John 14:12-17, Can we do great things?

Westminster Presbyterian April 27, 2008 Day of Prayer for Colombia

My friend Kurt Shaw (who married yesterday) has been working with street children in Colombia for years, now. Kurt shares a story of one morning with some kids he’d gotten to know pretty well:

The kids arrived silently that morning; they weren’t singing or laughing like they usually do when they arrive from the refugee shantytown where they lived, just south of Bogotá. Usually they play the radio, or try out a new rap song, or talk about the news of the town: who was pregnant, what soccer team would win this weekend. That day they just sat against the wall, drawing blankets close around them to ward off the chill of the fog. Their friend Moreno had died that week, murdered by the paramilitary death squad that controls their neighborhood.

These kids were not strangers to death. Earlier that same year, the paramilitaries murdered 16 young men overnight, then left their bodies side by side close to the park so that other kids would know not to join any groups the paramilitaries didn’t control. Yet, even in the midst of this violence, this week was the first time that these kids had lost one from their own clique—one of their own. Hundreds of their peers had died over the last year, but Moreno’s death threatened all of them. The children tried to make sense of it: “We’ve talked enough about him,” said one boy. “Talking doesn’t help. Neither does crying. He’s dead,” a girl said quietly. “And they can kill all of us too, and no one will ever do anything” “Why do they kill kids?” my friend asked them. “They say we’re filth.” “Subversives” “Guerrillas.” “Gangsters and thieves.” “Even kids like us, good kids, we get in trouble when we tell the truth, when we say that the paramilitaries are bad, when we say that they’re hypocrites for selling drugs, then killing people for doing drugs,” said Andres, a twelve year old rapper, who’d been living under a death threat because his songs condemned the violence of the death squads.

The conversation began to flow, twenty kids talking about the mafia that controlled their neighborhood, trying to understand why their neighbors sometimes even applauded when the death squads killed innocent kids. “Everyone is scared of us teenagers, but I don’t know why. It’s the adults that kill,” said one girl. Somehow this hurt them even more: not just that their friend had been murdered, but that supposedly respectable adults supported his death. As the kids talked, it became obvious that “teenagers” symbolized random chaotic violence, while the paramilitaries—who call themselves “la limpieza”, or “the cleanliness”–

stood for rational violence, so to speak, violence armed at bring order back to the shantytown. Without the state to guarantee security, people believed that only the paramilitaries stood between them and the chaos of the teenagers. ¹

What’s it like to grow up in a country torn apart by war? What’s it like to grow up in a violent neighborhood? To grow up in extreme poverty—being fed biscuits mixed with mud—as some children are being fed now in Haiti. What is to be our response as followers of Christ? What are we supposed to do?

Well, in John we are told that if we believe in Jesus than we will do the work that he did: Jesus was committed to one thing and one thing alone. He was committed to service of God. And this commitment meant to love with radical love. A love that would exclude no one, but even more than that, a love that would motivate him to serve others, especially those where were the weakest and most marginalized in society. Sacrifice to others that ultimately meant the sacrifice of his own life.

But then Jesus, in mid-sentence changes what he says to his disciples; he says”

If you love me you will do the work that I do, no, in fact you will do even greater work! Say what, Jesus? Greater works than what you did? How is that possible?

Jesus did some pretty awesome stuff like multiplying a few loaves and fish to feed thousands. Have any of you tried this? He did some far out stuff like raising someone from the dead. Who’s done that? Come down and testify. He did some crazy things like turned water into wine: You think anyone tried this last night on prom night?

You, you who believe in me will do even greater works than I have done. Seriously, greater works…how? What is great about the works that I am doing?

What’s great about the work that this group of gathered disciples is doing? So many obstacles get our way of even attempting great works. Our busy schedules and lives. The seduction of comfort; the distraction of materialism. Our fear to engage the world. Besides, why doesn’t God do something. Have any of you seen the comic of these two guys talking. One says to the other, “I’d like to ask God why he allows all this suffering and this pain.” “Well why don’t you ask God that?” “Well, I guess I’m scared to ask God.” “Why? What are you scared of?”

