Commentary: Sane Religion
by Rev. Michael S. Piazza

Two of my favorite preachers spoke powerfully to me recently. Bishop John Shelby Spong returned to the Cathedral for the third time to preach on Sunday, September 17. He and his wife Christine have become dear friends, and, while we don’t see eye-to-eye on every theological issue, I am so grateful to him for continuing to challenge me to think and pray and grow. By the time I had listened to his second sermon, which was different from the first, my head was light from all the issues he raised for me to re-examine. It is so frustrating to live in a culture where preachers mouth inane phrases and clichés without contemplating their implications. Jack Spong always makes me think about what my theology says about God. He reminds me that I have a brain and that it needs to be used at church as much as anywhere else. I was so sorry when he returned to New Jersey, because I wanted to sit at his feet and absorb more of his insights, knowledge and wisdom.

Then I picked up my copy of Christian Century. Barbara Brown Taylor has a regular column there. Now, we tease Rev. Hudson unmercifully for how she idolizes Barbara Brown Taylor and how often she quotes her in sermons, but the truth is I am no less of a fan. As I read her article in this month’s issue, I was a little surprised to find that she had written about chickens. Having grown up in rural South Georgia, I have seen chickens close-up, so I didn’t expect much insight from this particular offering from BBT. In fact, it took me two tries to read it. When I did, though, I found myself with tears in my eyes. If my favorite Bishop had touched my head, my favorite writing preacher touched my heart.

Both of them spoke to our image of God. Bishop Spong challenged our image of a God who requires the blood sacrifice of an innocent soul in order to be able to love us. When did we start believing God was morally inferior to many people we know? Time and again we see victims of crimes or neglect who are able to unconditionally forgive—to extend grace. Yet we seem to think that God required innocent blood before being willing/able to forgive us. Barbara Brown Taylor used mother hens to illustrate unconditional love in how a mother hen accepts chicks that are not her own and protects them with her very life. Having raised chickens, I know they are among the dumbest of God’s creatures, but what magnificent nobility we see in their love. How did we let preachers and Bible teachers make God less noble than the chicken we had for lunch today?

The mission of Hope for Peace & Justice is to bear witness to the image of God that Jesus came to teach. We are advocates for a sane faith that believes sane things about God. We are calling for a return to sanity in our country:

• Look into the eyes of the poor and ask yourself if a sane God favors tax cuts for the richest.
• Look into the eyes of the orphaned children of Iraq and ask yourself if sane Christians believe war is God’s will.
• Look at the destruction of creation and ask yourself if a sane human race would destroy the only planet we have.

So much of what is wrong in our world is rooted in the kind of God in which we believe. Sometimes I think God would rather us be atheists.