How’d you like Jesus’ prayer here? I sometimes struggle John’s Gospel, because I think it’s hard to follow some of Jesus’ words… “I in them and you in me and we one and they one I in them you us we he they…” I loose track of all those pronouns. But here’s the bottom line of the loving prayer that Jesus prays: that Christ is in and with us, and that we’re together.
Isn’t that beautiful? And it’s easy to make fun of...
It reminds me a bit of something I’ve heard from loved ones who are tough to get a gift for, “I don’t want any ‘thing’ for my birthday, I just want us to be together, I just want us all to be together.” Heather’s said this before...and clarified, “I don’t want to be sent away from the family, to a spa for the day or a retreat alone: I just want us all to be together.” My dad talked this way a lot also...
Of course there’s no “just” about it, like it’s something easy or flippant. It’s a bold desire. How hard it is for families to “be” together, even when it’s possible physically. So much strife amid families, so much history, and pent up bad/sad memories. So many ongoing disagreements...on philosophies of parenting, or on politics or religion, or life choices. It’s so hard to “just” be together, in peace, isn’t it…
And yet there are those among us, in this world and in our communities, who continue to call us back together — not idly and dreamily, but boldly and lovingly, calling us back to the fold, back to the community, back to the earth, back to a healthy life and a full life and a life together. They’re like New Testament prophets encouraging us: Stay together sisters and brothers in Christ, live kindly and peaceably with one another. Love one another.
This is what Jesus prays for us today...and far beyond just our immediate family to come together. Jesus too prays (boldly not dreamily), “I want the family to be together, in peace, and I’m going to be there too. I’m not going anywhere,” Jesus says to us. “Don’t send me off to some spa or retreat in the clouds. I’m staying right here with you, no matter what you have to say about. I’ll be here in water and word, wheat and wine. I’ll be here in the faces of both friends and strangers alike. I’m not going anywhere,” Jesus tells us today.
Christ. Is. Here. Today. Loving us, friends. Praying for us. (Not sure we think of Jesus praying for us, but here it is, today in the Gospel of John.) And Christ isn’t going anywhere. Praying that we come together, cross the divides, have the tough conversations, and greet one another in peace and joy.
—
I want to shift over to this First Lesson that Michelle read from Acts...because there we have some pretty graphic imagery of family not coming together, of family bickering, not just that, but family hurting each other: great story from Acts!
Paul and Silas...get annoyed...cast out “the spirit of divination”...upset the business establishment...upset the way things are done. That’s Part 1 of this account.
Then they get thrown in prison. And here’s where we see glimpses of God working and bringing the most unlikely of people together: the prisoners and the prison guards. My friend’s dad was a prison guard, and I’ve heard and can certainly imagine that it’s rough in there. That’s understatement, right? And yet the other stories I’ve heard, kindnesses that take place, perhaps few and far between. Perhaps not. That’s the Spirit working in the unlikeliest of places. People crossing the divides. And that’s what happens in this reading for today. Paul and Silas (the prisoners), befriend and even baptize the prison guard and his whole household!
They even stay after an earthquake sets them free!
And can you see Jesus‘ prayer almost hovering over this whole scene? Like when 2 brothers finally reconcile after years of fighting. Like when 2 sisters finally have the tough conversation that ends in happy tears and a long embrace.
Have you ever seen this in your own life? It’s rare.
And like in the text, sometimes it takes a disaster, like an earthquake, to catalyze the reconciliation, but when peace finally comes into a family’s (or a congregation’s or a community’s) dynamic, it is no small moment. When after years of being at each others throats, calling each other names, arguing and fighting, or going long spells without ever even talking, when finally peace comes and settles into a family’s dynamic...there’s Jesus‘ prayer for unity and peace and presence, hovering over the whole scene. It’s no small thing. It is a gift. Pure grace.
Friends in Christ, here in our final week of the Easter Season, here at the beginning of summer, here at the end of one chapter and the start of another, God is here. And God’s not going anywhere. God through Christ prays for us today. Prays for love, longs for us to reconcile with one another, to forgive one another, as we have been forgiven. That’s the big Christian question, I believe:
“HOW’S FORGIVENESS GOING FOR YOU?”
(you forgiving others, yourself...you receiving forgiveness...)
God is here as we struggle with that, holding us like a strong parent, calming us down. As we struggle to shed our anger and our resentment, our bitterness and our remorse. Christ isn’t going anywhere, off to a heavenly spa in clouds. Christ is right here with us as we struggle. Christ is right here with us in our pain, in our loneliness. Christ is right here in our both in our joy and especially in our sorrow.
This God knows pain (remember the Good Friday cross), this God comes and waits (and wades) with us through our pain. This God holds us, and gives us hope, gives us peace...
And we are made one; we are together...this day.
In Jesus’ name. AMEN.
No comments:
Post a Comment