Sermon preached by Rev. Lillie Mae Henley, 3 Dec 2006
When I was twelve, I couldn’t wait to die. At that time, I was very much a literal Christian—Southern Baptist—so, I knew, by God’s grace, I was going to Heaven. Actually, I couldn’t wait to die because I was going to tell God, just exactly what he did wrong down here on earth.
What did a twelve-year old child, really, have to say to God that was so important?
Hunger—children starving—I saw those commercials on television that asked for money. I believe the commercials were for the “Save the Children Foundation.” My mother, only reinforced my notion that children everywhere were starving because she used to say, eat everything on your plate, because there are children going hungry in China, or Africa, or India, wherever she thought they were starving that day.
What else did I want to say to God?
Well, I’d heard about integration on the radio and on the television. I saw the news reports coming out of Alabama, the state were my father grew up, and Mississippi. I had also seen, with my own eyes, the big yellow school bus that went right past my school to take the Black children in our town to schools in Beaumont, 15 miles away. I asked my mother one time why the bus drove those children to Beaumont when they could go to my school, and she said, “Because some people are permanently stupid, Lillie, just permanently stupid.”
What else?
My friend in the fourth grade died of leukemia and one of the twins two streets over drowned when we were in the sixth grade.
It was just too much to have children die, and I thought God ought to have done something about it.
As most of you know, my older sister Blanche has been close to death for the past six weeks. She died yesterday morning -- Saturday at 3:00 a.m. Peacefully, in her sleep, and her family had surrounded her for the past three days with love and music and goodbyes. They are relieved she is no longer in her physically debilitating condition, and they do believe she is with God and with all of those she loved who had died before her.
What few of you know, because I have only seen a few of you, is that sometime around 10:30 Friday evening, as the family lived their last hours with Blanche, my sister Jean got a call from a friend whose son is a police office. This friend told Jean that Jean’s dearest friend of thirty years, Rowena, had been killed in a car accident and that her eighteen-year-old daughter, if she lived, would lose a leg. We found out Saturday around 10:00 a.m. that Rowena’s daughter Carmen had died too. She was to go to a Bible College when she graduated. She wanted to be a youth minister. They were hit by a young man, driving under the influence of drugs, broadside right into their car. He was going one hundred miles an hour.
So, for the last twenty-four hours, I have had wave upon wave of sadness wash over me every so often, making me – well – I don’t know – making me into something that is hard to bear and indescribable. I have always hated young people’s deaths, and I know it is but one death of a young person, in a time when young people are dying all over the world.
While Rowena was Jean’s dear friend, I was also her friend, and Carmen was a delightful young person. After I moved to Chicago, to go to seminary, when I would come home, not only would I see both of them on holidays, but for several years, I made it a point to take Carmen out to eat and to a movie, because we were both crazy about movies, and I considered her my young friend.
For the last few years, she has been quite busy with dance, high school, and church activities. I kept telling myself, I needed to see her, but something always got in the way.
Here I stand today, called to preach about Advent, expectations of Jesus’ birth and I cling to my God, believing in the hope and expectations of Advent.
What are those hopes and expectations? Let us look at today’s Scriptures.
Some interpreters of the Bible would have us believe that both readings this morning are about the Second Coming of Jesus.
However, most scholars say, they are not so much about a “second coming” of Jesus, as they are about the reason he came in the first place.
Our text from Jeremiah is about the relationship between the Hebrew people and Yahweh.
In a world of limited resources,
In a world surrounded by enemies,
In a world ruled by cultures alien to their tribal ways
In a world that threatened their very existence
Jeremiah prophesized to the Hebrew people better times
Jeremiah prophesized a leader
Jeremiah prophesized hope for the Hebrew people
Jeremiah prophesized the fulfillment of Yahweh’s covenant with Abraham
Hopelessness turned to hope
A Messiah to fulfill Yahweh’s promise of “a righteous branch … [who] shall execute justice … and save Judah and [keep] Jerusalem [safe].”
A Messiah, called Jesus of Nazareth.
But something else happened in that story. Jesus did not gather vast armies and defeat Rome, and save Judah and [keep] Jerusalem [safe].
In the New Testament story, the opposite happened.
He was a poor peasant, a rebel, but no one of consequence. His followers were the poor and the marginalized. He suffered a humiliating crucifixion.
He did not fulfill any of the prophecies, as the Hebrews expected them to be fulfilled.
He was a revolutionary for sure. But not one the majority of first century Jews could accept as the Messiah.
He did not save Judah and he did not keep Jerusalem safe.
So, what did Jesus do in his time?
He called himself the Son of Man, a man of his people. He believed he had come as an agent of Yahweh to affect or change his people’s relationship with God.
He knew that there is something more important than tribal laws, more important than rules and regulations, more important than custom and tradition.
He said there are only two commandments. To love God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself
To love like God loves, is to see each and every person as the sacred and precious life that God sees.
Jesus wanted his listeners to recognize that the sacred, precious life we have is an opportunity to create God’s kingdom here, now, and within the time of our existence.
Jesus knew if they could just recognize that each life, each person, is sacred and precious they would be able to create God’s kingdom here, now, and within the time of our existence.
We know throughout humankind’s story the “worthy,” the “worthwhile,” have been those who have money, power, land, or education. Certainly never have the marginalized been worthy. And today, here in the United States and around the world, how worthy is the blue collar worker, the custodian, the fast-food worker, the diamond miner, or the brick maker?
Here is a question I ask all of us: Do you believe that if each and every person who lived today saw each other as a precious, sacred existence, would all the inhuman acts perpetrated against each other still be committed?
I didn’t die when I was twelve, and I no longer believe God is an old man with a white beard sitting on a throne in Heaven, waiting for me to die so I can tell him what he did wrong. I don’t believe there is anyone to whom I can complain. There are still all kinds of human rights violations. Children still live with hunger in their little bellies. And children still die of leukemia, but not quite as often, and sixth graders still drown.
Some injustices are created by humankind; young people like Carmen die uselessly because of drugs or war or, as Margueritte said, “just permanent stupidity.” And some people, like Blanche, die of the natural consequences of life.
I realize that when I quote Margueritte’s remark about one of the contributing factors of racism in our culture is just plain stupidity, I am not taking into account the precious and sacred value of the racists’ lives, but just as we don’t always follow Jesus words; people don’t always learn the lessons they need to create a better world.
God didn’t do anything wrong?
If anything, we, humans do some things wrong. But we do a lot of wonderful, giving, loving, joyous things right, too! Jesus tried to tell us all this.
Advent, the expectations of Jesus’ birth, a Messiah who would bring to us a different way of looking at the world, a way of being in relationship with God that was different than any other religion that existed at that time, is a time we need to ponder the expectations we have of ourselves and each other. Jesus wanted us to see each other as precious and sacred and allow that knowing to influence and inform our behavior towards each other.
I cling to my God, believing in the hope and expectations of Advent.
Would you pray with me?Creator God, wise God, loving God, as we enter the season of Advent, help us begin to understand what Jesus was talking about when he said, “The Kingdom of God is near.” Is it as near as our own hearts? Help us Creator, to understand, help us to know, help us to make it real.”
Amen and blessed be.
Readings
Jeremiah 33-14-16
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “the Lord is our righteousness.”
Luke 21:25-36 -- “The Coming of the Son of Man”
There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise you heads, because your redemption is drawing near.
Then he told the a parable: Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of God.