Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
What to do When You’re Attacked on All Sides: A Message for the Clay Jars

What to do When You’re Attacked on All Sides: A Message for the Clay Jars

Last updated on: June 21, 2017 at 3:24 pm by Leah D. Schade

What to do When You’re Attacked on All Sides: A Message for the Clay Jars 2017-06-21T15:24:25-04:00 Leah D. Schade

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Since the inauguration of this country’s 45th president, I’m noticing edges of what may be a disturbing new trend: friends in the resistence movement are sometimes turning on each other. I fear this is a symptom of a much deeper systemic problem. How should we respond? This sermon was preached at Lexington Theological Seminary on June 21, 2017. Drawing on 2 Corinthians Chapter 4, this is a message for the “clay jars.”

clay jars, 2 corinthians

From 2 Corinthians, Chapter 4: 4In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. 6For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.

Building Eco-Ethical Bridges

Environmental advocacy and activism have been part of my ministry for nearly 13 years. In that time, I’ve observed that most of the people who have been disparaging of the work of my eco-colleagues and myself have been other Christians. These folks claim that Creation-care is either misguided at best, or downright idolatrous and heretical at worst. I used to bristle at being called a tree-worshiper. But I’ve gotten used to it by now. And, really, I’d prefer some actual tree worshipping to money-tree worshiping.

One of reasons it no longer bothers me that some Christians disparage or attack our work is because of the energy I have received from colleagues in other faiths and even the secular realm. It has excited me that Earth-care has been an eco-ethical bridge between my denomination and others, between interfaith partners, and even between myself and atheists and secular allies. We all know that the future of our planet’s survival is at stake, so we build on that literal common ground, common water, and common air to forge new alliances for this Great Work of our time.

Something has changed

But since the inauguration of this country’s 45th president, I am noticing edges of what may be a disturbing new trend. A few of the people who I thought had been friends and allies in this Great Work have turned on me. And I fear this is a symptom of a much deeper systemic problem. I’ll share two examples.

Some of you may know I have a blog called EcoPreacher on Patheos.com where I write about issues such as climate change, politics, and popular culture from a faith perspective. As you can imagine I get a fair share of nasty comments from Trump-supporting trolls on my site. I’m used to them by now, too. But one piece I wrote was attacked by someone who I thought was my friend and ally. During the time of the March for Science back in April, I wrote a piece called “Religion and Science Can be Besties: It’s Time for New Friendships.” I made the case that people of faith can draw on the knowledge of science, and science can draw on the ethical values of faith in order to co-inform each other’s work as we are facing unprecedented global, regional and local environmental threats.

Didn’t see this one coming

But in response to this blog piece, a former colleague published a paper on an academic website that excoriated my premise and spent 12 single-spaced pages insisting that religion can in no way be a friend of science. She shot holes through my attempt to build a bridge between the two realms, and essentially slapped away the hand of friendship I had extended. She insisted that religion itself is the main reason we’re in the state we’re in, and lumped me in with all the right-wing Christian Trump supporters. What made it so hurtful is that she and I had been close allies in our work in Pennsylvania against fracking and in supporting a community that had been destroyed by the natural gas industry. Now here she was turning on me and my work in a very public way. I do realize that it’s actually not about me. I don’t take it personally. But it makes me ask:

What’s going on here?

Another example: a couple weeks ago I read something in an ecotheological essay that I wanted to share with a friend of mine who is a vegan and a staunch opponent of the meat industry. He and I had had previous discussions about whether or not the Bible supports eating meat or being vegan. So when I found a passage arguing that Christians foregoing animal sacrifice gave evidence of changing ideas about meat consumption among early Christians, I shared it to his Facebook page thinking he would really appreciate the quote. But instead, he responded: “Religions have steered our history to where we are now, none of them have earned a place in our future. The planet is running out of time, and I am running out of patience with lies!”

