Proper 15 C + Jesus rebel grrrl! + 8.14.22

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M. Campbell-Langdell

All Santos, Oxnard

(Isaiah 5:1–7; Psalm 80:1–2, 8–18; Hebrews 11:29–12:2; St Luke 12:49–56)

 

“Rebel girl, rebel girl
Rebel girl, you are the queen of my world” (“Rebel Girl” by Bikini Kill)

Rebel Jesus is on my mind today… Today, we see Jesus in one of his most punk rock moments. You see, one of the things you might not know about me is that I had a punk phase. For a while in my younger life, I really enjoyed some of the classic punk rock bands and even when to CBGB’s in New York (and I will admit I stayed well out of the main dance area—too many elbows and boots for my taste!) Then I learned about Bikini Kill and other riot grrrl bands. And I was inspired. Listening to some of their music, many of you might be offended. Because it is rebellious. But what I liked about it wasn’t just some general sense of rebellion. It was because in it, people were telling the truth. Punk allows people to express what is wrong in society. And that truth telling can be a purifying thing. Next in the song “Rebel girl,” we hear that she makes the singer think the revolution’s coming. What is that revolution? In this case, the revolution of a free woman who can speak her mind and live her truth and fully own her own body.

In today’s gospel passage, Jesus is not just about burning everything down. But he is talking about a revolution. In that way, Jesus is a rebel grrrl. We know he is also the Prince of Peace, and it is in that context that we must remember that the flame he mentions here is the refiner’s fire. It is the truth-telling that will purify us. Now this isn’t pretty. It will cause division. Some people can’t handle the truth! Or some people interpret the truth differently. At the same time, there are facts and there are fabrications, and Jesus is calling us to differentiate between those with the clarifying help of the Spirit.

When I was looking at this text with a sermon brainstorming group, one person pointed out that five is a symbolic number here. And another person wondered aloud if that is on purpose. Because it is an odd number and as such, cannot be divided evenly. There will always be uneven sides. And uneven sides can make for more conflict. Perhaps Jesus is reminding us that in this world, if we are to cling to the truth, we will eventually have conflict. Amongst families, believers and others. Not constant conflict, but it is just a part of it.
I think as Christians we are often fed a lie. That lie is that as Christians we are only allowed to be nice to others and get along and that if there is conflict, we are doing something wrong.

But what if a certain amount of conflict meant we were doing something right? Not when we are contrary just for the sake of it. But when we honestly see different sides of things and work them through, we get stronger as people of faith and as human beings. Our relationships are strengthened through genuine disagreement and reconciliation. When I talk to couples, I often say, to argue is not a bad thing. Because you are engaging with each other. What is bad is giving up on working it through. Or not being willing to find a middle ground or point of compromise. But engaging with others through difference can make them and us better. This can be the same in our relationship with God.

And so far, I have just mentioned individual interactions, but Jesus is also talking about a fire that will pass us as a whole community of believers. This refiner’s fire will not be entirely gentle, I suspect. It is hard to unlearn patterns that have been hurtful and learn new ways in God. Just like when you have to go through a difficult workout to get in shape, our souls may need a deep-clean. But not one of us will be abandoned.

Because of the sparrows! Remember that fives abound in the gospels. There are five loaves in the loaves and fishes, five foolish and five wise bridesmaids, five talents, and five sparrows. Here, earlier in Luke, Jesus says: “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows (Luke 12:6-7).” Not one will be forgotten, says Jesus.[1] In the same way, Jesus is telling us that when the fire comes- whether it be the purifying fire of an argument with your loved one, a significant loss, or a much larger cosmic event that we have yet to experience, when that moment comes, remember that the refiner’s fire has a purpose.
To make us like Christ. To bring us to peace. And that, far from being left in the fire, we will not be forgotten. We will be renewed. We will come out gleaming!

There is a lot of division in our church and our culture at the moment. You may have read about how at a recent international meeting of bishops in the Anglican communion, motions were brought up around traditional marriage that made those who embrace all the colors of the rainbow a bit worried. But ultimately the bishops decided to honor both viewpoints. And to agree to disagree. And, even though this is not where we want to end up eventually, our presiding bishop noted that that was a huge step forward for us as Anglicans.[2]
How do we interpret the times we are in?

Many times, we interpret division as telling us that something is wrong.
What if we turn to punk rock Jesus here, and say, what if something is right about this?
Not the reasons for our division or the bad behavior we have seen.
But the fact that we encourage healthy debate.
What if we can keep engaging with each other and find some common ground?
I have seen hope for this in some collaborative political work that has been done of late.

Now, we don’t get our hope from politics, thank God, but from Jesus.
Let us look to Jesus, who is our hope, and not be afraid to speak the truth, the truth which liberates. Let us not be afraid, for the Spirit’s fire does not decimate, but is a refiner’s fire, which will simply lick that which is not of God off of us, making us more ready to serve!

And let us remember that we are infinitely precious in God’s sight, more precious than the sparrow. God’s eye is on the sparrow, and God watches over me!

 

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