Love will win out in a time of testing

 ‘…Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness..’ (Luke 4:1)

Luke 4:1-13 (Year C: Lent 1)

A story of one man up the road in Beirut

The author of the book An Evil Cradling, Brian Keenan, recounted his experience over four years in captivity in Beirut in the late 1980s. For most of this time, when not in solitary confinement, he was blindfolded and chained by hand and foot. Not many human beings could go through such an ordeal without enormous reserves of faith, hope and love.  (My late uncle who spent time in a Chinese gaol in the 1940s was one such person.)

By various accounts Brian Keenan was not and is not a ‘religious’ person – at least not in the conventional sense. In an interview with the BBC some years ago he is quoted as saying:

In desolate empty spaces you can find an invisible portal which you can pass into. In a way this allows you to pass into yourself and look into yourself. That to me is a religious experience. This has nothing to do with all the riches of the church.

He goes on to say:

I can't find anything nourishing in churches great or small. I find religion is all about control not liberation. I go to church quite a lot because I am impressed by the buildings and what they are supposed to represent, but it is only in empty desolate spaces that I find whatever is luminous; whatever is holy, whatever this 'other' thing is.

A time and a place of struggle

This Sunday’s gospel reading is a typical start of Lent reading. It recalls Jesus’ 40 days and night in the desert where he was tried and tempted and where, we are told, he ‘ate nothing at all’ during this time. The desert (or the ‘wilderness’ as Luke calls it) is a place not only of refuge and withdrawal but a place of vicious struggle, temptation and for us – doubt. There are times where we need to retreat to a ‘wilderness’ and face our own inner thoughts and spirits – good and bad.  The evangelist Mark tells us (1:12-13) that Jesus was there in the wilderness ‘with wild beasts’. There are times when we find ourselves in a ‘wilderness’ not by choice but by circumstances or by compulsion from others, as in the lived experience of Brian Keenan. In that place, we struggle with some ‘wild beasts’ within often unseen, unnamed and unknown. In the wilderness we find ourselves alone – very alone.

Light relief?

It might be that every so often we find ourselves in a superficial place of desert without network coverage, wifi, social media, TV channels, the pub banter, the office kitchen table or the living room where family and friends tell stories and sing to each other on a Sunday evening (before TV arrived!). One remembers nostalgically a time when people went out for a meal to chat and update and gossip or admire the surroundings – all without peering into that little screen with 3 new notifications or likes on your latest post. 

Then again, it might be a case of entering into our own ‘dark spaces’ where we come face to face with who we are or who we think we are – not what others think. This is scary and most people (I reckon) are very disinclined to go there. But, there are plenty of quacks and sellers of spirituality to offer company into those spaces. A real anam-chara (not properly translatable but roughly the Irish for soul friend) is one in a million (or maybe 10 million - who knows?).

The devil, the world and the flesh

The wilderness plays a crucial role in the life and ministry of Jesus. As an infant he was escorted across the wilderness into North-East Africa. As a child and young man it is highly probable that he had occasion to cross some part of the wilderness with others.  At the start of his ministry after the baptism by his cousin at the river Jordan he made for the desert but did so ‘full of the Holy Spirit’ and ‘led by the Spirit’ (Luke 5:1).  After his trials in the desert he headed back to Galilee ‘filled with the power of the Spirit’ (Luke 4:14). In the gospel of Luke the Holy Spirit is everywhere.  And we believe that this same Spirit was with Jesus in his desert struggles. There, he struggled not with any demons inside him but the demons outside him or what is charmingly called the ‘devil, the world and the flesh’:

From al the deceytes of the worlde, the fleshe, and the devill: Good lorde deliver us. As it says in the Book of Common Prayer (the old version!).

Even ‘the devil can quote scripture’ and this passage of the gospel is one of those rare occasions when the devil is allowed to speak.  Quoting Psalm 90:11-12 (the devil knows his bible very well indeed):

‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you”, and “On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”’

But Jesus stood firm and responded as follows:

‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test’.

There would be no further engagement with the Evil One until the appointed time at Gethsemane and Calvary which were ‘an opportune time’.   It was a case of the National Car Test or MOT that comes back to try us every so often:

When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until ‘an opportune time’.

Anam-chara

The challenge for us is that in many ways the things we struggle with are within –  planted there by upbringing, some bad choices perhaps along the way as well as distorted ideas and assumptions that may result from the actions or words of others. It might even be the case that we are burdened by ‘bad’ religion with its distorted and untrue images of God and righteous living.   But, we have to take responsibility for dealing what is there deep within. Moreover, we cannot deal with these things without the ever present help of the Holy Spirit who is the anam-chara of the anam-chara.  This is how we might discover the light, the goodness and the truth planted deep within us as it is within every human soul.  This is hard work and doesn’t get sorted out over 40 days and 40 nights.

