Proper 17 B +Remember who you are + 8.29.21
M. Campbell-Langdell
All Santos, Oxnard
(Song of Songs 2:8–13; Ps. 45:1–2, 7–10; James 1:17–27; St Mark 7:1–8, 14–15, 21–23)
Good morning! It is good to be with you all again here at All
Santos. We had a wonderful trip visiting family and are glad to be back.
The scriptures for today bring up many thoughts in light of
the pandemic, but to begin, I was really struck by these words in the Epistle
of James:
“For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are
like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and,
on going away, immediately forget what they were like.”
For me, this passage says Remember who you are. Remember
whose you are. Remember who you are. Remember whose you are.
For the Jews, the rituals around cleaning one’s hands before
eating went beyond just the ordinary need to wash their hands before eating. These
rules were about connecting to their people. They were about ritual
purification that identified them as Jews. I remember when we went to the Holy
Land and saw a large bathroom area next to the Wailing Wall. At first I
thought, how nice to serve the tourists’ bodily needs, and surely it does that
too. But then I realized perhaps visiting the wall required ritual purification
before prayer. Remember who you are. Remember whose you are.
For us as Episcopalians remembering who we are often comes in
the form of participating in worship. We observe religious rituals such as
sharing communion together and listening to scripture and hearing a sermon, not
just because they are vaguely edifying but because in coming together we
remember who we are. We remember whose we are. There is nothing wrong with
rituals and they can in fact be very good for us in many ways.
But notice in this passage of St Mark, how we are told the
story almost from the outside in, focusing on those observing the disciples and
commenting on their lackluster observance of the Jewish purity rites. For those
who watch, purifying themselves before eating has become not just what they do
to remind themselves of their Jewish faith, it has become an idol.
Ritual is important, but it cannot become the religion. Jesus
reminds us of this. We run into problems when we focus on whatever we deem the
reminder of God to be – be it ritual purification, liturgy, or a certain way of
reading the Bible, and then judge others for connecting with God differently.
We forget the true religion that has been grafted into our
hearts when we begin to judge others in our heart. And that can lead us astray
to devasting effect. One has only to think of the religious extremists who
organized and carried out a suicide bombing adjacent to the Kabul Airport this
week. They killed some who did not share their faith and others who may have shared
their faith. And all because they could not see God’s faithfulness in the ways
that others lived, because it was different from their way. They have forgotten
who they are, and whose they are. God weeps for the loss of our service members
and the civilians, but also those who were radicalized to kill.
It is what comes out of us that does harm. Of course, that
event this week in Kabul was an extreme example, but all throughout our trip I
was reminded of a subtler way this exists in our day to day existence. For
example, Alene, Genesis and I wore masks throughout our trip any time we were
in an enclosed public place. We got some interesting looks, and sometimes
worried we offended people with our face coverings in certain places. However,
we persevered in doing so because we wanted to be as safe as possible. But
there were some places where people were quite friendly and did not let the
masks faze them. In those places we felt more comfortable despite feeling
different. In other places we could tell our mask wearing was not totally
comfortable for others and we left as soon as possible. Of course, we felt most
comfortable in the places where everyone was following the same protocols that
we were, but I was reminded of something. Judging what others are doing only
gets in between us and God. Following faithfully in the way that we feel God is
leading us and then trying to connect with others where they are is the only
way to truly grow closer to others and to God.
I find that traveling, and being outside of my comfort zone,
reminds me of who I am, and whose I am. It also reminds me of what is important
for me to maintain in my own life without judging others’ choices. Sometimes
seeing how others live also reminds me of changes I need to make in my own life
to be closer to God and to serve others better.
In a way, the Song of Songs scripture today invites us to
step outside of ourselves in the same way that travel does. "Arise, my
love, my fair one, and come away” tells us to let God speak to us as a lover
would and be invited outside of our perceptions of ourselves and of others. Yes
we must live out our duties and obligations in this life, and be responsible.
But we must also be alive to the mystery around us.
Asked why he kept Kosher, Rabbi Abraham Joseph Heschel said,
“Because I do not understand it.”[1]
Our liturgy professor in seminary, Louis Weil would say, “who truly understands
the eucharist?” when explaining why baptized children should be able to partake
in Holy Communion. Which of us really understands the mysteries of God? We must
live faithfully, and observe the rites of our lives to take care of ourselves
and each other, but never forget that something deeper is at play. A
relationship with each other. And a relationship with the God who made us and
delights in our existence. A God who came to dwell amongst us and who walks
with us still in Spirit. Remember who you are. Remember whose you are. Amen.
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