"The Zion We Remember"

Preached by the Rev. Krista Taves
Sept. 11, 2005

"... There was only one solution. The warrior laid aside his armour. The priestess laid asisde her magic robe. And the money lender laid aside the clothes he had stuffed with money. And only then could each of them kneel to drink from the water of life and receive its sweet, cool, startling benefits."

From "The Water of Life" by Kate Compston, One Hundred Wisdom Stories from around the WOrd, ed. Margaret Silf, Cleveland Ohio, Pilgrim Press, 2003.

It seems no small coincidence that this Water Communion has taken place at a time when we are so aware of and impacted by the power of water. We have witnessed a massive tragedy, the destruction of lives and homes, the destruction of cities, towns and villages, transportation systems, natural resources, and whole industries. And at this time, I ask us, in light of this tragedy, and in light of the faith, hope and love that we aspire to, at which river do we gather? At which river should we gather? And what shall be the Zion that we remember?

We have remembered many rivers, streams, lakes, creeks, and taps today. You have come forward and brought these many waters to this religious community and they have been sanctified and blessed by our good will. They speak of love and loss, hope and despair, remembering and forgetting, living and dying, they speak of being with those you love, and they speak of being radically alone. In these past weeks, we have seen and heard and read about love and loss, hope and despair, we see the shock and disbelief in eyes that would rather forget and can do nothing but remember, and we know that many have been separated from those they love, and from the places they love, and are radically alone.

Today our waters have symbolized faith, hope and love. And yet, in these past weeks, water has come to mean something very different. It has come to mean death and destruction. The toxic waters of New Orleans are taking life as we speak, and will take more life. This water is something very different, isn't it?

Or is it? Is it simply the hurricane and the water that has caused all of the suffering. Or has this tragedy exposed to view a society that left its poor to die, and then congratulates itself for its generosity when it comes to the rescue after the fact? Are the toxic waters that are poisoning New Orleans nothing more and nothing less than a painful awakening of the consequences of years of denial and years of turning our backs on the poor?
Is our society like that warrior, who assumed that he would have to battle for the water of life, and in that battle the strong are rewarded, and the weak are blamed for their weakness?
Is our society like the priestess, so afraid of dirtying our beautiful robes that we actually cannot drink of the water of life, because to do so means taking off the fancy robes and getting down and dirty.
Is our society like the trader who simply thought everything could be bought and sold? What kind of commodities have poverty and injustice become?

THE NATION WEEPS

We stand by the rivers of Babylon, and this nation weeps, it weeps for Zion. We weep for the American Dream, for this tragedy has put even more gashes into the remnants of its promise.

Rev. Jim VanderWeele, minister of Community Church Unitarian Universalist, which is completely submerged by toxic flood waters, has this message to offer those who are asking what we can do.

"We hope Unitarian Universalists, from throughout our country, will address the need for governmental participation in addressing income disparities in this country -- especially to offer a variety of economic, medical, and educational opportunities to those who have been dispossessed as the privileged [benefit from] corporate profits, and tax rebates. Something must change, actually many things must change. Can we, as citizens, demand a different approach, an attitude of assistance, a compassionate and caring institution of our government? Shouldn't this be required of our government? Might it be possible for us to change the meaning of "Homeland Security?"

Would that the eradication of poverty be considered as integral to the security of this nation as a strong military. What I find so discouraging, is that this nation, or at least this nation's media, only seems to see the cost of poverty when it is so dramatic and evident. The poor are always dying from poverty, even in this country. Why did it take a disaster to make it a national emergency? We have been in a state of emergency for a long time.

I'm going to ask us to look at the waters that we have gathered here as a covenant, a covenant to hold each other in this time of uncertainly, to strengthen each other in what is right and true, so that we will have the fortitude to address the problems of our time. We are people of faith, people of hope, and people of love. So let us stand at the river of justice and do what is right.