I used to wander around a lot when I was growing up.
Today we keep a short leash on our children.
We keep them locked up most of the time. Though statistically things are arguably safer, we are heavily marketed to by fear, it is a big seller.
A few months ago I ran off a home security salesman who was basically threatening me and everyone on my street. He said he was “Giving us a hand”.
When I was growing up, back when things were more dangerous but we didn’t worry about it, we wandered around for miles and miles, through woods and creeks, and neighborhoods and sidewalks, by foot and by bicycle, we were shot at and held up at knife point, but we just kept exploring, further and further from home.
We would get lost.
We could find our way back by looking at the horizon, by the stripes of a water tower, or the antenna on top of Paris Mountain.
The horizon helped to locate us.
The horizon.
Our horizons locate us, they show us where we live.
A spacious horizon of sky and mountain and landmarks, or a small horizon of fear, peddled to us by those who want to steal our freedom for their private gain.
Fear is very profitable.
Economically and politically it is an easy product to sell.
That is how Hitler came to power.
He told his country they were threatened, he said those who apposed him were unpatriotic and a threat, and that he would make them safe.
So his country surrendered to him, the entire heritage of the German people sold for cheap.
Those who sell fear are the only true threat to liberty.
Liberty is usually surrendered from within, some leader says they will make us safe, all we have to do is give up a little freedom, then a little more and then more… the rule of law becomes more arbitrary…as it is justifiably needed.
Liberty is rarely taken from without, it is usually surrendered eagerly, with a clear majority.
Our horizons locate us.
The Christian Horizon is made up of two things.
The beginning and the end.
The God breathed creation that God calls very good, and the ending of all things when creation both ends and is restored and healed.
The Creation and the Judgment.
Religious fear sells just as well as economic and political fear.
Jesus warns us today of these predators who feed on our freedom, our hope, our dreams.
Our horizons locate us, and those who tell us the horizon is one of eternal doom and fear want us to live locked up in a house of fear so they can find us when they need us and feed on us like parasites.
That horizon may be a big seller but it is both short sighted and a deception.
Isaiah could see the horizon of God amidst the down fall and exile of his people, in the midst of destruction he saw a horizon made up of hope.
Building houses and living in them.
Planting a vineyard and staying put to enjoy the slow growing fruit.
Of long life.
Of peace, without predators, the wolves stop hunting for easy prey, the lion eats straw.
The horizon of the peaceable kingdom.
It is God’s judgment, it is God’s horizon, the peaceable Kingdom.
That is our horizon, and our horizon locates us in the house of hope.
And those who live with the horizons of hope, do the work of hope, not the work of despair, we spread hope not fear.
What do we do with the horizon of God’s Judgment? How do we hope in the right way?
Here in the last two weeks of the Christian year, and then in the first week of Advent our scripture lessons take on a heavily apocalyptic theme, tone and flavor.
We can ignore it.
We can surrender it to those who want to devour our liberty with fear.
Or we can hope rightly, we can locate where we are in a vast horizon, and set out on a great adventure.