Four methods of defence

In the ‘desert’ we have four forms of defence which also enable us to move forward:

1. Anam-chairdeas (spiritual friendship which, for example, was the stuff of early monastic life);
2. Heartfelt prayer even when we don’t feel like it;
3. Discipline of mind and heart which goes way beyond decisions about whether to take sugar in the tea; and
4. Generosity and compassion which are powerful and subversive weapons in this world.

And not forgetting angels

And what about references to angels ‘ministering’ to Jesus found in Matthew and Mark but not, here, in Luke? Perhaps God in his infinite wisdom and kindness sends angels to us at such testing times? And such angels may not have wings etc.

A Lenten reading suggestion

There is a practice in some Christian monastic communities of reading a special book for the period of Lent in addition to the solid diet of scripture. It is part of the Lenten discipline. I wonder if An Evil Cradling might qualify for Lent 2016?.

And I leave Brian Keenan speak a few lines here:

"There's a marked difference between aloneness and loneliness. I quite enjoy solitude but loneliness is different. We all need somebody to talk to, explain things to. If we don't have that we don't have validation and life lacks meaning."Having said that I think everybody has a place inside themselves that you alone can go to. You know how to get there because you've got a key. When you go there it can be deeply enriching- it can also be a bit disturbing because it forces you to look at yourself. That's what aloneness is to me."When you enter the power house of prayer you had better be wearing an asbestos suit because you are going to get roasted. I believe in prayer but you really have to know what you are doing because things will happen and then you have to deal with them."

Roll on Easter

Though we may have no choice in the matter; living in a dark space characterised by aloneness, struggle and doubt can be a time of grace. The truth is that:

• We are never alone when there is a mustard seed of faith and trusting;
• We are responsible in the choices we make and ‘yeses’ and ‘no’s’ that we give; and

 In the end Love will triumph over every adversity, every captivity, every sickness and every evil. Roll on Easter but we have to walk there through this wilderness.

Called out into deep waters

 ‘…Put out into the deep water..’ (Luke 5:4)

Luke 5:1-11 (Year C: Lent-1)

                                           

The choice of Gospel reading for this Sunday – 7^th February 2016 – is aligned with the cycle of readings used in the Roman Catholic church. This differs from other cycles such as the Revised Common Lectionary.  For most of the year the various cycles in use coincide for the purposes of the Gospel reading.

The starting point of this story is the teaching of Jesus and the pressure from, and eagerness of, the crowds to hear his words – ultimately the Word of God.  There is an urgency here. The occasion is characterised by teaching, miracle, call and following – in that order. The story is unique to Luke among the four gospels although some parts of the story such as Jesus’ preaching from a boat and references to fishing echo other passages in the gospels.

Leaving everything is a choice some make to pursue goal in life. Often it is associated with someone who senses a call to a religious life (or a ‘vocation’ to same) and this call is confirmed after suitable trial by the appropriate persons or community. It is said that someone ‘leaves everything’ behind as in family, job, community or in some cases country.  Applied to other walks of life someone may decide to leave most things behind at least for some years pursue a line of action – parenting, an education course or a programme of physical training related to sport.

To choose the better part

In an important step such as marriage the couple making vows promise to ‘forsake all others’.  In this way, a person decides on a way of life or a relationship or a goal to the exclusion of something else – often very good things. However, something precious is chosen over other good things. This is the nature of human choice and it is based on our freedom and rationality as human beings to make informed choices and undertake commitments that last many years or – in the case of marriage as a lifelong union or commitment ‘until death do us part’.

In this story of ordinary fishermen going about their work we get glimpse of how very ordinary people can be called to do extraordinary things in a very ordinary way.  The fisherman were not graduates of a rabbinic theological school (yes they were all men but it is also true that they were Jews living in the first century which means that various forms of Christian service is broader than ethnic identity or gender). They were not polished professionals, soldiers or learned academics. They were not well-to-do nobles. They were not even particularly pious devotees or heroic desert ascetics. They were ordinary guys with lots of warts, baggage and passions. The key point is that they were prepared to trust Jesus in going out for a second attempt at a fish catch though it seemed completely useless and beyond their capacities.

Trust and surrender are the foundations of an answer to a call. Trust and surrender spell courage and decision. Because courage is involved Jesus says to his hearers ‘Do not be afraid’. He is also saying that to you and me today.

