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Sermon November 15, 2020
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers,
The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen’s
Twenty-Fourth Sunday After Pentecost, Proper 28, Year A, Track 2
http://lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Pentecost/AProp28_RCL.html
But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. I Thessalonians 5:8
Please be seated
Most of you know I have been involved with politics and justice work for many years. For the past year, I have participated in meetings and work with the Movement for Immigration Leaders in PA or MILPA.
MILPA is part of a coalition that is looking to reform laws affecting PA driver’s licenses so that everyone driving has a license. Now, for many years, I was a lobbyist in Pennsylvania or supervised lobbying activities here and in Washington DC. But I confess MILPA and the Driving PA Forward coalition are teaching me wonderful new ways to advocate for change.
During September and October, the group launched 40 days of prayer and fasting. Each day a religious leader provided a video meditation and prayer for the effort. Then this past Tuesday, there was a parade/rally/march through Harrisburg. I’ve been to plenty of rallies, but this one was different. There were beautiful floats and a music truck. There were marchers, but also wonderfully decorated cars.
Prior to the start of the parade, we were all fed with tamales and Mexican Hot Chocolate.
There were peacekeepers – that’s where I helped out and plenty of prayers, where I also helped out.
It was a beautiful day and such a joyous and loving way to work for justice.
In our reading from Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, Paul is reassuring this fledging Christian community living in a challenging time. Midst the challenges, Paul reminds them that they have protection, just like a warrior has protection. But what is the Christian’s protection? It is faith and love and the hope of being saved.
It’s not a fence or wall or really anything material. It is a way of living. It is a way of seeing the world. It is the hope and life…abundant life…that comes from following Jesus Christ.
On Tuesday evening, I participated in the Christian Churches United Virtual Variety Hour. This was held in place of their annual dinner meeting and fundraiser. We were one of the supporters of this event through our annual Giving to Others donation.
Of course, there were the usual pieces about the multi-faceted ministries of CCU. Julia Mallory of Black Mermaids who was one of our parlor people speakers this past year shared a poem she’d written in honor of people who supported the organization and who had died in the past year.
The main speaker was Rev. Dr. Drew Hart. Dr. Hart is a Biblical Theology professor at Messiah University. Vestry read his first book, “Trouble I’ve Seen” focusing on how the church understands racism. Dr. Hart has now written a second book called “Who Will Be A Witness.” The book challenges us to truly follow Jesus Christ. Dr. Hart points out some of the ways we think about Jesus that are not true to what is in the Gospel.
One of the things Dr. Hart talks about is the love gap. If the shorthand for Jesus’ teachings is Love God, love your neighbor and love yourself, then love is the key to solving the problems and challenges we face. Those challenges are proof that we have a love gap.
Poverty exists because we have a love gap. Homelessness exists because we have a love gap. Oppression exists because we have a love gap. The opposite of love is fear and in our fear, we create the love gap.
So, how do we close that gap? How do we strengthen our love so the gap closes?
Well, today many of you are bringing gifts for children in our community for Christmas. We are closing the love gap in a very concrete way. We can also ask why families need help, because that’s part of the love gap. What might we need to do to close that gap for families and children.
We take produce to the Food Bank and bring goods or give money to the Food Bank. That’s closing the love gap, again in a very concrete way. People need food to live. We can also ask and work on ways that people will not be hungry.
This week, I saw some information about possible evictions in Perry County. There were some dollars allocated to help people who lost their jobs due to the pandemic to pay their rent. There are some other programs out there that can also help. Finding a way to get the information out to people who are affected so they do not lose their housing, especially in a pandemic and especially in winter is something we could do to close the love gap. Working overall for affordable housing for everyone is another way we can close the love gap.
We have this protection of love that is available to the world in a sense. Let us always remember that we have it on!
Amen
