I have now been
ordained for nine years and one of the funniest thing that happens to me is
when someone swears in front of me and then finds out that I am a priest. The apologies spill out as they over and over
again say “I’m so sorry.” It’s as if I
had never heard a cuss word and has somehow hurt my virgin ears. Usually to then break the ice- I will then
swear.
Another funny thing that sometimes happens to
me as an ordained person is at wedding rehearsals. Folks will apologize to me
about behavior I might encounter at the wedding reception. It usually goes like
this. The best man will approach me, put
his arm around me and say “You know what Fr. Sean, tomorrow night at the
reception you are going to see things you’ve never seen before.”
Do I look like I have
just crawled out from under a rock?
I went to college—I’ve
seen a lot – I’ve done a lot— you might be surprised.
Often folks see priests
and pastor think we are the behavior police—that our job is to be really well
behaved and then to make sure you are really well behaved.
Trust me I know what
goes on when I’m not around.
To be honest with you,
I see my vocation more about inviting people and supporting people on their
journeys with Jesus Christ.
Today’s Gospel in many
ways is about Jesus’ disciples who have accepted an invitation to go on a
journey—to get in a boat with him an go across the sea of Galilee
As you heard a storm
overtakes the boat- the waves are crashing in—the water is pouring over the
gunnels —the boat is sinking and Jesus snoozes away, quietly on a pillow in the
stern of the boat.
T
his journey that Jesus
invites his disciples into turns out to be a very dangerous one----their lives
were in peril- they could have easily washed into sea drown.
This morning [at 10
o’clock] the journey begins for three little babies- they have no idea about
what their parents are getting them into- but today they will begin their Journey with Jesus it may be a
dangerous one—he doesn’t promise that they will be made physically safe—but
does promise to be with them in the midst of the storms.
They will be taken on a journey that begins at
that font—just like our journey did.
This week the church
received a stark reminder of the danger of the journey that Jesus invites us
into--- nine of our brothers and sisters fellow Christians were gunned down at they studied and prayed together in
Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston South Carolina. So, so
sad!
Now I don’t believe
that Dylan Roof, the shooter, was
targeting them because they were Christian- but rather because they were black
and perhaps easy targets.
Since the attack there
is evidence to show that this was racially motivated—it is reported that Dylan
cried out during the attack—“you've raped our women and you are taking over the
country. I have to do what I have to do.”
In a few moments we
will baptize these three beautiful children and during the baptismal liturgy---
evil will be brought to center stage. It
will be laid bare and the baptized will renounce
We will be reminded
that it is a spiritual force that comes against us and comes against the purposes
of God.
We will be reminded that
there are the Evil powers of this world—like racism, like homophobia fueled
hate—Evil powers which corrupt, and tear down and maim and destroy the creatures of God.
We will be reminded in
our baptismal liturgy-- that we are complicit in this evil--- through our own
sin.
Later on in the
baptismal liturgy—we will be asked in the baptismal covenant to join forces
with God -and God’s purposes-- We will be asked to take up our swords and fight
against evil
The liturgy asks us to
do our part by persevering in resisting evil and it’s not just about being nice
and good and saying sorry. We are to lock horns with evil and do battle and say
not on our watch.
This week I have been reminded that part of who we are- part of our
work on this journey to bring the kingdom of God part of our work of persevering in resisting
evil is to recognize racism in our lives and in our communities and in our
nation and to come against racism say, “Not
on our watch. No longer!”
And I think this battle
starts close to home Now I wouldn’t call myself racist but I do have some tendencies
that I don’t know where they came but from still exist.
First off-- if I see a
black male in his twenties in Orchard Park—the first thought I have he must be
a football player for the Bills. Why is that my first thought? Why do I even
think about what a black person is doing in Orchard Park?
I also know that there
are times when I am in the same elevator as black man or walk down the street
by a black man and feel a little uneasy—I don’t know where that came from.
Does that have to do with the media portrayal
of black men- does that have to do with my mother saying when we would drive
through a section of our neighboring city to lock our doors- and those were the people that I saw on the
other side of the car window. I don’t
know but I don’t like it- and maybe I
need to spend a little bit of thinking about- repenting of it.
We have work to do
folks to remove the scourge of racism from our land—it begins with little
steps.
It begins with no more
ethnic-- racial jokes. We don’t speak them- we don’t tolerate them-- It begins
with conversations about race- our bishop has had numerous conversations about
race I’m guessing they will continue -we need to continue to be a part of those
conversations. We need to explore those
unfounded biases and stereotypes that live within us- why do we respond the way
we do?
We need to take down
our confederate flags – be done with the symbols that glorify our racist
past.
Jack and Henry and
Maggie begin their journey today- a dangerous journey – we as their parents and
Godparent and Christian mentors need to teach them about a dream that a man
name Martin Luther King Jr. had —a dream that his four little children would
one day live in a nation where they would not be judged by the color of their
skin, but by the content of their character.
We still have some work
do- that dream is our work as followers of Jesus- that dream is God’s dream—that
dream will be the work of Jack and Henry and Maggie- we need to make it their
dream – we need it to be our dream.
I’d like to close by
asking you to kneel in prayer as we toll our bells nine times for the victims
of the attack on Wednesday. I ask you
to pray for their family and friends and I ask you to pray for Dylan Roof- Jesus
told us to pray for our enemies- maybe he can make a difference in this young
man’s life.
Cynthia Hurd, 54
Susie Jackson, 87
Ethel Lance, 70
Clementa Pinckney, 41
Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, 45
Tywanza Sanders, 26
DePayne Middleton-Doctor, 49
Myra Thompson, 59
Daniel Simmons
AMEN
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