“Well, I guess I’m scared God’ll ask me the same question, back.”

“If you believe in me, you will do even greater works than I do.”

While I was studying in Chile, I became friends with a student from Colombia, Luis. He was studying to be a priest. After months of conversations about everything but Colombia, I finally asked him, “What’s it really like?” He told me that several years ago, his younger brother was traveling with a friend on a bus from their home to a city some distance away. As they approached the city, the bus stopped at a checkpoint. Soldiers came on the bus and told my friend’s brother and his traveling companion to get off. Que bajen! Ahora! Once off the bus some conversation took place, which became heated. The bus pulled away. Days later, the two young men were dead.

As I heard him telling me this, fear and anger went through my mind; How can this happen? Were the young men involved in things they shouldn’t be involved in? How does someone have the authority to stop a bus and kill two passengers?

We can only imagine how difficult this was for my friend, Luis. His reaction: To join the priesthood to escape, to seek asylum? No. He told me that upon finishing his studies and becoming a priest, he planned to return to Colombia, serve the church and seek to bring love, justice, and hope to a place so full of violence and despair.

Jesus told his disciples that they would do greater works than what he did through the gift of the Spirit. They would become his hands and his feet…Christ for the world. The body of Christ. What does it mean to be part of the body of Christ? It’s kind of weird, when I think of all of us comprising the body of Christ, I think of Voltron. Do any of you remember voltron? The giant robot in the 1980s cartoon series Voltron: Defender of the Universe. Voltron was a giant robot but he was made up of smaller individual parts. These smaller components could function independently, and did some pretty impressive things individually, but it was when they came together—united with a common goal that they became the powerful voltron.

Could it be that the spirit unites us to serve this world in powerful ways, that we do actually do more than what Jesus was able to do? It can be easy for me to become overwhelmed by all of the injustices and problems in the world—poverty, climate change, war, hunger, education, homelessness, where does one even begin to share good news? What can I offer? Well, I can offer my life, and be united through The Spirit with believers from every time and place. With Luis, who is now back in Colombia serving God there. With you who live lives of loving service, making a difference in this broken world.

Let’s go back to the street kids in Colombia:

“Okay so here’s the point,” said Jenny, whose father had been murdered a dozen years before for his work as a labor organizer. “WE have to show them that kids aren’t bad, that we help the neighborhood more than we hurt it. Maybe they’ll kill us, but at least people will know that la limpieza is evil; at least no one will think their justified.”

Responding to Jenny’s challenge, each kid vowed to do something for the neighborhood: several decided to dig a trench so that sewage wouldn’t run through the school playground; others offered to give dance classes in the park, so that people would see kids doing productive things; one proposed to put on their play for the community, while another said she could teach sex education to younger girls. The tone of the group had changed. And as the kids left after lunch, one could again hear the strains of a rap and a beat-box as they walked back to the bus stop to go home.²

These kids got it. They had lost one of their own, their friend Moreno and they were empowered—by the Spirit?—to greater works. We, too have lost one of our own. Jesus was murdered by the powers that wanted to silence his message of love and hope for the world. But we are resurrection people. We see the world through Easter eyes that know that death is not the last word.

Is God saying to us here in this place on this day, you will do greater works that these because you are my body; you are my hands and my feet? God is not saying to the poor and suffering to come find the church. God is saying to us, the hands and the feet go to where I’m suffering, go to the poor and to the hungry and thirsty and take me in.³ Go to Colombia to be an Accompanier like Barbara and Erik. Go to the lonely and depressed who live here in these neighborhoods. Go volunteer at Cool Closet just down Agua Fria and work with homeless and troubled teens. Go into our schools and help a kid with homework.

Go to the nursing home, go to the prison. Go to the community Garden to grow food for the food banks. Go and contact policy makers. Go and pray for justice to flow like a mighty stream and rightousness spring forth like might waters. Go and be the body of Christ. May we be a people that embody God’s love in this world that is starved for grace. May mourning and death turn to dancing. May life bend toward justice. In the end love wins because we have done even greater things!⁴

I’m going to ask Gerzain to share a little about what Missio Dei CARE, the committee focused on encouraging us and guiding us to participation to God’s mission in the world.