We travel not alone

A detail in the story concerns a call for help by those disciples who went out to fish a second time. So overwhelmed by the catch of fish were they that they shouted for help from their other companions in ‘the other boat’. There are times when we need to ‘shout for help’. And this also has relevance when considering which path to follow. There is more than one boat and there is more than just a solitary individual. We are called together to walk together and to support each other on this journey. We live in the shadow of each’s others ‘response-ability’ (responsibility being an amalgam of two words).

So big was the catch that Peter and his companions feared that their boat would capsize and they would be drowned. In a way, we are, today, part of that large catch on Lake Gennesaret. Because Peter and his companions were ready to trust and to follow they were led to win many peoples to Christ and the story and the electric current of life spread as far east as China within a few generations (as the archaeological evidence now suggests) and as far west as Fanad peninsula in Ireland.  Who knows what happens when very ordinary people trust, surrender and follow?

Discipleship and family values.

We don’t know how many were married but the scriptural sources indicate that Simon Peter was married (for example reference is made to the healing of his mother-in-law). We know from the gospel of Matthew (4:21) that the father of the disciples James and John was present with them (and it seems that he too engaged in fishing). The evangelist Mark (1:20) tell us that ‘they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him’. There was no time to lose. There was an urgency and a pressure to move on, to seek out, to heal, to explain and to announce. But, who were the sons of Zebedee to leave their ageing father behind? And might Simon Peter have been better advised to go home and look after his family including his mother-in-law? And were the twelve who were called particularly suitable in the first place?  What about ‘family values’?  Indeed, family values and sacred commitments must come first.  But, the world then and the world now is a lot less tidy, dualistic and compartmentalised as our rationalistic Western minds suppose.  We find it difficult to deal with ‘both and’ rather than ‘either or’.

As things turned out we learn that the initial band of apostles (the twelve) were not particularly reliable or solid. At least some of them ran for the hills when the chips were down. In summary, these guys were not obvious ‘vocational material’ and would hardly have made it through a battery of tests and discernment processes for selection to follow Jesus to the cross and beyond.

Why did Jesus call them? How did they respond?  We note the following:

• As far as we know there was nothing particularly exemplary in the lives of those chosen (‘Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ said Peter in verse 8)
• Social status and/or learning were not evidently a condition for being called (fishing did not require a university degree even though it calls for amazing human strength, intuition, stamina etc.).

What does emerge is that ordinary people going about their daily business made a personal encounter with someone who had a profound effect on them at that moment in their lives.  There was no hanging around when the disciples reached the shore after their fishing expedition.  They just simply ‘left everything and followed him’. We are not told that they went for counselling or assessment or that they had to go back to their villages or homes to explain themselves –  important and necessary as these things are in good measure nowadays. True, anyone embarking on a path of special ministry or mission needs to be trained and equipped intellectually, morally and physically and they need to know and understand that and, not least of all, their proposed service needs to be discerned in the community of disciples. We must trust the Holy Spirit in the community even if at times it is hard to understand why and what.  It took two millennia for Christians to open up the threefold ministry of episcopoi, presbuteroi and diakonai (bishop, priest and deacon) to women and there is still progress to be made….  Whereas the Holy Spirit can be a quick mover and teacher perhaps the churches can be slow learners!

So what…?

Scholar and bishop Tom Wright asks a relevant question:

It is all the more important that we ask ourselves, perhaps with pencil and paper at the ready: what have we to be thankful for? What gifts have we received at God’s generous hands? What are the signs of God’s strange work in our own day, our own place, our own churches? (Wright, Paul for everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians, page142)

Transposed 2,000 years we see many people called to many different forms of service in the church. It’s not all about taking the lead in some act of worship or announcing the good news. Most forms of heroic service are at kitchen table, the baby’s crib, the bedside where one is holding the hand of another who is dying, the shanty towns, the dangerous places in city centres and in underground of political resistance to evil regimes. However, there is scope and room for people to step forward and answer a call to service in those places where the need arises. Age, sex, gender, status, CV, family history and theological training are not the primary determining factors in God’s call. Rather, the sacrament of baptism and the huge and amazing ‘response-ability’ it places on us is the primary drive.  But, those called need to be equipped and trained and they need to really live out the Word of God that they announce to others. The harvest is plentiful but many people are starving. Some urgency tempered by prudence and discretion and testing of the spirits is necessary.  But, as one commentator on this passage of the Gospel put it:

‘Put out into the deep. Take a risk; allow him to love you and see where it leads!’(Úna Allen, Furrow, January 2016)

At the right time and in the right way

‘A sword will pierce your own soul?’ (Luke 2:35)

From Luke 2:22-40 (Year C: Presentation of Jesus)

Bringing to an end a long  Christmas liturgical holiday in this Feast of the Presentation (and not to be confused with that other feast known as the mid-winter northern hemisphere holiday noshers) we are left with the realisation that persecution, opposition and danger are never far whether in Rama after Herod did his work or in the prophecy of Simeon whom we meet one-off in this story found in the gospel of Luke.

