Last summer, I met a truly selfless person. Her name was Abaynesh Manulo. She was from Ethiopia and was here to be with her daughter for the birth of her daughter’s second child. Abi, that is what she wanted me to call her, was one of those human beings that you meet and feel as though you have known her all your life. From April to August we walked five days a week in Rock Creek Park or on the Capital Crescent Trail.
Often, she commented on the beauty of Washington and Maryland. It is quite different from Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, the city in which she grew up, raised her family, taught high school, and lived all her life. All her life, that is, except for the time she spent in India earning her Bachelor of Science in Home Economics or the time she spent in the Philippines earning her masters in Community Development.
We became friends despite our cultural differences, because we shared many similarities. We were close to the same age, with grown children, and the first generation in our families to go to university. We both knew the struggles of being women in patriarchal cultures. Although, Abi’s struggle was, I am sure, much harder than mine.
For almost five months last year, I was fortunate enough to befriend and be friended by Abi.
What I learned during our long walks is that she not only helped her children embrace education and achieve to their highest abilities, but she also helped educate a younger brother, taking over as the mother figure when her mother died. Abi when she discovered that a cousin who lived out in the countryside lost a young daughter to the sudden and unexpected flood waters of the nearby river, brought the cousin’s other young daughter to the city to be educated. She did this because the young children were the ones sent to the river to wash the clothes.
Over twenty years Abi taught in public schools, teaching her students nutrition and home science. After she earned her masters in community development, she taught at the university. It was USAID who helped her with her graduate education, and in turn, she taught workshops for USAID. She worked for her government, educating the rural population in nutrition and helping to establish nutrition standards for rice farmers.
Abi had a neighbor who had a son who was not well. He had fits of rages and when not managed could hurt his family and others. It was well-known, that Abi was the only person who could calm him.
Abi was truly a selfless person. She died ten days ago. During this past week, her daughter told me more stories.
In Ethiopia, there are many homeless people. There are no shelters, nor government programs to help the disabled or the mentally challenged. There is very little public healthcare. There are many orphaned and homeless children on the streets of Addis-Abeba.
Wherever Abi went she carried a lunch box, and when she saw someone homeless and hungry she would give them food. When asked for money, she would always give what she had, even “to the last penny,” her daughter said.
Once, when she was walking with her daughter, she woke a small boy up, who was sleeping under newspapers, and gave him food and money. Another time, when walking with her younger brother, she saw two gangs fighting, and she ran over, got in the middle of the warring factions and tried to stop them. Her brother, of course, could not believe that she put herself in such danger; but she did, and she walked away unhurt.
Suffice to say, that Abi’s whole life was lived to help others, not just a helping hand to the disadvantaged, but she taught them to fish. She also lived to systemically change a system that is encultured to remain the same.
She was the first truly selfless person I have ever met.
Our reading this morning, from Matthew 17:1-9, we see Jesus walking away from the crowds. He did this often, when he needed to rest and restore his spirit. He went to the lake or to someone’s home. Today, we find him going up a mountain with three of his disciples. For the Gospel writer Matthew, the disciples were there to witness Jesus’ transfiguration. Peter, James, and John suddenly saw Jesus in bright white garments with a face shining like the sun. And, beside him was Elijah and Moses. There is a voice from Heaven which says, “This is my Son, whom I love” and with whom I am pleased.
Why does Matthew tell the story this way?
There could be several reasons. It could be Matthew’s way of reinforcing Jesus baptism, his transformation in the wilderness, and his commitment to do God’s will. It could also be Matthew’s reassurance that Jesus truly is God’s son.
Some scholars, looking at the description of Jesus and his shining countenance, suggest that it is a “resurrection story,” an after-Easter appearance, which is misplaced in Matthew.
However, M. Eugene Boring, an eminent scholar on the Gospel of Matthew, suggests this is Matthew’s way telling us that the Old Testament prophecy is fulfilled and the Messiah has come. It is the dominant theology of Matthew. And we saw it in the very beginning, when Mary, pregnant with Jesus, went to see her cousin Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the “babe in [her]… womb leaped for joy...” It was Elizabeth who first proclaimed Mary’s pregnancy as the fulfillment of Jehovah’s promise. From the beginning to the end, it is the fulfillment of prophecy that Matthew wants us to understand.
The vision Peter, James, and John saw was a transfiguration, a physical change. It is the way Jesus looked to them on that mountain. It was months, maybe weeks, we are not sure, before Jerusalem. It was obvious they did not understand the “heavenly” significance of Jesus, but they certainly saw in him something.
It was in that moment when they saw the great love within Jesus.
It was in that moment that they recognized the selflessness of Jesus.
