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"For America:  A Changeless Grace for a Changing Face"
America is changing more rapidly than ever before and one can see the change upon our collective face. One example of how our life is changing is the computer. We live in a wonderful age of technology and it has transformed our lives from an industrial society to an information culture. We have more information available to us than we know what to do with. We have more sources of access to more things: stock markets, encyclopedic information, merchandise sources and a vast array of ideas. Our mail boxes are inundated with tons of junk mail. And it never fails that just when you sit down to an evening meal the phone rings and someone is trying to sell you something. This is to say nothing about e-mails, pagers and cell phones. Our lives not only have unlimited access but we are accessible twenty-four hours a day.

There is no question that this technological age of access and information has many benefits and enriches our lives. Just the other day I saw a group of young office workers gathered with museum-like-curiosity around a typewriter found somewhere in a basement. My mind ran back to white correction liquids, stencils and the mess and smell of mimeograph machines.

The problem with the new technologies is the messages being sent. More and more we are told that the meaning of life is about consumption and access. We are told that we must run faster, be smarter, have more and do more if we are going survive; and more and more we fear that we won't be able to keep up. Then the question is, if we can't keep up, what does that say about our worth, about our place in society? Have you noticed the shame in peoples eyes when they admit they don't own a computer, know the latest program or are not on the Internet.

And so we run faster, do more, buy more and access more, and find that there is less and less time for intimate meaningful relationships with family, friends and God. Suicides and divorces are up, drug and alcohol abuse still plague us. Studies and personal experience tells us we are increasingly unhappy and unfulfilled. In many ways, the American dream is about personal success. Yet, it is also about the pursuit of happiness, which we often forget is not material, but spiritual. The Psalmist, referring to Israel's obsession with material success wrote, "God gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul." [Psalm 106:15]. America's soul is lean.

Yes, in this wonderful age of technology, the face of America is changing. It is a stressful face, and a spiritually empty face, reflecting a leanness of soul. Just stand in a public place sometimes and observe. Better yet, just look in the mirror and see what you discover. Yet, what we used to call the "rat race" is on and we dare not complain; because, after all, this is what we have "prayed" for and worked for. Someone once said, "The problem with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat!" There is something less than human in the stressful life we have chosen.

But the changing face of America is not just its expression of stress. The physical features of America's face are also changing right before our eyes. According to private and governmental statistics immigration is higher in this decade than at its highest point in the first decade of this century—the age of Ellis Island. It is predicted that by the middle of the next century what we call "racial and ethnic minorities" will comprise almost half of America's population.

Inclusion of immigration (that is, whoever comes after us or our ancestors—we do forget that we are all immigrants) has always been problematic. Remember the derogatory names Irish and Italian immigrants were called. Remember the fear of immigrant religions: Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodoxy and Jewish. Still we must admit that America has always had a particular difficulty welcoming those whose skin, features and cultures were not European. Today the great wave of immigration is not from Europe but from Central and South America, Africa, Asia and the Caribbean; and there is great uneasiness among Americans. Even some Americans of color join their white counterparts in this fear of the foreigner.

Now, on the one hand, as a nation we welcome those who will do the work we do not want to do. But we also see "them" as a source of our societal woes: higher taxes, unemployment, crime, crowded schools, and a drain on public services such as welfare and health care. Our concern is that the numbers are greater or that the cultures, language, or even religious expression may be different. But what is most daunting is that today it is a small town reality and not just an urban reality; and we wonder—we fear our community or nation will never be the same again.

Finally, the face of America is changing ideologically and we do not know how to face one another. How do we look at each other, confront our neighbor in a civil way? How do we reach out to each other to find common ground when the differences in our values and ideals seem so great, so irreconcilable. Just think of a few of the issues which so deeply divide us: abortion, euthanasia, affirmative action, gay rights, welfare reform, school prayer.

Even where, personally, our minds may be made up we also know that the collective answers will be hard and will not be quickly achieved. I think we are also coming to understand that "hard edge politics" do not work. Even when we win, we destroy the fabric of community and make even more hostile the next issue of encounter. Resolve cannot be at the expense or the destruction of other sincere persons who are sincere but have opposing ideas. Confusion about how we face each other is dividing good people and tearing our communities apart. This is because we lack the will or ways to face one another in ways which do not destroy our communities, homes, schools and even our churches.

I believe a great responsibility falls upon the Christian Church. I believe our Lord has called the Christian Church to offer a model of community and hope for our nation in these perilous times. As Christians we are no different than our fellow citizens, struggling with the stress of life's pace, acceptance of diversity and the frustration of changing ideas and values. And the truth is that no matter how traditional our local congregations may be we all know that no church is a monolith. That given the issue, and whatever the official doctrine or policy, there are degrees of agreement and disagreement. Living in a church community is as difficult as any other social setting and sometimes more difficult because each side is claiming the endorsement of God.

But in such situations, I am often challenged by the words of Jesus: " I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this shall the world know you are my disciples, if you have love one for another." [John 13:34,35] No matter how hard the times or difficult the issues the church is to be a community of love.

Now, the word that is used for love, Agape , is not so much about having a warm fuzzy feeling about one another. Rather it means "to see others as persons loved by God." In other words, it means in all things act with respect for another. It is what St. Paul meant by "speaking the truth in love." Agape love is spirit of intentional and willed respect, made possible only by prayer and the Grace of God in our midst. That is why worship is central in the life of the Christian and the Church. For continual and intentional prayer opens us to the Grace of God, changing and shaping us to be persons and a community of love and respect. It is love grounded in the sacrifice of the cross and therefore shapes us with humility in our truths and a committed service to others in the world in Jesus' name. The love of God will not necessarily make us like everybody, but it will help us to respect even those with whom we disagree.