1 Kurt Shaw, “The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground,” http://www.shinealight.org/spanish/SangreEng.pdf
2 Kurt Shaw, “The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground,” http://www.shinealight.org/spanish/SangreEng.pdf
3 Shane Claiborne at Youth Fusion: http://youtube.com/watch?v=QPANKUHabx4.
4 Shane Claiborne, “Trail of Mourning and Truth” http://youtube.com/watch?v=fRdBdiP6Qoc

Why listen to him? John 10, Psalm 23

John 10:1-10 and Psalm 23 Why listen to him? April 13, 2008

It is after Jesus says these very confusing words in John 10 that many who are listening to him accuse him of having a demon; of being out of his mind. “Why listen to him?” they asked. After hearing this passage of John we may ask the same question: Why Listen to him? Does this make any sense? Sheep and shepherds, gates and gatekeepers; strangers and strange voices, thieves and bandits.

One thing is clear: for John, Jesus is the good shepherd that God had promised Israel. While the language of John may be confusing, Psalm 23, next to Jesus wept, is probably the most popular scripture to memorize. In just 6 verses we are told that relationship with the shepherd provides rest, restoration, and security.¹ Gifts of grace.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. I love Saturday mornings. Usually, Trasie and I have not gone to bed at an early hour on Friday nights…but we can make up for it on Saturday mornings sleeping in, [unless we get an early phone call or unexpected knock on the door.] It’s so nice to not have to hurry out of bed,

but instead to slowly role out…Delay the pressures of life for at least a little while….We may even do some “transition yoga:” “As the morning sun warms the earth, so these exercises will warm your body to face the day,” Says yoga master Rodney Yee on the DVD.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. Getting good rest seems to come down to a matter of trust. Sometimes it can be so hard for me to fall asleep at night, thinking about some problem, worrying about things..[believe it or not many of you are frequently on my mind]….I guess I can count sheep…I can count them being led out of the gate beside still water…(are some of you counting sheep right now?). Can we find rest when we trust in God? Trust that God will lead us.

What do so many people say when you ask them how they are doing? Busy. Work and business are our pride and joy. Resting in the park..on green grass, or beside a lake fishing…these are signs of idleness.

“According to a Greek legend, in ancient Athens a man noticed the great storyteller Aesop playing childish games with some little boys. He laughed and jeered at Aesop, asking him why he wasted his time in such frivolous activity.

Aesop responded by picking up a bow, loosening its string, and placing it on the ground. Then he said to the critical Athenian, ‘Now, answer the riddle, if you can. Tell us what the unstrung bows implies.’ The man looked at it for several moments but had no idea what point Aesop was trying to make. Aesop explained, ‘If you keep a bow always bent, it will break eventually; but if you let it go slack,

it will be more fit for use when you want it.’ Are we also not like that? You will be at your best for the Lord if you have taken time to loosen the bow of its stress and anxiety.”²

By resting one day of the week, we demonstrate our trust in our shepherd, that not everything depends on us. Start by setting aside a special time to relax physically and renew yourself emotionally and spiritually. And surely goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life, and you will dwell in the house of the Lord your whole life long.

With rest comes restoration. He restoreth my soul:

Michael Angelo’s La Pietà depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the Crucifixion. The Pietà has had a rough history, damaged many times. Four fingers on the Virgin's left hand were broken during a move. These were restored in 1736 by Giuseppe Lirioni and scholars are divided as to whether the restorer took liberties to make the gesture more 'rhetorical'. But, the most substantial damage occurred on May 21, 1972 (Pentecost Sunday) when a mentally disturbed geologist named Laszlo Toth walked into the chapel and attacked the Virgin with a hammer while shouting "I am Jesus Christ." In spite of the significant damage, this work has not been discarded. But painstakingly restored and returned to its place in St. Peter's, and is now protected by a bullet-proof acrylic glass panel.³

