Easter 7 (B) + Endurance + 5.13.18

(https://www.scotsman.com/news/uk/
shackleton-s-endurance-may-be-in-antarctica-1-3044222)

M. Campbell-Langdell

All Santos, Oxnard

(Acts 1:15–17, 21–26; Ps. 1; 1 John 5:9–13; John 17:6–19)

Amy Lindeman Allen says, “The story of the resurrection is the story of God making a way where there is no way.”[1]

Making a way where there is no way.

I just heard an audiobook with just this story. In Alfred Lansing’s book Endurance (1959)[2], I heard the story of Edward Shackleton’s group’s journey into the Antarctic and the amazing story about how, even shipwrecked, all the members of the party returned alive. At every point in the story, they found a way when there was no way. First, they financed and launched the expedition just as war was breaking out in 1914. Then they sailed into the Antarctic waters- further than anyone had gone- and their ship got squeezed in the ice and eventually broke apart. There, stranded in an uninhabited stretch of frozen ocean, they might have had no chance to survive. But there was a way. They made it through. They persevered over ice, often needing to back-track multiple times, landing on two different islands in the middle of the Antarctic Ocean. They constantly had to make decisions as to keep the group happy and alive, whether that was dropping gear to be able to proceed with less weight, or choosing to stay in a location longer because to proceed would be foolish. For about a year and a half, they survived. By God’s grace, they found a way where there was no way. And finally they made it to a whaling station. But not before the rescue committee- now down to three men – had to cross the almost impassable interior of South Georgia Island. At one point, stranded on a glacier, with an oncoming storm and not enough gear to protect them, the men decide to free-fall slide down the glacier in order to avoid freezing to death. When they finally got to the whaling camp on the island, seasoned sailors just want to shake their hand for making a way where there is no way.

And perhaps the most poignant moment was when the rescue crew, after many attempts to rescue the rest of the crew on Elephant Island, finally arrived. They saw someone hoisting up the flag, but the flag stuck and everyone was too excited to bother to budge it up the pole. And Shackleton, their fearless leader’s heart sank, because he thought one or more of his men had been lost. But thanks be to God, they all survived.

In today’s gospel, Jesus’ words resonate across time: “I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled.” Not one was lost, except the one destined. So precious to a leader are those words. Only God knows our destiny, but insofar as we can make it happen, not one is to be lost. For all the difficulties we sometimes have with Mother’s Day as a “Hallmark holiday,” one thing we can say is that good mothers or good mothering figures-- indeed good parental figures- have this same self-sacrificial love for their children, whether they are biological children or otherwise in their care.

Jesus is our strongest leader. In some ways, Jesus is motherly in this passage. We are under Jesus’ sheltering care. Jesus takes us through any weather-of any kind, and makes a way in our lives where there is no way. And not one of us will be lost-if we remain faithful. We must carry the testimony and not build our house upon the sand of our own comfort or survival. But strive to remain faithful to what God is doing for all of us.
In the story I shared before, over and over in the book the author mentions the men’s decision to remain as cheerful as possible with each other. Each one had to decide to hang in there under unimaginably difficult physical and mental stresses. At one point one character attempted to just give up. And Shackleton approached him and explained that he did not really have a choice, because to actually give up would be suicide under the icy conditions. And so he persevered. Our choice may not always seem so stark. But I think we, too, must persevere when we have questions or when the flesh is weak. Because if we just remain faithful, we cannot ever be lost entirely.

Now there was in the Bible story one that was lost. Judas could not see the Holy Way of Jesus. Many of us have different ways of interpreting Judas’ actions. But I feel he was just human. He just let his doubts get in the way. He was faithful and did his work, but he reached the breaking point and decided to trust the world and its treasure rather than in God. If he could do that with Jesus right in front of him, so can any of us. It is hard to cast blame. When you see him this way, it is easy to have compassion. How was he destined? I cannot answer that mystery myself, yet. But it is clear from our reading from the Acts of the Apostles that Judas’ work among the twelve was vital, and he needed to be replaced. Hence Matthias’ ministry.

The show must go on, as they say. We must persevere in faith. But none will be lost who can keep hold of the faith. And even those who feel they have lost their faith may yet regain it, with the help of wise friends. With God’s help.

Yet it remains true that life is full of suffering in the midst of joy. And this “Endurance” analogy is imperfect. Because ultimately, our goal as Christians is not solely to survive in this life. Our goal is heavenly.
Jesus said: “I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.” We, too, ask not to be taken from this world until it is our time. No matter how hard the journey. But instead, may we each be renewed in strength for faithfulness. May we be filled with joy for living. So we may not be tempted to give up.

In closing, another image: Farmer Guadalupe Rojas wrote the most recent newsletter from “The Abundant Table.” And he mentioned the difficulties they had had at first planting strawberries at the farm. How the first berries were red outside and black inside-what a shock after all the care and attention. But, he said, we can never give up. So they kept caring for the fruit plants and now they have big, delicious strawberries available, which you can actually go out to the farm and pick yourself if you choose![3] Let us never give up hope. For joy is the fruit of perseverance, and faith comes in the morning, even after the darkest night. Let us find the endurance within. Amen.

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[1] Amy Lindeman Allen, “Commentary on Acts 1:15-17, 21-26,” for May 13, 2018, from: https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3659.

[2] Blackstone Audio, 2008.

[3] Abundant Table, “CSA Newsletter: A Message from Farmer Guadalupe 5/10/2018.”