Sermon for Sunday 8 February 2009

The Archbishops of the Anglican Communion got together for a meeting in Egypt, while we were floundering in snow this week. They may have had some prophetic warning of inclement weather, but the meeting opened up a conversation with those who had boycotted the Lambeth Conference. The meeting was behind closed doors, and we do not yet know the results.

Arguments can be painful. The question of human sexuality, on the agenda in Egypt, is very often portrayed as a contest between those who quote biblical passages, and those who try to find meaning in the Gospel’s concerning the character of God. Not so long ago, I entered into an animated discussion with someone along these lines. We quickly assumed polarized positions.

It took a third party, a woman standing quietly by to alter the direction and tenor of the debate. She spoke of her own country where if you are gay and found out, you are imprisoned and tortured. It was real lives we were discussing and real suffering, not some abstract concept.

Today’s Gospel reading shows Jesus meeting people’s suffering by healing and casting out demons. Jesus was feted for his healing powers, but instead of glorying in celebrity status, He went off to pray alone. Then, just when he was found, Jesus announced he was leaving, declaring confidently that he had a message to proclaim. We can imagine the disciples were perplexed.

The message appears earlier on as Jesus was approaching Galilee. He said:

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news”.

One newspaper yesterday carried a headline describing Roman Catholic Pope Benedict as ‘God’s Mauled Rottweiler’. When even Church leaders are attracting bad press, we may be entitled to ask, “What Kingdom?”; “What good news?”

Judging by the daily diet of bad news, we can be forgiven if we are still trying to work that out.

Well, we can turn to Scripture to find answers. In the story in Mark’s gospel of the healing of Simon’s mother-in-law there is good news. Jesus healed, and the woman got up and served. The Special Notes in my Bible give an additional insight. It states:

“beware any tendency to reduce the importance of the mother-in-law’s action because she is a woman”.

Now who would do that?

It goes on:

‘she acts toward Jesus and the others as the angels earlier acted toward Jesus in the wilderness’.

And we know that it was in the wilderness that Jesus resisted the temptations of Satan.

The disciples, of course, didn’t have a copy of these Bible notes. Neither would they have been privy to today’s jokes that are so frequently at the expense of mothers-in-law. “If, even a mother-in-law can be like an angel, then there is surely hope for all of us!”

The disciples may not have been sure who Jesus was, but as Jews, they knew how to live a faithful life. The Book of Job in the Old Testament tells how Satan wagered that Job’s faith would weaken in the face of tragedy. Job lost everything but, in dialogue with God, still he held on to his faith. In the end, Job was rewarded.

Today’s extract from the Book of Isaiah tells of another story of faith and redemption. Exiled in Babylon, the Jews questioned their status as God’s chosen people and God’s sovereignty.

And Isaiah’s words reassured them that despite their humiliation, God is still the Lord of the heavens and over history; that the Lord forgives them and will act to allow the exiles to return home.

The best and shortest definition of sin that I have come across is of being ‘far from God’. You could argue it’s a sort of polarization. What faith offers is an end to that polarization; it offers a return home.

So, for many Christians, the election of Barack Obama as the first Black President of the United States, is a sign of God’s redemption. Whatever our political views, a country that was polarized on grounds of race is healing and celebrating in the process.

But we know that that is not the end of the story. Like revelation, redemption is God’s gift, for us to pray for, every moment of every day.

When there is conflict and war, as we have seen in Gaza, identifying demons is easy. In many circumstances, it is important that there is a reckoning, that justice is done. But if we want to transform, we need also to spend time searching for angels. For where there are angels, God is very likely to be close by.

In war, the angels will always be with the victims and with the innocent. But there will be angels too amongst those who are prepared to step outside their own story, and place their identity and trust in God. It is amongst them that we will find the seeds of reconciliation and peace.

We are all hoping and praying and waiting for peace – peace in the Church and in the world.

Isaiah urged:

By waiting, Isaiah was not advocating impotence or passivity. Rather, he delivered a message of empowerment. By waiting on the Lord, we will be given renewed strength to strive for the realization of God’s promise, his promise to return us home.

And where is home? Is it a piece of territory? Is it an abstract theological principle? Or is it God’s kingdom?

In finding the answer, we need not fear controversy. Jesus didn’t. His healing and casting out demons caused quite a stir. It is not controversy that causes conflict or war. It’s what we do with it and how we behave.

And whilst we can judge arguments on their logic, if we have aspirations to be an angel, we should also judge by their fruit. History is full of demons mixing a cocktail of human aspiration, principled conviction and the belief that God is on their side and no one else’s, with lethal consequences.

Christ suffered, but he was not in the business of inflicting suffering. When we see suffering caused by conflict, we should not be like a neutral referee in a match, but impartial, without fear or favour, judging and acting according to what we can know of the character of God. That character is revealed to us in Jesus Christ.

So, as Christ did, we should act to relieve suffering, and if we cannot personally, we can help and support those that can. And we should pray.

When we pray, we might just ask God’s help in building a company of angels; a company that is open to new members. Maybe that is what Church is, when it is pointing to God’s kingdom.

Rather like the snow, against which my snow white dogs appeared rather grey, surrounding ourselves with angels gives us a pretty good idea of where we fall short.

To look for angels, we need to keep our eyes, ears and minds open, even when we have to wrap ourselves up in snow proof clothing. I think I saw some playing in the snow this week. There might be one sitting next to you. If you have a mother-in-law, nurture her and she could even begin to grow wings like an angel. If you are a mother-in-law, show your wings. Is this good news?

I think so.

©Rosemary Durward, Ordinand February 2009