The gift of joy and sorrow

 In this post Christmas period we go through a whole series of emotional changes that are part of the life of Christ. It is only in the Matthean gospel that we have the issues of flight and recognition of Christ by foreigners. In the Lukan account we go through the normal Hebraic requirements for a birth to be registered or acknowledged with the presentation, which we read about this Sunday. In the presentation narrative we find two characters of note, Simeon and Anna. It is really on the former that most of the focus falls but it is in the latter that we find the celebratory joy that the Christ child brings. If Anna denotes the joy of Christ's presence than Simeon represents the dark and sorrow that comes with the Christ child.

Both of these are expressions of Christ's presence in the world. We are more familiar with expressing or at least trying to express the hope and joy that is expressed by Anna. Essentially we could say that this is what this season is all about. Giving joy and expressing wonder at God's presence in our lives. Indeed this is what is promoted over the whole of the season and is expressed as we give presents to each other, celebrate with our families and enjoy the general feeling of freedom and life. Yet, within the joy and the celebration we can glimpse some of the darkness that is present as Christ becomes incarnate. This is most particularly seen this year in the light of the COVID 19 lockdowns that have occurred not only here in Australia but also in the UK and elsewhere.

The COVID situation has ensured that the world's injustices are highlighted above everything else which is not something that should be a celebratory event. We have been given stark evidence of the role that injustice plays in the way we work in the world. Our understanding of a just and peaceful world has perhaps been more lacerated this last year than in any other. It is not just the irresponsibility of terrorism and violence that has disrupted our yearly world view to suggest that peace is not being striven for. Rather it is the corrupt undertakings of those with power and the real time consequences that has heightened our awareness of our unjust world. Simeon points to Mary's broken heart, a clear reference to the cruel injustice that ends Christ's life, but it also should highlight for us our broken hearts at the cruel injustices that take place on a daily basis not only here in Australia but around the world.

Sometimes we need the sorrow to recognise the joy

Just think for a minute, with regards those still suffering the after effects of the 2020 fires without receiving the promised relief from gathered funds; or do we even have to think to closely about the American distribution of vaccine to politicians and the rich first rather than those on the front lines. We can go on and on citing evidence upon evidence of the unjustness of societies throughout the world without even blinking an eye or thinking about our responsibility. What can we do? We are only at the bottom end of society but who votes the politicians into places of power without thought and going only on what our past generations or our historical thinking leads us to. We behave when it comes to politics as if we have no brains and no thoughts of our own but follow as tradition dictates.

If we are true to our calling as Christians, then we should be vocal about how our leaders lead so that we move towards the joy that Anna sees rather than the injustices and weeping that Simeon sees. Simeon has seen it all and has seen the joy and the peace that comes with God's presence but is knowledgeable about the misery that is also present. While we are celebrating our joys and our freedoms we must also look towards how we can create an atmosphere that leads to peace, that leads to community and leads to dialogue. It is in listening that we hear God's voice subtly urging us towards a just and peaceful world rather than the brash power hungering noise of the world around us that asks us to ignore the injustice and the poverty and the homelessness and the ignorance that this brings. Only when we recognise the joy and the sorrow that is embedded in the incarnation will we truly work towards the just society that embeds the Christ child in everything that we do.  

The Incarnation - do we really honour that which is come?

 The present(s)/(ce) - is what we are all waiting for! Well, we can take that statement a number of ways within the context of where we are and what we are doing. I wonder what you thought of when I said the present(s)/(ce)? Where you thinking of time or where you engaged with wondering about what you are going to get from beneath the tree tomorrow. I suspect none of you really heard "presence" but concentrated on presents. All three are in fact applicable to one degree or another but it is perhaps the difference between presence and presents that need to be highlighted today. Unfortunately no matter how well we know the story of the birth of Christ we also realise that this is a very European interpretation of the events that are detailed in the narratives of Christmas and as such tend to lead us away from where we need to be looking at Christmas. Early interpretive efforts have cumulated with the historically inaccurate story that we entertain today. Is this shock and horror, blasphemic utterations or do we need to clearly understand the incarnation in today's world beyond some of the colonialistic impositions placed on us by old interpretations?

