Light

Epiphany 5A - 6 February 2011

In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

At our house, we have a fish tank. We really enjoy watching those fish swim around looking for something to eat. They will peck at the glass, peck at the plants and other little things we have placed in their tank. At night, we turn off the light in the fish tank, and the fish wander aimlessly in the darkness of their little world. In the morning, Nikki will go over the fish tank, and turn on the light. The fish spring to life, and gather at the surface, swimming around and around. Nikki will sprinkle a few flakes of food onto the water, and the fish go nuts. Those little fish have somehow figured out, that every morning, when that light is turned, on food will magically appear on the surface. They have equated light with food.

Similarly, every Wednesday evening, as we gather for the mid-week Mass in near darkness, with only a faint light barely illuminating the Church, we too have become condition to equate light with food. The Mass begins when I enter the Church carrying a lighted taper. I make my way to the Sanctuary, where during the signing of the “Phos Hilaron” – “O Gracious Light” I light the Sanctuary Lamps and Candles. After the lamps are lit we turn on the other lights and the place is then flooded with light. The contrast is often startling, with folks squinting and blinking their eyes to adjust to the brightness. We make our way through the Mass, in anticipation that we too will be eating, first as we feed on the Blessed Sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood; and then afterwards, when we gather in the Parish House for our weekly Fellowship Dinner. We, like the fish in that tank, have come to expect something to eat once the lights have been turned on.

Human beings are instinctively drawn to light. In those earliest moments of Creation, God said, “Let there be light” – and there appeared the light. Light is an essential element of Creation, and from the earliest days of man’s existence on this earth, we have tried to cheat the darkness, as we wait for the dawning of each new day. With the discovery of fire, man could sit in his humble surroundings, illuminated by the flames of his newly discovered fire. Then came other forms of light with the advent of torches, oil-filled lamps, the development of candles, and then more recently, electricity and the electric light bulb. With each advancement and improvement in our quest to illuminate the darkness, we have made our world a little brighter, to the extent that now, lights burn constantly – even to the exclusion of seeing many of the stars in our night sky. Today, our world shines with the brightness of man-made light, and we have all but eliminated the natural darkness of our world.

However, despite our best efforts to cheat the natural darkness, we, like those fish, continue to grope in darkness. A Spiritual Darkness. We look for something that we cannot see; look for something to feed our hungry souls; look for something to believe in; something to give meaning to this existence and life. We are instinctively drawn to the light… because God has placed in each of us a desire for that light, the true light, that light of Creation; but instead of embracing that light and discovering the freedom, joy, and peace that God wants for us, we try to cheat, by satisfying ourselves with substitutes and man-made approaches. We have devised all sorts of philosophies and intellectual ideas and even some religious exercise to explain the meaning of life, and to cope with what we cannot see – cannot understand because of the darkness that crowds our souls.

My Friends, God turned on the lights when he sent his Son Jesus Christ; and like those fish, many have responded to that light. We, who have embraced the light of light – Jesus Christ – the Son of this living, creator-God, have shattered the darkness that enveloped our souls. His life and light shines through us, to be a beacon amidst the continuing darkness of this world.

Yet the darkness continues, because so many of us who have come to the light, are not shining as brightly as we could or should, and for some – not at all. Over the Centuries, Christianity and the Church have failed to illuminate the world with the Good News of God’s Love, and to be that light in the world, by covering the glorious light of God’s love with the bushel basket of indifference, prejudice, contempt, inconsistency, and a misguided drive for uniformity instead of unity.

Today, the world looks at Christianity with scorn and slight regard, because we have for too long been inconsistent in our application of the principles of Christ. We talk of love, while fostering hate. We talk of forgiveness, while carrying grudges. We talk of peace, while promoting conflict and war. We talk of caring, while ignoring the needy. We talk of justice, while enslaving others. We talk of humility, while promoting ourselves and our agendas. We talk of honesty, while lying through our teeth and cheating in business. We talk of equality, while holding on to old prejudices and excluding those who are different. We talk of purity, while entertaining ourselves with filth and filling our hearts and minds with garbage. We talk of simplicity, while striving to gain and hold onto more and more. We talk of patience, tolerance and forbearance, while we tailgate other drivers and complain about the slowness of service we receive. We talk about the Bible, but spend little or no time reading the pages of this same book upon which we take our oaths, with no idea of what is contained therein. We talk of Christian Service and even of Sacrifice, while laughing to scorn those who do serve and make sacrifices. We talk of Godliness, while living like the Devil. We organize great protests and lament what has been labeled “the absence of God in our society” while failing to pray or make God a part of our families and our homes

The world sees these great inconsistencies within Christianity, is confused by them, and put-off by them as well; and the result is that the world continues to grope in the darkness…while we, the so-called “Children of Light” and the Christian Church continue to march along, singing “Jesus Saves, living as we do - selfish, smug, and indifferent - and the result is we actually cover up the Light. We discredit ourselves, and do injury to the cause of Christ.

Who in their right mind would want to be a "Christian" if so many of us who fit this description are the only "example" of Christianity the world ever sees? The Devil doesn't need to attack us or the Church, because the truth is... WE are our own worst enemy! We talk of "Ecumenical Relations" while Protestants hate Catholics, Catholics hate Protestants, Protestants hate other Protestants, and Catholics hate other Catholics.... all in the "Name of Jesus" I thought we we're all supposed to be on the same team serving the same Savior.