The selflessness I am talking about is not the unselfish acts of someone; nor is it the giving of oneself that causes others to subjugate and use a person. It is the selflessness that empowers one with that joy, courage, and spirit-filled knowledge of giving as God would have us give.
Selflessness ia one’s willingness to give to others.
Give of ourselves
Give of our time
Give of our life
Give of our resources
As you know, the New Testament never tells any story of Jesus giving money; perhaps that is because Jesus had no money to give. We know he was a peasant carpenter. However, Jesus does talk about money.
He told stories about the widow who gave more from her poverty than the rich who give from their abundance.
He said to give God what is God’s and Caesar what is Caesars.
He advises us to give in secret, not to give to make ourselves feel important.
Jesus knew what giving was all about. He knew what the Law said and he knew what it was to give of himself. Jesus was a selfless person.
Abi was a Coptic Christian who lived her belief and her faith. By knowing Abi, I knew the stories of Jesus. I saw in her a life lived in Jesus’ words. I saw a living example of what Jesus tried to teach us. I told her story, not to compare her to Jesus, but to say, that now I know it is possible to be a truly selfless person in a world where selfishness thrives.
Today the congregation begins our annual pledge canvass. We cannot open these doors, heat this sanctuary, and hear our beautiful music without financial support. We cannot teach and preach Jesus’ example without financial support. We cannot live out our mission without financial support.
Jesus said give to God what is God’s. He meant not only our tithes, but also our lives.
The Readings
OPENING WORDS
An Eye for Miracles by Diego Valeri
You who have an eye for miracles
Regard the bud now appearing on
The bare branch of a fragile young tree.
It’s a mere dot, a nothing.
But already it’s a flower, already a
Fruit, already its own death and resurrection.
READING I
Transfiguration or a Makeover? From a sermon by
Rev. Dr. Cheri DiNovo, Minister at Emmanuel Howard Park United Church in Toronto
We continue along speaking about the path of a Christian, non-violence and non-cooperation with evil. You know it all boils down to a few acts, acts I hope we all engage in during this incredible time called Lent. The first is to think the unthinkable. The second is to speak the unspeakable. The third is to do the undoable. And the fourth isn’t up to us at all, it’s - let Heaven explode around us.
It’s a beautiful story, the transfiguration. Of course it’s a repeat of an earlier story, the story of Moses. We notice in the story some rare and wonderful aspects. First of all we notice there’s a mountain, earth, fire and air. All the elements come together, all of nature comes together and all of nature bows down at this moment and elevates this one. The one we call Christ. The one they called Moses. It comes together to make this moment for the ones witnessing it, a moment of radical transfiguration and transformation. Part of this is historical of course, the early Jews and later the Christians were trying to impress upon their animist neighbors, the Gods of fire and the elements actually bowed down to an even greater God, this God of the Israelites. Part of this is also just the truth about our lives because after all, elements of nature are always part of the transformation and transfiguration. They are awe-full elements and we do fall to our knees. We do collapse at such moments.
We live in a culture of makeover shows. I love them, I don’t know about you, but I love them! I like seeing the ‘Reveal’ a new term in our language. You know I’ve even been known to watch ‘The Swan’ that show where they transform women who’ve had horrible lives and terrible issues into Casino hostesses after three months. We’ve all seen them and we all get it. We get that we’re somehow fascinated with the ‘makeover’. I think really what they speak to in all of us is something far deeper. It is our desire, our spiritual hunger for transfiguration and transformation. You know that’s what it ‘sells’ to. If we change our bodies or if we change our interior decoration or if we change our exercise routine that somehow we will be at peace and we will find ourselves standing before God and God will see us as if for the first time and we will be totally transformed and transfigured. Of course we know it doesn’t work like that.
What we really hunger for, what we really yearn for, what we really want as people of faith, is transfiguration, transformation of our very cores. That’s what we yearn for and let’s take a wonderful journey on the way to achieving just that.
Traditionally Christians have given up for Lent. You know, you give up chocolate or you fast or you give up something that you are used to doing. Now the idea is not to beat your self up and it’s not to lose ten pounds. The idea is to create space in a crazy, busy life so that God can see us, so that we can see God. To get rid of the rubble so that our sightlines are clear and that takes some giving up of ‘stuff’ whatever the stuff is of our lives and importantly it calls us to do something very positive, which is not the negative of giving something up, but to do something positive. Think the unthinkable, speak the unspeakable and do the undoable and let Heaven explode around you for 40 days and 40 nights.
READING II
Matthew 17:1-9 – The Transfiguration
1After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. 4Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." 5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!" 6When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." 8When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. 9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."