Tag Archives: god

Lost and found

18 Sep
(Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, New York City’s Young Republican Club organized and gathered in Madison Square Park in Manhattan for a vigil in support of the conservative activist. Andrea Renault/STAR MAX/IPx/AP Images)

This post is a homily I delivered to the parish I currently serve as “Deacon Vicar,” St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Somerset Parish, Princess Anne, Maryland on Sunday, September 14 which was the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 19.

The Collect of the Day: O God, because without you we are not able to please you, mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Lectionary readings: Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28, Psalm 14, 1 Timothy 1:12-17 and Luke 15:1-10.

I had a distant uncle (very distant!) whom I met once when I was a teenager.  That was on a trip of a lifetime, which I had zero appreciation for in the moment.  It’s one of those experiences that cannot be replicated.  During the summer in between my sophomore and junior years of high school, my mother, partner and I took a month-long train trip out west.  I know Amtrak has a horrible reputation (a lot of which is ‘deserved’) but if you ever have the opportunity to take a long train ride within the United States, I highly recommend it.   It’s a great way to see our country!

At the time, I was missing my friends, worrying I was going to miss out on something (that was the kind of teenager I was).  My mother and I have recently been ‘revisiting’ that trip, because she routinely goes through our photo albums and brings out photos to show me and guests who happen to be visiting (like what happened at the recent healing service, with that baby picture appearing in a recent Andrewgram).  The pictures of course cannot capture the magnificent, majestic landscapes we are blessed to have.  We visited the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Tetons National Park, among other sites, as well as Salt Lake City, Utah.

That’s where my uncle (Uncle Stew) lived.  And he was a Mormon. He was a pleasant enough fellow.  I do not remember too much about him.  Unfortunately, most of what I remember is how he tried to convert all of us to the Mormon church!  He had us watch countless videos, took us to see some of the Mormon sites (we were not allowed into others because of not belonging to the church, or, at least that’s what he told us). 

(The Salt Lake Temple)

In light of Charlie Kirk’s assassination on Wednesday afternoon, and learning that the assailant, Tyler Robinson, is supposedly a Mormon, I thought of Uncle Stew.  There’s much about the Mormon church that remains a mystery to me.  At its core, however, is the Bible and profession of Christ as God’s Son, “who serves as the Savior.”  And so, I can only imagine the amount of “soul searching” that is currently happening, within Tyler’s family (also purportedly Mormon) and their faith community at large, regarding how Tyler became a lost sheep, who strayed from the commands of Christ, specifically, in this instance, the command to love his neighbor and not to kill or take another life. 

Unfortunately, however, there’s quite a bit of ‘clucking’ happening with respect to his family ‘needing to have done more,’ and the clucking is particularly focused on their failure to keep Tyler from straying and becoming a lost sheep.  But there’s also clucking directed at Charlie Kirk, for either opinions expressed, or regarding the ‘type of faith’ he led and professed.  The crux of all this clucking wants us to acknowledge how much both – Charlie and Tyler – need/needed to repent, and to be counted again amongst the righteous, as both were….. lost sheep.

Before Kirk was killed, I was reminded of the thief on the cross, who hung next to Jesus at the crucifixion, by way of one of my daily devotional books.  As I have watched the horrible social media comments pile here, there and everywhere, I frequently re-read the quote since Kirk’s assassination.  It comes from Makarios the Great, a monk in Egypt, who lived in the fourth century. Because today in the Roman Catholic Church is the Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross, known as Holy Cross Day in the Episcopal Church (which is transferred to tomorrow since today is Sunday, which takes precedence in our tradition) I want to share it.  Here’s what St. Makarios wrote:

All things are possible for God.

Such was the case of the thief [on the cross].

In one moment he was converted through his faith

and was restored to paradise.

It was for this that the Lord came,

so that he might change our souls, re-create them,

and as scripture says,

“make us sharers in the divine nature.”

He will give to our soul a heavenly soul,

which is the Holy Spirit,

who will lead us into the fullness of virtue,

so that we will even start to live the eternal life,

as far as this is now possible. – Makarios the Great     

Technically, the thief was a not a lost sheep because prior to that moment he had not professed faith in Christ and it’s a conversion story.  But he and those who are lost sheep have one important, very important act to do, before coming or coming back into the fold: profess the Holy Name of Jesus and/or repent, Confess.  But each time we confess, for me, we truly do profess the Holy Name of Jesus.  We’ll shortly pray our Confession with a profession: for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us….

Clearly, Tyler needs to do some hard, hard work.  I do pray some sort of prison ministry awaits him and that his heart will unharden.  I know it’s hard, but Tyler needs our prayers.  Even if the shooter ended up being a different race or was indeed part of the transgender community, our prayers are still required.  We are to pray, unceasingly, even when and especially when hearts remain hardened.  It’s quite possible Tyler and even Dylan Roof (the Charleston, Mother Emmanuel shooter) will eventually be part of the fold. Think about that(!).  If (…big if…) Dylan Roof truly does the hard, needed work, Professes and Repents/ Confesses, even after methodically killing 9 unarmed African American Bible study attendees, he would be our brother in Christ.  That’s an uncomforting, unsettling thought.  But to authentically proclaim, may have us be unsettled, uncomfortable, out of our comfort zones (think back to my recent homily about Jesus coming to ‘cause division’).     