Enter Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Jesus turns up as a baby in the Temple brought there by Mary and Joseph.  The visitors were poor – instead of bringing a lamb which every ‘respectable’ ‘middle-class’ family would have done – they brought a poor offering of two young pigeons (presumably kept and slaughtered for the purpose).  In case we ever forget the humanity and Jewishness of Jesus’ family we should recall that they were there on official cultic duty – Jesus was circumcised and Mary was ‘purified’ according to Jewish law and custom.  (Purification of mothers after childbirth might be regarded as a weird religious practice and reflective of strange ideas about these matters but it should be recalled that a ritual referred to as ‘churching of women’ was practiced in the main Christian churches up to the middle of the last century albeit with a rewording of the ceremony prior to that in order to focus on thanksgiving.)

Enter Simeon and Anna

Two other persons mysteriously enter the story in quick succession: Simeon and Anna. Simeon was a good person upon whom the Holy Spirit rested. The people at that time had no theology of the Trinity but they knew the Holy Spirit when they met the ruach – the feminine breath of God that brings peace, love and wisdom wherever it rests. And God rested there on that day in that place where the Jews piously made sacrifice, praised God and undertook their religious duties.

‘Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple’ (v.27) Simeon arrived just at the right moment for what was to follow next.  Simeon, mature in years and filled with the Holy Spirit, saw and embraced what he had been waiting for much of his life.  Like a minister at the table he took the bread, blessed it and gave it back to where it came from. Taking the child into his arms he blessed it and uttered – according to Luke – some prophetic words of wisdom, joy, hope and warning.   These words are part of the daily night office used by those who pray the liturgy of the hours.  Where there is darkness there is light; where there is despair there is hope ….

Simeon saw and affirmed what others could not see in this child.  But, he saw beyond this moment of incredible joy to a time when all would be hardship and pain because a sword will pierce our souls.  And why? ‘the inner thoughts of many will be revealed’ and truth will be told and that ‘sign that will be opposed’ will be the cause of grief. 

A wounding blessing

Simeon blessed the child Jesus and his mother Mary. But it was, so to speak, a mixed blessing. In fact it was also a wounding (the French word is blessure).  He foretold a deep wounding and by foretelling it Mary knew that blessings of a wounding sort were in store for her.

Sometimes people can says things to us that are deeply wounding. Or, we sometimes can do the same to others.  What is so wounding is the ‘thoughts revealed’ as Simeon says in the same breath. We speak from what is within the heart and, unfortunately, what is there is not always to our own good or those who hear us. But, sometimes what has a wounding effect is, ultimately, for the good of the other or ourselves.

The ultimate wounding for Mary occurred in the desolation of Calvary.  We are all destined at some stage to face deeply wounding moments in our life’s journey.  With great blessings and giftedness comes much responsibility and not infrequently great suffering, misunderstanding – even persecution.

And what did Anna have to say?  She spoke about Jesus to ‘all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem’.  Her role was to continue in the presence of God night and day in the Temple praising God and practicing what nowadays would be classified as a lay monastic spirituality. She presented herself at ‘that moment’ (v.38) in the right place‘

At the right time

The entire story of the Presentation is a breaking out of a new experience in the pilgrim people who sought real freedom and growth.  There is a strong element of surprise, joy and annunciation to the world here.  Simeon and Anna hung in there in humble trusting and hope and at the right time, in the right place, with the right person and in the right way something wonderful happened for them.  And so it will be for each one of us. Have we not had this experience more than once in our journey through life?

He walked away

 ‘…But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way..’ (Luke 4:30)

Luke 4:21-30 (Year C: Epiphany+4)

This passage picks up on a story from last Sunday. Jesus stirs things up in the local synagogue by announcing from the prophet Isaiah that freedom is on its way.  In this Sunday’s reading the situation rapidly deteriorates to a point where Jesus is faced with a premature near-death encounter as the local mob (his very own village neighbours and possibly his extended family too) try to throw him ‘headlong’ from the top of the local hill top which was by a cliff..

