferences for reconciliation and the healing of trauma for all the peoples of the Middle East. The New Jerusalem will start with Palestine and will spread out all over the Middle East. Jew, Christian, Muslim, and secular will live out the three great values of our liberal religious tradition which are freedom, reason, and tolerance. Am I optimistic about this ever happening? Well, no because optimism requires facts that point towards actual progress.
But I struggle to maintain hope that comes from this vision. As Bishop Tutu of South Africa says: “Hope persists in the face of evidence to the contrary, undeterred by setbacks and disappointments. Tutu says very eloquently what can be the vision of the New Jerusalem for us today.
“The hope in which I persist is not reducible to politics or identified with a people. I like to call it God’s dream. God has a dream for all his children. It is about a day when all people enjoy fundamental security and live free of fear. It is about a day when all people have a hospitable land in which to establish a future. More than anything else, God’s dream is about a day when all people are accorded equal dignity because they are human beings. In God’s beautiful dream, no other reason is required.” (Bishop Tutu quoted in Cornerstone, 4, ’08).
I live with the hope of this New Jerusalem even as I read about 16 more people being killed in Gaza last week and the Annapolis Peace Conference going nowhere. I think John probably thought that God was going to come into history in a rather dramatic sudden fashion. Most of us religious liberals don’t believe this way. Like King we see God breaking into history through actual events and movements of people or through events in our lives. It is by living out the hope of our vision that we bring God’s vision into the world. Like King we can’t expect to see completeness.
Those who heal from trauma know the meaning of Grace. John extends his healing to us at the end of Revelations by saying: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” What is this grace in our lives?
It could be an unexpected healing of a long-term separation between family or friends.
It could be a mother of a child lost to homicide learning to cherish her memory of her child and contain her grief by constructing a home alter and then going on with her life.
It could mean a soldier returning from Iraq healing from his or her trauma and volunteering to do peer counseling with other returning veterans.
It could mean finally knowing that we have contained and overcome a very bad memory.
It could be being surprised by joy when we least expect it or experiencing the priceless grace in a good friendship.
As John said in Revelation: “Surely I come quickly, even so come quickly Lord Jesus” so may healing grace come in our individual and collective lives.
Amen