2018-10-08
Brooke Strong
Scripture: Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12
World Communion Sunday and final in series of Phoenix Affirmations
Today we celebrate World Communion Sunday, which has always had a special place in my heart. Many of you know, because I’ve shared before, that I am a first generation American, and so I have lots of blood relatives in Switzerland and Italy, but not many here. World Communion Sunday was the idea of Hugh Thomson Kerr, in the 1930’s – during a time of economic turmoil and fear and the rise of militaristic fascism abroad. He wanted to designate one Sunday when American Christians would join others around the world at the Communion table. Throughout my childhood in the Methodist Church, on this Sunday, I would imagine a special connection with my overseas relatives, when I would take Communion. It felt like, in a sense, we were all sharing a big family meal.
After I became Catholic, we no longer celebrated World Communion Sunday in my church community. It was one of the things I missed, and I am glad to have this as part of my ritual again since coming to the UCC. While in my younger days, the emphasis of the celebration for me was a connection with my family throughout the world, it has now taken on a broader significance. I find that today, this Sunday reminds me of my connection with my human family, a connection to people whom I don’t even know, many of whom are so different than I am that I can barely imagine their lives. Yet they are nevertheless my brothers and sisters, my relatives so to speak, because we are all children of the same God.
This scripture lesson from Hebrews brings that out so clearly: For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have a Father-Mother in common. For this reason, Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters (Hebrews 2:11-12). And so, we are all brothers and sisters. And just as in a biological family, the members share physical DNA, in a spiritual family, we all share spiritual DNA, so to speak. We all have one parent, and are all called to be, like our brother Jesus, an imprint of that parent’s very being. To me, this call to be an imprint of God’s very being, is what is at the heart of the Christian faith, and also at the heart of the Phoenix Affirmations.
If you’ve been coming to church for the last few weeks, you know that we have been doing a series on The Phoenix Affirmations. Today is the final Sunday for that series. These are a set of twelve principles, created by a group of pastors, theologians and biblical scholars from many denominations, to articulate a vision for what the Christian faith is called to stand for. They are based on the greatest commandment: to love God, neighbor and self. The Affirmation that speaks to me most profoundly is the ninth one: We affirm that the Path of Jesus is found where Christ’s followers are continually discovering, and rediscovering that they – and all people – are loved beyond their wildest imagination, and they determine to live their lives according to this discovery.1 In other words, we first of all know ourselves as loved, deeply, extravagantly, unconditionally by our God. And when we truly take that in, we cannot help but respond by loving God back with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. And then, we seek to live our lives out of this discovery – to recognize all people as our family, as worthy of love. In this way we become – as the Hebrews passage (2:7) reads “little less than angels,” or, as our Psalm (8) reminds us – “little less than God.”
How do we even begin to do that? In this world where we are so divided, where there are so many people who anger us, scare us, betray us, how are we to love? Our ancestors in faith had these same questions, these same issues. They often forgot about the commandment to love. And so God sent prophets to speak to them, to get them back on track. When that wasn’t enough, God sent Jesus – the one who is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being (Hebrews 1:3).
This Jesus was sent as brother to all of us, holding us together as family. He was sent to accompany us, encouraging us by his teachings, sustaining us through his power, and challenging us to live out that love of God, neighbor and self. Sometimes, when we get caught up in the daily barrage of news stories, the never-ending facebook battles, the overwhelming sadness and despair of countless victims in our country and our world, it is easy to ignore or to forget about Jesus and his teachings. And so I believe that just as God sent prophets to our ancestors, that God continues to send prophets to us today. We need these prophets to remind us of who we are, and whose we are.
On Wednesday I attended a clergy breakfast at La Sagrada Familia, the Hispanic church on Cleveland’s westside. There, religious leaders of various faiths, Christian, Muslim, Jewish and others, gathered to learn about our brothers and sisters who are immigrants in this country, and to discern how we might help aid those who are struggling. That morning Immigrants shared their stories of their life situations. Pastors of sanctuary churches shared their stories of providing haven. And then a man who is seeking to become the sponsor for Ansly Damus shared his story.
