Talk About God

Brian Evison introduced Reverend Jeffrey Lee, of St. Thomas Church in Bellevue, who remarked that the Christmas season brings about a “fair amount of talk, based on theology, of what could be called God-talk. Talk about God? What does it mean? We cannot ever describe God precisely. If you can understand it, it’s not God.”

“So,” said Rev. Lee, “what’s the point?  Talk is cheap and can be profoundly dangerous. There’s not a major conflict around the globe that doesn’t not have theology tied into it.

Friday’s speaker, Reverend Jeffrey Lee.

It’s increasingly clear that religion is the problem and the solution.”

Rev. Lee said we should be able to account for the “acts of selflessness and courage daily around the world. When I visited Ground Zero in New York recently, I was drawn to St. Paul’s chapel, only a block from Ground Zero. Inside, the pews were gouged by the workers belts and tools as they used the chapel as a refuge and a haven from their recovery efforts.”

“On one hand, there’s religion. On the other, there’s faith. Faith is the root.” Rev. Lee related a story about the two Norwegian fishermen, Sven and Ole. Year after year, they’d go to their favorite fishing spot accessible only by plane. They’d begin pulling in the catch until the plane was literally full of fish. Then, they’d take off with a much too heavy load and inevitably crash. Look at it this way, Ole, said Sven. We got a lot further this year! Our faith should get us further each year.”

The Parable is for how human beings act. The plane keeps crashing, but we persist in thinking it might end up different. Until we change and understand, things will stay the same.

“Our responses are the same, based on ancient traditions. I’m convinced the only hope to make the Christmas song work is to put faith into practice. We should be living out the implications of faith, not necessarily in church, but in the world. People of faith need to stop thinking about dividing into camps … you and I can make a difference. Rotary International knows something about that with its worldwide programs, particularly eradicating polio. Do you know there are 28-1/2 million adults and children hit by HIV, mostly in Africa, but spreading at a high rate elsewhere? If nothing changes, there will be 45 million new cases. Towers fall daily in that part of the world. It’s estimated there will be 20 million orphans by 2010.”

“We are failing the AIDS pandemic. We don’t think individuals can make a difference. We’re wrong … just look at Rotary for polio and landmines. This is the right behavior. We need world peace to care for the most vulnerable.”

“Nelson Mandela said, ‘I am not my brother’s keeper, I’m my brother’s brother.’ What gift would you give baby Jesus?”

For Rev. Lee’s inspirational moment with the BBRC he received a certificate indicating the Club had purchased 240 doses of polio vaccine to be administered to children at risk.