In this year in which our church is looking back through 200 years of its history, it is interesting to note that other churches are also looking to their own pasts. Of particular note was the recent celebration of the First Presbyterian Church of New York City in which they dedicated their newly repaired bell to the memory of their former pastor, Harry Emerson Fosdick, Colgate Class of 1900. One of the church’s elders, David Pultz, re-preached a sermon which Fosdick had preached in 1922—"Shall the Fundamentalists Win?"

In an interview, quoted in The New York Times, Mr. Pultz said, "What a lot of people have missed over the years is that it is an appeal to tolerance. One of the remarkable things that people have said, after I preached, is how relevant it seems today."

In the sermon Fosdick asked: "When will the world learn that intolerance solves no problems?"

Fosdick added, "This is not a lesson which the Fundamentalists alone need to learn; liberals also need to learn it."

Fosdick numbered himself as a liberal. His chief concern was to fight for the proposition that we should always be open to new truth (John 15:12f.) and that truth is of one cloth—when properly understood, there can be no contradiction between scientific truth and religious truth.

While opposing fundamentalists in many ways, he also valued their contributions. In a later sermon, "A Fundamentalist Sermon by a Modernist Preacher," he declared:

I’m going to miss George Burns. William Saroyan once said, "Everybody has got to die, but I always believed an exception would be made in my case." I don’t know about Saroyan, but I don’t believe I was alone in thinking that an exception might be made in George Burns' case. He was alive when my grandparents (now deceased) were born.

Charles Osgood remarked this past Sunday that George Burns’ first meeting with God would have been interesting to witness. Most actors feel some trepidation when they meet a person they have portrayed. This most certainly would be the case with Burns. He admitted some discomfort about playing the part of God in the movie, “Oh, God!” He was particularly uneasy about portraying God wearing a baseball cap.

I loved his portrayal of God. Those who have often heard me preach know that I am particularly fond of the film’s courtroom scene. The grocery story assistant manager, Jerry (played by John Denver), has delivered God’s message to a huckster preacher that he should go back to selling shoes. The preacher sues Jerry for slander. In court, the preacher’s attorney queries Jerry: “And the Absolute Being, the All Powerful, All Merciful, the All Knowing Infinite Spirit, the Supreme Soul, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Infinite Everlasting Eternal Being last came to you how?”

"As a bell hop."

"Your honor, I rest my case!"

The courtroom erupts into laughter. Everybody agrees. It’s utterly ridiculous to think that God would appear as a bell hop! Of course, this is no more ridiculous than to believe that God came among us as a babe in a manger or a carpenter or that God allowed human beings to nail Him to a cross.

Our gospel is ridiculous. The Apostle Paul called it "foolishness" (here he was agreeing with many of his hearers). "Foolish" though it may be, Paul also called it "the power of God." Anybody who has seen George Burns in "Oh, God!" would agree.

©1996 C. David Hess

The movie, "The Bridges of Madison County," opened this past weekend. It is a story of unfulfilled love. Housewife Francesca (played by Meryl Streep) meets traveling photographer Robert (Clint Eastwood). They are powerfully drawn to one another. Robert invites Francesca to leave her life on the farm and go with him. Francesca is already married. Her husband is a decent man, but there marriage is farm from fulfilling. Then there are the children to consider. Roger Ebert points out that the poignancy of the story is that "they...know they are right for one another" but do "not follow their knowledge." Ebert concludes; "[The movie] is about two people who find the promise of perfect personal happiness, and understand, with sadness and acceptance, that the most important things in life are not always about making yourself happy."

I was struck by that last line. It reminded me of the questioner who once asked C. S. Lewis, "Which of the religions of the world gives to its followers the greatest happiness?"

In short, his answer was that it certainly wasn't Christianity. He indicated that the religion most likely to produce happiness, at least for a while, was "the religion of worshipping oneself." He explained: "As you perhaps know, I haven't always been a Christian. I didn't go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that."

Christianity, when faithfully presented, has always declared that the most important things in life are not always about making yourself happy. This should not surprise anyone (though it does). After all, the central symbol of Christianity is a cross. But there is something fulfilling about bearing that cross. Jesus said that you find life there.


©C. David Hess