It is Good for Us to be Here : A sermon preached at St. Andre's Episcopal Church in Hinche Haiti

Bon Jour!  As  Peter just said in the Gospel –It is good to be here—and I think I speak for my companions—it is good for us to be here.

 

I want to thank Fr. Noe for inviting us down—he has shown us great hospitality and for that I am thankful.  I also thank him for sharing his pulpit this morning. 

I bring you greetings and prayers from the people of St. Dunstan’s in Dover Mass.

  

I have been fortunate enough to have traveled to Haiti on two previous occasions way back in 2001 and then in 2002 before I was a priest. 

And believe it or not, my travels at that time brought me right here to the central plateau- and to this very church.  Ever since my very first trip Haiti and the Haitian people have been near and dear to my heart.

Recently, there have been some people in America who have said some not nice things about the Haiti and the Haitian people.  Let me just say that what has been said I don’t think are widely held beliefs.

When I  tell my stories about Haiti and speak about the Haitian people—I speak about people who are beautiful—you are beautiful imbued with the image of God.   

I speak about a people filled with spunk spirit and joy and I also speak about a people who are resilient and tough and who persevere through things that we Americans can’t even begin to understand.     

It is good for us to be here is what Peter said after he and Andrew and James and John followed Jesus up the mountain.  There on the mountain Jesus was transfigured before them -- his clothing becoming dazzling white—Moses and Elijah arrive.

Peter exclaims that it is good to be here--let's make three dwellings--he wants to stay. 

But then a cloud rolls in and covers the mountaintop and out of that cloud a voice—God’s voice declares---this is my son, the beloved.

It is good to be here to hear this story and to hear that voice—because those are not just words that God shares with Jesus- they are words God says to you--you are God’s beloved and with you God is pleased.

We are God’s beloved.  And because we are God’s beloved—we bear the kingdom of God in our lives.

I want to speak about Charlie Chaplin—do you know Charlie Chaplin? 

Charlie Chaplin was a movie star in American  at the beginning of the 20^th century. Charlie  Chaplin starred mostly in silent films—where people didn’t speak there was just action and maybe some music—but toward the end of this career he starred in some films is which he spoke—During one of his films called the Great Dictator made in 1940 Charlie’s character makes a speech.  

I want to share with you part of that speech

Here is what he said---- I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone - if possible - Jew, Gentile - black man - white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness - not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone. And the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.

Later on in the speech he continues with these words,

 In the 17th Chapter of St Luke it is written: “the Kingdom of God is within man” - not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people have the power - the power to create machines. The power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.

Then… let us use that power - let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world - a decent world that will give men a chance to work - that will give youth a future and old age a security. 

 

It is good to be here—but we can’t stay here we have to go back into the world,  we have to go back down off the mountain following Jesus like Peter, Andrew, James and John, bringing that kingdom that is within us— we have something within us that neighbors need, that the world needs we have the power to create goodness--we have the power to create happiness --to create a life that is beautiful-to help one another—to give our youth a future and the old  a bit of security. 

It is good to be here-because we have been transfigured too--- we have been transfigured to bear the kingdom but the world needs us to go back to our homes, to care for our children, our grandchildren, our aging parents, our sick neighbors 

The world need us to go back to our schools to teach the children, to learn our lessons and to do our studying to become  so that we can become engineers and scientists who can change the world--  doctors and nurses— who heal, farmers who grow food. ,  we need to go back to the markets and streets  and speak about the hope  that only faith in God provides. We need to go back to our  world to fight for a better life for ourselves and our children and our neighbors.

It is good to be here, but we cannot stay because we have something bottled up inside us that cannot be contained—the kingdom of Heaven is within you—dear people the kingdom of God is within you and it can’t stay here.

AMEN