All of us in our lives have been broken and hurt by others, by forces beyond our control. But just as this art was not discarded as ruined beyond repair, we too are precious creations of God, on whom God never gives up… that God desires to restore …to make us whole again. And as resurrection people, we can see the value in everyone; no one is beyond restoration. The good shepherd leads us down paths of righteousness to the waters of baptism; the font reminds us that we belong to that Good Shepherd and to one another. Thou anointest my head with oil; oil that reminds us that we are made whole and healed by god. Thou preparest a table, My cup runneth over; when we come to the table to remember the gracious acts of Christ, we may be restored and nourished by the plentiful bounty of God.

Often in passages of scripture, common themes will serve as bookends for the central theme, as the bread for the meaty part; the heart of the message.

Did you see what was at the center of this Psalm? Security. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. The “rod” of the shepherd was a handmade wooden mace with blacksmith nails driven into it, protection from outside attacks. The “staff” was the traditional shepherd’s staff that could be hooked around a lamb’s neck to guide it back onto the path; a guide for the flock in its interior life together.⁴

This is different, I think, from “homeland security.” The commander and chief of the united states military is my shepherd…thy nuclear bomb and fighter planes, they comfort me. Our nation will spend $711 billion dollars on defense this year,

more than the combined spending of the next 45 countries.⁵ “The Lord is my shepherd.” Had David written, “The Lord is my King,” we may look to a political institution for security. Had David affirmed, “The Lord is my commander,” the military would have been an image for God. But no, the language is, “The Lord is my shepherd.” This means, at the very least, “I do not rely on police protection for my security.” ⁶

Kenneth Bailey lived in the Middle East for 40 years--through seven wars.

He says that “fortress America” meant nothing to him because he lived outside its bounds. When 9/11 occurred, the penetration of that fortress did not frighten him because he had never known its protection. In the psalm, David did not find his security in political institutions, the military, the economy, or some mythical attachment to the land. He found it in “the Lord.” Such rooting surely set him free to live and do as he was called but without fear because his security was established elsewhere.

I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. When questioned about the foolishness of and irresponsibility of the good shepherd for leaving an entire flock in pursuit of one lost sheep, missionary Andrew Roy points out that when the shepherd in the parable goes after the one lost sheep he gives ultimate security to the rest of the flock. Each sheep knows: If I get lost, he will come after me. On the other hand, if the good shepherd cares only for the herd and does not put himself out for the lost sheep, each sheep is left with the ultimate insecurity. They will think, If I fall one step behind, he will leave me to die. ⁷

Christ even went to the extreme, he was the shepherd who gave his life for the sheep, and conquered death, and was raised to new life. And so, in our baptism we are reminded that we need not be afraid of death and sin because we have “been there and done that.” We have died with Christ and have been raised with Christ in newness of life. The Lord my shepherd.

Why Listen to him? Is Jesus out of his mind? Jesus the good shepherd, he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. By hearing that voice, accepting these promises, we find rest for our weary souls, we are restored to wholeness and wellbeing, and we are given immeasurable security paid for by the shepherd’s life. He came so that the sheep may have life, and have it abundantly. With the Lord as our shepherd: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives, and I we shall dwell in the house of the lord Forever.

1 Susan Andrews, "At Home in God," The Christian Century, 1999.
2 Our Daily Bread, June 6, 1994. http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/r/rest.htm
3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piet%C3%A0_(Michelangelo)
4 Kenneth E. Bailey, “Psalm 23 and Jesus,” Presbyterian Outlook 02/18/2008
5 http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/ArmsTrade/Spending.asp#USMilitarySpending
6 Kenneth E. Bailey, “Psalm 23 and Jesus,” Presbyterian Outlook 02/18/2008
7 Kenneth E. Bailey, “Psalm 23 and Jesus,” Presbyterian Outlook 02/18/2008

Why listen to him?