We are often focussed on Mary, shepherds and the stable all of which are to one extent or another convenient European conventions and imaginations of one sort or another which we actually need not go into. Our main focus should indeed be the incarnation. No matter how we try to explain it we need to understand that the event we celebrate is the coming of God's presence into the Christ child. This is the need to focus on God and God's will being present in the Christ child so that we can understand that it is in the lowly and the abused that we find Christ's presence. For it is in this position of weakness we see the presence of God. We do not see God's presence in the powerful but in the lowliness of a human child. This is the wonder that we see in each child that is borne, this is the wonder that is on every mother and father's face at the birth of their child. Unfortunately we truly abuse this wonder as the child grows up into a society that rejects God's presence and engages and promotes a selfish attitude rather than God's selfless agape love.

Presents, presence or present

This is the present that we receive each Christmas. It is the present of understanding that God comes to us in the form of each child that is born, if we were only to recognise it as Mary and Joseph and all the other hangers on in the tale show. Yet, after each Christmas we forget so easily the wonder that is revealed in the incarnation. It is a present that is given to us every year so that we can each find joy in the presents that God gives us in this insight. Truly, God's son is born this night/day but God's daughter / son is also borne in the present, no longer confined to a single occasion but is shown on multiple occasions as we celebrate God's presence in our hearts. This is worth celebrating. In gathering together today we gather to remind ourselves of this self giving of God and that God is truly present in the present. We are reminded that God presents us with a gift each year a reminder of the fact that God has been and will be present in us if we accept God's love in our hearts. It is a time to have great joy even in the midst of our own sorrows at this time of year.

It is only in our present that we can find God's presence. We can open our hearts with joy and we can do all those things that are required of us, especially at this time of year, but it is only when we actually see God in those around us and in our present situation will we be welcoming of Christ's incarnation into our presence. This is the present that is given to us at this moment in this present time not in some future but here and now is when we will be judged. It is now that we stand up before God's presence to be judged for we are all asked to give glory to God's presents to us. It may be the same present but in accepting Christ's incarnation into our hearts we accept God's presence and present, So when we celebrate this day in front of the tree, whether this has happened or it is about to happen, we need to remember the present that has been given to us on a tree in the form of God's love and presence sacrificed for us at the moment of the incarnation.

Love is...

 Do you remember the cartoons "Love is..."? They were all cute and romantic sort of things and if anything geared towards what is known as eros or romantic love. The ideal of love in the modern age our hearts all a flutter with Mills and Boon with proclamations of undying love or else deviant interests in our personal and collective sexuality. These are in a manner of speaking what we are used to when it comes to the expression of love. There is a commitment there but it is a commitment to our own needs once more, it is idyllic and often times we find such expressions overly sweet or else to raw for us to manage in our own selves. It is often the most common expression of love that we think of when we think of love. However, there are, according to some, other expressions of love which are little regarded today simply because we do not think about them. Some of these are portrayed in films and other cinematic genres or else in books.

The most common love that we see almost everyday in one form or another is storge. This is the love that is seen between a parent and a child. It is the natural bond that forms between a mother and a child or a parent and their children. It is totally empathetic. It has its strengths within the family but on a wider basis can often lead to jealousy as we believe someone else is getting more attention then ourselves. Indeed in the world today perhaps a lot of our own troubles within the family and within the community can be seen to be a poor understanding and strengthening of this type of love. We allow and often encourage others to become jealous by the way we act rather than encouraging our own bonds of storge within the family situation. Siblings believe that one or the other has a better deal than ourselves when it comes to love being returned to us. This leads to disruptions in the nature of our empathetic bonds and thus the breakdown in values within the family.

There is nothing greater than storge, philia, and eros except agape.

The third form of love that we experience in the world is seen more often in the movies and in the literature genres. If and when it is seen in life we often pass it over and do not pay much heed to it. Yet, philia is perhaps one of those things that can forge bonds in society and in our communities to a greater extent than we would seem to think. Philia is the bond formed between two people that bring them together as friends and as supporters of each other. This is the bond that forms between ourselves when we hold values and interests in common. It can perhaps be seen more often in rural communities where lasting bonds are formed but is also found in other communities and groups. This is often portrayed in films where a group bonds together or two people bond together to form the 'ideal' team or group. It is the bond of friendship that is characterised in the Bible by Jonathon and David. It is a bond that often brings a community together in the face of disaster and it is a bond that lasts over a lifetime. However, it is a bond that is or can show the fatal side as it can disrupt community as much as it can build community due to its specific nature.

