John

Take Your Gloves Off and Touch These Wounds!

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The story of Thomas and his insistence on seeing the risen Christ for himself is one of my favorites. I’ve long believed that Thomas has been rather short changed. He wasn’t so much full of doubt as he was full of healthy reason. He didn’t have a couple thousand years of tradition to fall back on. This risen Christ stuff was brand new. I’d have insisted on seeing and touching those wounds for myself; any reasonable person would do the same.

I remember the first sermon I preached on this passage. I was fascinated by the fact that Jesus identified himself by his wounds, not by the experiences he shared with those gathered in that room. He held up his wounds. Back in my seminary days, I focused on each of us needing to look for Jesus in our own woundedness. I don’t know if it made a whole lot of sense to those who heard that sermon, but for me the idea of Jesus identifying himself through his wounds was a healing one.

But these days I am far less concerned about my own wounds than I am about the brokenness in the world. North Korea is making noises that sound a lot like threats of war. Oil spilled through a neighborhood in Arkansas. Fifty people died in an Afghan suicide bombing. Gun control remains an issue even after countless shootings. Monsanto continues to control food supplies.  People remain in denial about global warming and climate change. The economy of the Eurozone continues to falter. This list could go on. We can all add a personal witness to suffering and brokenness to this list pulled from headline news.

But the wounds and the suffering are not really my point. I want to draw attention to how we respond. Thomas recognized Jesus when Jesus held up his wounds. He didn’t have to touch them to recognize Christ. Today, we need to touch the wounds of the world to recognize Christ. Christ is everywhere bleeding, needing us to respond. Most people don’t. We’ve all done it. We’ve walked past the homeless person as we pretend not to see. We distance ourselves from the troubles of our neighbors. We plug in our devices without questioning where the electricity comes from. We spray chemicals into the air without stopping to wonder what they do to the environment. We eat food without reading the ingredients. We turn the channel when unpleasant news comes on.

I say let’s do something different this Easter Season. Commit to responding to some broken, bleeding part of the world and pay attention to how the experience of touching wounds changes you.

Let everything that breathes praise God!
   Praise be to God!

RCL – Year C – Second Sunday of Easter – April 7, 2013

Acts 5:27-32
Psalm 118:14-29 or Psalm 150
Revelation 1:4-8
John 20:19-31

Grace, Hope, Forgiveness, Etc. …

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RCL – Year B – Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 26, 2012 1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11), 22-30, 41-43 with Psalm 84 or Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18 with Psalm 34:15-22 Ephesians 6:10-20 John 6:56-69 I am on vacation this week and didn’t want to skip posting. The poem below is from my book, Negotiating the Shadows: Daily … Read More

A Lesson From Nicodemus

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RCL – June 3, 2012 – Trinity Sunday, First Sunday after Pentecost

Isaiah 6:1-8
Psalm 29
Romans 8:12-17
John 3:1-17

This week’s gospel reading contains one of the most frequently cited scripture verses. It seems that at every sporting event there are signs with “John 3:16” written on them. To be honest, I’m never quite sure what the point of these signs are. Has anyone ever converted to Christianity because of one of these signs at a football game? Probably not. Moreover, I can think of several other passages that might be much more intriguing to the reader. I mean, why not hold up a sign that says, “Would you marry a prostitute? Come to church on Sunday to find out.” Or “Your neighbor really loves you. Discover your neighbor in worship.” I bet these kinds of signs would at least raise an eyebrow or two; “John 3:16” probably doesn’t do much. Personally, I find this a bit ironic. Nicodemus sought Jesus out in the night because of “signs.” Who is going seek Jesus because of these modern day signs?

Much has been made of Nicodemus through the centuries. I’m not sure why, really. I mean it seems Nicodemus’ reasons for seeking Jesus out “by night” aren’t all that mysterious. He was a man in power who had a desire to know something more about this Jesus of Nazareth who was shaking things up. He wanted Jesus to answer his questions, but he wasn’t willing to risk his colleagues finding out for all sorts of reasons. If every Christian were brutally honest, we’d probably all admit that there have been times when we’ve gone to Jesus in the dark, asking questions that we hope no one will ever hear about. And if we stay in the moment of honesty, we will also admit that sometimes the answers are just as confusing as Jesus’ answer to Nicodemus was, at least when Nicodemus heard it.

I’m not all that thrilled with Jesus’ answer, either. Or, rather, what has been done with it. I don’t think for a minute that Nicodemus was “born anew” in that moment with Jesus. Who would be? The words were so fresh and new and just plain weird. But Nicodemus showed up for Jesus later so they must have sunken in and changed him quite a bit. Nicodemus would likely have given up a lot of his power and social standing to publicly stand up for Jesus. But that night when he left Jesus, Nicodemus was just as much in the dark as when he arrived.

And this is where the hope is for me. I would like everyone in the world to have opportunity to be born “anew,” to have an opportunity to see things from a place of the Spirit. It isn’t that I think everyone has to be Christian, or even should be. I would just like to see people live in a saving place, rather than a condemning place. I truly believe that anyone who has encountered Jesus – in the middle of the night or broad daylight – seeks to save, not to condemn.