John 10:1-10 and Psalm 23 WPC, April 13, 2008

It is after Jesus says these very confusing words that many who are listening to him accuse him of having a demon; of being out of his mind. “Why listen to him?” they asked. After hearing this passage of John we may ask the same question: “Why Listen to him? Does this make any sense? Sheep and shepherds, gates and gatekeepers; strangers and strange voices, thieves and bandits?’

One thing is clear: for John, Jesus is the good shepherd that God had promised Israel. While the language of John may be confusing, Psalm 23, next to Jesus wept, is probably the most popular scripture to memorize. In just 6 verses we are told that relationship with the shepherd provides rest, restoration, and security.¹ Gifts of grace.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

I love Saturday mornings. Usually, Trasie and I have not gone to bed at an early hour on Friday nights…but we can make up for it on Saturday mornings sleeping in, [unless we get an early phone call or unexpected knock on the door.] It’s so nice to not have to hurry out of bed, but instead to slowly role out…Delay the pressures of life for at least a little while….We may even do some “transition yoga:” “as the morning sun warms the earth, so these exercises will warm your body to face the day,” says yoga master Rodney Yee on the DVD.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

Getting good rest seems to come down to a matter of trust. Sometimes it can be so hard for me to fall asleep at night, thinking about some problem, worrying about things.. [believe it or not many of you are frequently on my mind]….

I guess I can count sheep… I can count them being led out of the gate beside still water…(are some of you counting sheep right now?). Can we find rest when we trust in God? Trust that God will lead us. What do so many people say when you ask them how they are doing? Busy. Work and business are our pride and joy.

Resting in the park..on green grass, or beside a lake fishing…these are signs of idleness.

“According to a Greek legend, in ancient Athens a man noticed the great storyteller Aesop playing childish games with some little boys. He laughed and jeered at Aesop, asking him why he wasted his time in such frivolous activity.

Aesop responded by picking up a bow, loosening its string, and placing it on the ground. Then he said to the critical Athenian, "Now, answer the riddle, if you can. Tell us what the unstrung bows implies." The man looked at it for several moments but had no idea what point Aesop was trying to make. Aesop explained, "If you keep a bow always bent, it will break eventually; but if you let it go slack, it will be more fit for use when you want it." Are we also not like that? You will be at your best for the Lord if you have taken time to loosen the bow of its stress and anxiety.²

By resting one day of the week, we demonstrate our trust in our shepherd, that not everything depends on us. Start by setting aside a special time to relax physically and renew yourself emotionally and spiritually. And surely goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life, and you will dwell in the house of the Lord your whole life long.

With rest comes restoration. He restoreth my soul:

Michael Angelo’s La Pietà depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the Crucifixion. The Pietà has had a rough history, damaged many times. Four fingers on the Virgin's left hand were broken during a move. These were restored in 1736 by Giuseppe Lirioni and scholars are divided as to whether the restorer took liberties to make the gesture more 'rhetorical'. But, the most substantial damage occurred on May 21, 1972 (Pentecost Sunday) when a mentally disturbed geologist named Laszlo Toth walked into the chapel and attacked the Virgin with a hammer while shouting "I am Jesus Christ." In spite of the significant damage, this work has not been discarded. But painstakingly restored and returned to its place in St. Peter's, and is now protected by a bullet-proof acrylic glass panel.³

All of us in our lives have been broken and hurt by others, by forces beyond our control. But just as this art was not discarded as ruined beyond repair, we too are precious creations of God, on whom God never gives up… that God desires to restore …to make us whole again. And as resurrection people, we can see the value in everyone; no one is beyond restoration. The good shepherd leads us down paths of righteousness to the waters of baptism; the font reminds us that we belong to that Good Shepherd and to one another.

Thou anointest my head with oil; oil that reminds us that we are made whole and healed by god.

Thou preparest a table, My cup runneth over; when we come to the table to remember the gracious acts of Christ, we may be restored and nourished by the plentiful bounty of God.

Often in passages of scripture, common themes will serve as bookends for the central theme, as the bread for the meaty part; the heart of the message.

