Lepers

I’ll tell you something about this Gospel lesson.

            I’ve preached on it a number of times 

                                                            over the 30 some years I have been a priest.

But one year a week before this particular reading came up in the lectionary

            I broke out in a rash.

I don’t know if it was in reaction to something in my environment

            or as a sympathetic association with these 10 lepers!

I went to the doctor.

She looked me over and declared that I had a rash,

            confirming my self-diagnosis.

The doctor prescribed hydrocortisone cream and sent me on my way.

No quarantine, 

no being sent off to a leper colony,

no isolation from others.

I didn’t have to cry out, “Unclean, unclean,” wherever I went,

            or carry bells around on a stick to ward other people off.

No going to wash in the Jordon River 7 times 

            like in the story about Elisha and the Syrian king Naaman.

And no elaborate rites and ceremonies to perform, sacrifices to make

            in order to be reinstated back into the community.

Ah, the benefits of modern medicine.

The story about the healing of the 10 lepers:

            This is a pretty straight forward story.

            The lepers come to Jesus but not too close; they know the rules.

            Jesus doesn’t even have to touch them.

            He just tells them to go show themselves to the priest,

                        which is what they were to do when their leprosy cleared up.

            And while they were on their way, 

not immediately, but after they there on their way, 

they found that they were indeed healed.

Only one, the Samaritan came back.

Have you ever wondered why?  Why him, and not any of the other 9?

I think it was that the rest were Jews following Jesus’ directions

                        about presenting themselves to the priest, 

going to the Temple in Jerusalem.

They were all heavily invested in their religion,

            and if you had leprosy and got better,

            then in order to be readmitted to the community 

and be reunited with your family,

            there were special rituals and rites that had to be performed.

If you’re interested in what they were, read Leviticus, chapter 14.

-       It’s really good bedtime reading.   – 

But the Samaritan – 

            he is outside of that religious system,

and therefore he is not as connected to the elaborate liturgy 

            involving sacrifices and washing 

and what we might think of as esoteric rituals.

In fact he might not have even been able to get into the Temple courtyard,

            it was so exclusive.

Instead he connects his healing from God with Jesus,

            and he comes to offer his thanks to God

                        NOT in the Temple in Jerusalem

                        but there at the feet of Jesus – the Living Temple of God,

                                    holy as God is holy,

                                    sacred ground and sacred being.

This just may be the point of the whole story.

This man healed of his leprosy saw the connection with God through Jesus.

This is, after all, the whole point about Christianity, about our faith,

            our purpose for being here in this place on a Sunday morning.

In the encounter with Jesus in whatever way that comes

-       and it can be in multitudes of ways – 

in that encounter with Jesus we meet God.

Jesus is God-with-us, Emmanuel.

That’s my gospel, my good news that I preach.

Like what Paul wrote to Timothy from the Epistle for today:

            “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, … that’s my gospel.”

And Paul goes on in the passage to declare our baptismal faith:

            “If we have died with him, we will also live with him.”

That’s my Gospel, what I have experienced of the Good News of Jesus,

                        not theoretical or theological but for me a lived reality.

The word gospel means literally “good news,” in case we have forgotten that.

The question could then be asked:

            What do each of you identify as your gospel?

            What is your truth about Jesus?

            What have you experienced of Jesus?

            How is Jesus good news to you?

There is no one right answer.

            You will not be graded on this pop quiz.

But it is very important that we each answer these questions.

This is a crucial matter for everyone of us.

Now the encouragement is that, as the Epistle reading states,

            “the word of God is not chained.”

There is not just one way to express the Gospel,

            so we are exhorted “to avoid wrangling over words,”

                        literally in Greek, not to fight with words, 

not to use words as weapons.

And on the other hand this is not permission to be wishy-washy.

            

We have this directive from 1 Peter 3:15,

            “Always be prepared to answer to everyone asking you 

                        for a word, a reason concerning the hope in you.”

So if you haven’t thought much about this question, “What is your gospel?”,

            or the first thing out of your mouth in response is: 

Uhhh … and a long pause, 

then you have some work to do,

                        some personal reflection,

                        some meditation!

                        some seeking.

So the Epistle, 2 Timothy, tells us how:

                                                            “present yourself to God.”

