Third Advent
John 1:6-8, 19-28
It happened again this past week. I went to the hospital to visit. I approached the desk. May I see....and then I gave the name of who I was visiting? The volunteer at the desk types something into the computer, gets something unsatisfactory and then turns to some scrawly handwritten list and scans down that till they are satisfied. The volunteer looks up and I think they're going to tell me then because now I know they know what I want to know....but no. The inevitable question---And who are you? My whole existence on the line--encompassed in that question is the whole issue of what right do you have to be here? I have finally learned to very firmly forthrightly say with a perfect mix of good humor and indignation--I am the pastor of their church! Sometimes that statement is met with enthusiastic deference, "Oh well they're right in room such and such." But equally as often the statement "I am the pastor of their church" is met with curiosity and consternation. An unspoken "What is she doing here?" In this fast paced hospital world of medications, charts, procedures, vital signs, tests, lab results, surgeries, physical therapy, bedpans, x-rays, diagnosis and prognosis a pastor with an occasional service book and a communion set can seem somewhat out of place. What is she doing here? I know what they're thinking...I know because often I feel pretty much like an anachronism myself--what am I doing here.
That's where our lesson for today is so helpful. When the priests and Levites came to John they asked, "Who are you?" What are you doing here? What's your purpose in life? It's a valid question. Give us a clue.
And right off the bat he has to be honest about what he is not. He is not Elijah or a prophet or much more importantly he is not the Messiah! Then who are you, they query? He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light."
He came to testify to the light--Confirmands on your sermon notes that's the point of this sermon. He came to testify to the light and like John that is our job too. We are here--in this church on Sunday morning, and out there Monday through Sat. to testify to the light. We are not the light but we are here to testify to the light. Corporately as the church, Holy Spirit congregation and personally as Jim and xxxx, and xxx and xxxx we are testimony to the light.
John, like us needs to recognize that he is not the Messiah. The salvation of the world is not dependent on him. But what he can do is to open people up to the possibility of the messiah. He can get them ready to recognize the messiah when he comes, he can prepare the way of the Lord.
Albert Einstein once said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge." I don't think he was thinking of gnomes and fairy creatures when he was talking about imagination...no he was referring to opening ourselves to possibilities, considering what has yet been unproven, what is unexplored, untapped, going outside the norm, scoping outside the box dreaming dreams, seeing visions. "Imagination is more important than knowledge."
Walter Bruegeman a contemporary Biblical scholar wrote a wonderful book entitled "The Prophetic Imagination". In it he talks about the role of the prophet as being that person who jumps ahead of where the masses are to see something differently and to open a little hole that allows for the possibility of what is not. The Israelites lived their hum drum day to day lives in exile. What is now is what will always be. We eat we sleep, we work, we are. Isaiah steps on the scene proclaiming liberty to the captives...a garland instead of the ashes of mourning. He has the imagination to see a day when the people will build up the ancient ruins and repair the ruined cities."
Our task during Advent is to allow the prophetic imagination of John and Isaiah to cut through the numbness of our lives. Our task is to confront the sameness, the ordinariness of life with prophetic imagination, with possibility. To recognize that our task like John's is to bear testimony to the light that shines in the darkness.
Those hospital calls, what am I doing there--I hope I am opening little holes where the imagination can sneak through; the imagination that says God can do amazing things and that with God the future whatever it is is always alright. Imagination that sees as St. Paul says, that though we are afflicted we are not crushed, perplexed but not despairing, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed.
But isn't that what we are all about doing. Helping others imagine--imagine that God can do amazing things in our lives. That what is now is not what will always be. Melanie Polzin sent me a wonderful e-mail notice this past week. Two Habitat houses, I think the ones volunteers from Holy Spirit worked on, will have new occupants before Christmas. Manuel and Julie Garcia's house was dedicated last Saturday with the singing of Christmas carols they were presented the keys. Manuel said, "That house is the future of our kids. It's not for me and my wife. It's for my kids so we can save money and send them to college." Now that's testifying to the light.
The Thrivent magazine had a wonderful testimony to the light from Diane Butler.
"Whenever people come to my house, they know the rule. At Miss Diane's you take off your shoes at the door. And if your socks look dirty they come off too. That's just how I am about my house. It's really a piece of my heart.
Sometimes it's hard to believe that nine years ago I was working three jobs to make ends meet. I lived paycheck to paycheck with my two sons, then ages 5 and 7, in an apartment so small you could stand in the middle of the living room and see the whole place. It was roach infested too, but I had to make do with what I could afford.
One day my mother told me about a flier she saw for an organization called Habitat for Humanity that helped low-income people get their own home. I just didn't believe it. I knew I didn't have enough money for a house and I couldn't believe anyone would just help me get one! Finally my mother made me go to the information session and I still didn't believe it.
When it was time to build my house, it was incredible to see all the volunteers who came to help. I kept thinking "Why are they coming to help me? They don't even know me!
When the house was finished and I walked inside for the first time, I couldn't believe it was really mine." I couldn't believe it, she says again and again. I couldn't believe it.
Now those volunteers did a wonderful job but they know they didn't build that house. And Habitat is a wonderful organization but it didn't build that house. Diane Butler is a strong lady, but she didn't build that house. They are not the light but all together they testify to the light. We don't have that truth, we don't own it we can't control it but we can testify to the fact that God works in this world--that God provides possibilities when there seems no possibilities, hope where there seems no hope, love where there seems no love. And that is the good news.
Amen