Proper 15 C + Division, then peace + 8.17.25

 

M. Campbell-Langdell

All Santos, Oxnard

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

 

For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts
is the house of Israel,

and the people of Judah
Are his pleasant planting;

He expected justice,
but saw bloodshed;

righteousness,
But heard a cry!

Our beloved country is like this vineyard. In this vineyard, those who came seeking refuge and to build a life have been thrown into detention centers, breastfeeding mothers have been separated from their children, and all in the name of the law of the land.
And it is essential to follow the law of the land. But the law of the land should not be cruel. It should not be unjust. Jesus taught us that even the most sacred of laws cannot imprison us. “The sabbath is for man, not man for the sabbath.” Laws must instead serve us and make us a better people and country. This does not mean no one can be corrected, but we must use just methods of correction.

In the gospel today, Jesus says some hard truths. Some uncomfortable words. He brings not peace, but division! Does he mean he wants division? Does he intend for people to be at odds? I think not. After all, he goes around in other parts of the Gospel, especially after his resurrection, bidding everyone Peace who will listen. He is the Prince of Peace, for goodness’ sake.
But he knows something true. And that is, that he is a divisive character. There will be those who will take his words and understand them in very different ways.

Some will interpret his words differently, sometimes for their benefit, because there have always been those who take God’s word and twist it.
I saw an advertisement on Instagram recruiting ICE officers using the call of Isaiah: “Here I am, send me.” I must admit, it scared me. How could someone read the scriptures in that way? Because, make no mistake, many who are doing the work of immigration enforcement feel that they are standing up for their country, and in doing so, they are doing God’s will. And I understand that logic. But we know that God doesn’t just love the USA. God loves all the people of the world. How can this be doing God’s work when the system is so broken that there is almost no way for some people to immigrate lawfully? I was blessed in my birth. I was born a citizen via my mother. When my parents got together, they knew folks in the UK who had waited ten or more years to move to the US. And now it would be longer. And they were not exactly fleeing a hostile regime or living environment. They just wanted a better life.

Jesus knows that he speaks the truth. And this truth is not always convenient or comfortable for us to hear. At the same time, he says in another passage, “The truth will set you free.” And that is true. Speaking the truth in love can help us break free from lies that would bind us. But first, the truth will mess you up sometimes. It will cause division because different ways of understanding the truth will create division. In families, in communities. In countries.

Today, we bid adieu to Karl Sandin as he concludes his Diocesan Discernment Year. Dr. Karl has shown us so much in his months here at All Santos. He feels called to speak a truth to the church and the world. And that truth is that our spiritual care services are neglecting medical professionals. They have been put in many moral binds. They are experiencing moral injury. When ICE comes to the hospital doors, you must let the patients they bring in serve them. Still, the community thinks you are collaborating with ICE just because you are serving sick patients. Moral injury happens when the whole medical system makes it hard to honor human dignity fully. For example, someone who is known to be unhoused is kicked out on the street with a still-healing wound because the hospital can’t afford to keep every homeless person long enough for them to heal properly. Moral injury occurs when you lose a patient; you must keep going because there are other folks to care for. You don’t have a place to process the grief. And many of us don’t have eyes to see. We are so focused on hurting people that we don’t see the healers. But Karl sees this need. And his heart is full of compassion. Hopefully, his truth does not create much division. But it is not a comfortable truth.  It means something else must be done. Something must be done to care for those who care for others. Let us pray for him.

This is not a comfortable gospel, but these are not comfortable times. We feel challenged almost every day. Where can we find hope? We can find hope in God’s promises, and in each other- in the groups leading workshops to help families make plans to keep as safe as possible, in people like Karl who identify needs others may not see in those working together to feed those in need. These breastfeeding mothers I mentioned earlier? That story broke my heart. At the same time, I heard that, when community members reached out asking for donations, about twenty local mothers offered to help. Will that prevent trauma to the families being separated? No. But community support can make it better.

One helpful thing about what Jesus says here is that it reminds us of the healing nature of the truth. Let us take a moment and acknowledge that everything is not all right. Our twelve-step friends say admitting the truth is the first step to healing. Let us say that what is going on in our world is wrong. We don’t have to share politics to agree on that. We may each feel it is wrong in slightly different ways. But acknowledging the truth helps us to feel less isolated. There is nothing wrong with you. There is a lot wrong with the world right now.

At the same time, there is hope. Once the truth is shared, we can acknowledge it and care for each other. Following today's example of the faithful in our epistle, we can see what is happening in our community and reach out in bonds of love. We can reach out with cords of loving kindness.
But let us see with the sight God has given Karl, and so many others who are deacons and other visionaries of the faith. And let us not be blind to another aspect of care that is so profoundly needed. We must care for ourselves. These are difficult times. Let us be gentle with ourselves. Let us go to the beach, take deep breaths, eat ice cream, pray, and cry when needed. Let us listen to music and dance and not be ashamed of doing something that brings us joy, or taking a day or night off to tend to our souls.
These are urgent times. We resonate with the urgency of Jesus’ words here, but we must not let our lights burn out. We have an opportunity as a faith community to keep connecting, even when times are fraught. Even though there is division in our nations, families, and even within the Christian community, God is with us. And different ideas are allowed. Various opinions are welcome. Because God made all of us, as long as we don’t cause harm to others, we should be allowed to coexist. At the same time, we can name if we see harm being done in our midst. We condemn, not people, but the actions that bring destruction to the children of this and other vineyards.
We are not always called to be comfortable, but we are called to be compassionate. The truth will set us free. Even when we are not comfortable, there is a comforter. The Holy Spirit remains with us here. She knows what we are going through. She sends Jesus’ love, even as he lifts a banner of truth that reminds us of what is right. Even when our hearts are hurting, we will follow Jesus, who knows what is right, and not be afraid. He says, Peace be with you.

Amen.