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January 6, 2008
The Rev. John Auer
Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-6,
Ephesians 3:5-6, Matthew 2:1-12
“Wise Guys and
Gals: Led by the Light of the Child in Our Eyes”
I love the living legend our outdoor crèche
scene has become this year. It is still out there, stuck defiantly in the snow
– for who knows how much longer -- holding out hope of new life for the world.
As I understand recent history, the crèche figures languished in the garage of
the Leggs -- a Christmas family if there ever was one! – some 10 to 15 years.
The Leggs had rescued them from a yard sale. Eventually the figures found their
way back to the church – except for the headless wise man still awaiting repair
in our garage! Finally this year our worship/ adornment planners decided,
what do we have to lose? Nobody’s seeing them as they are. Let’s put
the crèche up in the courtyard for all to see!
First, there were fears we had lost the baby
Jesus before Christmas – only to find him again among the poinsettias after his
visit to the Time with Children. Then last Sunday a loving observer, Mary Jean
Overholser, reported how tenderly and talkatively one of our very young
children, her mother, and a person they befriended after worship spent timeless
moments moving all the figures around – putting them in the light so they would
be warm, facing them toward the street so they could see what was happening,
mixing them up so that Mary, a shepherd, and a wise man knelt together as if
bowing toward the star over Java Jungle!
We just never know how such stories, such figures will come alive in our lives!
But we know we can count on the children, and those whose wisdom is childlike,
to lead us to unlikely promising places in unlikely wandering ways. You
may have read in my latest newsletter column of the stained-glass “Epiphany”
window in the church we served in San Rafael. As the sun rose, during
choir rehearsal and even into worship, it projected the star on a wandering
course across the back wall of the sanctuary. It made me think of one
author’s summary of what radical stargazer Galileo saw first about our whole
universe – “We are not the center of the universe! The immobility of the
world is an illusion. We spin. We speed through space. We
circle the sun. We live on a wandering star!” And the further
mysterious miracle is, every child is an eye to behold the whole universe!
Welcome to the Epiphany – time for us wandering
childlike spirits to follow our wandering lights – Every life has at least one!
Can I get a witness? Is there a light in your life? Shining from near or from
far? Inviting you? Calling you? Challenging you? Encouraging you? --
proceeding across the wandering star of this earth?! A wandering people need a
wandering wisdom – as these three “wise guys” clearly represent – a wisdom both
lived and living, both changed and changing – a wisdom much different from all
the certainty of conviction and insanity of ideology all over the world today –
starting right here with us! (Of course, it’s been pointed out, had they been
“wise gals” instead of “wise guys” – first, they would have asked directions
sooner and not missed the birth! Second, they would have brought something more
practical as a gift– like a casserole! Third, they would have turned
immediately to cleaning the stinking stable!)
Our sister Mary King found us a word about
wandering wisdom we used in the congregational Christmas letter. It comes from
the hymn called “We Limit Not the Truth of God” -- based on pastoral words to
the Pilgrims (of all times perhaps!) as they set out for the New World. It
includes the Epiphany refrain, “For God hath yet more light and truth to break
forth from the Word!” The Word that was in the beginning, is now, and ever
shall be – yet to reveal itself fully! It waits and watches for us to turn to
new sights and sounds of a world beyond all former failure, all previous
possibility! We move yet by faith, step by stumbling step, beyond all ignorance
and isolation. The hymn says “our poor reach of mind” cannot limit the truth --
the light, the life, the love of God -- born for this world!
Just so, Isaiah here calls us to see an
“epiphany,” newness of light risen in glory upon us who dwell in darkness. All
the nations shall come to the light! Even such strange kings as these! And we
shall welcome them as children of God and our children! As our sons come from
far away, as our daughters carried on arms. They shall be as the wealth of all
nations. In other words, they shall be as refugees and immigrants, aliens and
asylum-seekers – some 14 million of whom there are in the world today, seeking
home. Plus 21 million displaced in and around their own lands – such as the
many Iraqis fled to Jordan and Syria – seeking return. Over a million
externally and two million internally are displaced every year. Nearly nine
million have languished in camps five years or more. Thanks to Mike Faulstich
for pointing out one United Methodist congregation alone in South Africa is
caring for a thousand refugees from Zimbabwe.