Did you see what was at the center of this Psalm? Security.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

The “rod” of the shepherd was a handmade wooden mace with blacksmith nails driven into it, protection from outside attacks. The “staff” was the traditional shepherd’s staff that could be hooked around a lamb’s neck to guide it back onto the path; a guide for the flock in its interior life together.⁴

This is different, I think, from “homeland security.” The commander and chief of the united states military is my shepherd…thy nuclear bomb and fighter planes, they comfort me. Our nation will spend $711 billion dollars on defense this year,

more than the combined spending of the next 45 countries.⁵

“The Lord is my shepherd.” Had David written, “The Lord is my King,” we may look to a political institution for security. Had David affirmed, “The Lord is my commander,” the military would have been an image for God. But no, the language is, “The Lord is my shepherd.” This means, at the very least, “I do not rely on police protection for my security.” ⁶

Kenneth Bailey lived in the Middle East for 40 years--through seven wars. He says that “fortress America” meant nothing to him because he lived outside its bounds. When 9/11 occurred, the penetration of that fortress did not frighten him because he had never known its protection. In the psalm, David did not find his security in political institutions, the military, the economy, or some mythical attachment to the land. He found it in “the Lord.” Such rooting surely set him free to live and do as he was called but without fear because his security was established elsewhere.⁷

I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.

When questioned about the foolishness of and irresponsibility of the good shepherd for leaving an entire flock in pursuit of one lost sheep, missionary Andrew Roy points out that when the shepherd in the parable goes after the one lost sheep he gives ultimate security to the rest of the flock. Each sheep knows: If I get lost, he will come after me. On the other hand, if the good shepherd cares only for the herd and does not put himself out for the lost sheep, each sheep is left with the ultimate insecurity. They will think, If I fall one step behind, he will leave me to die. ⁸

Christ even went to the extreme, he was the shepherd who gave his life for the sheep, and conquered death, and was raised to new life. And so, in our baptism we are reminded that we need not be afraid of death and sin because we have “been there and done that.” We have died with Christ and have been raised with Christ in newness of life. The Lord my shepherd.

Why Listen to him? Is Jesus out of his mind? Jesus the good shepherd,

he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. By hearing that voice, accepting these promises, we find rest for our weary souls, we are restored to wholeness and wellbeing, and we are given immeasurable security paid for by the shepherd’s life. He came so that the sheep may have life, and have it abundantly.

With the Lord as our shepherd: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives, and I we shall dwell in the house of the lord Forever and ever and ever!

Keith Green, Psalm 23.

1 Susan Andrews,

2 Our Daily Bread, June 6, 1994. http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/r/rest.htm

3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piet%C3%A0_(Michelangelo)

4 Kenneth E. Bailey, “Psalm 23 and Jesus,” Presbyterian Outlook 02/18/2008

5 http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/ArmsTrade/Spending.asp#USMilitarySpending

6 Kenneth E. Bailey, “Psalm 23 and Jesus,” Presbyterian Outlook 02/18/2008

7 Kenneth E. Bailey, “Psalm 23 and Jesus,” Presbyterian Outlook 02/18/2008

8 Kenneth E. Bailey, “Psalm 23 and Jesus,” Presbyterian Outlook 02/18/2008

Road Trippin with Jesus

Luke 24:12-38: Road trippin’ with Jesus. April 6, 2008

How long is the road to Emmaus? Well, 7 miles I suppose. How long is the road to Emmaus? For some it may take an entire life-time.

I’ve noticed on week three in Easter the idea, the concept of resurrection and the difference it makes in my life is kind of hard to get a hold of. Resurrection--a fundamental aspect of Christian life—how does it inform the way I see life? How might we gain better understanding? Would it help to see the empty tomb?

I went on youtube and found several videos of not just one site thought to be the place of Jesus’ tomb but two different places. There’s the gaudy ornate Church of the Holy Supulcre AKA the Church of the Resurrection just inside the old city walls of Jerusalem. People have been making pilgrimage to this holy place since the 4th century to see the place where Jesus was buried….¹ But there is another place that claims to be the spot, called the Garden Tomb just outside Jerusalem's Old City Walls; it is close a rocky slope (just behind the Arab bus station).² A very green and quite place, and sure enough there is an entrance to a hollow tomb, We can imagine the stone that only Arnold Schwarzenegger could have moved when he was in Conan the Barbarian form, just off to the side. And there is enough room for two angels to sit inside. Does that help us to get a hold of resurrection better? Does this make it more real?

