C. Eric Lincoln, Charles Petty, and A. Kenneth Pye - "Message" Service of Thanksgiving for the Release of Hostages in Iran (January 21, 1981)

This service is composed of three short reflections on the event of the Iranian Hostage Crisis. In the first one, the speaker connects the freedom won for the hostages back to the principles of freedom and liberty established at the time of the American revolution and then, finally, back to the freedom won by Jesus on the cross. The second one is an exhortation to rejoice for the hostages but simultaneously set ourselves to the task of knowing the world in which we live in lest we repeat history due to ignorance. And the third is a reflection on the nature of power, arguing that true power must be wielded peacefully. He finishes by commending the US for doing just that. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)

Sermon start time: (Part 1) 39:33. Sermon end time: (Part 1) 1:00:30.

Key quotation: “This man called Jesus would say, ‘It is finished.’ What was finished? Freedom buying, liberation for all people.” // “Let us then rejoice for the hostages, rejoice for their families, rejoice for our nation, and simultaneously resolve to do our best to understand the world in which we live, lest we once again prove the truth of the ancient adage that those who do not learn from history are destined to relive it.” // “Those who put their trust in the war machines are destined to find that dust can only build on dust, that there is no final solution nor lasting security which does not rely on principles rather than on power.”