Now, there is a phrase that has been re-defined
in the last few days.

More on that later,
but first,
I want to talk about the feeling of those words
in another context.

Shock and Awe.
I think the phrase speaks accurately
of the response to the actions of Jesus
in today's Gospel story.

We see Jesus enter the Temple
during Passover
and mount a surgical strike on
what Walter Brueggeman calls the "Magisterium";
that is the conspiracy of religious
and secular leaders which used
the Temple at Jerusalem
for their own purposes.

Jesus purposefully walks in
and interdicts the means by which
sacrifices are made.

That system, originally intended to be a means
by which mortals showed their attentiveness
to their God through ritual sacrifice
of the best they had,
had degenerated into a tool
of ambition, greed,
and exploitation of the people.

Jesus, in fact, calls it "a den of thieves",
and promises to replace it with himself
as a means of direct contact for anyone
with their God.

He made a little cord whip,
the normal means of directing animals,
and removed them from the Temple,
where they would have been sacrificed
that day.

Note that he takes the place of the animals
as the sacrificial lamb at Passover.

Then, he turned over the tables
of those who exchanged Roman Coin
for Temple Script,
with which to purchase the animals
and pay the Temple authorities.

The action hit the whole complex system
in its place of vulnerability
and insured that none of the rituals
could be performed that day.

And, he created this scene at Pentecost, no less,
when 10s of thousands of people
would have been crowded into the Temple area;
and, believe me, they were shocked and awed.

Such is evident by the fact
that all 4 Gospel writers tell the story, and we still read it 2000 years later.

Note, if you will,
that even though forceful and resolute,
this assault was designed
to interdict the operation
of a dysfunctional system
and not to hurt people or even animals.

It was directed toward changing the hearts
of all who witnessed the act
or heard the story.

It had a price, of course.

It was, in Matthew, Mark, and Luke,
the direct cause of the arrest and death of Jesus.
In John, today's Gospel,
it takes place at the beginning of his ministry,
and is it's defining moment.

He did it all out of obedience to God
and compassion and love for the people,

and the people and the Gospel writers
were shocked and awed.

Perhaps they felt something
as did we on Friday,
or, even as did the leadership in Baghdad.

I have witnessed carpet bombings by B-52's,
but have never even imagined such
a concentrated application of firepower,
delivered robotically, from such a distance,
as we have seen over the last few days,
and, I was shocked and awed.

The world, in fact, was shocked and awed.

But, there are huge uncertainties here.
First of all, we will be called a bully,
arrogant in the use of our power
against a 2nd rate state.

There will be more demonstrations,
more hate, more anti-US invective;
some from our own people.

Healing will be necessary.

Then there are:
The Turks and the Kurds
The Special Republican Guard
Poison Gas and Biological Weapons
the ashes of diplomacy around the world
The occupation and rebuilding of Iraq
The establishment of a new chapter
for better or for worse
in the sorry tale of the Middle East
and South West Asia.

The ripples, no, "Tidal Waves",
from this week
will be felt for a century.

So, this is our new world,
our new long term challenge,
and it is what it is.

Perhaps this pre-emptive war was necessary
under our newly defined, post 9-11 doctrine
of responding to escalating threat
in a shrinking world.

But, whether or not you agree with that doctrine
this is now our world.

So, what do we, specifically as Christians, do?

Christians are called to pray for all people,
so,
pray for All people.

Pray for the children of Iraq
who have suffered so very much under
the sanctions.
Pray for our men and women who go in harm's way,
for, the worst is yet to come.
Pray for our country, that we might be united
in our willingness to tolerate disagreement.
Pray for our leadership, and that of other nations,
that diplomatic schism might be healed.
Pray for our own hearts
that we might become more, and not less, human.
and, pray even for Sadam Hussein,
an evil man, but perhaps one, alive or dead,
who is not yet beyond the touch of God.
Pray for the Nation Iraq might one day become.
Pray for Arabs and Jews
Kurds and Turks,
Sunnis and Shiites, Black and White,

and, in so praying, and in so caring,
we, ourselves, will be remade
into the image of the Christ,

who knew what humankind as yet does not
how to wield power while doing no harm;
who showed compassion and active love
to his enemies,
who gave all he had for all of them,
and changed the hearts of many.

So, for us, at the deeper level
what might victory look like?

perhaps the measure of our success
in this Iraqi venture
will be that more children will be fed next month
than were fed last month,
more schools will be open,
more hospitals staffed.

Perhaps there will be more artists painting
more musicians playing,
more singing in the streets.

Perhaps there will be as much
gentleness and compassion
shown on the newscasts next Friday
as there was violence last Friday.

We have to be seen to establish
a civilian, accountable government,
wish them well,
and leave, turning our backs on their oil;

and, perhaps, the greatest dream of all
could be the opening of new possibilities
for peace in the Middle East;

that, perhaps, having removed
Israel's chief threat,
that country can stand down a bit,
and they and the Palestinians
can begin to found a new
and just arrangement.

Perhaps a measure of our success
will be a unified welcome home
for our warriors,
that their hearts and minds
might not be twisted by the experience.

Those who have seen the detritus of combat
will need the affirmation and loving welcome
of all people of this nation,
hawk and dove, Arab and Jew,
war supporter or war resister alike.

If we do not this well,
they will take 20 years
and pass many monsters
on their Odyssey to reach home.

And, perhaps a mark of success of this venture
could be a new willingness to address
unfinished business much closer to home;
the tyranny of abuse of power
in our own homes and relationships,
interrupting the formation
of true human community and family,

the tyranny of rich over poor,
the tyranny of presuming ourselves
the most important people
ever to become rich and self satisfied,
and thereby isolating ourselves
from the pain and need
and humanity of others.

We will know how successful
we will have been in this venture in Iraq
when we see how much
we have learned to pray,
and to allow God to define us,
rather than the other way around;

For, over the years,
we will be seen for who we are;
and, who we are
will be determined by how we pray.

And, then one day, out there in God's future,
much of the world will stand in shock and awe
as they see us as we truly want to be;

seen clothed in garments
of fairness and justice
rather than our hi-tech battle dress;

our actions perceived as being characterized by
compassion and generosity
rather than engaging
targets of opportunity;

our character perceived as formed
of humility and selflessness
rather than dependant
on our success in battle.

So, pray, brothers and sisters,
write, speak, and act in our places of influence
as members of God's household of faith;

that what we apparently now must do
will not become the last word
in the definition of our humanity;

for, God was in one completely faithful
Jewish man,

who one day, at Passover,
with the goodness of God
and the soft stroke of a cord
wrote a new chapter in God's relationship with humankind
and raised forever
the potential of human endeavor;

and much of the world,
you and I, for sure,

still stand
in shock and awe.