Proper 17 (B) + Justice and love, arise! + 9.2.18

(shutterstock.com)

M. Campbell-Langdell

All Santos, Oxnard

(Song of Songs 2:8–13; Psalm 45:1–2, 7–10; James 1:17–27; St Mark 7:1–8, 14–15, 21–23)

When I was at Ventura Pride Festival this year I picked up the smallest button at a booth, with a simple message: “Remembered to Breathe” it said. I said, I need this reminder. Something so silly. In a way, we cannot ever “forget” to breathe as it is something we do automatically. But at the same time, have you ever been in that position, when you realized you haven’t taken a deep breath in hours because we have trained ourselves to propel ourselves ever forward with whatever task is next? Sometimes we just need to remember to breathe.

Remember to breathe. (BREATH)
What a breath of fresh air, this passage from Song of Songs today. A bit of poetry, a bit of love, in so many Sundays of much more serious scripture. Not that Song of Songs isn’t serious. It is serious, about love.

We hear:

“My beloved speaks and says to me:

‘Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away;

for now the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone (Song of Solomon 2:10-11 NRSV).’”

And we hear the echo not only of this particular love across the centuries, but of all loves, and of our love of God, and God’s love of us.

And yet, forgive the nerd in me, but this passage also brought to mind the “Game of Thrones” phrase, “Winter is Coming,” which is the motto of House Stark. It reminds us to be in constant vigilance.
Doesn’t our world sometimes feel like that? That we must be on the alert? That we are in a time of winter? When, with some notable exceptions, politicians do not see their roles as positions sacred to the public trust, but rather avenues via which they can enrich themselves and their families? When we see the environment continuing to suffer at our hands and very little is happening at the government level to combat global warming? Sometimes it feels that we could freeze of meanness, of those who are hearers who deceive themselves.

I think this is a bit of what Jesus is talking about today. You can wash your hands and prevent disease from entering your body. That is important. But do not neglect the health of your soul. Do not wash your hands and then think filthy thoughts about others. Or more to the point, do not care for your body and then break someone else down spiritually with your tongue. How many people in this world do this? They care for their own physical wellbeing but neglect the spiritual, emotional and physical welfare of others, cutting them down in tweets and sound bites.

But do not fear. Remember to breathe

Because here we hear, as we so often do in scripture, the hope of this passage: the winter is and soon will be past- almost, here, not yet, and the rain is and will be over and gone.

The rain will pass soon, or perhaps to us Southern Californians, the rain will come and end the drought. Remember to breathe and pray and it will come. Gentle rain that coaxes the flowers into life.

But we must be faithful in the meantime. So many people wrestle with the Epistle of James, feeling it to be not enough about God, but it has its value. Because it can give us guidance on how to live faithfully now.
I heard a phrase in my sermon preparation: “justice is what love looks like in public.”[1] Well if Song of Songs speaks to us of love, then James helps us begin to think about living out justice. How can we attend to those who are suffering, those I see every week for whom the winter has been too long? We can strive to listen to God. What would God have us do? Would God have us provide a Safe Parking Program? God is already guiding us to provide space for a food pantry, a nutritious Sunday meal, 12 Step groups, Yoga and Tai Chi classes, Diabetes and Balance programs for seniors, programs for youth and so much more. These are part of thawing the winter of our souls, in our community.
That is how we help others remember to breathe.
God is the God of all creation. The father of lights and the creator of the stars in the sky. God will care for us, the smallest creatures in the big wide world.

Remember to breathe. And every so often, hear God when God calls to you, saying:

“Arise, my love, my fair one and come away.”

Come away to see the beauty of the art at our community garden as they paint images of California phoenixes rising out of the ashes of the Thomas fire. Hear the beckoning call to hand a plate of food to a grateful guest at Bread of Life and hear the heartfelt “thank you.” Follow however God is tugging on your heart, letting you know just how loved you are, and (after a breath) helping you turn that love into justice for the world.

Justice that sounds like a poem called “Broken Sidewalks” by Karen Georgia A. Thompson about people rising up despite a broken system.

Here are parts of the poem:

“…

we, the mystery of life

 living as seeds

fallen into the cracks

 of broken sidewalks

 finding soil

 pushing deep shattering concrete

…

then as now

we chant incantations

weaving strength and hope

into broadcloth of justice

without looms

we, waters flowing free

children of breath

bearers of courage

luminaries of change

marching across broken sidewalks

…

then as now

we dream afloat

riding flotsam

rearranging shards of broken sidewalks

 into sweeping mosaics of freedom.”[2]

Let us rearrange those shards, too, walking forward,

Until one day we can all say,

“The winter is past, the rain is over and gone.”

---

[1] Attributed to Cornel West.

[2] Karen Georgia A. Thompson, “broken sidewalks,” from https://sojo.net/sites/default/files/broken_sidewalks.pdf.