After all, 

Life ultimately does not depend on how we present ourselves to others - 

            mostly that is costuming,

            masking over what we would rather not be seen.

Rather than how we present ourselves to others,

                                                            instead present yourself to God.

And that’s easy,

            because you already are in God’s Presence, 

                        with nothing hidden,

                        no chance to check on how we look in the mirror,

            fully known, fully loved, fully accepted.

That’s how the leper came to realize where the best place for him was to be.

Now I have to say that those with the greatest needs

               usually are able to recognize and articulate what the good news is for them,

                        far better than most of us.

If we consider ourselves to be pretty self sufficient, it’s harder.

            That’s why I can actually be thankful about my inadequacies 

                                                                        and even my mess ups and outright sins,

because like the Apostle Paul I too can say that God’s grace is what is sufficient

            and power is made perfect in weakness (1 Cor. 12:9).

So in order to be able to articulate what the Gospel good news is to you,

                        a perennial problem for Episcopalians,

look to see if you have an “inner leper,”

            that part of yourself that keeps you guaranteed/alienated from others,

and then when that is realized, come to recognize, 

            that at the same time you are very much in God’s Presence,

                        in a holy place. 

And in that glorious space 

            of being present to and aware of the Divine,

ask for the Word, the reason concerning the hope that lies within you,

so that the Gospel good news for you may come crystal clear,

                        your faith may be enlivened,

            and your hearts overflowing with thanksgiving and unspeakable joy.

Francis, a 13th Century Saint Relevant for the 21st Century

As a Franciscan who deeply values the example of St. Francis,

            I always appreciate the opportunity to help others 

                        to see more in Francis than the blessing of animals.

Not that this is unimportant!

            We humans desperately need to get over our species bias,

                        our racism that sees the human race 

            as more intelligent than other creatures, and therefore more important.

We need to get it that we are a part of the whole ecosystem,

            dependent on the other components of that ecosystem,

and, honestly, the ecosystem could get along just fine without us,

                        and probably a whole lot better.

That being said Francis knew the interrelationship of all the beings in creation.

            The Canticle of Creation expresses that fully.

(We have two hymn versions of that canticle that we are singing today.)

Francis refers to Brother Sun, Sister Moon, brother fire and sister water,

            and our sister, Mother Earth, who generates so much that is life sustaining.

That non-hierarchical relationship was a new way to look at Creation.

But Francis is known for more than his ecological astuteness.

There is the Francis who kissed the leper 

            and identified with his Savior to such an extent

                        that he adopted a radical poverty so as to live the way Jesus did.

That close identification with Jesus reached its fullness 

            when Francis experienced within his own body 

                        the same wounds as Jesus bore in his crucifixion.

Today I want to talk about another aspect of Francis 

            that I think is very timely and relevant to the issues of today 

                        and what we are all facing to some degree or another.

This is Francis as an agent of peace in the 13^th Century and the 21^st Century.

When Francis was a young man and still trying to achieve personal glory

            as a knight in shining armor,

he rode out from Assisi with many of his peers 

            to engage in battle with the town of Perugia,

                        some 10 or 12 miles away,

            where there had been long standing contention between the two – 

                        feudal warfare perpetuated over the generations.

Francis had been taken prisoner 

            and had languished a year in a dungeon in Perugia,

                        before returning home ill and re-thinking the vain glory of war

Not many years later, now gathering many brothers about him

            and living a life of extreme Gospel poverty,

Francis was approached by those who also wanted to follow his example

            but who were married and had families to care for.

“Give us a rule of life to live by too,” they demanded of him.

And so the Third Order came into being.

In the rule that Francis gave them,

            as well as living simply and penitently,

                        Francis gave them a way to live reconciliation and peace:

“You are not to bear arms,” he told them.

As the medieval feudal system depended largely 

                        on the serfs, the common people, for their standing armies, 

            and as the Third Order grew rapidly to many thousands of members

                                                                                    throughout Europe,

           the number of serfs available for carrying on the continual warring

                        between lords and fiefdoms shriveled up.

The influence of St. Francis of Assisi essential brought to an end

            the whole era of feudal warfare.

But there is another story about Francis often overlooked

            until this last decade or so.