Perhaps you’ve heard of Monsieur Damus? He was a teacher in Haiti, who during a seminar on the corruption in Haitian politics mentioned the name of a government official. Later that very day, he was attacked by a gang affiliated with that official, who beat him, and threatened to kill him. Fearing for his life, he left his wife, children and siblings ten days later, fleeing to Brazil, where he lived for 18 months. There he faced such discrimination that he came to the US California border nearly two years ago, seeking asylum. He was interviewed by an officer who found that he had a credible fear of persecution, and later an immigration judge granted his asylum application. This was then appealed and withdrawn, then heard, then appealed again. Ever since he got to this country, Ansly has been sitting in our Geauga County Safety Center in Chardon, Ohio. This facility name “The Geauga County Safety Center” is quite a euphemism for what it actually is. It is a jail – with no outdoor space, with windowless rooms, where Ansly has no opportunities for visits except on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons. Through a translator, Ansly says, “I am a human being trapped behind metal bars and walls, with no access to the outdoors, the internet, or email. . . . I spend my days in near total isolation, finding comfort only when I’m reading my Bible. . . .My teacher’s mind struggles to find a lesson in my experience, but I can’t make sense of this. The United States has allowed people fleeing persecution to apply for asylum for decades, both as part of its laws and culture. When I feared for my life and arrived at the border, it felt like the U.S. had extended an open hand to me. Yet in accepting it, I have been condemned to indefinite imprisonment, even though I have committed no crime.”2
Unfortunately, there are many stories like Ansly’s. And so, while we have people sitting in detention centers, in jails, all over the country, I witness prophets are rising up among us, reminding us of our call to love, calling us to put that love into action. It is for this reason that on Thursday, I found myself on the grounds of the ICE detention center in Brooklyn Hts., gathered with other clergy and concerned citizens, for a liturgy led by our friend and colleague Rev. Doug Horner of St. Paul’s Community Church. A group of about 20 of us stood praying, singing, and giving witness in solidarity with these brothers and sisters of ours who are being treated unjustly. A group will be gathering for prayer every week, there, seeking to set the imprint of God’s love on these grounds, to set the imprint of God’s love on this world.
This, for me, was a way to live out my call to love my neighbor, to love those who I don’t know personally, but those who are my suffering brothers and sisters. I know this is a small action. I know that many of us, like those early Christians in that community who received the letter to the Hebrews, are growing weary, apathetic and discouraged. Many of us have hearts that are aching, that are breaking, that can barely withstand any more news of suffering. It would be just so much easier and less painful to ignore the suffering of others than to be moved by it.
But the letter to the Hebrews reminds us to take heart. It reminds us that Jesus suffered, not only in death, but throughout his life. And so, we know that following Jesus and living his commandment to love others will not alleviate our suffering. But we also know, that because of his own suffering, Jesus understands ours.
One of the principles of spiritual activism strengthens and upholds me is: “Do not insulate yourself from the pain of the world. Shielding yourself from heartbreak prevents transformation. Let your heart break open, and learn to move in the world with a broken heart. . . . When we open ourselves to the pain of the world, we become the medicine that heals the world. . . . A broken heart becomes an open heart, and genuine transformation begins.”3
Today we are invited to this table of grace and transformation, this table of remembrance of Jesus’ suffering and death. As Rev. John Buchanon says, “I believe that when Jesus said, ‘Do this in remembrance of me,’ he referred not only to the Last Supper but to his entire life of teaching, healing and welcoming all.”4
As we pray for people around the world, as we feast on breads from around the world, let us remember that we are all brothers and sisters around the world, with one loving God as our parent. As we hear the words of Jesus, “Do this in remembrance of me,” let us renew our commitment to live as he did, committing ourselves to act in love, service and support for those who suffer. And in so doing, may the love of God imprinted on our hearts become imprinted on this hurting and broken world as healing medicine and transformation. Amen.
1https://progressivechristianity.org/resources/the-phoenix-affirmations-full-version/
2 https://www.aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/immigrants-rights-and-detention/locked-punishment-seeking-safety
3http://www.satyana.org/principles_new.html4 4https://www.christiancentury.org/article/2013-09/shared-meal