On Wednesday morning this week, everything went wrong.
I woke up late; the cat had gotten into something he shouldn’t, public radio was fundraising instead of telling me news, and in the middle of my morning errands, hopping into the car to rush back to the office for a meeting,
the car wouldn’t start.
And wouldn’t start.
And wouldn’t…
Well, anyway, you probably know how that goes.
And when I finally arrived at the repair shop, all the folks at the desks were dealing with a sudden computer outage.
Half an hour later, I knew a few new things:
A new starter is expensive.
The closest part for my car was 90 minutes away.
They were still checking on the funny noise in the engine which might not be related.
I was about to miss a lunch meeting.
And I needed a new headlight.
Check your gut right now, if you’re me. What’s going on in there?
Here’s the funny thing: I was totally calm right then.
Those guys with a line of customers and a computer outage were being friendly and calm and patient, in spite of a frustrating morning. And that was contagious.
It wasn’t a big thing, just a lot of little things – the way something was said, a smile instead of a neutral expression, releasing the tension in humor instead of bunching it up in your shoulders. And little acts of generosity, like a ride to my lunch meeting.
By 3 pm, I had a car in perfect working order, a free fix for the funny noise, a productive lunch, and a backlog of reading and emails off my desk, thanks to all the waiting.
I had a big bite out of my bank account, too, but for a day with an expensive unplanned car repair, Wednesday was terrific.
Has that ever happened to you? Think for a moment; recall a time when someone’s simple actions made a bad day good, or gave you hope, or just made you smile a little more.
It doesn’t always happen that way.
Life has a lot of rough edges. And they cut deep, as often as not.
Today, the “pink” Sunday of Advent, is supposed to be “joy” Sunday. Our readings, our canticle, our music, are all about rejoicing, giving glad praise and thanks to God for the nearness of our salvation.
And then we get to the gospel, which plunges us right in to John the Baptist yelling,
“You bunch of SNAKES! What makes you think you can escape the coming judgment day? You think you’re safe because you’re children of Abraham, the people who belong to God? Think again – God can get better children out of rocks than you!”
Way to ruin the mood, huh?
John’s speech starts with snakes, and ends with unquenchable fire.
But Luke calls all of that “good news.”
And he means it.
Probably because most of what John says is about repentance. And repentance is a joyful thing. Because it’s not about being miserable, mad at yourself for your mistakes, and sad because you’ve hurt or lost people who matter to you.
Repentance is about changing your heart; turning around and starting fresh.
And his advice is so simple.
Share.
Be fair.
Don’t be a bully.
John’s talking to the people who aren’t supposed to be the good folks. He’s talking to the people you expect to cheat, at least a little. In his day, those were the day laborers, the tax collectors, the mercenary soldiers. People we would trust about as much as an unknown car mechanic.
And he’s telling them: If you have enough, share. Food, shelter, clothes. Just share some of it. Don’t take more than you’re owed – we all know the system’s set up for you to graft from it, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Don’t use your power to get your own way – even if people expect you to.
It’s so simple.
The coming of judgment and salvation doesn’t require endless days of prayer and fasting – repentance, change of heart, is incredibly within reach.
That’s the big, beautiful, joyful truth of Advent and Christmas: God is near.
God is changing everything so that God comes within our reach. Close enough to touch, to hold in our hands, to lean on.
Close enough to kick us in the shins and get us off our butts.
Close enough to embrace when we need shelter.
It’s simple.
Our salvation, our holiness, our ability to live up to the standards of the kingdom of God is totally within reach.
And that’s particularly important when life shows its rough edges,
when life is hard enough to bruise, sharp enough to cut deep.
Days like Friday,
when people all over the nation cried for the pain and fear of Newtown, Connecticut,
when the parts of life’s path that are supposed to be smooth got suddenly sharp and dangerous.
On days like that, there are hundreds of little things that trigger our responses, that shape the way we react, and the way we affect others.
Facebook crystallizes these conversations and reactions – post after post, where grief and offered prayers mix with anger and complaints about gun control or social decline.
Then one of my friends posted a quote from Mr. Rodgers,
an action that changed my responses on Friday, that changed my heart:
"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'
To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world."
So many helpers on Friday.
Teachers and staff and students who kept each other safe just by being quiet together, staying out of the way.
First responders just doing their jobs to the best of their ability, to contain the danger and respond to the tragedy.
Millions of people offering quiet prayers.
Look for the helpers.
There will always be those who simply do what they can,
and it is those actions that transform the world,
whether it’s an ordinary car repair day,
or a nation-shaking tragedy.
And that’s good news.
Because you and I get to make a difference. Every day.
Any tiny choice or action for generosity, fairness, and joy could be the place the kingdom of God breaks loose to embrace the world.
Can you think of one thing you could do this week?
One small choice or action to be helpful, to be hopeful?
Remember that. And please do it. The actions that change the world, that transform us, are all within reach.
Today is a day for joy,
because today, and this season, are all about recognizing that God is touchably near, that holiness, and hope, and living up to the kingdom of God, are entirely within our reach.
A day for giving thanks to God, because God chooses to be that close to us, on the awful days, the best days, and the ordinary days,
and God invites us to come closer, one simple action at a time,
today and always.
No comments:
Post a Comment