25 Sep SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2022

There’s a board game called Creature Comforts. Players pretend to be woodland animals collecting items for winter. To paraphrase the publisher’s description, “For three seasons, life in the forest is fun…while the sun is shining and leaves are on the trees.”

“But those days don’t last forever. Long before the weather changes, wise animals harvest for the long cold season ahead. Many months will be spent tucked in a burrow. Why not make it cozy as possible? A nice bowl of soup, a comfy rocking chair, some toys and games go a long way toward making dark winter days pass quickly.” 

During each round players send family members out into the forest with the intent of gaining supplies. If they fall short of their goal, they learn a lesson and are better prepared for next time. The family creating the most comfortable den wins. 

Do you see any parallels between the game and today’s gospel passage? While on earth, six players from one family, all males, had the aim of stocking up on creature comforts: fine clothing, excellent food and other things to make life fun. In every season, they dressed well, buying clothes made of the softest materials dyed the richest color. 

One in particular stored up enough to feast well everyday while at the entrance of his burrow lay a poor creature who fell short of the goal. As a player, Lazarus didn’t learn his lesson. Covered in sores, he resembled the lazy grasshopper in Aesop’s Fables. 

What had Lazarus been doing while the busy brothers worked? Of course he was hungry now and wished for what fell from the rich man’s table. Poor creature. He was supposed to learn from failure and do better each season. But according to the gospel text, though Lazarus was a “loser” in life, he becomes a winner once each player’s turn is up, their respective moves are analyzed, and their score in heaven is tallied.

What game is God playing that allows dogs to lick the sores of a poor man or allows flies to land on starving children? The objective of the game seems cruel even if it does teach this powerful lesson. Look. Before it’s too late, before you suffer, do not fail to recognize those who starve, are dying, and so less fortunate than you. Tend to them. Change their plight. Don’t just pity them, criticize the cause of their tragedy or worse, judge them for their loss.

God also invented a game called Creature Comforts, but the idea was not for one family to win, but every creature to gain a reasonable amount of what’s needed plus comfort. Confirmation students are learning lessons from the “Wilderness School” where the Israelites ate manna and were taught:

“We own nothing. All is God’s. All is gift. God gives enough for all to be shared by all. Hoarding causes rot. It stinks. What life is all about is friendship with God, friendship with others, and friendship with nature.” An excerpt from the text: Manna and Mercy, by Daniel Erlander, Augsburg Fortress, 1992, page 9. 

God declared the winner to be the poor man. In victory he was carried away by angels to be with Abraham. When the rich man’s turn was over, he enjoyed no comfort. He was tormented seeing Lazarus in the winner’s circle. He still didn’t understand God’s way of ranking players. The rich man paid respect to Abraham, addressing him by title and affording him status. 

In Hades, the rich man could no longer look down on Lazarus as he had on earth. He literally had to look up to see him. Yet he still expected Lazarus to wait upon and serve him. Father Abraham, “Have him fetch a bit of water to cool my hot tongue, will you? Let Lazarus relieve my agony.”

Abraham reminded the rich man that during his time of play, he advanced and collected all manner of good things while Lazarus lost his turn numerous times, collected no goods, and suffered no less than a proper trouncing. He was beaten severely, punished horribly and decisively defeated.

At the afterparty, Lazarus was given celebrity status while the rich man received no trophy, and was instead, disgraced. A great chasm separated the once two opposing teams. And now, there’d be no trading places. As a last ditch effort, the rich man begs for an intercessor with the hope that his teammates will be warned and avoid the same fate. 

God himself came to bridge the chasm.

Look at what God does in response. When people failed to listen to Moses and the prophets, Jesus Christ appeared. God himself came to bridge the chasm, to warn others against hoarding and to intercede for family members still living in the forest. 

The law, aka the rules of the game, specified that players could consult Moses and the prophets for guidance. No advice from former teammates allowed. Those who don’t share are disqualified, deemed losers and punished for playing poorly, not being poor.

