In ten days the elections will be over, and I pray a president will have been elected clearly and decisively, without a doubt, so there will not be all the lawsuits so many are predicting.  By then we'll also know whether or not the Boston Red Sox really have broken the "curse of the bambino."  We need a diversion from the weariness of war and politics, like wearing red socks during the World Series.  Reality can become drudgery, so we need a break now and then.

          Today I'd like to give you a diversion, something to take your mind off the tedium of life.  I want to tell you about something equally if not more important than sports or elections.  For this we must go to the giant nation of India, and to a group of its people called the "untouchables."

          As we do, let's look at Gospel lesson with its untouchable man called a publican, a Tax Collector.  No, not a republican.  Some think them untouchable for other reasons.  The story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector is an example of right and wrong attitudes.  Jesus told it "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else." (Luke 18:9)   The Pharisee praised himself, but the Tax Collector just bowed his head.  The Tax Collector looked down on himself, and the Pharisee joined right in.  People always seem to find someone to look down on, and that brings us to India.

          There are a billion people in India, of which 200 million are the Dalit, the "untouchables."  India's caste system is still very much alive, and continues to condemn the Dalit to the lowliest jobs, with little education and no chance to better themselves.  Hinduism says they deserve it and can only escape it through reincarnation.  Even traditional Christians look down on the Dalit.

          But God is changing things through Evangelical Christians.  Through the "Cry for Freedom" program, Dalit Education Centers are being built in India to teach the ABC's and Jesus Christ to the lowliest of the lowly.  Dalits are going to school, and the other castes don't like it.  They want them to stay where they are, cleaning the sewers and digging the ditches.  They want them to empty the toilets, tend the landfills and lick their boots.  When a Dalit comes to faith in Christ and realizes he is child of God, it's good for him but a problem for society.  People want the Dalit to stay where they are and not change.  Last year's elections nearly made converting the Dalit to Christianity illegal.  But God's election of grace has made heaven a reality for millions who've found Jesus Christ.

          Our Castle Rock Ministerial Alliance heard of this and raised $25,000 to build a Dalit Education Center.  It's all built and now they are seeking funds to maintain it.  The orange coupon in your bulletin is a way to help.  Let me explain...

          All this reminds me of what the Bible says, "The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself:  'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector.'" (Luke 18:11)   We may act like this more often than we think.  Every time I read in the papers about a fugitive or a robber or a drunk driver, and see a hispanic name, I think, "They don't know right from wrong."  Or when I read of a homicide bomber, I think, "Idiots!  Don't they know anything?"  It's easy to look down on those we think are lesser than ourselves.

          A Rabbi and his disciple were in a synagogue.  In their morning prayers the Rabbi began to feel bad about things he'd done the night before, so he beat his breast and said, "O God, I am nothing, I am nothing, I am nothing!"  His disciple, wanting to be like his master, was moved by this show of humility and also said, "O God, I am nothing, I am nothing, I am nothing!"  The synagogue janitor overheard them and also joined in, "O God, I am nothing, I am nothing, I am nothing!"  The Rabbi turned to his disciple and said, "Well, look over there at who thinks he's nothing!"

          It's easy to be smug in our faith.  Some are even proud of their humility.  You and I are not immune from condescension.  Mother Teresa, founder of the Sisters of Charity who still work among the untouchables, once said, "You can't do what I can do, and I can't do what you can do.  But together we can do great things for God."  We may not all look the same, but we are all precious to God who gives us life here on earth and eternal life there in heaven.

          I'm sure there are some who believe this project of the Ministerial Alliance is unworthy of support, not because of its merit, but because of who's working on it.  We pastors in the Alliance don't all agree with each other, but we pray and work and get along together.  Some of my Lutheran pastor friends believe if a group of pastors is not Lutheran, and a special variety of Lutheran at that, they should be avoided.  Reminds me a little of the Pharisee.

          When I was growing up in the 1950's in southern Minnesota, my home pastor didn't associate much with non-Lutheran pastors in our town.  One spring when our church ran out of ceramic plates for the Father-Son Banquet, somebody had to drive 15 miles to the next town's Missouri Synod Lutheran Church to get more.  We could have asked the Presbyterians across the street, or the Baptists across the block, but I guess their plates were not Lutheran.  This didn't set well with everyone back then, so they had a discussion and decided in the future, not to go to other churches, but to use paper plates.  I guess they felt that solved the problem.

          I wonder what some people will do if the "wrong" persons get elected on November 2?  Will we honor them as God's appointed leaders over us?  Hatred of opponents has no place in a Christian's life!  Paul wrote to the Romans:  "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established...  Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority?  Then do what is right and he will commend you.  For he is God's servant to do you good...  Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience." (Romans 13:1,3-5)

          Our world is not a perfect place, so God sent Jesus Christ to die for it.  God loved the world enough to provide us a way out of the hopelessness of our sins.  By nature, none of us deserve to be forgiven.  None of us deserve a place in heaven.  But God does not reward us according to our human nature.  He rewards us by His divine nature, His nature that sees past who we are and what we have done.  God is able to love us, no matter what, and He tells us through St. Paul, "God wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:4)

          A boy was carrying a rusty old bird cage, and an old man asked, "What you got there, son?"  "Some birds," he said.  "What are you gonna do with them?"  "Take 'em home and have some fun, tease 'em, pull out their feathers, make 'em fight."  "But you'll get tired of that pretty soon," said the old man.  "What will you do then?"  "Feed 'em to my cats.  They like birds," said the boy.  "How much you want for those birds?"  "Oh, You don't want them birds, mister.  They're just sparrows and don't even sing."  "How much?" he asked.  The boy sized him up and said, '"Ten bucks."  The man gave him $10 and the boy left.  He carried the cage to grass, opened the door, and set the birds free.

          One day Jesus met Satan who'd just come from the Garden of Eden and was boasting.  "Yes siree, I just caught me a world full of people.  Set a trap, used bait they couldn't resist, and got 'em all!"  "What will you do with them?" Jesus asked.  "I'm gonna have fun!  I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, to invent bombs and kill each other.  It's gonna be fun!"  "How much do you want for them?" asked Jesus.  "Oh, you don't want them.  They're no good.  Why they'll hate you, curse you, turn their backs on you, maybe even kill you."  "How much?" said Jesus.  "I want your tears and your blood.  I want your life!" said Satan.  So Jesus paid the price.  He gave His life for those sinful people, and then He set them free!

          By grace you and I are free from sin, free to do God's will, free even to vote.  But let's be clear about this:  we owe our leaders respect and honor, whether we agree with them or not.  It's time we Americans stop hating each other, just because we have an opposing view.  Let's save the hatred for Satan.

          Every man, woman and child in this world deserves to be free, both materially and eternally.  If God can love the Dalit people of India, He can love you and me.  If Christ can touch the untouchables, so can we.  Let's stop pointing fingers and start offering our hands to serve God's people.  God grant us this and soon, amen.

Copyright © 2004 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.