Readings for Proper 7B:
2 Corinthians 5:14-21
June 25, 2006
The Rev. Karen Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino, CA
“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new ... All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” [2 Cor. 5]
Is there a unifying force that can bring together all the peoples of this earth so that we can finally live in peace and harmony? Is there a unifying force that can heal broken relationships, create new ways of understanding one another, and unite us into one human family? According to St. Paul, the answer is yes! “In Christ there is a new creation.” What I would like to talk about today is the ministry of reconciliation to which we are called. Reconciliation is about restoring relationships that are fractured. Reconciliation is the theme of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians that was read today. Let’s take a look at this hopeful posture of new life.
Last Wednesday, our new Presiding Bishop-elect, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, preached a sermon at the General Convention’s closing Eucharist. Bishop Katharine will inherit a Church whose members hold divergent opinions, especially when it comes to tradition, sexuality, and gender. Her job will be to reconcile these many different groups who struggle to remain in communion with each other. In her sermon, she told a story about herself which points to the difficulty of reconciliation. Let me rehearse with you this story:
“Last Sunday morning I woke very early, while it was still dark. I wanted to go for a run, but I had to wait until there was enough light to see. When the dawn finally began, I ventured out. It was warm, and still, and very quiet, and the clouds were just beginning to show tinges of pink. I ran by the back of the Hyatt just as two workers were coming out one of the service doors. They were startled I’m afraid, but I nodded at them, and they responded. I went west over the freeway, and encountered a man I’d seen here in the Convention Center. Neither of us stopped, but we did say a quiet good morning. Then I found a lovely green part, and started around it. There was a man with a reflective vest, standing in the street by some orange cones, as though he were waiting for a run or a parade to begin. I said good morning, and he responded in kind. Around the corner I came to a bleary-eyed fellow with several bags who looked like he’d just risen from sleeping rough. I said good-morning to him too, but I must admit I went past him in the street instead of on the sidewalk. Then I met a rabbit hopping across the sidewalk, and though we didn’t use words, one of us eyed the other with more than a bit of wariness. Around another corner, a woman was delivering Sunday papers from her car. She was wary too, and didn’t get out of her car with the next paper until I was a long way past her. Back over the freeway, and a block later, two guys seemingly on their way to work. We nodded at each other.
“As I returned to my hotel, I reflected on those meetings. There was some degree of wariness in most of them. There were small glimpses of a reconciled world in our willingness to greet each other. But the unrealized possibility of a real relationship-whether in response to wariness, or caution, or fear- meant that we still had a very long way to go. Can we dream of a world where all creatures, human and not, can meet each other in a stance that is not tinged with fear?”
Fear, hurt, disappointments, unmet needs, a lack of trust, and self-centeredness is what keeps us at a distance. We do not love one another as Christ has loved us. And so oftentimes, we are unable or unwilling to take the first step in reconciling broken relationships. What are we to do? Some folks take a practical approach by negotiating terms, boundaries, and concessions. Others learn skills in conflict resolution and approach reconciliation from a place of dialogue and compromise. Still others, bury their heads in the sand, acting “nice” on the outside while suppressing the rage and disappointment on the inside. Some people simply remain alienated. In today’s biblical reading, St. Paul takes a very different approach. He talks about reconciliation based on a deep and abiding relationship with God. Let’s take a closer look.
Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians (that is recorded in the New Testament) is actually his forth letter. The other two never survived. In this letter, he tries to reconcile and heal a fractured relationship between him and the congregation at Corinth. We don’t know the exact issues that caused the fracture because the other letters have been lost. But we do know that the people of Corinth were inclined to magnify points of dispute and draw sharp lines between themselves and their opponents. They were brand new Christians, failing miserably to live into their baptismal vows. My hunch is, Paul got frustrated and disappointed and sometimes used harsh words of discipline.
Corinth was a major maritime and commercial center, located about 50 miles from Athens Greece. Prostitution, exploitation of young boys and girls, incest and slavery was common in this city. Paul grew the Church in Corinth from a population whose public morality was at an all-time low. He called these newly formed Christians to a higher level of conduct and awareness, trying to mold them into the people that God willed for them to be. It was in this context that Paul reminds them of their baptismal promises to “die” to the old (i.e. false) self and to be born again in the spirit of Christ.
Instead of teaching them conflict resolutions skills, Paul moves beyond psychology to spiritual insights. He tells them that at the core of reconciliation, is getting one’s relationship with God “right.” Why this approach? When we enter into a sacred relationship with God and put our whole trust in his grace and love, a shift begins to happen inside our heads and hearts. We begin to heal. And as we heal, we begin to see the world differently, as God sees it. As we develop our relationship with God, we receive a grace that allows us to move beyond the fear and disappointments of those who have hurt us. Our decisions and reactions no longer come from a false self because a deep abiding relationship with God heals the wounded ego. Our eyes are opened and we are able to see the light of Christ in each and every person. With this new vision, we are willing to err on the side of mercy and forgiveness and we become deeply grieved when our broken relationships are not reconciled.
When we live in the spirit of Christ, it simply becomes easier to rediscover the humanity of the person who has wronged us. We can see that individual as a person loved by God, not just as one who has offended us. We no longer desire to get even or to punish the person for her transgression. This new vision allows us to revise our feelings and open ourselves up to a new relationship built on mutual respect. Forgiveness and reconciliation will not change the past but it does enlarge the future.
Let me give you a personal example of how entering into a space of grace and love can change the way a person experiences reality. My first job as a chemist was as a water quality-control supervisor for the Cambridge Water Department. My boss admired me and gave me a great deal of respect. He listened to my ideas, encouraged me during the tough times, challenged me to solve problems, and supported me in many ways. He believed in me and provided an environment in which I could thrive. In return, I was very conscientious and worked hard to ensure good water quality. Because of this supportive and caring environment, it was easier to be good, easier to be dedicated, and easier to go the extra mile. I wanted to do the very best that I was capable of; not because it was required, but because I naturally desired to return the grace and love I received.
Now the love and grace that my boss showered upon me cannot even compare to the love that God has for his creatures. Abiding in God’s love makes us want to do our very best. We no longer reach out and give generously to others because we “should” or because that is what the law tells us to do. We reach out in love and we reconcile with others because God loved us first and this love makes us a new creation.
Can we dream of a world where all creatures, human and not, meet each other in a stance that is not tinged with fear? Is there a unifying force that brings people together to live in peace and harmony? Yes! “If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new.”
| Updated 6/19/06 |
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