Monday, November 2, 2015

Saints Who Shine

"See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away." (Revelation 21:4ff)




Who doesn’t love that passage from Revelation?  A book usually known for its crazy tales of horseman sounding their trumpets – and even crazier interpretations that lead to some claiming that this book contains all the divine secrets for knowing when it will come to an end – the Rapture, as it is more commonly known.  As if the creation that God calls good – the creation that God breathes into existence – God would wipe away in fiery destruction.  As if the God – who gave his only son so that all might be forgiven and know eternal life – would smite all of us – or some of us – in some very unloving way.

That’s not what this revelation reveals.  You see – the home of God is among mortals.  God wants to dwell with us – right here – right now.  The Revelation to St. John the Divine when taken in its entirety – when heard as the dream it was intended to be – as opposed to being heard akin to a literal movie treatment – is a vision of the life God is calling us to see now.

Can we see a new heaven – and a new earth?  One where we know that God is with us – because we are caring for one another – really caring for one another – so there is no more mourning or crying or pain?  That sounds crazy – I know.  A crazy dream – that is too much for us to live into reality.

But is it possible that there are glimpses?  Glimpses of God with us – with you – in your life today?


Many of you know the famous trivia question – what’s the shortest phrase in the bible?  The answer is – Jesus wept.  That’s from the King James Version of this morning’s gospel – which is no longer one in standard usage.  But there is another great phrase from this story – which is even better – and I’m sure known to some of you.

When Jesus says to Martha “Take ye away the stone – Martha saith unto him – Lord, by this time surely he stinketh!” (11:39)  What an accurate rendering of what is going on for Mary and Martha – and Lazarus.  This whole situation stinks!  Their brother is dead – the guy who could’ve saved him took his time getting back there – you may remember he doesn’t rush to Bethany when he hears that Lazarus has fallen asleep.  And now everyone is upset – including Jesus himself – yes indeed – there is no better theological assessment of this situation – it just plain stinks.

Maybe that is what keeps us from seeing glimpses of God sometimes, you know?   Everything isn’t always coming up roses.  Sometimes there is no one wiping away our tears – or bearing our burdens – and we feel stuck in a dark place – wishing it would all pass away.



Today is one of the holiest days in our church year.  The Feast of All Saints.  The day we name the saints in our own lives – those who have passed away – who have gone before us – and maybe they led what we would call saintly lives.  Maybe they were examples of virtuous and godly living – but – since they were human – they probably weren’t always virtuous or godly.  But that doesn’t matter – because even if they were – even if we are – we can’t earn our holiness.

We – you and I – and all who have gone before – we are saints because that’s what God calls us.  God at our baptism – claims us as holy ones.  As Thomas Merton famously said after an epiphany on a street corner in Kentucky….

“If only [people] could all see themselves as they really are.  If only we could see each other that way all the time.  But it cannot be explained.  There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun.” (New Seeds of Contemplation)

You know who we don’t get to hear from in this story?  Lazarus – which I think kinda stinks.  I mean, what if he didn’t want to come back?  Because he had seen more than a glimpse of God?  Surely you and I have heard the same stories from people who claim near death experiences.  A common theme is that they feel pulled, dragged, almost against their will – back into this life.  What if Lazarus came out of that cave – and was like – “hey – what did you have to do that for?  I saw my parents and my friends – all those who had gone before – and there was no pain, or crying – or death – just shining brighter than the sun and it was most complete feeling of wholeness I have ever, ever known.”

But the home of God is with us.  God needs us to get the message out – here and now.  Through you and me and people like Lazarus – God helps us see the way things could be.  A world where people aren’t afraid to go into the dark places, the hard places – the places that sometimes stink – and work together to help set people free.  Notice that about the story.  Jesus calls Lazarus out – but he turns to Mary and Marth and everyone standing there and says – “Unbind him and let him go.”

Jesus makes a way – but then looks at you and me and all the saints and says – get in there and help me – lend your hands to uncover the good – release what binds people up.  Use your hands to wipe away the tears and take away the pains.  For God makes his dwelling among mortals – so that our hands – in all the holy ways you and I can – will call forth a new heaven and a new earth – here and now.

On this day when we give thanks for the eternal life made known to us in Christ – may we give forth our thanks by living – and seeing – and being – the holy people God has created us to be.  May we spend at least some time today – walking around saints that we are – shining -  like the sun.  Amen

With thanks to the Working Preacher Podcast for All Saints, 2015 (www.workingpreacher.org)
- The Rev. Arianne R. Weeks



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