Then on top of all this, we say cute little things like, "Love the sinner and hate the sin" and still expect people to flock to us. Where in the world did THAT come from? We like to categorize "sin" and make some things "abhorrent" and an "abomination" while excusing other "sins" with a wink and a nod. Need proof? Many "Christians" call women "murders" who made the difficult and painful choice to have an abortion and view them with contempt, while glad-handing the town gossip, welcoming the womanizer, and electing the crookedest business man in town to the Church Board. Many Christians rail against alcohol, smoking, and dancing, but think nothing of lying, cheating on their taxes, or worse! We tell homosexuals that they are reprobates and destined for Hell, yet turn a completely blind eye to the young couple who chose to live together without being married, even inviting them to teach a Sunday School Class. See the inconsistencies?

Listen, I'm not suggesting that we should become even more "puritanical" and root out "sin" by expelling and labeling folks even further - for to do so would empty our Churches faster than a the school house emptying at the last bell on the last day of school. Nor am I saying that "anything goes... just go wild!" What I am saying is that NONE OF US are as perfect or as nice as we imagine ourselves to be, and that a little more love, tolerance, understanding, and consistent application of Jesus' most profound statement - "Do unto others as you would have them do to you!" would go a long way in convincing the world that we are for real! Oh, and don't forget this one... "Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself!" That in itself should be enough, if consistently applied, to change the world by first changing the Church!

You've heard it said that the Church is not a museum of saints, but is rather the hospital for "sinners". But so many Christians act like Insurance Companies, doling out benefits to some, while denying coverage to others. We say one thing and do another. We judge and condemn some while giving a "pass" to others. How in the world will people ever see the Light and Love of Jesus in us, with this level of inconsistency?

If the Church acted more like an Emergency Room, offering "treatment" to all no matter who or what, instead acting like a spa or private clinic, maybe that alcoholic neighbor would just show up in Sunday School and seek to get "dried-out". Maybe that woman who has carried guilt for years because she did have an abortion might show up at Sunday Service, receive forgiveness, and know peace. Maybe that teenager who made a mistake and got pregnant would come to Mass, find love and acceptance despite her mistake, have her baby welcomed and baptized, and get her life turned around. Maybe that Methodist pastor who is struggling to keep her small church afloat would find a welcomed opportunity to partner with the Baptist or Catholic pastor to feed the hungry in her neighborhood. Maybe that Hispanic family who fears immigration and the hatred the comes out of so many "Christians" mouths against "foreigners" would visit the Church, and find someone who can help them in their desperate situation. Maybe that Muslim at work would see that Christians pose no real threat, because, while we may not agree on Jesus or Mohamed, we do agree there is a God, that we are created by God, are part of the Great Human Family, and therefore need to find a way to live together in Peace without suspicion or fear... and who knows, if we show him enough Jesus, maybe he will want some too!

Jesus said, “Let your light shine, so that others will see the good works that you do, and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Good words are nice, but Good Works make the difference. The people of this world will never be free of the darkness that covers their hearts and minds, until we who say we have come to the Light of Christ begin to let that light shine – not in words but in works. The world will never come to Christ until we who profess Christ live consistently like Christ. The World will never embrace Christianity until the deeds of Christianity match the rhetoric of Christianity. Until that happens, there is no need or incentive for the world to embrace Christ.

This is a radical departure from what has become the modern in-your-face, evangelistic, turn-or-burn, medieval-crusade-driven approach to the conversion of the world to Christ. This is a revolutionary departure from the simple-minded and self-serving approach to Christianity that constructs multi-million-dollar buildings while thousands go hungry; that preaches hell-fire and damnation while ignoring the fear and insecurity that already resides in the hearts of millions; that rejects all reason in the blind, puritanical pursuit of a purer and more fundamentalist religious expression; that demands rights without accepting responsibility; and that looks to the government to preserve and legislate morality and righteousness and has the expectation that somehow, the Kingdom of God will arrive on Air Force One - if we just elect the "Right" President.

My friends, this is nothing short of a call for Christians… ALL CHRISTIANS... Protestants and Catholics.... to be Christians both in words and deeds… for us to take off the blinders that keep us from seeing the needs around us; to get rid of the old religious baggage that maintains division and discord; and to reject the comfortable, complacent, worn-out and familiar forms of Christianity that keep our light obscured. This is a call to embrace that radical idea of really living like, and even being, Jesus in this world; and in so doing be that Light that Jesus calls us – nay – commands us to be!

If we would do this, then the world, like those tiny fish in that tank, will respond and recognize that their souls can and will be fed because we turned on the Light of Christ. The sincerity of our words will be backed up by the sincerity of our deeds, and they will see that Christianity is more than just another religion… it is a way of life that cherishes each and every human being created in the Image of God, and seeks to love them - no matter what! After all, that is exactly what Jesus did, and exactly what Jesus commanded.

But until this happens… until the Church embraces once more this radical “practice what you preach” approach to Christianity, learns to love others and do for others as Jesus would, and puts aside the misguided and almost hateful inconsistencies we see in the Church, and Christianity, the world will continue to grope in darkness and laugh us to scorn; and the Church will fall further into the abyss of insignificance and obscurity, making it even that much more difficult for those who truly are trying to reach the world with the soul-saving, life-giving, hope-inspiring message of God’s love.

We can start right here, right now, by examining our lives, rooting out the inconsistencies we see therein, filling our hearts and minds with the words of Jesus, and then putting those words into practice and action in everything that we do. And people all around us will see the Light that is shining in and through us, will see our good works, give glory to God, and then maybe join with us on this journey of faith – not through fear, but through love and sincerity. May God grant us all the courage and grace to embrace this radical approach, and be and do all that Jesus really expects us to be and do. Amen.

In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.