Serving Ham

I’m going to share with you a tragic tale; a tale that has adventure, stardom, love and betrayal. But it’s a tragedy, so if you’re not up to it, please…don’t continue. But, it is my hope today that in reading about someone’s unfortunate life, we may be able to see and learn the things that are beautiful in our own lives.

So… come away with me, if you will, back … to a very dark time… an evil time… a very non-absorbent time. But like most times, it was also a time of children. Yes… in midst of a time of pure evil, there were still sweet innocent children scattered about; three of them, in fact.

Now, you might know their father. He was the one guy who had an ounce of integrity during this evil time. And if you don’t know who this guy is, well then, maybe you know his great great…(skip about 230 greats)…great grandson. Who was… your dad. Yes, we’re talking about YOUR family here. You might not know, but they’re there… in the Bible. “But who was my great great…(skip about 230 greats)…great grandfather?” You might ask. Well, he’s best known for building a rather large boat in his driveway. His name was Noah.

You might know the story of Noah. Big flood, lots of animals, major rain… But many of you don’t know the story of Ham. This, is the unfortunate tale of Noah’s youngest. At first glance, you might see how unfortunate it would be to be named Ham; especially when your name resides within a Jewish document. But you see, at this very evil time, naming your son after an unclean animal was the least of your worries.

Did I mention that it was an evil time? Good (bad). But it was also a time of great entertainment. There was lots to do, and much to see. There were very strange entertainments at the time (the evil time) that people flocked to. Stars would get their notoriety by skinning their babies alive, rape was a common matinee, and the Aristocrats were performing down the street. It was an electric time of entertainment. And it was a time where many became famous.

Enter Ham. As perhaps many of you know, often, youngest children love to make people laugh or take center stage. Many actors and comedians are the youngest children in their families. Growing up, Noah would find his youngest tugging on his tunic showing him the latest in gyrations he discovered he could do. Being a supportive father Noah would sigh and say: “that’s wonderful Ham.” Yes! Ham grew up to be (yes, you know it) a Ham, and desired to be seen. The stage was calling his name.

So in college he interned at the local theatre. He did all of the odd jobs like cleaning the blades, and feeding the slaves. And while he was there, an agent snatched him up and began telling him that he would be famous one day. With stars in his eyes and money in his hand he started down the path of going to auditions.

At this point, Ham’s Dad received a harebrained idea to build a really huge boat in his driveway. Ham realized that his dad was 480 years old, so he attributed this wild idea to senility and continued with his dream of being a star.
His last agent didn’t work out, as well as the 3 others previous. Ham knew he was special… but the Agents weren’t doing their Job. He hadn’t hit it big yet. They would cower when he went on his tirades. Ham more and more became known for his turnover of Agents then anything else. When one didn’t serve him correctly it was onto the next.

Noah, being 510 at this point, started to understand that he needed some help in constructing this boat. As a result he began employing his sons. Reluctantly, Ham began working with his older brothers Japheth and Shem to make this oversized Yacht. But still the stage called his name. So much so that he would leave midday saying to his dad. “Can’t you see dad, I just want to act. Building this boat is just not serving my needs.”

Then, after the failed audition, Ham would come back with his tail between his legs with vinegar saying “I didn’t get it because they knew all about my crazy dad and his boat.” Or “I was late because I was working on the boat.” There were tons of reasons why he didn’t get the job, and each of them made him more and more bitter. His dream still called however…. I WANT TO BE FAMEOUS!!!

Finally He got his break… a minor role in the Broadway version of “Thoroughly Mauling Millie.” (He cleaned up the blood and had one line “Millie don’t go in there!” ) It was opening night. And he was about to make his big break. His dad wasn’t there because Noah had to finish up with the chimpanzees and kangaroosees-roosees. Ham was disappointed. But also elated that he finally was going to get his dream. 20 minutes until show time he got a knock on the dressing room door. There was no star on the door as he had to share it with the other actors. When he opened it he was surprised to see that it was his dad Noah. Ham smiled and then looked deeper into his dad’s eyes… What’s wrong?