The fourth form of love that is spoken about is something that we must all strive for as this is the love that we speak about when we talk about the incarnation and the presence of God. This is agape love. This love is not often seen within society as society deliberately, in the current age, denies the presence of this love through its manipulation of a self greed and wants. Agape love transcends the individual it is more than just one or two people coming together this love is about an unconditionality over and above storge. It reaches out to all irrespective of who or what is at the centre of that love. It pays no attention to the divides that we humans create in the world around us and it is against and duality that we introduce that causes division. This is God's unconditional love which is brought about when we encompass the incarnation in our hearts and allow God to lead us in our relationships rather than our own needs and wants.

Joy but from where

 It may seem somewhat repetitive to hear about John the Baptist again when we have already done and dusted John last Sunday. Everything about this Sunday has its arising in the preparation that John takes to prepare for God. Bearing this in mind and the words from last Sunday there is nothing strange in hearing of John once more as a reminder of our preparation. Joy comes when we begin to do what God asks of us in the world. The passage from Isaiah (61.1-4) is quoted by Christ at the beginning of his ministry and is the start of our ministry in the world for this is what it means to bring joy into the world, for joy is not a fleeting feeling but a long lasting change in our outlook and lives.

At the depth of human depression we have no feeling for those around us and only look to our own needs and requirements. There is no joy in our outlook or in our needs for we are desperate for life and only life at the present time. Everything else when we are in the midst of despair is naught and not something to be sought after. It is only that which will get us to the end of the day that is foremost in our thoughts and anything beyond that is peripheral to that. It therefore does not matter as much as our own needs. In lifting those who are in tis situation out of their circumstances means bringing joy into their lives. Not the ephemeral feeling but a deep rooted joy that changes their lives. In Isaiah mourning turns around into a very different scenario which suggests a total change in heart and lifestyle. The ruins of a previous life are repaired (Is. 61.4) to give way to something new that brings joy. It is this fundamental change that John calls for us to prepare for; a change that moves us beyond the ruins of our own lives into a new beginning and a new way of doing.

The Thessalonians passage directs us to the way in which this is achieved (1 Thess. 5.13-15). It is a way that is at present totally at odds with our day to day lives. There are many "instant karma" videos available on Facebook and other sites, whilst funny and sometimes hilarious, we need to ponder what is the point in the instant karma. It teaches nothing other than the fact that it is appropriate to do something nasty for what nastiness has been done to you or a fellow citizen. The more difficult thing to do is to attempt to change the attitude of those around us towards peace and harmony. It is more difficult because the modern world has not been brought up to respond to this type and style of admonishment. We are taught that it is appropriate to payback rather than to teach. We have become lazy in our response to those that look to do harm or abuse their authority. We are also guilty of doing that which the writer of 2 Thessalonians encourages us not to do (5:19). The normal translation of "do not quench the spirit" does not perhaps capture the tone as well as "Do not stifle inspiration".

Joy is not fleeting it is permanent

These are the things that are harbingers of joy. If we stifle people's aspirations we stifle their joy in the world but this is what we tend to do. We very rarely encourage others to express their spirit and their aspirations. There are too many stories of people being put down because this is the way we do not do it or else it is too much of a threat to my position, my power, etc. Joy comes with the expression of the Spirit that is deep within us and comes with Christ. Only when we follow the path that Christ opens for us do we fully understand the joy that is present in allowing others to succeed. To often we retain that we have been taught over time by society around us. We allow ourselves to abuse others because what we see in social media tells us that this is the way to act. We stifle those around us because we are told what is classed as beauty, or intelligence or in fashion. We do not allow the bright sparks of God's presence to burgeon forth and be as they have been formed by God. to often we down play others because they do not conform to what the "pub test" tells us. But what if the "pub test" is incorrect what if we need to actually test to God's standards not ours? Are we able to prepare to change so much that we no longer judge by others standards and put down the Spirit that is contained in God's creation? In accepting the incarnation n our lives we also accept the fact that others are created in God's image not ours and celebrate their joy and their achievements. Allowing that joy to echo around the world and fill us with joy and love.

World peace - A dream or a revolution

 As Christians we talk about the Peace of God that passes all understanding, so where is this peace and why are we not living it? What is more none of the readings for today really speak of that peace with the exception of the Psalm (85:8), rather they speak of the preparation that is required before the coming of God and God's incarnation. Thus, we hear Isaiah speak of making straight the highway in the wilderness (Is. 40:3) and Mark's Gospel talking about the Baptist crying in the wilderness "prepare the way of the Lord" (Mk. 1:3). So if this Sunday in Advent is about peace and God's peace at that why are we referring to preparation rather than peace itself? Perhaps a reason for this is where we sit in society today as a people and as professed Christians. The reality is that we have not followed the way of God's peace and therefore we can only prepare ourselves and our society for the possibility of that peace when we see God's presence.