It would be easy to dismiss the highly aggressive and hostile response of the local community where Jesus grew up as indicative of a completely different culture, times and circumstances.  But, is the story of the violent reaction to Jesus’ teaching and behaviour that out of line with the lived reality in ordinary communities, workplaces and families today? (and even churches?). Violence and exclusion can take many forms.

The fickleness of people…

At the outset, the very positive reception of Jesus followed by complete rejection by the local community reminds us, perhaps, of those regular opinion polls and election swingometers: public opinion can shift very rapidly especially in ‘marginal’ constituencies.  The history of the 20^th century continues to demonstrate this. One moment Jesus is a popular sensation; the next moment people are trying to literally kill him.  What was it that triggered such anger and so quickly? Jesus seems to have touched on a very raw nerve. It looks as if what he said and how he said cut deeply into those listening. Somehow, Jesus response to the question ‘Is not this Joseph’s son’ got in under a deep insecurity in those listening.  They had built their lives, their families, their hopes, their little statuses, their self-identity and their righteousness on particular beliefs, assumptions, codes and perceptions. Jesus seems to threaten and undermine this in his throwing out a provocative series of statements imitating his audience (at least some of them): “Doctor, cure yourself!” and “Do here also in your home town the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.”’ 

Popular acclaim turns to rage…

Jesus goes on to cite two stories from the Hebrew scriptures where two prophets, Elijah and Elisha, were sent to foreigners (respectively to a foreign widow in Sidon which lies in modern day Lebanon and, ironically for us in 2016, a foreigner from Syria who had leprosy). This was much too far for super confident leading persons in the village of Nazareth.  Enough was enough for them. This would be akin, in some modern day circles, to allowing lower breeds of Christian disciples to share in our table of the eucharist because they do not share our theological system or have not signed up to a list of very selective ethical behaviours we have set for outsiders and insiders

And to really rub it in Jesus says: ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town.’ This hurt and suddenly the rabbinic prophet pop idol becomes public enemy number one. There follows a dramatic scene in which Luke pictures Jesus being forcibly taken to the top of the hill for the purposes of the administration of justice (no need here for Roman guards, trials and hearings – the Nazareth kangaroo court knows what it is doing). That his captors meant serious business is clear because, according to some translations of the Bible, the crowd’s plan was to ‘cast him down headlong’. In other words the plan was not for a soft landing with heads up.

And then like an episode from a James Bond film the hero – our hero – just ‘passed through the midst of them and went on his way’. Cool.

Why didn’t Jesus stay and fight? Why didn’t he argue it out with his captors? Where was Mary and all of Jesus’ brethren when all of this was happening? Couldn’t someone have done something?

The point is that Jesus was in Nazareth for a reason: to announce his mission and purpose and move on.  Clearly, he was breaking with his local community.  Apart from the call to travel further afield he had no business staying with a community that simply could not or would not accept Jesus as he really was and as he was becoming in terms of his public ministry which was starting. The die was cast and the hand had been laid to the plough (Luke 9:62) and there was no going back now. But, there is a particular point to the story of what happened in Nazareth. Jesus was indicating very clearly that he was not going to remain stuck in a relationship with his local community where there was no acceptance of the message he was relaying (rejection of a person is one thing; rejection of his/her message is another).

Time for Jesus to break free…

And, so, there are times when we have to move on from a particular relationship or situation. This in no way takes from the call to honour our commitments including our solemn ones. Neither is it being suggested that we flee from conflict or trouble or adversity. Rather, it means that there will be times, places, occasions and persons where for the sake of a greater good for all concerned that we walk away with our peace, our integrity and our dignity intact. This takes courage and trust. Luke does not tell us who went with Jesus when he ‘passed through the midst of them and went on his way’.  It is possible that he was not accompanied on this occasion in which case he walked alone as he walked away.  It is possible that he went away to the hills to be on his own and to pray (a very Lucan type of scenario). We don’t know. What we do know is that Jesus was not going to engage further with those folk. In any case, there was little choice because it was wholly destructive to the point of involving death.

There are times – hopefully very rare – when we have to walk away for God’s sake and everyone else’s sake.

A proclamation of values

 ‘…Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing..’ (John 2:10)

Luke 4:14-30 (Year C: Epiphany+3)

Proclamation is the name of a currently running Irish TV drama marking a selection of events took place in Dublin 100 years ago. The programme like the events it purports to remember and to dramatise has received mixed reviews. At the centre of the events was the ‘Proclamation’ made by the leader of the rebellion outside the General Post Office in Dublin during these events.  It was a bold and lyrical proclamation of an ideal and a purpose. 

And the rest is history.

