Scripture texts: Isaiah 55:1-9, Acts 5:12-16, Luke 5:12-15
There is a new group in York County, a new social service organization. A number of folks from various churches noticed a certain lack of services on the far eastern side of the county. So they got together and made some plans, started a few small programs like providing backpacks to needy children in the school system. Group began to grow, began to help in other ways, giving children a good Christmas, feeding the hungry, getting books into the hands of school children, all in coordination with other community and church organizations. We know them as River’s Edge Community Services. Canadochly is a charter member of this group and we are making a difference in our community.
Last Sunday, I was pretty negative about my now-closed home congregation in WV. But it wasn’t all bad. In fact, there was one great shining light that I remember very fondly during my time as a member there. Over the course of about 10 years during 1980s, we helped resettle about 20 refugees from Southeast Asia, some families, some individuals. You may remember from your history that Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and the like were not exactly happy places to be in the 60s and 70s. A lot of turmoil, a lot of violence. We gave those people a chance at a new life away from all that. Many of them have gone on to very successful and happy lives in the years and decades since.
He may not stand out as among the best of men who’ve occupied the White House in recent decades, but you can’t help but admire Jimmy Carter’s dedication in the years since to helping people in need. The man is in his 90s, been cancer in recent times, and he’s still out there building homes for Habitat. I’d like to have his energy at age 90, but more than that I’d like to have his dedication to helping others. We all probably could use that.
Imagine for a moment if these sorts of stories were the image of the church the world around us had of us. I mean that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Jesus told us quite clearly “Love your neighbor as yourself” was among the greatest of commandments. This is part of our mission. Part of our purpose. WHAT HAPPENED?
Obviously, from these examples, you can tell that there are those still out there who get it. But far too often the picture of the church that people receive is one of intolerance, of bigotry, and of self-righteous hypocrisy. It’s a place of closed doors and closed minds, where people are only welcome if they’re the right “kind” of people and aid to those in need comes only to those who “deserve” it. (There’s that word again.)
We’ve gotten really good at playing this game with ourselves. We’re full of euphemisms that cover up our disdain for others, but we’re not really fooling anyone except ourselves.
- “Family” means “Christian only.”
- “Traditional” means “male dominated” and/or “heterosexual”
- “Lazy” means “black.”
- “Security” means “no Muslims or immigrants.”
Keep them out. Keep them away. Where “them” are people we’ve declared villain through an always arbitrary and often inconsistent standard.
The classic Christian rock band Petra had something to say about this 30 years ago in their song “Rose Colored Stained Glass Windows.”
Another sleepy Sunday, safe within the walls
Outside a dying world in desperation calls
But no one hears the cries or knows what they're about
The doors are locked within or is it from without
Looking through rose colored stained glass windows
Never allowing the world to come in
Seeing no evil and feeling no pain
Making the light as it come from within, so dim, so dim
It’s not a new problem. And we wonder why churches are dying?
Contrast that to the story we have of Christ in Luke chapter 5. Jesus encounters a leper upon the side of the road. An outcast, blamed by many in society for his own illness. “Surely God is punishing him for his sins,” they would say. He “deserves” this!
I love the way he approaches Jesus. “Lord, if you choose, make me clean.” What a delightful opening for Jesus, allowing him to reveal the heart of God. “I do choose.” he replies. “Be made clean.”
“I do choose.” It is a choice and God’s choice is always love and mercy. ALWAYS.
The early church understood that, which is why you have this wonderful scene at Solomon’s Portico in Acts. People of all stripes come to the church and they’re not turned away. They receive what they need. Deserve never enters into the conversation. There’s no “terms and conditions” that they need to meet. No arbitrary standard of moral uprightness. “All who thirst, come to the waters. You, who have no money, come buy and eat.” Come, be healed, be fed, receive what you need.
But, Pastor, our resources are limited and the problems out there so big. Yes, but we have more than we think we do and those problems are not as large as we think. We can solve a lot of things plaguing our society, but we have to choose to do it. I read a statistic once, and I’m not entirely sure it’s accurate, but it is plausible. We could take the money our government spends on defense for just one week and we could use that to buy three square meals a day for every person on this planet for a year. The cost of our war in Iraq could have ended hunger worldwide for the next 30 years. It’s all a matter of choice.
But, Pastor, some of those people really are evil. They’re really mean harm and they really will rip you off. Sure, but that’s on their heads. And if you want a life without risk, Christianity is not the religion for you. We scatter the seed far and wide and sometimes the most fertile ground is found in the most vile of people.
I was reading an article about the rather colorfully named General Butt Naked, whose real name is Joshua Milton Blahyi. He was military commander in Liberia’s Civil War during the early 1990s and responsible for numerous atrocities including the use of child soldiers, murder, and even cannibalism. Don’t get much worse than this guy, but a Christian priest pleaded with him to change his ways at the end of that war and Mr. Blahyi has since gone on to not only convert to Christianity, but is now a pastor. Part of his ministry is to make restitution to the victims of his crimes. You never know what grace and forgiveness can do.
Jesus went to the cross and died for you and for me, making the ultimate statement as to what a person’s life is worth. God died and rose again for you, me, every person in this room, and every person on this planet, living, dead, or yet unborn. Are we truly going to deliberately stand in the way of that because people don’t meet our standards of moral or ethical perfection? What nonsense!
Christ chose to help, regardless of any criteria. Even when he had expectations and they weren’t met, such as when only one of the ten lepers returned to him, his grace was not withdrawn. That’s our guide. That’s our model. It’s who we are called to be in the world. It’s who we once were. It’s who we need to be again. Amen.
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