In 2005, just four years after 9/11, on October 4 

            the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi coincided with 

                                                Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year,

                                                and the beginning of Ramadan.

This convergence provided a great opportunity for interfaith dialog,

            a time for learning about one another – Jew, Muslim and Christian – 

            in order to build bridges of reconciliation and peace

                        in a time of war, violence and fear.

And it provided an opportunity to look with new understanding 

            at the story of Francis during the 5^th Crusade

                        and his encounter with the Sultan Malik al-Kamil.

One thing this shows is that interfaith dialog is not new, 

            is not a product of just this generation.

Eight hundred years ago Francis was engaged in 

            a high level, interfaith dialog for the sake of reconciliation and peace.

The story goes that Francis and one of his brothers, Illuminato,

                        traveled to Damietta, Egypt, in 1219 during the 5^th Crusade,

            and they went where they weren’t supposed to go.

Risking their lives they sought out the Saracen leader,

            Sultan al-Kamil, who intrigued by Francis’ audacity,

                                                            and after some testing,

                        engaged with Francis in open-minded conversation.

Although Francis was unsuccessful in his attempt to see

                                    the sultan converted,

            he was granted safe passage instead of martyrdom,

            and the Sultan gave offers for a truce and possible peace.

(As an aside, the Crusaders in Damietta did not head this offer,

            and as a result it went very badly for them.)

The Sultan also told Francis that although he could not become a Christian

                                    because of his leadership position,

            would Francis pray for him. 

Now the reason Francis was able to get so far with the Sultan

            was not because of having convincing arguments

            or proving his way was the right way,

                        but through his openness of heart, his ability to listen and observe.

It was through his acceptance and willingness to embrace 

                                                                                    all who came into his path.

No one was a leper to him anymore.

            No one was turned away from or rejected.

            Everyone was welcomed as though they were Christ himself.

Francis went to his enemy because he knew that he would find in him

                        what he had found in the leper – Jesus.

For always in the unexpected places Jesus is to be found.

In the two weeks that Francis and Brother Iluminato spent with the Sultan

            the conversation shifted, 

                        moving into a place where neither had been before.

They found a space for dialog that they both could be in,

            a space liberated from the two warring sides,

            a place in which they could speak what was vital to life and death.

Liberated from the outer condition of the Crusade

            they could share with each other their spirituality,

                        talk about experiencing God in prayer.

This enabled them to get beyond stereotypes and differences.

During the 5^th Crusade, the one Francis took part in,

            his mission was not to defeat, but to embrace the enemy.

And what began as a confrontation in the Sultan’s tent evolved

            as each came to realize that before him was another human being 

                        who knew God,

and so the need to convert, who was right and who was wrong, was not the point. 

The Sultan was deeply impressed by Francis, 

                        especially the way he was living what he preached,

                                    how he revealed Christ in his life.

And Francis was learning from the Sultan and his people 

            a way of worshipping God that the people of Europe could benefit from.

For instance, he came home to his brothers,

            and immediately encouraged them to prostrate themselves in praise to God

                        whenever they heard a church bell ring.

We have an extant prayer of St. Francis written after this encounter with the Sultan

            that praises God in the style of 

                        the Islamic praises of the names or attributes of Allah.

I quote it in part:

“You are holy, Lord, the only God, and your deeds are wonderful.

You are strong.  Your are great. You are the Most High.

            You are almighty.  …

            You are Good, all Good, supreme Good…

You are love, You are wisdom, …

            You are joy and gladness. … justice and moderation.

You are beauty. …

            You are our haven and our hope.

You are our faith.  Our great consolation, 

            Great and wonderful Lord, God almighty, Merciful Savior.”

So this example of Francis, I would like you to consider,

            is now today for us more relevant than ever.

Look at the issues around refugees, terrorism, immigration, Islamaphobia,

            and political and economic polarizations.

Francis went where he wasn’t supposed to go.

We are responsible for how we relate to the stranger living with us,

                        the immigrant, the refugee, the one who looks different,

            our social lepers, and our neighbors that we don't particularly agree with.

Can we embrace them like Francis did?

Can we go where we are not expected to go? – 

            to the place that brings reconciliation and peace.