Isaiah invites us to open our eyes, our minds,
our hearts, our doors, our arms – to imagine such a longing among so many to be
restored to a sense of home, a sense of belonging, a sense of minimal safety and
security, comfort and continuity. How do we make room in the inn of this world
for all of God’s children? How do we learn to receive the lives of all as God’s
gifts to us?
I hear the Epiphany for our nation today in such
words of Rev. William Sloan Coffin – “The United States doesn’t have to lead the
world; we have first to rejoin the world! Then, with great humility, we can
play a wider leadership role.”
Paul in Ephesians preaches the mystery of God’s
world-future that is only now being revealed. New Year’s is so much a choice
between “revelings” and “revealings!” Between making the best of things as
they are and taking a chance that things can be different. Paul knows he’s in
serious trouble -- where a prophetic preacher belongs -- because he claims to be
revealing what God has been saving for all humankind. It is the overcoming in
Christ of all boundaries, borders, barriers between and among us. He claims
that Jews and Gentiles, the most bitter intractable enemies of his world and
time – even as Palestinians and Israelis seem, at least to us, to be today –
Jews and Gentiles are fellow heirs to God’s mercy and grace! Members of one and
same body! Sharers in one and same promise of “God-with-us” to Abraham and
Sarah – first refugees and wanderers! All major monotheistic traditions are
born to eternal transiencies.
The simple scandal of all of the texts for this
morning is -- all the “outsiders” are coming “in!” We cannot, nor should we,
stop them! There is no place left for us to hide or “gate” or “wall” ourselves
off from the world any more! We are all wandering pilgrims on this wandering
star in search of a wandering wisdom sufficient to meet all the needs of being
fully human and freely alive! Whoever “they” may be to “us,” we and they no
longer can live apart and above and aloof to each other – any more than God any
longer lives far away from all humans. No longer can “we” be who we are without
“them” being who they are – starting right in our own families and
congregation! One of our bishops observes in light of these texts, “Loving
Christ would be easier if we did not also have to love those whom Christ loves!”
Including such wandering “wise guys!” Including any one drawn to the crèche,
drawn into the church’s new life in this and all seasons.
“Without proper parentage,” says Bishop
Willimon, “without biblical background, stumbling after a star, these Iraqis
(!!) see Jesus before the rest of us insider experts on the Bible!” Who sees
Jesus first is who’s seeking, who’s searching. Who looks for Jesus is who’s
longing – for light, for life, for love in our lives. The East has seen the
star in the West of our world. When will the West see the star in the East?
The South has seen the star in the North of our world. When will the North see
the star in the South? And follow it neither in fear nor in greed?
We know what happens to Herod today. He is
trapped in bondage to inherited power and privilege. He got his crown from his
father; his sons would get theirs from him. He is defensive for his dynasty –
as so many rulers in our world today. In the “Prayer in America” special at
Thanksgiving time Stanley Hauerwas slowly, thoughtfully answered what he thinks
Americans pray for – “I think we pray not to suffer. We are the most overfed,
overprotected people on earth. We pray not to have to give up our safety and
our security.” While some many millions of wanderers are desperate for just a
taste of what we hold in such abundance. Wouldn’t we love to be party to the
conversation between Mary and Joseph – who understand petty-king Herod all too
well! – and these wise men who may be given to see the best in all people they
meet and so to trust even in Herod? Did Mary repeat the Magnificat to them
before they went home by another way? A way of civil disobedience to the
death-dealing orders of Herod?
Sometimes the other ways home start in our own
dreams, on our own doorsteps. I saved a “Peanuts” comic strip from 1952 – Lucy
is at her doctor’s stand with its sign, “Psychiatric Help 5 cents.” Charlie
asks, “What can you do when you don’t fit in? What can you do when life seems
to be passing you by?” Lucy leads him to the top of a small hill: “Follow me .
. . I want to show you something. See the horizon over there? See how big the
world is? See how much room there is for everybody? Have you ever seen any
other worlds?” Charlie admits, “No.” “As far as you know this is the only
world there is . . . right?” “Right.” “There are no other worlds for you to
live in . . . right?” “Right.” “You were born to live in this world . . .
right?” “Right.” “Well, live in it then!” Lucy thunders. Charlie Brown
tumbles to the ground. Lucy stands over him: “Five cents, please.” And, Amen!
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