Only trying to help

bridge Again, I was only trying to help, to build a bridge, to reaffirm my commitment to our mutual cause of healing our planet and communities – human and other-than-human alike. Instead, he went into attack mode. He said that my religion, my faith, the very aspect of my life that has undergirded my environmental work was not only suspect, but was the reason we are in this crisis.

Certainly he has a point already made famous 50 years ago by an ecotheologian named Lynn White who argued that the Judeo-Christian tradition bears a huge responsibility for the state we’re in, and so we must bear the burden for healing the world. But what made my friend’s attack so hurtful was that he and I had known each other since high school. He has given helpful encouragement in my move away from eating meat. Now here he was turning on me and my faith in a very public way. Again, I don’t take it personally, but it does make me wonder: what is going on here?

Taking hits does not feel good

Before I can wrestle with that question, however, I have to admit that it does not feel good to take the hits. Clay jars can chip and fracture. What do you do when you are assailed by trolls on one side, chastised by fellow Christians on another, and then rebuffed and even attacked by secular friends on yet another side? What do you do when you’re attacked on all sides? And all while the Earth continues to burn?

If you’re like me, being attacked or criticized (either fairly or unfairly) alternately throws you into waves of self-doubt and anger against your haters. If the critiques are warranted, then we have to do an honest assessment and make readjustments if necessary.

But what concerns me is that former friends are turning on each other. And that creates in me panic-inducing despair about what’s really going on here. While we’re fighting among ourselves, the Powers continue to laugh and grow rich off the pillaging of the planet and its most vulnerable people.

Been there, done that?

Perhaps you, too, know what it feels like to have the best of intentions, to put your best foot forward, to try to do the right thing, only to be attacked. It can be so draining on your ministry when you know there is a problem needing attention, and you know you need to be focused on your work of healing our world, but you have to defend yourself against the people you thought were on your side. What do you do?

There are options.

One is to give up. Throw your hands in the air and say, “I quit. I’m done. There is no hope. I have nothing left.” And sometimes you do just need to take a break, nurse your wounds, and cocoon for a while.
Another option is to attack those who have hit us. But if you’re following the teachings of Jesus, you know hitting back just leads to escalation. Retaliation doesn’t help anyone.
Yet another option is self-justification. This is my weakness. What often happens for me is that I get sucked into the quicksand of trying to justify myself. But I have found this is futile, because the person has no interest in seeking common ground with me. You can learn from my mistakes on this one – there is no use in flailing with efforts of self-justification when you get into that quicksand. Because the more you move, the more it drags you under, and you suffocate under the weight of a thousand grains of sand.

A more helpful option.

So a fourth option – and the one that has worked for me – is this: be very still and call for help. Only someone who is on solid ground can throw you a rope and pull you out.

For me, scripture is one of those ropes. Time and again over these last few weeks, these words from Paul in 2 Corinthians have echoed in my mind:

8We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. . . .16So we do not lose heart. . .17For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, 18because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4, NRSV)

“What cannot be seen is eternal.”

I know this might seem to be of little comfort now, but your ministry, your work to heal our planet is having unseen eternal effects because it is the work of the divine force of love and goodness, however you may name that force. So even if you are beset on all sides, please keep doing what you are doing. Because you carry the message in the bottle – the treasure in clay jars – to the ones in the future who will need to know what it looks like to not give up, and not to self-destruct with in-fighting.

And let there be no doubt – there will be a future.

Certainly, it will look very different from what we know now. And it will be a difficult, heart-breaking future. But there will be a holy remnant. And they will need everything we can give them to learn how to survive.

We do have to be realistic – this is going to get real ugly, real quick. We are in the midst of an unraveling of our democracy. We are witnessing the rapid feedback loop of climate change and the unraveling of the ecological systems that support life on this planet. It’s no wonder that former friends are now turning on each other. That heretofore silent enemies are now coming out of the shadows. And that visible enemies are even louder and more forceful, emboldened by their leaders to speak and act with impunity.

Who’s the real enemy?

