Isaiah 42:5-9; Matt 5:17-26

This service, with its associated pageantry, makes clear statements about the place of law and of religion in the life of the community. Indeed it emphasises the way that law and religion interact for the common good. The signs are that both will be hotly debated in these opening decades of the 21st century.

Despite the best efforts of people like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, religion just will not go away. That is not to say that religious voices and religious messages are heard in the wider community with any degree of clarity. Professor Mona Siddiqui (Professor of Islamic Studies and Public Understanding at Glasgow University) opens a recent article on Sharia in the following way:-

"Religious voices are either ignored or sensationalised; they are rarely heard with careful consideration."

In his recent remarks, the Archbishop of Canterbury was calling for some kind of "constructive accommodation" of Muslim practice. The furious reaction of so many people suggests that the question was always lurking beneath the surface; having it articulated has released a tidal wave of fear and mistrust. The Archbishop has expressed regret for mis-judgement and un-intended offence. But he stands by the substance of his remarks.

Curiously, the reaction to what he has said also challenges the long-held belief, in this country and in Western Europe, namely that religion is essentially a private matter. It is certainly true that large swathes of the population do not want to hear religious voices and do not know how to respond when they do hear them. But religious attitudes, and the traditions that form those attitudes, appear to matter very much indeed to the language, customs and morality of our society.

For example, the King James Bible has deeply enriched the English language over the centuries; the history and the heritage of the Christian Church has shaped Western civilisation and the culture in which we now live, even as that culture undergoes rapid change.

Similarly, the fearfulness that many feel towards Islam is shaped, negatively, by the perceived traditions of a crude, medieval interpretation of Sharia, the madness of extreme fundamentalists; but also, more positively, by the devotion of ordinary, and often uneducated, Muslims to the observance of the law and the importance of daily prayer.

The need to take account of the past, the lessons learnt, the wisdom accumulated, the tradition refined, is a theme common to both readings this morning.

Through the prophecy of Isaiah the Lord God reminds his people of the tradition in which they had for centuries been regarded as chosen, and therefore privileged:
I am the Lord. I have called you in righteousness…I have taken you by the hand and kept you…I have given you as a covenant to the people (42:6)

The prophet goes on to announce that change is in the air:
See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.

The message is clear: You have a special place in the heart of God; have regard to the past; but be aware that new revelation is about to be disclosed to you.

And in the gospel reading, Jesus speaks in similar tones:
You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, "you shall not murder"…but I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement. (5:21-22)

The simple generalisations of the Mosaic commandments are now to be far more specific and exacting for individuals living in society. The Incarnation, the Word made flesh, the life, death and resurrection of Christ bring us all into a new relationship with God. The I/thou relationship will from this moment onwards be characterised by the workings of the inner man just as much as the outer man. The outward observance of the law will no longer be sufficient.

In the new Messianic era, as we await the last things, there will be new revelation, and in the teaching of Christ, his death and his resurrection we see the way this revelation is moving. Nothing less than the transformation of the heart and the mind is required of us.

Here in the Sermon on the Mount we hear Christ's exploration of this transformation:
You have heard it said, but I say to you….

I take that emphatic statement of Jesus to mean that we will see and feel new things, that God will reveal himself in wisdom and in love and by unexpected means in the generations to come. And if we stand by our faith, and remain constant in our hope for the eternal things, we shall come to no harm.

Armed with this assurance, why then can we not consider the faith systems of other world religions without compromising for one moment the gospel we proclaim?

The day before the Archbishop delivered his controversial lecture to an audience of London lawyers, I was invited to the Chapelfield mosque here in Norwich. I enjoyed speaking with two British-born, highly-educated imams.
In a concluding remark I suggested that we should never allow ourselves to fudge our respective beliefs in the interest of forming good relations. It was well received.

However and wherever a dialogue develops between Christians and Muslims - and it is essential that it does - it must be on the basis that we do not believe in the same god; and yet there is much to be gained from dialogue. Christians believe that God has revealed himself to us fully in his Son Jesus Christ who is for us the Way, the Truth and the Life. We receive that revelation in the power of his Holy Spirit who gives life to our souls and bodies, and encourages us in our longing for God. This re-assures educated Muslims that Christians not only understand their faith but are prepared to articulate it.

Understanding, trust, mutual respect will be the vehicles of God's continuing disclosure to us as individuals and as communities. If this means exploring ways in which people can live comfortably and equably together then might not some aspects of the law accommodate to this in certain areas as already applies to the Christian churches? The prophets like Isaiah said uncomfortable things; others like Jeremiah and Jonah were derided and thrown into prison. Perhaps we should honour those who courageously speak words of prophecy, and search for glimpses of new disclosure of God's will in what they say. Let the discussion continue.

For those of us in the Christian tradition we can make use of this penitential season of Lent in which we set aside self-interest and the demons that follow us. These few weeks before Easter allow new thought and prayer around how to be a servant Church, serving not our own needs, but those of the whole community.

More sermons, modern and historical, available in Norwich Cathedral Library

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