The Longest Distance - February 9
Today’s Readings - Psalm 80; Gen. 25:19-34; Heb. 13:1-16; John 7:37-52
A week ago, this past Sunday the gospel was the Sermon on the Mount or what we know as the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are not a measuring stick Jesus is using to highlight our shortcomings but rather an introduction to the disciples and to us on how to be a disciple. They also reveal the character of God and who we can expect God to be in our lives. None of the Beatitudes are prescriptive but rather they describe opportunities, choices we can make as we live out our lives.
Doing the right thing, making the right choice, is not always the easiest thing to do. As a matter of fact, sometimes it’s the hardest, most painful thing to do. I officiated at a funeral last week for a man whose family described him as the kind of friend who told you the truth even if it wasn’t what you wanted to hear. That’s hard. I once told a friend the truth about something she had said that offended me and that one statement ended our friendship. It was a painful decision but a necessary one.
As a first century Jew, telling the truth or doing the right thing could cost you your standing in the Temple or worse. In the gospel for today, Nicodemus questions the Temple authorities concerning their desire to condemn Jesus without a trial, to arrest him without any concrete accusations. Bishop-elect The Very Rev. Richard Lawson, preached at the opening Eucharist for the 195th Diocesan Convention. He spoke of how Jesus was moved with compassion for those by whom he was surrounded. He also quoted Bp.Furman Charles "Bill" Stowe, the eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, as having once said that the longest distance you’ll ever travel is 18” – the distance from your head to your heart.
Doing the right thing, speaking up when it’s hard, speaking your truth to power – all of this is more than an intellectual endeavor. It takes knowing what the right thing is and then having a heart filled with compassion for justice, truth and respect for other human beings as children of God. However, most of all, it takes having faith in the transforming power of the Holy Spirit and in Christ. Trusting Jesus is what empowered the disciples to choose to follow him and then to live their lives in such a way that they were constantly forced to make choices.
We face situations every day where we have choices. No one can tell someone else what is right for them however, choosing to trust Jesus seems to be a no brainer. Those 18” can feel like a mile if we let them, but if we allow the Holy Spirit to transform us, if we trust in the teachings of Jesus, they can feel like no distance at all.
Faithfully,
Sally+
Questions for Reflection and Challenge - What would you do if there were no repercussions to fear? If you could speak up for whatever it is that’s important to you, that you believe is right without fear of reprisal or losing someone’s respect or friendship? Is it possible to speak our truth so that it’s heard in a grace-filled non-offensive manner?