For clarity’s sake, let me say that when I say “save,” I don’t necessarily mean it the way many Christians do. Here, I mean it as a way of living that seeks justice, practices love, and works toward peace. Condemnation is not what Jesus offered. Why do so many Christians offer condemnation in Jesus’ name?

On the surface, it doesn’t look like Nicodemus has much to do with current events. But I think this his story could be very helpful in the way we view the world. It is easy to shake our heads and turn away from the problems in the world. It is easy to pass judgment and distance ourselves from conflicts in our communities. It is easy to distract ourselves with busyness and wait for the difficulties to pass. I mean, really, who wants to listen to more news about the increase in violence in Syria? Or shootings in a cafe in Seattle? Or more questions about Obama’s birth certificate? Or concerns about a Mormon being president? Or the fragility of the Eurozone? Or global warming? Or healthcare cuts? Or the poor job market? The list goes on and on and varies very little from week to week.

Do any of these things keep us awake at night? What questions do we whisper to Jesus when no one else can hear? Do the answers require that we be born anew? Are we reluctant to let the Spirit blow where it wills? It isn’t easy. I don’t know about you, but I want to live salvation and share it in a way that yields more justice than apathy, more possibility than destruction. Surely, this is possible. If Jesus didn’t condemn anyone, why should any of us who seek to follow him?

Come, Holy Spirit, Come.

May God give strength to God’s people!
  May God bless God’s people with peace!

Friends?

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RCL – May 13, 2012 – Sixth Sunday of Easter Acts 10: 44-48 Psalm 98 1 John 5: 1-6 John 15:9-17 Sometimes the Holy Spirit has a very odd sense of humor. Earlier this week before looking at the lectionary readings, I told my spouse that I was not going to make this post about … Read More

It Really is about Love

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RCL – May 6, 2012 – Fifth Sunday of Easter

Acts 8:26-40
Psalm 22:25-31
1 John 4:7-21
John 15:1-8

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.

This passage gives me pause every time I encounter it. This is the Gospel in the proverbial nutshell. It is who we are, whose we are, and what we are called to do all in a few short sentences. It’s exciting and scary and nearly impossible for us to live into.

How many news articles and stories about violence and war were in the news this week? Syria. Egypt. Israel. Iran. How about here in the United States? Too many to count is my answer. And how many more that didn’t make the news? Something is missing. Something really important is missing when there is so much violence everywhere.

A small part of the problem may be that the word “love” is so often misused and overused. I love Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia. I love the writing of Charles de Lint. I love spending time at the beach. I love my cats. There are a lot of things I love. But not the way I love my spouse. Not the way I love God. There is a casualness to “love” these days that detracts from the impact of this passage. This passage reaches beyond the boundaries of pleasure and simple happiness. There is a depth, and truth to love that extends beyond human capacity and draws us out of ourselves and into a sacred identity.

Yes, the johannine writer used the word “agape,” but even this word has lost a bit of its strength. To say that the love of God for humanity, and the love we are called to have for one another is “unconditional,” is insufficient. Anyone can say she or he loves her or his neighbors. It takes more to respond when a neighbor is in need.

What did you think about the Occupy demonstrations on May Day? Did you roll your eyes and wonder why anyone bothers? Did you hope that maybe somebody might listen to what they have to say and head in the direction of changes? Or did you join in? When you hear about the bills being voted in your state, do you get involved or change the radio station? Does the thought, “somebody should do something about that” ever cross your mind? Is that somebody ever you? Do we really love the way we are called to love?

I know there are people out there trying to make a difference. Chen Guangchen is an amazing example of one person trying to make life better by advocating for those with little or no voice. I actually heard somebody say, “Why should I care about that guy from China? Isn’t there American news to report?” We have a long way to go to get to where we are called to be. Love is not about the worthiness of an individual. Love is about the value of every individual person – Chinese, American, Egyptian, Israeli, Iranian – in spite of what he or she does or does not do.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

There are too many stories of hatred and fear and violence. What would happen if the only stories that made the news for a week were ones of grace, mercy, and love? Would you watch the news? Would anyone be inspired to behave differently?

I am assuming that I am not the only one who is tired of the politics of hate. I will also confess that I find it difficult to figure out what to do and how to do it that will bring about any change. I’m often tired and overwhelmed. But I do know that there is no greater gift than the gift of love. Not the schmaltzy Hallmark stuff, but the stuff that changes lives. The day somebody says, “I love you,” and you know that she or he means it, changes you in a very real way. The day that you see yourself as God sees you, changes everything.

So, I guess, what I’m saying is that we, as Christians, need to find a way to say “I love you because God loves you” in a way that changes people in a very real way, in a way that goes beyond ethnicity, skin color, country of origin, gender, sexual orientation, ability, economics, and politics. To put it another way, if we abide in Christ, we have responsibility to bear fruit, much fruit, even. And the world is a very hungry place.

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