To use a metaphor from popular culture, sometimes it feels like we’re in the Hunger Games where a sadistic and evil power has put us and our comrades into an arena to profit from our fighting each other to the death. So we need a Finnick O’Dair moment where he reminds Katniss: “Remember who the real enemy is.” I am not your enemy. I am not here to fight you. We are on the same side. We are fighting for the same thing.

Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart.

Do not lose heart.

And don’t go it alone out there. Clay jars are sturdy, but can be broken. Be sure to surround yourself with people who you can trust and who will look out for you. And you do the same for them. Who are your go-to people? The ones who “get” you, the ones in whom you can confide your angst and frustration, but will neither feed into it, nor diminish it. Instead, they will throw you a rope, and help you find the steady ground. Maybe they’ll even help point you to the next safe step.

And they will remind you that even when we are afflicted in every way, we are not crushed. When we are perplexed, we refuse to be driven to despair. When we are persecuted, we are not forsaken. When we are struck down, we will not be destroyed.

You are the clay jars carrying the treasure

And if you happen to be a Christian, remember that you carry in your body the death of Jesus. You are carrying the message in a bottle, a treasure in clay jars. Which means the life of Jesus is being made visible in your body, in your ministry, in your blogs, in your protests, in your sermons, in your breaking of the bread, in your love of your enemy, in your care for God’s Creation.

Thanks be to God, the light is still shining in the darkness. Do not lose heart! The light is shining in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Leah D. Schade, EcoPreacher

Leah D. Schade is the Assistant Professor of Preaching and Worship at Lexington Theological Seminary (Kentucky) and author of the book Creation-Crisis Preaching: Ecology, Theology, and the Pulpit (Chalice Press, 2015).

Leah will be presenting at the Wild Goose Festival in Hot Spring, NC, July 14 and 15! Her session info is available here: http://wildgoosefestival.org/sessions17-24/. Enter the special code BEMYGUEST for a 25% discount on tickets!

You can follow Leah on Twitter at @LeahSchade, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LeahDSchade/.

Photo credits:

Featured image was created by the author using a photograph entitled “Jars” by Oasty40 on flickr.com. https://www.flickr.com/photos/oatsy40/. Some rights reserved.

“Quin Bridge” by Dave Kavanagh, on flickr.com. Public domain. https://www.flickr.com/photos/142089943@N07/

Previous Post

June 18, 2017

Not Your Mother's "Wonder Woman": A Feminist Review

Next Post

June 23, 2017 Preaching Hagar and Ishmael when Philando is on Screen

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Academy of Homiletics Addiction Advent AI (Artificial Intelligence) Animals Apocalypse Appalachia Ash Wednesday Baptism Bible Black Lives Matter Blade Runner Book review Children in church Christian Nationalism Christian/Islamic relations Christmas Church Clergy Climate change COVID-19 Creation Data Centers Death penalty Devotional Dialogue Doubt Earth Day Easter Ecofeminism EcoPreacher 1-2-3 ELCA ELCA Youth Gathering Election Environment/ecology Epiphany Faith Faith and Politics Feminism Film review Food Food and Faith Forgiveness Fracking Good Friday Good Omens Grief Gun violence Holy Humor Sunday Holy Week Howard Thurman ICE Immigration Indigenous wisdom Interview Jesus Kentucky Lafayette High School Marching Band Leadership Lent LGBTQIA+ Marching band Martin Luther Martin Luther King Jr. Mary Maundy Thursday Michael Sheen Mother of Jesus Nature New Year's Eve Palm Sunday Parables Pentecost Poem, Poetry Politics Poor People's Campaign Pop culture Prayers Preaching Progressive Christianity Public theology Purple Zone Racism and White Privilege Religion Religion and environment Religion and politics Religion and pop culture Religion and violence Rev. Nelson Rabell Gonzalez Sermons Spanish language resources for preaching Technology Thanksgiving Theological education theology Trees Trump Uncategorized Vegan War Women and religion Workshop Worship

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Where was Jesus praying the night before He was crucified?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Galilee The Garden of Gethsemane Antioch Tarsus

Books by This Author Books by Leah D. Schade

See All Titles »