Proper 19 C + Happy! + 9.11.22

 

M. Campbell-Langdell

All Santos, Oxnard

(Jeremiah 4:11–12, 22–28; Psalm 14; 1 Timothy 1:12–17; St Luke 15:1–10)

 

“I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

Yesterday we experienced a very happy event, Barbara and Mike’s vow renewal and wedding. It was a wonderful time in which their friends, family and some from the parish were able to come and help them celebrate 36 years! There was much rejoicing!

But this past Thursday a group of folks from Oxnard and Ventura met to plan an event, one that is less happy in nature but still important. Every December, around the longest night of the year, people gather to mark those who have died in the past year who are homeless. We will do this again in Oxnard on Sunday December 18^th at 3:30pm in Plaza Park.

This is important, because many of those involved did not have special memorial services or family members and friends to honor them in a formal way. We don’t want their deaths to go unmarked. At the same time, we have a difficulty. Some people are always left out because not every source of information has a complete list due to the fact that they capture different populations. And the definition of “homeless” changes depending on which agency you ask. Do you include those who are unhoused most of the year? Those who have been without housing for several years, or someone experiencing a single day of being without housing? How about those who are couch surfing or sleeping in their car?

This event is moving for many of us, but especially for those in the homeless community and those who have recently become housed, because it provides a space to grieve and to give dignity and honor to their friends who may not have experienced good treatment in life.

But some families feel very uncomfortable with the listing of names or the sharing of images because they feel that their loved one should not be classified as homeless. They see this as a badge of shame.

But is it? Yes, I understand that families don’t want to be seen as not helping their loved ones at every turn. But my thought is twofold. One, addiction and mental illness can make it almost impossible for any family to support certain folks before they are willing to seek out help.

Secondly, the shame is on our society. Because there is no reason that we cannot have more affordable housing and mental health care, as well as more effective addiction treatment programs. There will always be those who get lost for a while. That is just part of human existence. We could not be found if we didn’t all get a little lost sometimes. And some have more of that in their journey than others.

But to have family members be ashamed when they are not to blame, indeed when they are trying to be as loving as they can, is wrong. Of course, we must call on families to do what they can, but never without the help and support of their community.

In the gospel today, people are grumbling about Jesus because of the company he keeps. He keeps seeking out those who seem disreputable, those who break society’s rules in some ways. In many ways I think Jesus would be out there seeking out the homeless, those in prison and others who don’t fit the norm today. I think Jesus is with the deacons and lay ministers and others who try to step behind the lines, visible and invisible, that society draws, and say, welcome! God loves you. You have gifts to share with the world.

Jesus seeks those whom those in power don’t want to know. They are messy, rowdy, not social conformists, just like many marginalized populations in our day. I think today’s gospel has good news. Every one of us needs to know that we are so special that no matter where we are or what we have done, God is going to drop everything if we need God and come and scoop us up in loving arms! We are all loved that way, but that love is no less special and intense for being a shared experience.

Secondly, because we are loved, we love. It’s that simple. We are the sheep of our shepherd and sometimes our job is to go out, and to seek those who need to be brought back to the fold. Whether it is in the homeless community, the jail, or any other part of society where people feel forgotten, cast aside, we are called there. To wander and to welcome. To shower love.

This is not an arduous task necessarily, as it is the work of all. While it is the special work of a few, all of us has a responsibility to support seeking out fellow sheep. Whether it is honoring their last moments, or hopefully seeking a world in which fewer and fewer die early due to having to experience homelessness, addiction and mental health struggles without support for a healthier life.

Remember, each one that is carried back, including ourselves, receives a big CHEER in heaven. I had a visual of such a cheer a few years ago, when that song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams was all the rage. I was stopped at the light at 2^nd and C, headed to church, driving on 2^nd Street a bit back of the car in front due to leaving space for the police parking lot entrance. It was a long light, and the car in front was blasting “Happy.” As the song continued, the driver got out of the vehicle, danced around it, and got back in the car, all to the words “’Cause I’m Happy…”! They even managed to get in and start driving at the green light! Now, I don’t recommend this for traffic safety reasons, but what if the angels in heaven are that amped, but times one thousand, when we welcome someone who just doesn’t know God’s love in the same way, back to knowing God and God’s love?
That makes me happy to think about. Let us all rejoice in those to whom we have reached out. And anticipate the joy of reaching out to others who need to hear a message of God’s love.

Amen.