If not there’s one more option: the “Calvary Hill Playset;” selling for $23.99 onBibleBookShop.com.³ It comes complete with “a stone that rolls away (kind of slides) and three removable crosses.” This is found in the office supplies section of the website. I could order it for the office here; come by and we’ll play with it sometime; especially on those days when we’re really trying to figure out what Easter is all about and we want to see an empty tomb! Evidently, action figure Jesus and Angels are not included, but I suppose we could substitute my bobble head Jesus doll!⁴

These disciples walking on the road to Emmaus were trying to figure out what to do with an empty tomb…what the heck happened with Jesus? Cleopas and another unnamed disciple, (possibly a woman?), are walking along the road…down and out. Forlorn, is the word Dick Fallis uses to describe our dog brinca when she’s in the office…many of you have seen this look. These disciples were feeling dejected….

A stranger joins them on the hike; hard to avoid hitchhikers when you’re walking. “What are you talking about?”

“We’re talking about Jesus; haven’t you heard about him? He did incredible things: walked on water, calmed the storm; He blew our minds as he taught us: Prodigal Son, The one without sin cast the first stone, the good Samaritan!

He was our leader… but more than that our companero, who was handed over to the ruling powers and Crucified. Now DEAD! Strangely, three days after the crucifixion, the women found the tomb empty; said they saw a vision of angels who said he was alive. Other disciples went and saw the empty tomb. But, what good is just an empty tomb…? We had hoped he would be the one….”

Their hope was gone…that road to Emmaus was one of grief and despair…We know this road. We walk this road when our marriage fails; when relationships are broken. This road seems never ending as an illness gets worse and worse.

We stumble along this road as our job continues to become less and less satisfying. This road is steep, as pregnancy seems out of reach. It’s an impasse, filled with land mines, five years in Iraq. We may lose hope we fight for justice and nothing comes as a result.

White south African George Ellis speaks of life during the days of Apartheid:

“The situation all the time was teetering on the brink of disaster,” Ellis says. “And so hope was very difficult on many occasions. On one particular occasion I did really virtually lose hope. The government employed vigilantes in the townships to burn down the houses, the shanty houses of about 10,000 people.

These were the townships in which my wife was working as a doctor. And every day for two weeks, there was this smoke that I could see from my office, rising up from these burning houses. I went out with various people, tried to talk to the police, tried to contact people in the government, 'Can't you do anything about it?' But, of course, they were behind it. And so at that stage, I did, in fact, lose hope because I couldn't see any way that one could change it at all.⁵

It’s easy for the powers that would rule this world to tell us how to perceive reality; a world of brokenness easily shapes our capacities to see and discern.

We had hoped..they said to the stranger. We’ve heard the tomb was empty but we just don’t know. And it is at this moment that the stranger challenges their perspective. O how foolish you are, how slow of heart, you’ve been overcome by the stupor induced by this world…. What are you down and out for?…

is this not the way it was supposed to be? The messiah was to suffer and then enter into his glory. This stranger gives them a good kick in the butt. Do the dominating forces of reality have to determine how we should live life? Or can we imagine something different. Imagination…something that children seem to possess, but for some reason, our ability as adults to imagine the world differently has been subdued (exception of John Lennon) we know that God has the final word. Does God give us strength to endure the trials we must face? Does the Resurrection give us hope not only in the life to come, but in this life, in the here and now, every day…. ? So we can envision an alternative reality in which God way of justice and of love overwhelms our hearts and pushes us to move on and to live into this vision...even if it seems to be futile.