And Charlie Kirk?  Well…not doubt it’s going to depend on your perspective and how you perceived him.  Remember this: he professed Jesus and yet, like us, all of us, was a sinner.  The church is comprised of sinners, weekly we confess our sins, because as we prayed in this morning’s Collect, without God, we are unable to please him without the grace of the Holy Spirit.  Because we too can get lost.  You may want to check your bearings; Jesus may indeed be out looking for you right now.  Ask: am I the lost sheep?  We cannot pretend to know what was further required of Charlie Kirk when called to account at the last Great Day, which, unfortunately, for him the last day was this past Wednesday afternoon at around 2:20 p.m. EST.  

I’m a member of the LGBTQ+ community.  I admittedly did not pay too close attention to Charlie Kirk because he and I had differing takes with respect to “the gay issue.”  Even with that, I do feel confident he would have sat down with me to have a conversation in the same way Pastor Timothy Keller would have (I spoke about that in a homily that focused on Timothy Keller when he died).  While I do take issue with “love the sinner, hate the sin” ‘approach’ with respect to ‘the gay issue[1],’ I want to highlight two areas of misconceptions that I stumbled across since Kirk died because I’m frankly beyond sick and tired of watching on my phone or laptop someone getting shot and then dying, with having to then watch a wave of celebration erupt after the person dies.

Too many in the ‘celebratory camp’ shared a portion of a quote from Kirk and it was not flattering.  As is usually the case, the entire quote was not shared but clipped.  The quote: 

[clipped quote “I can’t STAND the word empathy, actually. I think empathy is a made-up, new-age term, and it does a lot of damage.”] But the full quote continues “I much prefer the word compassion, and I much prefer the word sympathy. Empathy is where you try to feel someone’s pain and sorrows as if they’re your own. compassion allows for understanding.”  Our Christian canon (NT) was written in Greek; there is an underlining Greek word for empathy, but it’s fairly modern, coming I believe from the field of psychology.  So, I would not necessarily frame empathy as ‘new-age’ but yes, many Bible translations have Jesus being moved with pity… or compassion.

As for ‘the gay issue’: just after Kirk was killed, a gay African American conservative political activist (also a highly decorated Army combat veteran), Rob Smith, shared about a scary, vile experience he had to endure at an event.  Charlie Kirk was there.  From how Smith wrote the description from the evening, even with being an Army combat veteran, he was quite shaken and perhaps scared.  Charlie came to his defense, saying to him: “God loves you, you are a part of this movement, and we’ve got your back.”  I believe since that night, Smith has left the Republican party but still remains committed to conservative causes (though those who know me know that I do not like using these type of labels, i.e. conservative/liberal etc., because it’s now much apart of our polarization and division. But I also know we need to be able to communicate with having a field of reference and that’s why I chose to us the partisan label). He has had multiple posts since that sharing, grieving Charlie Kirk’s death, and condemning the celebratory posts. 

(From Rob Smith’s Facebook page.)

So, again, who is lost?  Who is Jesus looking for?  If you think you know, then I encourage you to get out your compass (Bible), check your bearings, spend some time with God, and maybe even look over your shoulder…Jesus may be walking towards you, looking quite worried.  Because there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

In honor of the Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross (Holy Cross Day):

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,

because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Amen. 

[1] Meaning, when I finally came to peace with who I am (not what I am) it was due to what we see in Psalm 139 and the beginning of Jeremiah: “For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”  For me, God does not make mistakes.  And as I have stated in a prior homily, I do struggle with aspects of the transgender issue (i.e. permitting children under age 25 to begin the process and permitting sports competition in the claimed gender preference) but I personally know folks who are transgender and remain in dialogue and conversation. 

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Election 2024: The Day After

6 Nov

The following is an email I sent to the parish I serve:

Good morning saints!

While we desperately need the rain, I am quite grateful the sun is shining today. My day started as it always does: feeding our six outdoor cats at 6am (after feeding our three in-door cats, who of course think they are nearing death due to not eating since the night before). Admittedly, there are days where I miss my ability to sleep a bit longer. Even with that, I do enjoy being outside, walking around in my yard at that hour. I am quite blessed to have a forest at the edge of my yard. So, it’s quite beautiful and serene to be outside at that hour, to witness the various aspects of God’s creation stretching, yawning and waking up.

I did not burn the midnight oil last night with the election returns. It was quite clear to me by the time I went to bed who was going to win. The only question remaining was the extent of the victory with respect to the legislative branch; that seems to remain unclear as I write this. But before I began my morning devotions, I spent time on social media, which is something I usually do not do. And I saw the hurt, fear and anger that has been expressed by some members of our beloved community. And I saw the counter celebratory response.

