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Us vs. Them                        Mark 9: 38-50                   September 27, 2009

Leaders of 19 leading developed and developing economies plus the European Union - 20 economies in all - met in Pittsburgh on Thursday and Friday of this past week to discuss how to avoid another global economic crisis. By all reports, they made some significant progress toward their goal.

Sounds like a good thing, doesn't it?

So help me understand why, according to the Reuters news service, late on Thursday evening, several hundred angry people took to the streets in downtown Pittsburgh, police found the need to discharge gas and pellet-filled "beanbags" and protesters broke windows at a McDonald's, a Rite Aid pharmacy, a Subway sandwich shop and a FedEx store.

The only answer I can think of to explain this behavior is defined by the simple phrase, "Us vs. Them."

Some people love to see the world through an "us vs. them" lens. Everything, they believe, is either good or bad, black or white, hot or cold, up or down.

This view of the world plays out in a variety of ways, but it usually comes down to reducing the point of view of anyone who disagrees with me to a catchy phrase or slogan: Either you're our ally, or you are part of some "axis of evil." Either you agree with me or you are "un-American" or "unpatriotic." If you oppose my attitude toward, say, global warming or carrying concealed weapons, you're a "wacko" or a "sicko" or a "kook," or at the very least, you must be "brainwashed."

In Washington, this "us vs. them" worldview seems to prevail. It has resulted in a highly partisan environment where political leaders seem more interested in scoring points, keeping their biggest contributors happy, and beating the other side in the next election than in really solving problems.

This is by no means a new phenomenon. Passionately held, polar opposite points of view have always existed. But it does seem to be more pervasive in our media-saturated world.

At the root of it all, I believe, is our natural, human need to feel that our side of any argument is the correct one. And our natural, human fear of the unknown possibilities that might unfold should our side end up with the short end of the proverbial stick.

"Us vs. them-itis" is a highly contagious disease, and the carriers are everywhere. No matter if you lean toward the right or the left, there is no shortage of opportunity to hear others - on radio, cable TV and in the blogosphere - who not only agree with you but who earn a living dismissing and demeaning anyone who dares to support an opposing point of view.

Lucrative careers can be built, sadly, by telling one narrow slice of the American population that the "other side" is guilty of fascism, communism and socialism - all at once - disregarding the fact that some of these "isms" are mutually exclusive. And equally lucrative careers can be built telling those of us who are on the "other side" that we are the smart ones and "those" people are uninformed rednecks or - even worse - racists and homophobes.

This endless cycle of disagreement - I'm right; no you're not, I'm right - gets us nowhere and makes us look like a bunch of school children calling one another names.

But while it is frustrating and depressing to watch, The good news is that we can take heart, knowing that this is not God's will and knowing that this is not what the Kingdom of God will look like.

Our Gospel lesson points to this age-old conflict between "us" and "them." Remember, I mentioned earlier that polarization is nothing new? Well, here's an example that's nearly twenty centuries old.

Jesus is concluding his public ministry and working his way toward Jerusalem when our text begins. His popularity is high, in part because he has been casting out demons. And now, we learn, others are casting out demons as well. In fact, a man who is not even a follower of Jesus is casting out demons using Jesus' name.

For John, this is beyond comprehension - and beyond the bounds of what's proper. So he takes action. First, he and the disciples tell the man to stop. Then, he gets Jesus' attention and says to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not one of us."

Actually, the disciples were probably annoyed with this outsider not just because of his unwillingness to follow them, but because he had successfully cast out a demon, while they, the insiders, had just failed to do that very thing.

But either way, Jesus tells them to leave the man alone. Surprisingly, he tells them that the exorcist who is not one of them may continue to use his name.

"Don't stop him," Jesus says to John. "If he's doing powerful works in my name, he's much less likely to turn against me later on."

Notice that Jesus doesn't question the character or the motives of the outsider. Or seek to diminish the significance of his accomplishments. While we might have expected Jesus to call this man who refused to follow him a "false prophet," or a "blind guide," or a "hypocrite" - descriptions he routinely used to describe insiders such as Pharisees and Scribes - he did no such thing. Instead, he told his disciples, "Leave the guy alone. He's not doing anything to oppose us. And so long as he is not hostile to us, let's presume he is for us."

Jesus refused to fan the flames of prejudice among those in his inner circle. He refused to capitalize on their fears or contribute to their need to see things in black or white terms.

There is much to be learned from this example of openness and tolerance. Particularly in our "Us vs. Them" world.

Don't try to judge others, Jesus warns. If you must judge between good and evil, he tells his disciples, look at yourselves. If you are looking to cast something out, root out those parts of your own life that betray the cause of Christ.

The gruesome amputation metaphors that Jesus uses in this passage have always been difficult for Christians to hear. But they do drive home his point.

Are your hands the problem? Jesus asks. Do you spend your time grasping after material wealth? Is it your feet? Do you have trouble going where God sends you? Or is it your eyes? Do you find yourself craving every new, desirable thing that you see? Be prepared to surrender any or all of these appendages - your hand, your feet or even your eye - in order to avoid being a stumbling block. In order to open the doors of the Kingdom of God to all.

Martin Buber, one of the great philosopher/theologians of the last Century is best known for his essay, I and Thou.

According to Buber, human beings may adopt one of two attitudes toward the world, and toward one another: "I-Thou" or "I-It." If you and I have an I-Thou relationship, we can engage in a dialogue that involves each other's whole being. If we have an I-It relationship, on the other hand, we reduce each other to nothing more than objects.

I-Thou, Buber writes, is a relationship of mutuality, while I-It is a relationship of separateness and detachment. I-Thou is a reciprocal relationship. A relationship of love. I-Thou relationships are the relationships God intends us to have with one another.

To put it simply, if we never allow ourselves to look at another human being as an object - an "it," no matter how much we may disagree with that person's point of view, we will never fall into the "Us vs. Them" trap. "Us vs. Them" is only possible when we objectify one another.

The final saying of this morning's lesson - the conclusion of this teaching of Jesus about our human relationships - is a reminder that the way we live our lives is not just a private matter.

"Have salt in yourselves," Jesus says, "and be at peace with one another."

In Biblical terms, sharing salt with someone is a sign of friendship and loyalty. So Jesus' concluding statement underscores his expectation that we, his people, will keep our doors open - the doors to our minds, the doors to our churches and the doors to any other institution over which we have influence - including our nation.

May we, as Christians, reject the culture of "Us vs. Them." May we recognize the "Thou" in all of our brothers and sisters.

If, as some have suggested, the coming of the Kingdom is like the start of a grand dinner party* , may we remember that Jesus wants us, his followers, to be like gracious hosts welcoming the guests.

Jesus neither needs nor wants bouncers guarding the door to the grand feast he is initiating**. So pass the salt, my friends, and share the good news of God's open invitation. For us and, yes, for them as well.

                                                                             AMEN

*From an article, "Search and Restore," by Stephen Fowl in The Christian Century, 9/16/06
**IBID

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