Comments for Julia Other sermons.           

May our minds be renewed this morning so that our hearts will be transformed to being and seeing your presence in the world.

Since 9/11, we’ve been encouraged to be on alert—to watch for suspicious behaviour on the highways and in our daily lives. Our country is on the hunt for terrorist everywhere. We’ve put a tremendous amount of resources and lives on the line to keep ourselves "safe". The cost has been enormous.

Many contemplatives have been writing about this place our world finds itself in. In Radical Hospitality written by a journalist, Lonni Pratt and a Benedictine monk Fr. Dan Homan, they state, "Terrorism and the war against it have made everyone feel more insecure and unprotected. The media keeps upping the ante of fear with stories about possible calamities. You need only to turn on the evening news to be aware that we are growing into a fearful people, suspicious of strangers and outsiders. Fear is a thief. It will steal our peace of mind and that’s lot to lose. But it also hijacks relationships, keeping us sealed up in our plastic world with a fragile sense of security."

We are struggling to love our neighbors—can’t even imagine loving our enemies instead we are imprisoning them (without rights) or killing them.

Fr. Henri Nouwen in his book on Ministry and Spirituality wrote "The movement from hostility to hospitality is full of difficulties. Our society seems to be increasingly full of fearful, defensive, aggressive people anxiously clinging to their property and inclined to look at their surrounding world with suspicions always expecting an enemy to suddenly appear, intrude and do harm."

Finally, Sr. Joan Chittister in her book Illuminated Life…"We" and "They" are the hallmarks of an age awash in refugees, under siege from immigrants and yet inseparable linked in a world in which there are no more natural boundaries. We have, indeed, one world now, but intricately intertwined, painfully stratified: We, it is clear, have a natural right to everything we need to live in dignity and security. They are required to wait for such things or work harder to get them or sometimes, to stand by and watch while we use up what they lack."

How are we, as people of faith, as followers of Jesus, supposed to live during these times of fear and mistrust? Jesus is clear about his call to us and how we treat "strangers". I want to propose two ways we can transform our hostitlies/our estrangements—through humbleness and hospitality. Both flow from each other in a loving rthymn.

In our gospel reading this morning Jesus is being "harshly observed" by the Pharisees and lawyers—the supposed "saved" ones of their time.

Just a little footnote-- Luke likes to teach the reader wisdom through what happens around the table. He has over 9 table stories in this gospel.

Jesus has his own observations about both the behaviors of the guests and the host. He cautions them to listen deeply because he’s going to use parabolic language—which means-watch out—there’s layers of meanings in what I’m about to say to you. First he tells them (probably quoting from the book of Proverbs or perhaps the Dear Abby of the first Century about eating etiquette—when you come to a party don’t seat yourself in a place of honor—for that might be "saved" for someone else. Instead seat yourself in a low place (in the back row) because you might be asked to come up to sit by the host—which would equal yourself in status with the host. It appears Jesus is trying to help save face here.

But the next line is –all those who exalt themselves will be humbled and all those who humble themselves will be exalted. Humility is the mark of a new time—God’s in charge here—not you. Sr. Joan Chittister again, "Humility enables me to stand before the world in awe, to receive it’s gifts and to learn from its lessons….in the second, once we really know the grandeur of God, we get the rest of life, ourselves included, in perspective. Humility is when we cease to be our own god—this is when God can break in.

In the next several verses Jesus packs a wallop. He’s now addressing the host who has invited all his friends, colleagues—all the "in" crowd. He tells them to stop inviting "folks" because they will be able to repay you in kind, and they will be more fun and you will be more comfortable with them.Great as this may seem it’s not what the kingdom table looks like.

Instead—invite the kingdom people—those who are poor, lame, maimed and blind. Jesus is not asking them to provide for them like the church does today. We provide fairly well for the poor—through soup kitchens, for those who lame, maimed and blind—we’ve learned now how to treat their ailments through medical and social technology.

What Jesus is asking them to do is to invite them home with you to have dinner, which in the first century and now—means—accept them, recognize them as equals. Homiletic professor at Vanderbuilt Seminary Fred Craddock states that "In the Christian community, no one should be seen as a "project." Once we do that we become the Lord over. I have to tell you this brings a new crack into my ever-evolving theology. I thought it was good what I was doing by working in the soup kitchen and working for BFW for many years helping poor people around the world change their lives. Well, it is good! But that’s not what Jesus is calling for here in this text—the call is to truly see these strangers as manifestations of God’s glory.

The Hebrew text we read this morning it encourages the church to keep loving each other and to love the stranger for one never knows when you are entertaining angels. Abraham and Sarah hosted three men—not knowing them—and they turned out to be angels—on the road to Emmaus two people brought a stranger home with them to share a meal and lodging not knowing it was the risen Jesus.

These strangers reflect God too. We all do.

So who are the strangers in your life. If we were to create a list each lists would look a bit different. I do want to express one consideration about being open to strangers—I know we tell our kids not to talk to strangers and we tend not to talk to strangers ourselves at our own need for safety. Thus—we need compassion and wisdom combined.