“It just started raining” we need to go.

“Dad no… this is my opening night! Can’t the destruction of the world wait so that I can get my curtain call?”

Against his will, a 600 year old man picked up a 150 year old man and dragged him kicking and screaming to one of the largest wooden boats ever made where they would live for a year. If you can imagine the fight that Ham had in him. This was going to be his night. His break, and nothing was going to take him away from that. But his father did. His father dragged him to safety as his Birkenstocks dug into the moistening ground. You can imagine the silence in the boat as Ham refused to speak to his dad for quite some time. Ham thought: “This Ark saved my life. But I would have been able to make it after I got my applause.”

Skip a few years when the ground was dryer, and Noah was back to farming (a trade he knew in his early hundreds). Ham still longed for the stage, but worked as a farmer. Angry that there were less people to laugh at his jokes. But soon… Ham would have his break

It all started with a Vineyard. And some wine. (like it always does) Noah, drank the wine… and drank the wine… and drank the wine. As a result he got drunk.
Ham’s dad made a fool out of himself. He got drunk, and then passed out nude. (pretty wild partying Noah!) Culturally this was a big deal. Possibly because they had just been in a very terrible culture, and to expose yourself was to liken yourself to them. Whatever the reason it was extremely embarrassing.

At this point Ham happened upon his passed out Dad. Now, according to Portland street culture if someone passes out without taking off their shoes off, then you have permission to write all over them with a Sharpee pen while they’re sleeping. Now-a-days, Noah would have had “Patriarchs suck” written all over his forehead or something. A true friend would take Noah’s shoes off and leave him to sleep. No Sharpee pen marks. Instead, Ham thought the embarrassment of his dad was hilarious. So he decided to tell his brothers.

“Psst Shem, Japheth come over here, Dad got completely wasted and going commado all over his tent.” …We can all have fun. And we can all joke. But sometimes (especially when you are dealing with your 700 year old father who saved your life a hundred years ago) at the ripe old age of 300… you need to grow up.

Shem and Japheth realized the embarrassment his father was dealing with. I’m sure major tabloids would be printed tomorrow by the grandkids. So they took measures to cover him up.

The next morning Noah, read the morning paper and it looked like Ham got his 15 minutes of fame. He did it by doing an Expose on his dad. “There I was… and there he was” he told the enquirer. Headlines saying “Patriarch Poses Provocatively”…details inside. Yes, Ham had made it. He got his fame. He got his start. And he got his curse.

Yep… a very pissed, and Hung over Dad came knocking on Ham’s door. Which now had a star on it. He was independently wealthy with the rights he sold to the pictures he snapped in the tent. He also had a Comedy talk show that was making it big, mainly because of his catch phrase “well at least you didn’t get drunk.” But Noah had a statement for him. Noah felt disappointed, because he saw a trait in his son that he couldn’t weed out.

At this point Noah was not worried about the pictures. His other sons were working hard on a PR campaign to uphold his name. At this point Noah felt like he needed to address a very serious issue; an issue that was revealed to him when Ham named his youngest son. Canaan. Canaan means servant. He named his son servant. And what this name showed Noah, was that his son Ham would never be able to take responsibility for his own life. It was always the agent’s fault that he wasn’t famous. It was always the director’s fault that he didn’t get the role. It was his dad’s fault he didn’t get his curtain call, and it was God’s fault that he never would have a huge audience.

Ham’s life screamed serve ME serve ME serve ME. To the point that he even named his own son “Servant.” Noah saw how sad it was to have an ungrateful son that continued to blame others for his life; to demand that others make it better; and to pigeon hole his own son to be that “servant” that potentially could make things better. Finally, when Noah looked back on Ham’s life, he saw how he always wanted to make it, how he always wanted others to change for him. Noah saw how he personally had to drag him from the stage to the ark to save his life. And told him frankly:

“Cursed be Canaan! A slave of slaves, a slave to his brothers!” I’m not sure how curses go. If as the words came out all of the sudden it was so. Or if Noah simply was stating the fact that Ham’s own lack of responsibility was passed onto his youngest son. Regardless, nothing changed. Ham had more fodder for his Comedy routine. But when his brothers were successful in their PR, Ham soon got canceled. And you know what? It was his brothers’ fault that he was a nobody again.