Some of you may have seen the recent article in the New York Times about the drug situation in Rio Arriba County. Rio Arriba County has the nation’s highest per capita rate of deaths from overdoses. The county ranked first in drug fatalities from 2001 to 2005, with a death rate of 42.5 per 100,000, six times the national average of 7.3. Hundreds of families are struggling to live with a plague of narcotics that hits generation after generation: “We start our addiction getting high with our uncles, then we turn on our own nephews,” said one man who’s been an addict for 26 years. In Cordova, Dolores is a non-user who lives with seven relatives, four of whom are addicts. Her face tightens as she admits to giving money for heroin to her addicted son, who is in his 20s. “I’d rather give him money than see him panhandle or steal,” “A lot of mothers here are in the same situation.”⁶

Many who read this article may hear of this situation and dismiss it as someone else’s problems. As a situation that can’t be resolved; one that is hopeless. But disciples, who see the world differently, who perceive a world with lenses of hope…see even the bleakest situations as something more. Twelve years ago Charles and Georgia Ortiz became members of the local crime committee when the group addressed the problem of crime related to heroin addiction. Amid death threats the committee emphasized a multi-focus approach: law enforcement, treatment, stiffer sentences…. Charles and Georgia chose to focus on prevention. They founded a Boys & Girls Club in Chimayo in 2000. Then four years ago, they founded a new club in Abiquiu. They have been heavily involved in these programs, both are going strong, both are making a difference in kids lives, opening up the possibility of breaking the cycle, and producing a more abundant life.

Disciples are to be drawn out of what might have been perceived as a hopeless future and see the world in a different way. The resurrection changes the way we see reality. The resurrection destroys our notion that death is the final boundary of human experience. Jesus’ resurrection challenges our notion that the powers of this world are the final arbiters of reality. Undermines our notion of a God who is at best, absent from this world or at worst hostile to humankind.

How long is the road to Emmaus? Seven miles…How long is the road to Emmaus? A life time?

I was thinking about how Christ may join us on that road: Maybe Christ is within us as we travel down that road and we have to look within ourselves to discover his chiding—oh you foolish one—and his peace: Was this not supposed to have happened? Maybe we recognize Jesus with us through others who show us love and mercy…who care for us in our times of grief? We are the body of Christ, Paul suggests, his hands and his feet, working in loving service. Maybe Christ is with us in the stranger that joins us on the road, or that we join on that road. Hospitality is extended through works of mercy and love: Clothing those who need clothes, Visiting those in prison and the sick. Inviting the stranger in.

In as much as you have done it to the least of these, you have done it unto me….

What is so fascinating about this story of the two disciples along the road is not only the fact that Jesus walks along with them during this time of deep deep despair, but also what happens at the end of the road….they invite him in to share a meal and to stay the night…he breaks bread with them and that is when they recognize him.

It would seem that in order to really get a better grasp of Easter, seeing an empty tomb is not enough, nor preaching sermons, nor reciting passages from the bible… these are important but.. The turning point in this story comes not in words alone, but in practices of hospitality, table fellowship with a stranger.

They invited him in to stay….and when he broke bread they recognized him.

And so today we come to the table to join in the feast, to break bread…so that our eyes might be opened. Can you see him? Can you see the empty tomb and the stone rolled away? Can you feel it, can you sense it in those most fearful moments, maybe those most difficult moments, can you sense that Jesus is there…on the road trip with you. Listening to you…chiding you for being slow of heart. Encouraging you to see the world differently…with Easter eyes that perceive that things are not as they should be, and yet, as long as there is life there is hope.…with an imagination that can envision a better future. With an imagination in which “we can love one another deeply from our hearts.” (1 Peter)

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Holy_Sepulchre

2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_Tomb

3 http://www.biblebookshop.com/zoom.asp?ISBN=9834550251

4 Kimberly L. Clayton, “The Easter Texts: Getting Hold (or not) of Easter,” Journal for Preachers, Easter 2007, p. 3.

5 "Science and Hope" with South African Quaker cosmologist George Ellis as heard on Speaking of Faith with Krista Tippett: http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/scienceandhope/transcript.shtml

6 ERIK ECKHOLM, “A Grim Tradition, and a Long Struggle to End It,” NYTimes, April 2, 2008.