Sermon Illustrations

BETRAYAL

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Betrayal

TUESDAY MORNING regular column by R. DAVID STEELE

 

It was 8:30, so the fellows turned to me: “What shall we talk about today?" I replied, “Betrayal!”
This group in our church defies definition. In the bulletin, we call it the “Men’s Breakfast Group” for lack of a better
moniker. Sometimes, it doesn’t even show up in the Annual Report, because it has no officers and, hence, no report writer.

Basically, a group of men meet in a home at 8 a.m. for breakfast on a Saturday. At 8:30, they begin to talk about
something or other. At 9:30, they quit and decide to meet again in two weeks. That’s it. If some Saturday the group
does not decide to have another meeting, that’s OK, too.

Every now and then, someone suggests that the group get organized: have officers, set up a schedule of meetings for the year, take on a church project, etc. It’s thumbs down every time. The gang refuses to become  institutionalized.

My job as pastor is to set the topic for discussion. The men will allow me up to five minutes to do so. Then, I am to get out of the way and let them go at it. They are never at a loss for words. I like the arrangement. Where else can you find a group of folk who are willing to explore, for an hour, a subject that interests you?

So, I said to them that day, “The subject is betrayal.” I explained that our Lent committee had been talking about
Jesus and Judas. I was wondering to what extent we contemporary people have experienced betrayal. So, I asked
them, “Have you ever felt betrayed? When?”

I HAD TO LEAP out of the way. The reaction was hot, heavy and animated. Yes, these men knew how it felt to be betrayed. No question about it. I guess I expected a conversation that would center around parents, children or
spouses. That’s not what I got. Those folks leaped immediately to expose the betrayer that they believed impinged
most diabolically upon their lives: the corporation!

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Theirs was a remarkably common story. In their 20s and early 30s, they had signed up with the corporation. They
had invested long hours, sacrificed their family life, given their talents to the company. They had anticipated that
when they reached their 50s and 60s they would find themselves in a position of honor, respect and trust. But it had not turned out that way.

Two of the men had moved into early retirement via executive buyout schemes. They felt demeaned. Others found company perks for long-timers dwindling. Instead of operating in a climate of honor and respect, these men believed they were tolerated at best. They felt betrayed.

These men are all sharp and read The Wall Street Journal daily. They know why all this is happening. They

understand the corporate world in the booming ’50s is not the same as in the belt-tightening ’80s. They understand the rules have changed, and why they have, but still they feel betrayed.

“Lee” found the discussion fascinating. He’s Hispanic and Catholic and operates in a very different world from the rest of us. He heads a large Hispanic self-help group in the city. A few years ago, he stumbled into our group — sort of by accident. He likes it. “My regular contact with Anglos,” he says.

Lee commented, “All day long I work with young Hispanics who feel they must operate in a world that does not respect or honor them. Now I hear you fellows at the heart of the establishment saying the same thing. Amazing!”

’Twas rather an interesting comment — and intriguing. But most intriguing was Lee’s final thought, just as the meeting was breaking up: “Given your feelings, I could make revolutionaries of you fellows in half a day!”

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In Presbyterian Outlook