The TV adaptation in the context of the centenary of 1916 might have involved a local crowd chasing Pádraig Pearse down Sackville Street to throw him into the Liffey!  (in real life this would not have been plausible as, in common with the vast majority of armies at the time, the comrades were heavily armed, as they claimed, ‘under the protection of the Most High God’ whose blessing they invoked ‘upon our arms’ to quote the 1916 proclamation).

So much for Irish history.

And Jesus went back to his home town and ‘as was his custom’ (v.16) he went to the local synagogue on the Saturday. He ‘unrolled the scroll’ and ‘found the place where it was written’ in what we recognise as coming from the 61^st chapter of the Book of Isaiah to make a bold and challenging proclamation with the very clear implication that this applied to Jesus and that this was happening right now in front of the synagogue congregation as well as the people in the region.

What did Jesus say?  He had four messages to related:

1. Good news to the poor
2. Freedom and release for those imprisoned
3. recovery of sight to the blind
4. A year of the Lord’s favour.

We can read into this a very radical challenge to the religious and political status quo both then and now. No wonder his own people and religious brethren pursued him to the brow of the hill to kill him once the full implications of what he was saying sank in (Beware of one of our own).

Who are the poor? How do we help the poor?

When Jesus stood up in that synagogue and proclaimed a year of the Lord’s favour he did not waste words.  He went straight to the core of his purpose and mission drawing on a text that would have been very well known to his own people and the synagogue minders.  For some reason the passage recalling this bold proclamation in the synagogue and which is read on this Sunday in the ‘Year of Luke’ stops short at verse 21:

Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.

In a touch of enormous irony the fulfilment of scripture this very day that Jesus stood up in the synagogue meant that Jesus very nearly met death as the locals rose up and took him to the brow of the hill in Nazareth to throw him to his death. His fine words and popularity (refer to verse 15 ‘praised by everyone’) quickly turned to hatred, persecution and exclusion from Nazareth and the synagogue there.  That, too, was a fulfilment of scripture. A bold proclamation backed by practical witness and living out of a set of values brings its own opposition and death.

• And what values do we live out of?
• What is our manifesto or proclamation?
• Does it appear to be any different to those manifestos – corporate, ideological, nationalist, religious etc. that dominate our world? 
• Does our proclamation make a difference and how and why and where?
• Can we tell stories from our own water wells where others may draw the living water?
• Is our religion a religion of just words?  Is our religion a religion merely of the head but not of the head and the heart?
• Who knows?
• Who cares? 

The crowd is fickle. There is a limit of 140 characters per tweet and 2 minutes attention span on vimeo or youtube.  If Jesus made his proclamation in 50 words – give or take that he spoke not in English but, presumably, in Aramaic in his local town – then what is our 50 word-20 second pitch? And how do our words and gestures carry credible weight in a world where cynicism, broken promises and fatalism prevail?

Put another way, anyone who wants to proclaim a year of the Lord’s favour that is more than just words but that involves fundamental change either in the way people live, or think or expect is landing herself or himself into serious trouble. Jesus’ time had not yet come but his time would come and there would be payback time for quoting Isaiah and applying it to himself in such a way that someone in the authority got seriously upset. Did that stop Jesus? No more than his cousin John the Baptist it did not. What defines Jesus is not how he defines himself in the finest of Greek philosophy or the exactitude of Jewish Law but in what he does and how he does it. Therein lies the power and love of God at work through his Word.

The point about scripture ‘fulfilment’ is not that the world or our lives goes according to some literal script so that we are in auto-pilot carrying out a blueprint. We are not just followers but pioneers in the life that Jesus brought to us in a backward corner of the Roman empire and that he still brings to us no matter who we are or where we are.

Postscript

The Battle of the Somme in July 1916 also involved proclamation of purpose and mission – the alleged freedom of small nations and all of that – and many Irish men and women died for that.  Millions died for what. And still die.

But, happy is the land that has no need of heroes no matter what political colour they carry: “Unhappy the land that has no heroes,” says a character in Bertolt Brecht’s play Galileo. “No,” replies another. “Unhappy the land that needs heroes.”

Life is too short to drink bad wine

 ‘…you have kept the good wine until now..’ (John 2:10)

John 2:1-11 (Year C: Epiphany+2)

Sex, booze and partying are things one would not typically associate with ‘religious folk’. Yet, this week’s very familiar reading about the wedding in Cana and the miracle of water being turned into wine at a wedding party implies just that: sex, booze and partying.  Not that one is suggesting for a moment sex outside or before marriage!  Such things were practically never heard of ancient Jewish times or here in Ireland until the arrival of TV in the 1960s! Strange as it is we do not read about parties celebrating celibacy in the gospels – much esteemed as it was among some who were called to follow Jesus in a particular way both then and now.  Let’s say that the Jews got their priorities right when it came to these matters. We Christians (who are Jews spiritually) should never forget that even if some distortions in teaching and practice reflecting human standards, only, have been present both now and in the past including the times before Jesus.

