One of the greatest dangers we humans face is being persuaded to go along with the crowd; and one of the most difficult things any one of us can do is to stand for what we believe to be true and right, even if the rest of the world seems to be saying something completely different. You can see and hear me give this Homily on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wafVomHlNEU
There are, of course, many examples of heroic people who have challenged the world very publicly - many whom we Christians now call saints - not least St John the Baptist of whom we heard in our Gospel today; (Matt 11:2-11) but most of us are not called to be heroes like this. We are not likely to get executed or crucified if we say things others don’t agree with, but we can still find it difficult or awkward. It is much easier to keep quiet, rather than to speak up.
In the UK, we recently heard of some medical staff who were afraid to speak up about things wrong in their hospital, because if they did, they faced hidden persecution from their bosses, which might lead to them losing their jobs or not getting the promotion they wanted. Such “whistle-blowers”, as we call them, are sadly all too rare in many aspects of life, because it takes courage to risk your job or your promotion like this. Jesus honoured John the Baptist precisely because he had such courage. He was prepared to speak out and to rock the boat, and so Jesus declared him “More than a prophet.”
But even though he praises John, Jesus knows how hard it is for us to be like this, and so we often hear him saying “Do not be afraid,” echoing our passage from Isaiah (35:1-6.10) where we hear, “Courage. Do not be afraid” and the suggestion that our problem is that we have “weary hands”, “trembling knees”, and perhaps most telling, “Faint hearts”. Some people may think I am a very brave person, but underneath all the talking, I do actually have what Isaiah calls a “faint heart.” I long to be happy-go-lucky like some people, who trot on through life apparently without a care in the world. In contrast I am a worrier, constantly checking my diary and my Bank account, and spending ages anxiously considering what I should say in these sermons, or even how I should run a little Carol Service that I have been asked to take in a Care Home next Tuesday! It’s all nonsense of course. I have been preaching sermons and taking Carol Services for 50 years, and yet I still worry that somehow something will go wrong.
My problem is that I do not trust sufficiently in God’s grace working within me. I am subject to all kinds of unnecessary fears, and I need to hear that great passage from Luke 12 where Jesus says “Do not fear those who kill the body ……. I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” This is such an important message – that we are of infinite value to God, and this is the case whatever we are like. There aren’t some good people who God values and others whom he discards. God even values sparrows!
Now although this sounds fine in theory – trusting in God’s presence and thus being given the courage we need – it’s much more difficult in practice isn’t it? That’s why our 2nd Reading is helpful today (James 5:7-10) with its practical encouragement for us to “Be patient”. I am glad however to note that in Greek the word that is translated for us as “patience” is better translated as “long-suffering.” Patience in English is such a submissive word, full of implications of being very still and very quiet, like a good Victorian child who is seen but not heard. What we get in the Greek is a much more active idea that fits in with the Advent theme – long-suffering - a longing for God that is actively even painfully looking out for signs of his presence, and once we see them sharing them with others. This is much closer to the image Jesus gives us of the servants waiting for their master’s coming. (Luke 12:35-38)
The whole point in that story is that they cannot sit around submissively waiting for the master to come. Rather they have to be actively looking after the property so it is in tip-top condition, and they have to be on their toes so that the lamps are lit and ready and they are not caught out by his arrival. That’s why the Advent theme is one of watchfulness. Jesus says “Keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour,” (Matt 25:13) and this has big implications for how we live in the world. When we see things that are wrong or unjust, we do not sigh and say that there is nothing we can do, it is all in God’s hands. That’s the submissive kind of patience that we must reject. Rather the world is God’s property, and we are the servants looking after it, until he comes; and so we have to be active in fighting injustice, caring for the poor, and whistle blowing if we need to.
This is where prayer comes in doesn’t it? We can’t do everything. We have to decide what God wants us to do, our particular contribution to looking after his property. So prayer, spending time sharing with God, rejoicing that he is with us even if we cannot feel his presence, and most of all agonising with God, over the troubles of the world, whether they are the personal troubles of those we know, or the more general troubles of the world at large, this is what we need to do. And prayer, listening to God, will help each one of us decide what we can do, as we heard in our Gospel last Sunday, what we can do to “Prepare the way of the Lord” (Matt 3:1-12)
Comments