Sermon - The Rev. Leah D. Schade
Reformation Lutheran Church, Media, PA
7-13-08
Sermon Series: Mountaintop Experiences
Mt. Ararat and Noah
Intro - Name famous mountains. (ask listeners)
What’s it like on top of the mountain? (ask for sharing of experiences from
listeners)
Mountains in the Bible were extremely significant, as they were for all
ancient peoples: Mountains are naturally assigned religious
significance and symbolism for three main reasons: 1) their height
projecting above the surrounding area, 2) the feeling of grandiosity
and awe one experiences upon viewing a mountain from a distance; and 3) the
vista of the sky and the earth when standing on top of the mountain that is
unmatched at lower levels.
In fact, the ancient peoples of Egypt, Babylon and in the Mayan culture of
South America thought so highly of mountains that they attempted to create
their own. Man-made mountains can be seen in the form of pyramids,
ziggarats, and massive temples. It was felt that by ascending a holy
mountain, one could encounter the great sky-god. Heaven and earth appear
to come closest on a mountain. So it is no wonder that sacred peaks
figure prominently in the biblical story.
This summer we’ll be touring these lofty heights - beginning today with Noah
on Mt. Ararat, onto Abraham and Isaac on Mt. Moriah, then Moses on Mt. Sinai
and Mt. Nebo. Then Pastor Smoose will take up the mountains of the
New Testament.
But before we begin our tour of these mountains, let’s think about how
mountains are formed. Mountains are created over long periods of time by
tremendous forces in the earth. The Earth's crust is made up of 6 huge
slabs called plates, which fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. When two slabs of
the Earth's crust smash into each other the land can be pushed upwards, forming
mountains. Many of the greatest mountain ranges of the world have formed
because of enormous collisions between continents. Other geological
forces that help to create mountains include volcanoes, erosion, and disturbances
or uplifts in the earth's crust.
There are five basic kinds of mountains:
1. dome,
2. fold,
3. fault-block,
4. plateau mountains
5. volcanic
Our tour begins with one of these mountains formed from a volcano - Mt. Ararat.
(show picture board) Ararat is the tallest peak in what is now
modern-day Turkey. It is a dormant volcano, and its last eruption was on
June 2, 1840. At present the upper third of the mountain is covered with snow
and ice throughout the year. The mountain is unique, because it is a
year-round snow-capped mountain in the middle of a dessert.
The fact that it is named as the resting site of the ark after the
flood indicates that Mt. Ararat was regarded as the highest point of
the world in that region. And with a height of (16,946 feet) above sea
level, it is definitely one of the highest points in that area of the
world.
One of the things I appreciate about the Noah story is its abundance of
archetypes, or symbols, that are common themes in nearly all the world’s religions
and cultures. There are six of these archetypes in this story: the
great flood; the humongous sea-going vessel on the water (representing the womb
carrying life across the birth waters); the lone hero/survivor in the face of
total destruction; the mountain top; the dove and olive branch symbolizing
peace and hope; and, of course, the rainbow, which has as many interpretations
as there are colors, but for the biblical story, it symbolizes God’s promise
and covenant never to destroy the earth again.
What you may not know is that the Biblical references to a great flood and
Noah’s ark have remarkable parallels in many other archaic myths found around
the world. The story of Noah's ark, as it is told in the Old Testament, is
actually a reworking of an earlier Babylonian myth recorded in the Gilgamesh
Epic. The stories are nearly identical, save for the names of the
characters.
In Greek mythology, there is a story of a eerily similar
cataclysmic event in which a hero builds a boat to survive a great
flood. In fact, more than 500 deluge legends are known around the
world on nearly every continent. Why are there so many flood
stories? With so much similarity, historians have concluded that there
must have been some global cataclysmic event very early in human history, maybe
as early as 9500 BCE.
There are different theories as to what caused this global catastrophe.
Some geologists think there may have been a huge shift in those tectonic plates
I mentioned earlier, causing devastating flooding. Others posit that a
comet or some other cosmic object impacted the earth resulting in earthquakes,
volcanic activity and abrupt climate change. But whatever the
reason, there is little doubt that the earth was covered by a deluge that wiped
out civilizations around the world, leaving only a remnant of humanity behind
to survive, rebuild, and repopulate the earth.
A few weeks ago, our Vacation Bible School focused on the story of Noah as part
of its theme. It is one of the most popular stories of the Old Testament.
Kids love the story because of all the animals floating together in a big
sea-going zoo. The ark theme is popular for children’s rooms.
