Extremism... is No Vice? - Pastor Randy Lewis

Sermon delivered on Sunday, August 12, 2012, at All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Pastor Randy Lewis, Student Minister. SERMON DESCRIPTION It has been said, “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice; moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue." The quote implies that for the sake of liberty, extremism can be justified. For liberty’s sake, we’ve seen passions inflamed, innocence sacrificed, and violence encouraged. And yet, there are a few who question whether we are better for it. We all have our stories about where we come from, how we got here, and where we are headed. And we often live in those stories, choosing to believe that which we’ve concluded to be the truth. Often, we respond to each other based on our created stories; and after we have told them enough times, at some point, the actual truth is immaterial. This is a predicament that many of us face, impaired by our own sense of truth or what is right. There are those in our nation who are polarized because of what they have chosen to believe about our country, politics, religion, and one another. As a result, we have seen incivility, where the reasonable become unreasonable and the fair and balanced become uncompromising, partial, and unstable. I ponder the scripture that states, “A house divided cannot stand.” How can we remain so uncompromising, so transfixed in our own sense of what is right and, at the same time, continue to stand together as a nation? While many may no longer believe it, I say there is hope. Join me this Sunday, as we consider what is possible! SUBSCRIBE TO PODCAST: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/all-souls-unitarian-church/id193096943 VIEW ON YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/AllSoulsUnitarian?feature=mhee SUBSCRIBE TO WATCH OTHER VIDEOS: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=allsoulsunitarian GIVE A DONATION TO HELP US SPREAD THIS LOVE BEYOND BELIEF: http://www.allsoulschurch.org/make-a-donation1 LET’S CONNECT: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allsoulstulsa Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/asuctulsa https://twitter.com/RandyLewis3 All Souls Church Website: http://www.allsoulschurch.org