Prov 22.1-2,8-9,22-23; Ps 125; James 2.1-17; Mk 7.24-37
So this morning is hard. The world is hard. We've all had a hard week -
some harder than others.
And then we come to church and hear words, written literally thousands
of years ago, that echo a hardness I think we've all felt this past week.
All we have to do is look at the gospel for a moment. A desperate parent,
from Syria, begs Jesus for help with her child.
I think we have to acknowledge that picture - THAT picture - and the
reality of the refugee crisis facing our world right now. The world has been
shaken awake to the plight of the refugees, whose realities make fleeing to the
unknown in unsafe vessels preferable to staying.
So let's talk about refugees. Let's talk about Syria. Not statistics,
however, nor graphic photos, nor politicising - you can get that anywhere.
Let's talk about what we - the church - are doing about it.
There's a
lot of information out there - good material from well-informed and
well-connected folks. Our Primate Fred Hiltz, and PWRDF Executive Director
Adele Finney have written an open letter that calls for prayer and action[1];
our diocesan social justice coordinator Bill Mous has been reminding us of our
diocesan refugee initiative for our 140th diocesan anniversary.[2];
our diocesan refugee coordinator Scott McLeod is encouraging public engagement
on the issue as a way to live out our baptismal vows. In one blog, following a
list of ways to get involved in the issue, he wrote: "If you don’t
want to do that, then sit down and shut up. Seriously." [3]
These are folks who are living their
faith - openly, profoundly, lovingly.
All of the folks I've mentioned here are
doing what they can as a result of their faith. They're taking the gifts that
have been granted them and are finding ways to put it into action. They take
the Good News of God and let that influence and inspire who they are and what
they do in the world.
So let's talk about that for a moment
now.
Our works. What we do matters. Proverbs
reminds us of what is really important: reputation over riches, generosity over
greed, humble hospitality over hubris.
Our actions are exactly what James is
taking about in his letter. He's reminding the folks - us - that drawing lines
between people is divisive and unfair. James challenges us to examine our own
judgements, our own acts of favouritism, and our own acts of mercy. Wouldn't it
be grand if we were all called to action with the truth from this epistle that
"mercy triumphs over judgement."
And action is exactly what we need to be
hearing this morning. It's what we need to be thinking about. How is our faith
calling us to action? How are we inspired to live out the love that God has
given us to share and care? We start, of course, with worship. We start in
community. We start in this holy place of redemption, as my friend Kyle Norman
(priest in Calgary) says " We gather to interact with the Good news of
God in Christ who will naturally 'Stir us up' as we are united with him."[4]
Stir us up, indeed.
Stir up our
hearts, God, that we may respond to all the world with compassion and love and
grace; may our hearts lead us to not to reject "one of THOSE people"
but rather to embrace everyone as a beloved child of God.
Stir up our
souls, O God, that we may respond to all the world with joy and peace and
faithfulness; may our souls lead us not to judge those whose hardships we have
not known, but rather to journey alongside a hurting soul, with patience.
Stir up our
minds, O God, that we may respond to all the world with reason and kindness and
patience; may our minds not be used to create excuses, but rather be used to inquire
and discern news ways to promote life for all God's children.
Stir up our
strength, O God, that we may respond to all the world with courage and righteousness
and prayer; may our hands not be used to build barriers, but rather to openly
receive the gifts that come from living out our faith completely.
After all, that's what it all comes down
to: living out our faith, every day, to the best of our abilities.
So, let's talk about THAT for a moment.
This is where being a Christian gets
hard. This is where we have to actually DO something. As James tells us "faith by itself,
if it has no works, is dead."
Because when we have faith, we KNOW that we're meant to use it to do
something. We know that our faith is meant to stir us up to see a hardness in
the world, and to then take action to alleviate that hardness, that suffering,
that hurt. Our faith inspires our actions - our actions grow out as a response
to the wonderful gift of faith.
So I invite you to consider what actions you undertake in your life
that grow out of your faith. Do you do
too much? Could you do more? Is something blocking your faith-based actions?
That's a bit of a trick question, I admit. Because all of us know that
we could do more. All of us know that there is something that prevents us from
doing more. We know it's there - we just don't like to talk about it. But I'm
going to encourage you to think about it - pray about it - have that
conversation with God about what it is that's preventing you from reflecting
the generous love of God that has been given to you.
Whatever it is - a feeling of being unfit, a feeling of being unsuited,
a feeling of dis-ease - it's real. We all have them - they can change daily,
they can last a lifetime. But they are there; blocking us from sharing the love
of God that we have been given; and in turn blocking us from receiving the love
of God that someone else is trying to share with us.
So please recognise this Dis-Ease for what it is - a dis-ease. A
disease. An un-health. A reality for which, once acknowledged, we might request
healing.
And that brings us to the Gospel.
Because the Gospel is not just a story that is tugging our hearts into
hurt and dis-ease; the Gospel is a message of hope and healing that transcends
time and place and circumstance.
The gospel today brings us the examples of 2 people in desperate need
of healing. The woman, who speaks for her daughter, comes despite all
adversity. She declares her dis-ease, her daughter's disease, and is adamant in
what she wants. And Jesus, despite really needing that day off, gives both
physical health to the daughter and spiritual healing to this bold woman.
We then are told of the deaf and mute man, who also has others speak on
his behalf. And Jesus, gives to the man (privately) his physical restoration,
and to his friends the spiritual healing of re-affirmed faith.
So today's gospel is not just about the immediate miraculous cure of
physical ailments, but also of the spiritual benefits when people are willing
to ask God for help for someone else.
This is what becomes astounding to the people - the gifts that God can
give are not just for individuals, but for communities as well. And the healing
does not just come to those in earthly need, but to those whose faith might be
renewed, re-strengthened, re-affirmed.
So again I invite you to consider: what is your dis-ease? Are you
coming to God with a request for yourself, or for another? Are you coming to
have a miracle cure, or to have a spiritual booster shot? And what do you
intend to do with yourself, once the healing comes to you?
The questions are hard - but so is our world. So are the issues we face
daily. So is our dis-ease.
But strength also exists in our faith. Strength enough to overcome our
dis-ease. Strength enough to come to Jesus in honest, humble weakness. Strength
enough to live in faith - and strength enough to put that faith into action.
So this week, as we ponder these difficult things, I hope that we may find
in Jesus the healing we seek, such that we too are astounded beyond measure.
May we declare that Jesus has, for all of us, done everything well. May we be
stirred up in our spiritual health to go and proclaim - zealously! - by word
and ACTION - all that is possible when we live out our faith.
[3] "The Refugee Crisis and 'That' Picture" http://thecommunity.anglican.ca/generation/youthevents/12067/12067/
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