In Buddhism this balance is called the "middle path". "Once an old farmer found a dying cobra in his ricefield. Seeing the cobra's suffering, the farmer was filled with compassion. He picked up the snake and carried him home. Then he fed the cobra warm milk, wrapped him in a soft blanket, and lovingly placed the snake beside him in his bed as he went to sleep. In the morning, the farmer was dead.Why was he killed? Because he used only compassion and not wisdom. If you pick up a cobra, it will bite you. When you find a way to save the dying cobra without lifting it, you have balanced wisdom with compassion. Then you are happy, and the cobra is happy, too."How can we be hospitable and humble/compassionate and wise beings? Several thoughts:

1) First start where you are at: There are strangers within our own being. Places in our souls/psyches we aren’t happy with.

One can’t be truly embracing of another unless you fully embrace yourself. Psychiatrist Marion Woodman writes about this in her book "Bone"…"I am remembering, gathering together the prodigal parts of myself and welcoming them home."

Start with the simple Metta prayer—May I be happy, May I be peaceful, May I be Safe, may I be successful, May I be loving, May I be open to the stranger within and without.

2) Make an intention to wanting to change—being open to not reacting to what’s happening to the world the way our gov’t tells us to react—Muhammad said, "Blessed are the strangers". Maybe that can be your first intention statement.

3) Acknowledge this will be hard, challenging. Tom Waite and Kathleen Brennan wrote a song called "Chocolate Jesus"—a Jesus that tastes good and comfort, which makes you, feel good inside

"Well it’s got to be a chocolate Jesus

Good enough for me
Got to be a chocolate Jesus
Good enough for me.
Well it’s got be a chocolate Jesus
Make me feel good inside
Got to be a chocolate Jesus
Keep me satisfied.

4) Read the Rule of St. Benedict written 15 centuries ago to help monks learn how to live and grow towards God together. St. Benedict is considered to the Father of Western monasticism.

Being hospitable is not easy—it means opening up our heart and lives to people—allowing them in as they allow us in one person at a time with compassion and Wisdom! Benedict says that if we close ourselves to the stranger, we close ourselves to the Sacred. Sacred is the stranger in disguise.

A stranger came to me several years ago in Savannah, GA. I was working as an organizer for BFW in the south. I had two other interns in my rental car. We were lost looking for a church and as I was trying to look for a street name I ran a red light. A car rammed right into us. My heart leapt up into my throat. I knew I was in the wrong. I slowly got of the car only to be greeting by a beautiful African American woman (the driver) jumping and dancing and singing—Hallelujah—hallelujah—no body is hurt—we are all alive—hallelujah. I never expected this. Her love, immediate openness and joy blew me away. I didn’t even get a ticket.

Caricaturist Max Beerbohm says about people can be divided into two categories—guests and hosts. Guests need help finding their way and fitting in and hosts take it upon themselves to help guests do this. Hosts put guests at ease and affirm their presence in a thousand ways. (Quote from Beerbohm)"It seems to me that Jesus, who is the host in all of life, is calling those who believe in Him to become hosts in every situation; to become those who put other people at ease, loving them, listening to them and affirming them in every way possible."

In conclusion, part of what can transform us into godly hosts is to be aware of the Buddhist concept of interring. Interbeing is recognizing the divinity in everything. Recognizing yourself in everything. Thich Nhat Hahn puts it simple, "Everything is in everything else".

A song, which came out several years ago, sings beautifully of this truth. The Song is called Swimming to the Other Side written by folk singer/peace activist—Pat Humphries who now lives in Mt. Ranier, MD. We will close this morning by listening and singing along with another singer Lui Collins who sings this song with a descant she added to it. Larry Bostian will sing with me and hopefully you can join with us.

"Swimming to the Other Side"

We are living 'neath the great Big Dipper
We are washed by the very same rain
We are swimming in the stream together
Some in power, some in pain
We can worship this ground we walk on
Cherishing the beings that we live beside
Loving spirits will live forever
We're all swimming to the other side.

I am alone, and I am searching, hungering for answers in my time
I am balanced at the brink of wisdom, I'm impatient to receive a sign
I move forward with my senses open, imperfection be my crime
In humility I will listen, we're all swimming to the other side

On this journey through thoughts and feelings, finding intuition: my head, my heart I am gathering the tools together, I'm preparing to do my part. All of those who have come before me, band together to be my guides. Loving lessons that I will follow, we're all swimming to the other side

When we get there we'll discover, all of the gifts we've been given to share. Have been with us since life's beginning and we never noticed they were there. We can balance at the brink of wisdom, never recognize that we've arrived. Loving spirits will live together, we're all swimming to the other side

DESCANT:
We are living, we are dwelling
in a grand and awesome time.
We can worship, we can cherish
all the ones we live beside. Amen!

Resources:

Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching of Luke by Fred Craddock, 1990

Sacra Pagina: The Gospel of Luke; Luke Timothy Johnson, 1991

The Ongoing Feast: Table Fellowshep and Eschatalogy at Emmaus by Arthur A. Just, Jr., 1993

Step by Step: Meditations on Wisdom and Compassion (pp. 33-35) by Maha Ghosananda. Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press.]

http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2002/may/humphries/


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