I remember shopping for baby stuff for Rachel and seeing an abundance of cute
renditions of the ark with adorable animals poking their heads out of the
windows and smiling from the deck.
But if you really ponder the logistics of the whole thing, it really
seems quite absurd and impossible. Just think about how many living
creatures Noah would have had to collect and fit on that ark. Here’s a
list:
“7000 species of worms
50,000 species of arachnids
900,000 species of insects
2500 species of amphibians
6000 species of reptiles
8600 species of birds
and 3500 species of mammals
plus food for one and all.” (Walker, Symbols, p. 85)
How big would that boat have to be. Here’s the thing: “The only
vessel truly capable of holding all these is Spaceship Earth,” (Walker,
Symbols, p. 85). And this is where we begin to climb the mountain
ourselves and get a different perspective on this sacred legend. The
story of Noah’s ark, while based on a true episode from ancient history,
actually has greater significance for our planet today, especially in light of
the current environmental crises facing our world.
In fact, it’s not just the environmental crisis. It is a convergence
of global crises swirling into a perfect storm on the horizon. The
cost of our primary source of energy - fossil fuels - is draining the
world economy as it is simultaneously running out. The explosion of the
human population is about to reach unsustainable levels. And, yes,
ecological issues regarding water supplies, global warming, garbage and
pollution are threatening the health of the planet itself. Add to this
the accompanying threats of terrorism and war as a result of these basic
conflicts over land and resources, and you can see that we are, once again,
facing a flood of catastrophic proportions. A flood of people, a flood of
poverty, a flood of violence, and yes, the actual flooding of the coastlands
and river beds around the world. But this time the flood is not coming from
God. It’s coming from man. As Jesus alluded to in our gospel
reading, we may, indeed, be on the verge of the end of an age.
What does this mean for us? And what does this mean
for the church in the decades ahead. We’re going to see our lifestyles
radically altered in the coming years. There will be drastic changes in
how we live, what we can afford, and what we do to survive. And for many
people, it will be a matter of survival. In fact, for a large portion of
the world’s people, it already is a question of basic survival.
If this is so - then the church must serve as an ark, not just for
humanity, but for all creation. All species of plants and animals
should be able to find refuge through the holy ark of the Church. And
this is already happening. More and more, you will see and hear religious
communities “going green”, as they come to view ecological issues as justice
issues for the poor, and for the voiceless among God’s creatures. This is
why our congregation has established an Eco Ministry to address these concerns
and look at ways our church and our members can adapt to a more sustainable way
of life.
In terms of more immediate danger, there is also the urgency among religious
communities to be prepared for disasters when they happen. Our church is
among them. We have trained 20 people to be certified volunteers for
disaster assistance through the Red Cross. Eric Lucas, our Emergency and Disaster
Preparedness Coordinator is constantly thinking of how our church can help its
members and the community to be ready when emergencies happen. When God
warned Noah about the impending disaster, we’re not told how many other people
God tried to warn, but who did not heed the call to prepare. Even Noah’s
urgent pleas to his neighbors to prepare were laughed off as the crazy doomsday
scare tactics of a lunatic. But fortunately the warnings today are not
being dismissed.
And when there are catastrophes, the ark of the Church is there to
assist people, restore some sense of sanity, provide aid and relief,
and help to rebuild. We’ve seen that happen over and over again,
whether they are tsunami victims in southeast Asia, AIDS orphans in Africa, flood
victims in New Orleans and along the Mississipi, or victims of poverty in
Chester. The ark of the Church is there for
them, sending forth the dove of peace, and pointing to the rainbow
overhead promising God’s ever-present20care.
Yes, today we are on Mt. Ararat to take in the view, to remember the story, and
to be reminded that God does indeed care for us. It’s the mountaintop
experiences of faith that help to sustain us in the dark valleys of fear; in
the emergency rooms waiting for medical care; in the deserts of poverty waiting
for relief; and in the hot, crowded ark praying for ourselves and all the
creatures hoping to survive along with us.
Keep your eyes on the mountains in the distance. Keep your eyes on the
sky. And be on the lookout for rainbows, even as the rains of the flood
begin to fall. Because God has promised to be with us, no matter what we
face. And that promise is refracted by millions upon millions of tiny
prism droplets in the sky, forming the colors of the rainbow that fill us with
hope once again. Amen.
Sources:
Walker, Barbara G., The Woman’s Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred
Objects, HarperSanFrancisco, 1988
Walker, Barbara G., The Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets,
HarperSanFrancisco, 1983
www.sacredsites.com/middle_east/turkey/ararat.htm
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/mountains/types.htm