The second reading seems to bridge the first with the gospel. The future will hold harsh suffering for those who won’t share but offer comfortable repose for those forced to do without while playing the game. The end goal of God’s game called Creature Comforts is for all to have what they need and none to have too much.  

Perhaps some questions to ask are these: “How much creature comfort is enough?” Is a burrow full of stuff what really brings happiness? How does happiness compare with satisfaction? 

I can give you a clear example of the difference between happiness and satisfaction. When my son was already in school and his younger sister wasn’t, I enrolled her in preschool with hopes of working part-time. 

But Bess didn’t adjust to preschool as well as I’d hoped. After numerous calls from her teacher Ms. Charity, it became clear the time wasn’t right.

I had to adjust, not Bess. Afterward, I remember saying to myself, “I’m not as happy about being home again FT as I was thinking about going to work. But I am satisfied.” I felt satisfied knowing Bess was happy. 

Money couldn’t buy our family peace of mind or afford us the kind of ease our daughter’s contentment could. We live in a society that encourages every player to earn a place of ease, to set the same goals as the rich man: satisfaction with regard to lying around, eating, drinking and indulging our senses while others don’t have what they need, much less creature comfort. 

Suffering only ends well when God’s in charge. Like a dungeon master in Dungeons and Dragons, God decides what effect players’ actions will have. God understands the rules thoroughly and knows the ultimate outcome. As master, each session is prepared with certain goals in mind. 

Listen as Timothy describes the field. The object of the game is contentment combined with godliness. Players contribute nothing, but will experience great gain if they combine these two elements of play. Throughout the game players will receive food and clothing. Be content with these. 

Falling into temptation, that is, desiring more will lead to being trapped and experiencing harm. Knocked senseless, ruin and loss will lead to destruction. 

God plays banker. Eagerness to gain money does not lead to winning. It causes players to wander far from faith and be pierced with many pains. 

Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. A good confession is worth more than many riches. At the right time, each player will be rewarded with everything for their enjoyment. Take turns doing good works. Be ready to share and generous. Roll dice hoping in God, not riches. 

What is gained is worth having and real: life. Immortality and light dwells only in God. Enjoy creature comforts but only store for yourselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future. Everything else is short term gain and uncertainty. 

You see, the game isn’t cruel. It’s just. The manufacturer thought it would be fun to let everyone win. This week I read a good book on grief called The Long Way Home written and illustrated by a local woman named Cindy Allgyer. In it she says, “The blessing of sharing can bring an awareness that others need you, you need others and that we all need God.” 

When we don’t share we miss out on that entire blessing. How often do we fail to realize that all players in life are on the same team? We’re not broken into family groups for competition, but to live together through every season in one large burrow called earth. The object of the game is: Help every creature have what they need so none lay in want, suffering. 

Would God give dogs sores to lick and flies places to lay eggs and not take care of human beings? Surely not. As the psalmist said, “Put not your trust in rulers or mortals. Your help and hope is God, who keeps promises forever, gives justice, food and freedom to the oppressed, hungry and captive.

Physical blindness is assessed by doing an E-Y-E exam. Spiritual blindness is determined by examining just one letter, the letter “I”.  Ask yourself, “Do I lack awareness when it comes to feeling responsible? Do I refuse when asked to help, avoid ads or pleas to alleviate the suffering of innocent creatures?” If so, you may be blind. Do our churches lack vision? Are we aware of who lies nearby, suffering? How can we discover what they need that may bring comfort? Let’s begin with prayer. 

Lord, open our eyes to those who are bowed down. Help us see the stranger, orphan and widow as you do. We don’t want to ignore pleas or silent cries for help because you love righteousness. Throughout all generations, bridge the great divide of winners and losers, haves and have-nots. 

Bring families together and quell competition. Give every creature a home and fill it with goods so that “everyone has enough and no one has too much.” Give to every player and creature according to your just nature, generous mercy and loving compassion. In your holy name we pray. Amen.