A few years ago I was embroiled in a church conflict. I had (and still do have) my own view on the matter. But there was a woman who was diametrically opposite of my view and was a leader of the opposition group. One evening I was preparing for a crucial meeting on the matter in question. However, to my distress I could not find my notes which I had prepared for the defense of my position. When I remembered where I had left them I also realized that I would not have time to retrieve them and still have time for quiet prayer before the meeting. I decided to go across the campus to get my notes, but the spirit of prayer fell unusually heavy upon me. So, with great trepidation, I decided to forgo the notes and go to the little Chapel of the Holy Spirit, where I normally have my quiet time. I entered the chapel quite bothered about not being prepared for "the fight", yet knowing that God had made the decision for me that prayer time was more important. As I entered the chapel and started to kneel I saw, in the corner of my eye, another person sitting in deep meditation and prayer. It was my opponent! The leader of the opposition. I was shocked, and then quiet laughter began to fill my soul.

God was saying to me: "Nathan, the two of you may disagree; the truths you find may be different, but do not forget she is my child, she is your sister and like you she is on pilgrimage to find my will. Act in love until you come to the way I have prepared." The two of us never did agree on that matter, but we have found ways to respect and confront one another with grace. This experience was God's call to me, God's calling me to Agape. "By this, Nathan, shall the world know you are my disciple [not because you are right, but] because you have love—Godly Respect—for one another." No matter how true our cause or issue, we have failed our Lord if the world cannot recognize the spirit of love in the life of the church.

When we are free to love we can speak good news, just by the life we live. An America stressed out by the rat race of life—an America fearful of the future and people who are different than themselves—an America tired and weary of hard edge politics and polarizing ideologies needs to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ from our midst. The hope that is our own experience as his disciples. Listen to the comforting invitation Jesus offers us:

Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Yes, the face of America is changing but God still offers it a changeless gift of grace, it is the love of God, manifested in His Church and in all who will accept the comfort and grace of his invitation.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, make known your love to this nation. Take away the fear which infects our hearts. Grant us your peace in the midst of a busy and changing world; and work through our struggles and confusion to accomplish your purpose on earth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Conversation with Nathan Baxter

Lydia Talbot: Reverend Baxter, you conclude your compelling message with a story of your personal embroilment in a church conflict. I think you told me it was over construction plans for the Cathedral, but you were stunned to discover your chief opponent on her knees at prayer in one of the thirteen chapels. Here you were able to draw from that experience a sense of respect that you could confront her with grace. How did you learn to pray like that?

Nathan Baxter: Well, I think that there are times in our lives when God really confronts us both with the truth of our arrogance and the larger truth that we are all children of God. I think seeing her there, I realized that God was calling me to prayer to see her. That was the message: "This is my child." And seeing that I realized that God not only was her Father but that she cared deeply about the issue and was seeking God's guidance as well.

Talbot: But take us back to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where you were born and grew up. Was there something in that experience of growing up that taught you how to pray?

Baxter: I was very fortunate. I was raised in a Christian home. My father was a pastor for about 42 years and my mother a very active laywoman. They had a deep spirituality in their personal lives as well as in our home. Their home was a place of a lot of joy, but it was also a place where we prayed together. And I really believe the old adage that used to be on the back of the fans in the church that says, "The family that prays together stays together." Well, prayer became very much a part of my life, and so I think that even today there is a deep need that I have to try to be open to the presence of God.

Talbot: And so this prayer in the midst of intense polarization in this story of intense disagreement, can serve as a template for our national crises, as you have mentioned—racism, abortion, euthanasia, welfare and so on—that people disagree on. How can the church, the caring, faithful community, really make a difference on those kinds of issues when there is internecine warfare going on among so many of the faithful?

Baxter: Well, I think first of all, we have to accept that we are called to respect one another. We may not always agree, but we need to respect one another as children of God. I think that if the church can model that, it can give us the ability to listen better to one another, to have a bit more patience, and to understand ways of finding common ground and resolution.

Talbot: And is this part of the challenge? Your message emphasizes our society's preoccupation with material wealth and that we tolerate moral irresponsibility—that America's soul is lean, as you say.

Baxter: It is. It really is. And I think if we can demonstrate this respect there can be joy; there can be a wholesomeness in the midst of life's changing pace. If we can exhibit that in the life of the church, it will make it attractive to the world that is seeking some place of spiritual solace.

Talbot: You served in Vietnam as a combat medic and you received the Cross of Gallantry in 1969. What was that and how was that a part of your call of ministry?

Baxter: Well, as a combat medic I was also a conscientious objector so I did not carry a weapon. My job was really to go out and get the fellows when they were shot. This really was a part of my faith that I believed that I had an obligation to my country. But I also objected to violence, and so my faith really carried over into that experience. There were times when I was very much afraid, but the grace of God always gave me strength to deal with the things that I had to deal with. I think that has just strengthened my sense of God's love and presence in my life, even until today.

Talbot: And so today you are a gift, Reverend Nathan Baxter, as chief priest and Dean of the National Cathedral in Washington. Thanks so much for this visit.

Baxter: Thank you for inviting me.

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