Two Rivers Pastoral Charge
October 6, 2019 – Worldwide Communion Sunday
Scripture:
Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4
Preacher:
Kate Jones
Have you ever heard it
said that the world is going crazy, or falling to pieces? Or maybe you’ve said or thought it
yourself? After all, you’ve got climate
change which is changing the weather patterns, causing sea levels to rise,
causing floods and droughts where they never happened before. And then you’ve got countries around the
world shifting towards so-called “populist governments” – politicians that
promote a me-first way of thinking.
There are the conspiracy theories, theories of collusion and back-room
deals, social media that makes online life and relationships more real than
in-real-life relationships. There is gun
violence, mass shootings, and a culture of fear that seems to be spreading. Add to that the nuclear threat from different
corners of the world, and it’s no wonder that people long for the so-called
“good old days” of 50 or 60 years ago!
(Though I would argue that the “good old days” were only good if you
were a white, straight male.)
I think that it must
be part of the human condition to long for something that is past; to long for
the way that things used to be. Listen
to this quote from the New York Times:
“American Life is too fast. It is the day of the fleeting vision. Concentration, thoroughness, the quiet
reflection that ripens judgement are more difficult than ever.” This was written in 1923. I know that many of us
are fans of the TV series (and now movie) Downton Abbey – think of how the
characters of this program set 100 years ago are always longing for the days
when they were able to have a full compliment of servants and run the manor the
way that it was supposed to be run.
It goes back further
than that though. If we turn to the New
Testament, we have the apostle Paul writing almost 2000 years ago about how the
church need to be “blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in
the midst of a crooked and perverse generation.” (Philippians 2:15).
And we can turn back
even further to the Old Testament. The
prophet Habakkuk was writing almost 3000 years ago to a people who were being
taken over by the Babylonian army, on the brink of being sent into exile from
the Promised Land. And the people, they
lament. They cry out to God, “Why are
you ignoring us?! Why are you allowing the
invaders to bring violence to our land?!
Why can’t things go back to the good old days, the way they were before
the Babylonians showed up???”
And God lets them
lament, and God listens to their lament.
But then God steps in and tells them that instead of looking backwards,
they should be looking forwards instead.
God reminds them that there is a vision for the time that is coming, and
that this vision is trustworthy. It may
seem like it’s taking a long time getting here, but it will surely come.
The ancient Israelite
people had to wait two generations after Habakkuk proclaimed his lament to see
the fulfillment of their hope. Jerusalem
and the temple were destroyed and the people were taken into exile; but a time
did come when they were able to return to the Promised Land; a time did come
when they were able to re-build the city and the temple. God’s promises proved to be trustworthy.
It has sometimes been
said that hope is only possible when everything is hopeless. When life is good and everything is easy, we
don’t need hope. It’s when the world
seems to be falling apart around us and it feels like we can’t depend on
anything at all – that is when we have to cling to hope and trust in the
promises of God’s vision for the world.
And as we wait for the
fulfillment of God’s vision, we can look for hints of what is coming. Even in this season when the leaves are
changing colours and the world is preparing for a long winter, at the same time
we know that the seeds are planted and the roots and bulbs are preparing
themselves to burst into new growth in the spring. Even as a climate disaster seems inevitable,
we can look around us and catch glimpses of hope that things are changing – the
young people of the world leading us with the climate strike might be one
example; we can also look at countries like Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and
Portugal who are able to meet their energy needs with renewable sources like
wind and geothermal. Hope is all around
us!
In a few minutes, we
are going to be gathering at the communion table to share a simple meal of
bread and grape juice, but as we do so, we are sharing in an act of radical
hope. Especially today, on Worldwide
Communion Sunday – we know that Christ’s table stretches around the world, and
when we share the bread and the cup, we are sharing not only with our Siblings
in Christ in this congregation but with our Siblings in Christ around the
world. Together we are saying that the
way that the world around us seems to work doesn’t have to be the only way. Together we are saying that we proclaim a
different way of being – a way of being that is based on peace and love. Together we are saying that even when
everything seems hopeless, we are choosing to cling to hope; we are choosing to
trust in God’s vision for the world.
Jesus told his
followers that if they had just the tiniest amount of faith, no bigger than a
mustard seed, then they would be able to do amazing things. Today I am inviting you to take that
mustard-seed-sized faith and run with it.
Choose to throw off our tendency to look backwards, and choose to listen
to God telling us to look forwards instead – to look forwards to a time when
all of God’s promises will come true.
For God says, “There
is a vision for the appointed time, and the vision is trustworthy. It will surely come!”
And may it be so. Amen.
Signs of Hope
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