The first of many signs

The evangelist John is fond of ‘signs’. The action of Jesus in this particular story is described by him as ‘the first of his signs’. John uses the occasion of a wedding party, the consumption of large quantities of wine.  Six stone water jars for ritual ablutions according to Jewish custom would have been equivalent to 600 litres of wine which, if there were 500 non-teetotalling guests, would be equivalent to a bottle and a half of wine or 9 glasses of wine over say a day or two given that wine had already run out after the first or second day (so that this top up would have been in addition to a large amount already consumed). One assumes that cousin John the Baptist was not present but busy preaching in the desert or baptising at the Jordan.  Indeed, this level of consumption would well exceed government health guidelines on units of alcohol for men or women.

Wine a very key ingredient of Middle Eastern culture and life is part of the signage that this story sets up.  In addition to wine, water, bread and oil also provide key signs at various other parts of the Johannine story.  A Mediterranean cultural context surely pervades.

There is no evidence that Jesus showed up at parties with the specific aim of preaching and do miracles (however, we might speculate about whether 100s of invitations were issued to Jesus across the land after the Cana event?!).  But, the killer punch of the story was not just the transformation of water into wine but the production of good wine much to the amazement of the stewards.

Something more than a party or a spectacular miracle …

This particular party was the occasion for a dramatic sign that gave witness to the Glory of God and the presence of the kingdom of God in our midst.  There was something going on here that was much more than a wedding, wine and a miracle.  Jesus took, according to this story in John, a very Jewish and near Eastern custom of celebrating marriage and all that this entails, added some water and made it into wine and left many awe struck (as well as a few inebriated).

The primary message here is not that we should go partying or drinking lots of wine (the latter in any case ought to be done in moderation or not at all if driving camels) but, rather, that God can powerfully act and transform very ordinary materials, relationships and situation if we let him.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, plays a key role in this story. She alerts Jesus to the impending disaster because the wine was running out and then strongly advises the stewards at the wedding to ‘do whatever he tells you’ (verse 5) after what seems a very abrupt exchange between Jesus and Mary (‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?’). That conversation might suggest that Jesus and Mary were not much given to wine.  Here we can hear a rich and deep message relayed by Mary – the first disciple among equals – that we should follow Jesus and do whatever he tells us.  Mary plays a key role, here, at the outset of Jesus’ public ministry as she does at its close where, at the foot of the cross, Mary is given to the beloved disciple John as mother (and many see this as confirmation of Mary as not only our sister in faith but our spiritual mother in faith as well).  The exchange between Mary and Jesus echoes that between Jesus and John in last Sunday’s story of the Baptism of Jesus as well as the story of magi’s visit to Bethlehem when they followed God’s promptings and not those of Herod in returning from Bethlehem.

And so what ….

To make wine, especially good wine, we need to simply do what Jesus asks us to do which is to fill up the water jars of our life. God does the rest including the transformations into the best of wines.

This story serves a secondary purpose which is that it is good to party –  even in monasteries. However, as monks and others pray Psalm 4 in the evening time after an occasional early evening party to mark a special occasion (known sometimes as a Gaudeamus which is the Latin expression for ‘let us rejoice’): ‘You have put into my heart a greater joy than they have from abundance of corn and new wine’(verse 8).  Or, as St Paul writes: ‘For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.’ (Romans 14:17).

There is a truth and power that goes beyond the very good things of parties, wine and marriage. It is the kingdom of God in our midst now, today, here among us as well as deep within us. It’s time to wake up and see it (‘and [Jesus] revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him’). Trust and openness are the key and this is the point of the wedding feast story. The signs are there if we look.

We do not presume

 ‘…Let it be so now..’ (Matthew 3:15)

Luke 3:15-22 (Year C: Baptism of Jesus)

                                          pic: Reta Halteman Finger

 ‘Let it be’ is the title of a well known Beatles song from the 1960s. It found its way into some celebrations of the liturgy over years (proving that the Beatles were not just a great pop band!). The story of Jesus’ baptism is something of a puzzle. On the one hand, this is not baptism as the Christian community came to know it. It prefigured what would become the all familiar sacrament of Christian initiation. On the other hand, what is Jesus doing when he prevails over his cousin John to be baptised? Somehow, readings of this passage glide over the fact of Jesus’ baptism to the revelation of God’s glory, a voice from heaven and the descent of the Holy Spirit.  (Luke spots a direct connection to Isaiah 42:1). It is not every day that John the baptiser saw this happening!

