A friend of mine shared a beautiful video this
morning of a choir from his native country. It was over 60 voices sharing a
song of faith “Do you believe?” The title is African Credo.
My friend was born in Nigeria.
I share that because St .Lawrence has been blessed
with priest and ministers from all over the world. There have been shepherds from
the US, Nigeria, and Kerala. Missionaries who share their ministry within our
Diocese come from India, Asia, Africa, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe. As Fr. Biju leaves us we thank him from
bringing us his witness. We thank him for sharing his voice in a song of faith
that is his life.
Fr. Biju shows us the closeness of this world made
possible in Jesus Christ.
Last weekend, I traveled with my mom and step dad
to his sister’s funeral. She died in Christ after a long life of 92 years. She
had 5 sons. In her extended family, I saw the world. Her descendants shared African American,
Asian American, and Native American heritage.
Over 70 family members there; but, there was also her
family of faith from the small Baptist Church in Muskogee, OK, were she had been
a member for 65 years.
She touched many lives in 92 years.
One of the things about Mrs. Mollie is her ministry
was simple. Any time food was needed - church, needy family, a disaster, funeral,
or celebrations - she answered. Even if out of town visiting he half a country
away, distance did not stop her from making sure food was there when needed.
True closeness in this world is sharing the Christ in
us and sharing his love. When I heard the song this morning, “Do you believe?”
I thought of Mrs. Mollie.
I thought of the priests from all over the world to
share the Eucharistic table. They preside over the meal of Christ’s body and
blood and give all they are to serve Christ. They give up worldliness. They
live a life of poverty. They surrender control of their life. They give up seeking
their glory to bring to us God’s glory. The share their voice in a song of
faith that is the life they live.
That is a stark contrast to our readings. They
begin: Thus says the LORD the God of hosts: Woe to the complacent …. they shall be the first to go into exile,
That is Jesus’ warning in the parable of the rich
man and the beggar, Lazarus. Remember, Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees. They
were the rich man, wealthy in possession; and, they thought themselves rich in
faith.
They were riich men who walked about in fancy
clothes; Rich men who could boast their faith; Rich men who boasted the law. They
gave to the temple from their wealth. They prayed from their places of comfort.
They observed almost to the letter the rigid purity laws of the temple.
In that rigid faith, the rich man ignored Lazarus.
He was unclean. He was full of sores, only the dogs ministered to him. The rich
man was so rigid he failed in what was truly important to God. He was complacent
and was the first to go into exile.
He raised his eyes from his torment in the nether
world and saw Lazarus at the side of Abraham and begged for pity from the
torment of the flames.
There is so much to unpack in this parable.
But start with Paul’s words “if you are of God, pursue
righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Compete well
for the faith; Lay hold of eternal life to which you were called…”
That was the rich man’s failure. He lived such a
rigid life he forgot to live as God instructed. He failed to live as a believer;
but, live a life that was an adjective filled description of a believer.
He was so complacent by the way he lived his life, he
failed to see the life of one in need. He failed to see the life that was Lazarus.
He failed to see the life that was his own.
In exile, the rich man begged for Lazarus could go
back and warn his brothers to change.
“If they will not listen to Moses and
the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the
dead." Jesus knew that those set in their ways would not listen - even rising from the dead would persuade them.
We too can fail to pay attention to the example given
us. We can become so rigid in our life and our habits to live by the example of
Christ.
Rigid in living the life the world expects. Rigid
in being the Christian everyone else expects. Living the life everyone thinks is Christian
our hearts and hands can become too rigid and stiff to lay hold of the eternal
life to which we are called ….
My friends, “Do you believe?” The next verse of that song is “Oh yes, I
believe.”
Live as Christ calls us to live. Sing a song of
faith that is your life. Thank you Fr. Biju for bringing to us the song of faith
that is your life.
Be good, be holy, and preach the gospel confessing
Christ by the way you live your life and love one another. Amen.
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