By The Rev. Bernard W. Poppe, RectorIn the Gospel lesson this morning Jesus saw Philip and extended to him the invitation that he had already made to others, “Follow me.” Philip not only followed him, but encouraged Nathaniel to follow also. When something makes sense, we want others to share in it.
Last week we baptized three babies and in essence told them to join us in following Jesus. There is something vitally important to us here that makes us come week after week. Something of the “holy” touches us here and leaves us wanting more and that something attracts others also. It’s Jesus. Jesus has touched our lives and they will never be the same. We bless the bread and wine that becomes his mystical body and we also become his mystical body. We are encouraged to do good and to be good. We form a community that has the love of God at its center and it’s so important to us that we come back time and time again to find its healing, wonderful quality. Jesus simply said “Follow me.” It’s an invitation that has been called out loud and clear through the ages and many have responded and invited others to do so as well.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was someone who heard Jesus’ invitation. He accepted it and like Philip called others to follow. And many did. King is looked to as a modern day prophet because like the prophets of old he called a nation to account for its inconsistent justice. It’s incorrect to stand here and say that King’s message was delivered only to African Americans. His message was delivered to all people through the prism of the African American experience. People oppressed because of the color of their skin. People denied rights, attacked and killed, denied housing and jobs without cause. People whose human dignity was trod upon. King’s words held a nation accountable for actions and words that extended cruelty and words and actions that were not extended that could have helped alleviate the pain. He followed Jesus along the way and invited others to do the same. He marched and led others in the march.
Oppression of any kind diminishes the oppressor as well as the oppressed. King’s words were to the release of the captives of both sides of oppression. People who hate are captive of the destructive force of that emotion. People who hurt others damage their own souls as well as the bodies or lives of the people they hurt. Racism is an ugly disease that impacts the person of color but infects the soul of the racist. It is a fearful disease that wreaks havoc in the spirit of a person and in a people. It sees enemies where there are none, and inspires shameful actions against innocents.
Dr. King’s prophetic words gave hope to people of color that they would indeed overcome. But it also gave hope to white America that we too could overcome the hate that boiled inside and destroyed our dignity even while we were attacking the dignity of our brothers and sisters. Jesus was the incarnation of God’s love and justice. He asked us to follow him. It’s not too late to follow. Can we follow? Yes we can!
This week is an incredible week. The convergence of themes and actions hit spiritual chords of unprecedented hope even as we face unprecedented challenges. Dr. King, the check will be cashed on Tuesday. The echoes of Dr. King’s dream still reverberate down the mall in Washington as the inauguration events begin to take place. This is also the week designated as Christian Unity. What a nice dream that is also. The exhilaration felt by so many Americans, indeed the global citizenry, is impossible to describe. It certainly goes beyond our new President. The exhilaration taps into the ecstasy of being able to surpass our own fears and join in the desire to create a world that people of faith have always thought possible. Peace and Justice for all people. Opportunities on an equal basis. There are still plenty of dreams, but when one is achieved, why not hope for more.
The role of the prophet is a lonely one. It is a dangerous one. The Biblical prophets discovered rejection and sometimes death. Jesus discovered betrayal and execution. But the biblical prophets demonstrated that their voices spoke with God’s voice and God’s voice cannot be stilled. The resurrection of Jesus demonstrated beyond compare the power of God’s word made flesh. God’s word cannot be killed or stopped. It carries on through the work of other prophets. Every age has had the voice of God ring out and Dr. King had a loud clear voice that carried on that bold tradition.
The quotes that we read from several of the written works of Dr. King are timeless and stirring. They call us to reach for our higher selves. We are all capable of the goodness these words call us to. We are able to let go of that which holds us back and allow us to follow Jesus without fear. Jesus told Nathaniel that he would see “greater things than these”. “You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of Man.”
Visions of heaven. Seeing the messengers of God active in the world. It’s a beautiful image. It’s something to hold onto. The world is a complex place and in no way can we minimize the problems faced by the world in terms of the economy, the warring factions, terrorist threats, lingering racism, greed and corruption in business and government, the environment. But we cannot give up hope either. To do so is to lose everything. Joy is a foothold to hope. And hope creates visions that inspire up to reach higher and achieve beyond our wildest dreams.
I listened to a talk given by a man a couple days ago. It became a personal witness of his discovery of hope. Before he discovered the hope within, he was imprisoned by despair and an anguish that would not leave him alone. He decided that he would commit suicide and had several ideas on how to do it. The method he finally chose was to go to the Manhattan Bridge and jump. He spoke of the moment he stood on the side holding the rail looking down at the water so far below on that June day five years ago. He tried to tell how it felt to let go of the rail and the free fall he experienced. The impact shattered an arm, broke his ribs, punctured his lung and broke his legs. But amazingly he surfaced. He told of a moment of clarity in which he did not want to die. He waved his remaining good arm while drifting in the East River for almost an hour before he found himself in the path of the Staten Island Ferry where he was spotted and rescued by the Coast Guard. He assured us that we didn’t need to go to that extreme to learn what he did. He described how wonderful his life is now and shudders to think how close he came to losing it, but also how devastating despair can be. No one needs to tell him how fortunate he is, and he says that he better than anyone can tell us how fortunate we are to find hope before despair can claim us. On a lighter note, he said the New York Post picked up the story and described the attempted suicide of a deranged, middle aged man. While he couldn’t quibble with the word “deranged”, he was furious at being described as “middle aged.”
Hope is what keeps us going. We cannot lose it and the prophets call us to remember the visions of heaven that are within our reach. How difficult it seems to be to hear that message that offers nothing but life’s abundance.
This historic week fulfills a promise of equality in a President whose own background unites two races. He will most certainly be judged by the content of his character, and so must we all. Skin color is no indication of the heart that beats within. Our actions even more than our words tell who we are and whose we are. Jesus calls us to “Follow Him.” The prophets are the drum majors and the stirring beat calls for a lively march. Can we do it? Yes we can. Amen.
© 2009 St. George's Episcopal Church, Maplewood, NJ
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