Proper 11A + Separation from the Stars + 7.23.17

(The Odyssey Online)

M. Campbell-Langdell

All Santos, Oxnard

(Genesis 28:10-19a; Psalm 139: 1-11, 22-23; Romans 8:12-25; Matthew 13:24-30,36-43)

I have a confession. Sometimes, when I'm traveling, I don't want to be very obvious as a priest. It is not that I don't love being a pastor, but sometimes I'd rather be reading my book on a train or on a plane. But over time I've noticed that people often think interesting thoughts about God in travel, in those in-between times. And this often opens up space to speak of God and how God acts our lives, and I need to be open to that.

When I returned from England via Iceland on Tuesday, I was next to a slightly younger woman who lives in England but is from California. She is from a Greek family and she worships in the Greek Orthodox Church. But she was very quick to say that her church was not very "religious", but rather more "spiritual." And this got me thinking. Because if you have attended a mass at the Orthodox Church, will recognize that the Church is full of rituals very fixed and a bit strict, even in our Episcopal eyes. Beautiful rituals, but one of more “religious” churches I know.

Then why didn't she want to talk about a "religious” church?  I think it has something to do with what “religion” translates to in many of our minds-namely to “judgment.” Judgment like what we see today in the reading of the Gospel of Matthew. There are good people and bad people, and at the end of time Jesus will separate the good guys from the bad guys. Ay, ay, ay. If we are very honest, do we sometimes think this way, to? At least I sometimes am afraid of how God will judge me.

A Russian author named Nicolas Berdyaev says that this way of thinking in God shaped a "forensic" way of thinking about God- as if God will treat us as potential criminals. ^[1]  But it’s not so. God loves us so much. We are his creation. And even when we do wrong, God wants to embrace us again. Because in God’s full embrace we are perfect beings.

But how do we get this forensic way of seeing God? In Matthew, we can look at the background of who wrote the Gospel. They had gone through a time of conflict and the Jews lost the Temple in the year 70 CE. And then there was much conflict between different groups. So they heard a parable of how God is going to divide the good elements from bad elements, which in fact I understand as a way to give peace to people so they don't worry if all our surroundings were not reflecting the perfect peace of God, came to be interpreted as a scary vision that all will be judged. Think about it. Jesus describes the world. There is creation which is good, created by God, and this is the good seeds. But as we don't live in a perfect world, the forces of evil are going to come and try to hurt us, even in our own lives and minds and spirits. But Jesus says that we don't have to fear this because God has us in God’s hands. Our fine parts will remain. And even if we do good in the world or if we fail at times, God will refine us at the end of times. What remains will only would be the best of us. For me, this is not about good people and bad people, but it is about how each one of us are sinners and saints at the same time, trying to follow Christ and sometimes doing well and sometimes failing. But God will renew all our efforts in order so that we are ready to be in God’s presence.

We don't have to be afraid of God who is always on our side, who made the stars, the heavens and the Earth.

But, Madeleine L'Engle says that sometimes we feel separated from the stars, i.e. from God, and sometimes we have to recognize that God loves us deeply no matter what we have done. This brings us to that ingrate, Jacob.
For me, it is good thing that almost any biblical leader is imperfect. And Jacob is no exception. He did not know that God had a blessing for him, so he tried to steal it from his brother Esau. In this reading today he is running scared of his brother, and with good reason because he deceived him. And yet, even to such an indecent man, God appears. And God promises him that he will be with him and his family. And he realizes that God has been by his side throughout this time. What a miracle! So it is with all of us.
But the author Madeleine L'Engle says that what Jacob does that we can learn from is that he acknowledged the presence of God. That he found delight in God, and God found delight in him. We are called to do the same. ^[2] Not to respond with fear of judgement, but to respond in celebration of that God is with us and our family. To re-connect with the stars.
How can we look at the stars and God's creation as if for the first time? As we can see, we don't have to steal any blessing as a kiss from the lips of God but rather God awaits us with open arms with a heart that never ceases to forgive us and expect us to act better with each other. Because we are here and always in God’s presence, God’s beloved children forever.

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^[1] Madeleine L'Engle, A Stone for a Pillow, p.3: https://books.google.com/books?id=Hr6mDAAAQBAJ & printsec = frontcover & source = gbs_ge_summary_r & cad = 0 #v = onepage & q & f = false.

^[2] Ibid, p. 20.