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I told you… A tragic tale.

We all have a little Ham in our lives. The little drama king or queen that always has something up. They in no way enjoy their latest whirlwind, but for some reason they are always in midst of one. They continually call to the spotlight “Hey Hey! LOOK HERE!” They come up to you and say… “You’ll never guess what happened to me”… but you can guess. I’m not sure how this happens but in some way or another they go about their life declaring “Serve me! Serve me!” You listen to them, watch them, and possibly even counsel them. Then they go on their way… and return the next day with the newest of whirlwinds.

Now, if you don’t know one of these people, you most likely ARE ONE. You’re the HAM. But this message is not about you. You have enough problems, you don’t need me telling you that you’ve taken on a “serve me, serve me” personality. You’re so vain, you probably think this message is about you. But your spotlight dims today…I know, I know, it’s rough. I would rather spotlight for today someone that normally points the spotlight at you. The wind beneath your wings, if you will, the one who’s cold within your shadow, the person who drags YOU back to life.

Yes, there is someone who has taken RESPONSIBILITY in your life. And that responsibility is your well being. Your actual life! It could be a parent, loved one, a friend. But they have been there, maybe not always, but at specific times you can pinpoint how their interference ended up changing the course of your life for the better. They have weathered YOUR storm. Weathered YOUR independence. And possibly, dragged you aboard a boat against your will so that YOU may live.

Many times the scream “serve me, serve me!” drowns out the beauty of the response…. The spotlight on drama seems to be much brighter then the shimmer of a heart that is ready to listen, and love.

Today, just for this moment, lets turn the tables from what is wrong with our world, to what is right. You all have had someone act responsibly towards you. Think on how this altered the course of YOUR life. Has there been someone who dragged you from something bad, something evil… and they were right? Maybe they did something kind, and it inspired you for the rest of your day. Whatever it is, whatever it was, it is my hope today that you would pay tribute to those people; that you would put your problems and issues aside for one moment, and thank those that have taken a vested interest in your life. The ones who care.

And, at the same time, you who are a tired parent… who is at the end of your rope. Who is consistently bringing YOUR child back to life, THANK YOU. You, the counselor who hears peoples stories, and provides peace… THANK YOU. You, the person that lends your strength (both physically and emotionally) to those who are weak…THANK YOU. You, who have taken on SOME RESPONSIBILITY that changes another person’s world. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

Like Noah and his son Ham. We all can see that responsibility puts us out, it wears us down, and doggonit, it hurts when we are betrayed. But it changes our world. It drags our children onto a boat so that they can live.

Oh that we may have a world, even a church, that reflected the nature of our creator. Who took responsibility for His creation, even more who took responsibility for his children, by taking on flesh, and living among us. He took responsibility for our sins, by putting them on a cross never to be looked at again. Today, we have a God that we also must thank. Because, He continually sees us about to drown in our limited perception, and still He chooses to drag US aboard His rescue boat. Oh that we would be able empowered to do that for others, that our church would change the face of the world because we are so inspired by our loving God who did this for us.

Ham, in his independence from his responsibility, was trapped by his dependence on others to make his life better. As a result, his eyes clearly saw his pain, needs, hurts, dramas, and problems; which made his cycle start over. SERVE ME. FIX IT. MAKE IT BETTER.

Today, with this tragic illustration of a man trapped in a self-centered cycle, I would hope that we wouldn’t declare our independence from those that love us. Instead, today, notice those that have held you together. Remember those who have made you live. Break that cycle, and be empowered by God to hold others together. And if you can, thank them for keeping you afloat.