The theology behind this story is well captured in the concluding verses of that hymn sometimes used in liturgies, Down by the Jordan:

Here in the Church, we are baptized and filled with God's Spirit. Freed and forgiven, we're welcomed with joy! Can you hear it? This is God's sign! This is how God says, "You're mine!" Let's take the good news and share it!

The only way to make sense of the story is to travel down to the Jordan, so to speak, and be immersed in the waters of tribulation and cleaning (the two go hand in hand if we can see it).  That takes courage. To go there in the first place is a big step. Then, to allow oneself to be immersed in the waters for a moment is an act of trust on the part of the one being submerged.  When confronted with a demand by his cousin for baptism, John had to change his attitude and plan of action.

Turning to our world we can see that presumption, pride and arrogance are a menace to human spiritual progress.  Masquerading as religiously upright behaviour and teaching it can happen that people place obstacles in the way of others on the grounds that they know the mind and will of God best.  We can all end up as one of the presumptuous preferring to quote scripture, tradition and our own reasoning to avoid the hard work of triangulating scripture, tradition, reason and experience – all with the help of others and under the Holy Spirit.

Like John and like Mary the mother of Jesus, we may find ourselves confronted by the completely unexpected. It might overturn our world and assumptions. And we have to let go of our plan while walking forward in trust. This can be very risky and even painful especially if we don’t see what lies ahead and what lies beside us as someone guides us gently into the waters.  Some seek God through various privations and disciplines. Yet, God meets us on our side of the water and takes us in a direction we never expected or foresaw or wanted or planned or desired.

Jesus walked into the Jordan in solidarity with all of us seeking healing, renewal and life. He didn’t need to do this. In fact, God didn’t need to send Jesus in the first place. However, this God of ours is a God-who-is-love and cannot help himself loving and making himself one with what he has created. And none of this is to take from the sovereignty of a God for whom all things are possible (including non-salvation).

Luke relates many incidents in Jesus’ life when he prayed alone or in public. In this sketch we see a crowd pressing in on the prophet John eager to hear his answer to the questions being asked.  Jesus was beginning to make his mark in the region but John was still the leading prophet who challenged people far and wide with a message of repentance. The symbolism of going down into the water and re-emerging is a powerful one for death and re-birth. Water carries a power and healing that is captured in many religious rituals and practices. In the Christian sacrament – not to be confused with the baptism of John found in the gospels – we go down with Christ to be raised up again.

For an adult undergoing ‘full immersion’ it can be a shock especially if the water is icy cold as it is in the baths in Lourdes in southern France by the waters of the river gave. Going along with a sound and established religious ritual is indeed a good thing to do. But, doing so with faith, conviction and prayer in the presence of God is what makes the difference.  This is why Christian baptism – a much neglected and overlooked sacrament – should be so central to the mission of all that we do as Christians.  Think of it – what happens in baptism is the most crucial outward sign of gift that is ours over all that comes before and all that comes after.  Anybody can be baptised once and for all where there is faith and intention. Baptism is the one sacrament that can – legitimately – be administered by anyone lay or ordained. And it is the one sacrament that is seen to be shared by all disciples of Christ whatever the petty squabbles over other sacraments which in many cases turns out to be a squabble over words and human philosophy (refer to 2 Timothy 2:14). (This is why it is theological nonsense to say that someone was ‘baptised’ into such and such a denomination for we can only be baptised into Christ. We may be received into such and such a denomination or community alongside or after baptism but we are baptised into Christ and are members of his worldwide body which is the catholic church bigger than any one denomination or cult).

We are made members of his Body when ‘water is poured over us’ in baptism and when ‘bread and wine is freely given to us’ in the eucharist.  From there flows discipleship and service day by day, year by year until we meet the Lord fully face to face at our death which is only are final rebirth to everlasting life.

How does our baptism connect with the baptism that Jesus – surprisingly – underwent in the river Jordan?  A baptism by John is a sign of something greater to come. It holds the meaning of repentance, cleansing and renewal. However, the baptism brought by Jesus will see a transformation in the Holy Spirit that will have a lasting effect on individuals and communities. It will build on John’s baptism and the prophecies of old but usher in a new life and reality for those who will taste of the holy spirit. Once marked there is no going back. Even if people walk away from their baptismal vows at some stage in their lives (is there anyone who doesn’t?) we have, each of us, been marked out by God’s love in this founding sacrament and this love will never leave us.