Readings for Easter 5C:
Acts 13:44-52; John 13:31-35
May 6, 2007
The Rev. Karen Faye Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino, CA
Jesus said: “Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” [Jn. 13] Today’s passage from the gospel of John is taken from Jesus’ farewell address to his apostles. Jesus is instructing them on how they are to live their lives together after his departure. These disciples are about to experience their first major crisis. Jesus is trying to equip them to face this crisis with hope rather than despair. How do we face the crises in our lives with hope rather than despair? Today, I would like to talk about living with hope and creating a different future. I will use the readings from the gospel and the Book of Acts as my texts.
In the wake of the Virginia Tech massacre, the rising casualties from the war in Iraq, the significant jump in oil prices, natural disasters, and the day to day traumas that each one of us faces, there seems to be a lot of free floating anxiety in the air. This anxiety is affecting our sense of well-being. As the anxiety rises, it often engenders fear, grief, anger, resentment, depression, and hopelessness. This sense of hopelessness has us questioning our future: Will my children ever be safe? Will the economy ultimately fail? Will my health hold up? Am I going to die? It is easy to get fixated on the dark side of life where the media focuses our attention. Is there hope for a different future and what can each one of us do to create a different future? Let’s begin answering these questions by taking a look at today’s reading from the Book of Acts.
Paul and Barnabas are on a mission trip in what is now known as modern-day Turkey. They have left the security of their homeland and have moved out into foreign territory to spread the good news in Christ. At this point in the story, they are in the town of Antioch. They have been invited to return to the synagogue once again to continue their preaching. On this particular Saturday, the whole city gathers to hear them. Some of the Jews in the synagogue become jealous of their popularity and influence over the people. Being filled with jealousy, they speak abusively against Paul, contradicting what he is saying.
These opponents begin to convince the most respected women and leading men in the town that their precious way of life is about to be destroyed. As the opposition builds against Paul and Barnabas, they are persecuted and forced to leave town. What a trauma! What a great disappointment! How do Paul and Barnabas respond to this inhospitable treatment? Do they lose hope? No! Paul challenges those who reject his teaching. He doesn’t become discouraged by their rejection. Instead, he seeks out those who do want to listen to his good news. And when he is finally forced out of town, he simply shrugs his shoulders, moves to the next town, being filled with the Holy Spirit and brimming with joy. “Joy is not the absence of sorrow, but full confidence in the power and the presence of God.” It is joy that keeps Paul hopeful and creates a different future.
In the gospel story, Jesus is at table with his disciples. The Passover is about to begin and his time is very limited. Having washed their feet as a servant washes his master’s feet, Jesus begins to instruct them on how they are to live together as a community of faith. He tells them: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” [Jn. 13]
While there are many passages in Scripture urging love for all people, this particular passage is specifically directed to his disciples. Jesus knows that if they are to face major crises in the future, they need to be grounded in a community of love. Otherwise they will despair. And the kind of love that they are to show one another, is a love far greater than just neighborly love. The kind of love that Jesus expects from his disciples is a sacrificial love that goes to great lengths. How far? Jesus said: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” [Jn 15:13]
Servanthood, sacrifice, speaking the truth without fear: this is the kind of love that strengthened the disciples as they faced their first crisis. Servanthood, sacrifice, speaking the truth without fear: this is the kind of love practiced by the community of faith, who laid hands on Paul and Barnabas as they set out on mission. This deep and sacrificial love gave Paul and Barnabas the foundation and the strength to forge ahead in the face of resistance. It gave them joy in the face of rejection. This is the same kind of love that we need to build on, in our own community of faith, to engender hope and create a different future.
It is easy to get stuck in the dark side of life where one is apt to loose hope. The truth is, we can’t stop all disturbed people from shooting innocent victims. We can’t stop suicide bombers from blowing up targets. We can’t directly control the oil companies nor can we “save” every country engaged in violence. But there is much that we can do. How? Where do we begin? Jesus said: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” This is where our hope begins. Imagine the kind of future we can create if we were to take this commandment seriously? Imagine the kind of future that is possible if we were to simply reach out our arms with a love seeped in servanthood, sacrifice, and speaking the truth without fear? Let me give you an example of hope.
On April 16, 2007, thirty-two innocent people were gunned down by a very disturbed killer at Virginia Tech. But in the midst of this darkness, the light was not extinguished. Many courageous teachers and students stepped forward to save others by sacrificing their own lives. We must never forget Professor Liviu Librescu who prevented the shooter from entering his classroom until all his students had escaped through the windows. We mustn’t forget Professor Jocelyne Couture-Nowak who tried to save the students in her classroom by ordering her students to the back of the class and made an attempt to barricade the door. We mustn’t forget Waleed Shaalan, who though badly wounded, distracted the shooter from a nearby student. We mustn’t forget Professor Kevin Granata who brought 20 students from a nearby classroom into a locked office where they were safely secured.
Did these courageous people ultimately die from their actions? Yes! Did many more live because of their personal sacrifice? Absolutely. Because of their love for others, the future is now different for many, many students. This kind of sacrificial love has given me much hope and for this I give thanks.
Today we will commission two Stephen Ministers who have spent months of their time training for this ministry. In the future, they will spend many hours in supervision, learning how to best serve those in need. Will they be able to prevent innocent victims from being shot? No. Will they be able to stop the sectarian violence in Iraq? No. Will they be able to prevent random trucks from running into crowds of students? No. But through their ministry of listening to those in pain, through their ministry of offering hope in the midst of despair, through their ministry of service to those who grieve, they will be creating a different future for the lives they do touch.
These Stephen ministers, along with the many others in our community of faith, have been trained to be a patient listener in a hurried world, a healer of divisions, and a comfort to those in need. They have committed themselves to sow seeds of love in this community of faith by sharing their gifts and skills to those who are burdened under the stress of daily life. Servanthood, sacrifice, speaking the truth without fear: this is the kind of love that they will share with this community of faith. And it is this kind of love that gives us hope and creates a different future.
Jesus said: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have love you, you also should love one another.”
| Updated May 7, 2007 |
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