My hope going forward is that all of us remember Paul’s counsel from his letter to the Romans: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty but associate with the lowly…If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

During my morning devotions, I was reminded of the Little Sisters of Jesus. That community’s beginning can be traced to Charles de Foucauld and his seeming failure of establishing a new kind of contemplative life, rooted in the world of the poor and based on the “hidden years” that Jesus spent as a carpenter in Nazareth. In his hermitage in the Sahara, he had conceived of a “fraternity” of men and women who would live among their Muslim neighbors as brothers and sisters, embracing poverty, manual labor, and a spirit of prayer. They would proclaim the gospel not with words, “but with their lives.” For many years Foucauld had patiently prepared the way for followers who never came. In the end he died alone, his message bequeathed to the appreciation of a later generation.

Fast forward to Madeleine Hutin. She came across Foucauld’s biography and the rest as they say is history. She left for Algiers, with few plans if any, determined to trust herself entirely to divine providence. She eventually was able to form the order, the Little Sisters of Jesus. The word “Little” had special meaning for Madeleine, now known as Little Sister Magdeleine. During the early years of her vocation, she had experienced a number of intense visions inspired by her meditations on the Infant Jesus. The humility, weakness, and vulnerability of a baby were the disguises under which the world’s savior first appeared. And it seemed appropriate to her that this baby should also be the inspiration and model for those who wished to bear witness to divine love among the poorest and most powerless of the world.

I encourage you to read more about the Little Sisters of Jesus. Recently, I have been reflecting quite a bit about Foucauld’s witness for reasons I will not detail here, other than to say that Foucauld is just another example included in that long list of those saints I referenced in my election eve note to all of you: he kept going, even when it seemed he was an utter failure. It is my fervent belief that we will rarely see the fruits of our work. And as I detailed in my Monday evening email, St. Andrew’s will continue our work and proclamation within and for the Princess Anne community as the Spirit leads us.

Regardless if we are doubled over in fear or in a celebratory mood, we can also spend time reflecting on Little Sister Magdeleine and her witness. Advent is just around the corner (I know, where has the time gone, right?!). We will again pause as much as we can the busyness of the time to ponder the significance of the coming of God by way of a weak, helpless, suckling babe, lying in a filthy manger, among animals and fleas, within view of the opulence of the grandiose power structures of its day. Some time ago, I read a reflection detailing that Jesus was born within full view of one of Herod’s (the State’s) “White House” of Bethlehem; meaning, the contrast could not have been starker. God did not choose the White House of that time-period to come bursting forth upon the scene. God was quite deliberate in placing him over and beyond the human made power structures. Grant it, Herod was not elected. But we do have a constant theme running throughout Holy Scripture: not by might, nor by power, but by Spirit (Zechariah 4:6).

As I have previously stated in at least one past homily, I lament how politics has become the country’s chief religion, with political candidates propped up in a divine type way, as the designated savior, regardless of party. Many have tried to peg me within secular ways of thinking with respect to our politics in trying to figure out where I land. The secular way of thinking is not my way of thinking, though of course, I have opinions, desires and fears as well. My way of thinking tries to imitate Christ, to transform dualistic modes. Like Christ, that at times includes soothing, pastoral language, at other times, righteous indignation, anger, and language that startles. But with all of that, may we remember we have one savior, who is timeless, beyond elections, who is, who was, and who is to come. And I do not mean to degrade or diminish any of your feelings nor do I think of myself as a cynic. I do think we are to be engaged and look to the welfare of the city (See Jeremiah 29).

But as we talked about during our recent study of Amos, we need to look beyond Washington D.C. or Annapolis to perceive what was very much apparent that cold, starry night in Bethlehem to those who were open (the shepherds… who were not among the power brokers of the day) to seeing beyond the extravagance of marble structures. Because that’s the area where we need to give our reverence, worship, time and treasures.

It is fitting that Sunday’s OT lesson is from the first book of Kings and Elijah. You may want to spend time with the second book, chapter two, when Elijah ascends to heaven and Elisha is anointed his successor. This is the type of succession story that Jesus comes from. Elijah’s ascent to heaven is another stark contrast to the report of the royal succession story – a story of failure and disaster – to take us to a scene alive with the news of divine initiative. Elijah’s departure and Elisha’s appointment suggests that God continues to put into play initiatives that can break open patterns of defeat and disappointment. Included with Elijah and Elisha are the company of prophets. Elisha represents the teachings of those who, like his mentor Elijah, value the old religious traditions of Israel (the worship of Yahweh, God of Israel, alone) and the old political traditions (the egalitarian vision of old Israel). The text gets at the importance of communities that can discern faithfulness in public life and policy. From these communities, God calls forth prophets. God forms communities that sustain and sharpen those faithful to God. And fast forward to the Babylonian conquest and exile…who was spared deportation? The “people of the land.” Some suggest that the “people of the land” are the segments of society as represented by Elijah and Elisha, those outside the power structures, those who were not the elites or wealthy.

We at St. Andrew’s are called. We are givers, we are faithful stewards, we are saints. That will remain as long as this ‘red wave’ exists and it will continue to be so once the power pendulum swings back and produces a ‘blue wave.’ Because we are Christ’s wave.

“Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:8

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