Again I suppose with all of these things we need to ask for ourselves what is God's peace or rather what do we mean by peace? At the end of the service we are often sent out with "the peace of God which passes all understanding" and to "go in peace" with an obvious expectation of there being no disruption to life that is lived in the presence of God by perhaps war and violence. Perhaps, this is what we think peace is an absence of violence and violent relationships within society. The root of violence in society is perhaps people thinking differently, so does peace mean and absence of opposing opinions. If that is the case then perhaps we can look at peace being a totalitarian state or an elective dictatorship where every opinion expressed is that of the leader. From this point of view there may be no violence unless it is perpetrated by the state itself, is this the peace we yearn for and is this the peace of God that passes all understanding?

No, for God's peace does not mean that there will be no disagreements or differences of opinion. It does not mean sameness but newness in diversity. It means being able to do things together whilst respecting each other for our diversity in God. It means that we are adults and are able to manage those differences by listening and talking rather than taking offense and arms against those that disagree with us. The Baptist cries out in the wilderness to draw our attention for the need of preparation. Preparation is required because we are to used to achieving our own ends by steamrolling over everyone else. it is our view that matters and everyone can either move with me or get rolled over; my way or the highway. We have to prepare ourselves to begin the process of actually keeping quiet and listening to the other so that we can hear God speaking. We are constantly hearing ourselves so we cannot hear anybody else. We have to still ourselves and prepare to engage in the act of listening, to engage in the act of understanding, to engage in the act of becoming. We cannot just blaze in with all our ideas  at the forefront and expect to bring peace in the world when we are unable to listen and understand the needs of the other.

Listen to the cry from the wilderness and God's small voice calling

The Baptist cries out in the wilderness because it is only here in the wilderness where no one else is around that the sound of God and the other can be heard over the noise of our own ideals. It is only in hearing the siren song of Gods quiet voice that is insistently calling us to amend our ways by stopping and listening to the coming of God's incarnation and our own change towards an attitude of listening that may presage the coming of God's peace, that passes all our current understanding as it listens to the needs of the other so that they too can have peace.

Hope moving forward

 There is an expectation in the readings for today. An expectation of the coming of God and God's kingdom here on earth. These expectations we have been encountering recently in our Sunday readings as we move towards Advent, and here we are. The readings though are different, the hope is still present but in a very different manner and for a very different purpose. The hope that is in the present is a hope of fulfilment in prophecy. Prophecy in terms of something that is coming that is greater than what is present. There is also a sense that the people have admitted their guilt and they hope for redemption (Is. 64:6). There is also a hope in the fulfilment of prophecy in Christ's words and a challenge to ensure that we are aware of what we are doing in the world (Mk 13:24-37). The hope portrayed is a hope that we are all prepared for the coming of God's kingdom and ready to participate as all things and point the way to God (1 Cor 1:7).

What is hope? Do we understand what it is that hope is? We hope for a lot of small things to make our world and life easier but this is not the hope that is being called for here. Hope that is being looked at today can really only be found in the most desperate situations and calls for a change of life circumstances from where we are in desperation to a new place a new life. This is a deep foundational longing that is found as an ache in the heart for something that is unachievable or at least appears to be unachievable. It is found only when we are at the bottom and striving for something that is way beyond us but something that we know in our hearts we can reach. Our deepest desire as Christians should be the coming Kingdom or reign of God that we spoke about last week.

This year hope has been a predominant theme for the world as we have gone through various disasters. It has played a very real role in shaping Australian society in the aftermath of Fires and COVID 19. For some it has shown the flaws in the characters of those we elect into leadership while others have not hoped for the betterment of the world but rather the betterment of their own lives at the expense of others which has led people into despair rather into hope for a new future. For us as Christians, who remain in hope for the coming again of Christ, we need look at ourselves and determine if our hope is a hope for self or a hope for community. This is a very important reflection as we enter into Advent and the expectation and hope that this brings to our lives.

Hope springs up at the darkest hour as we look forward to a new future

We cannot hope for a new life whilst we are in the midst of looking towards those things which created the life we live now. The selfish behaviours that pit ourselves above all others, is something that society has pushed as its agenda for the past number of years. We can see this and its end in the way American politics has degenerated into a farce of self over other. We in this country are no better as we elect those who see only themselves and their friends as the receivers of goodness whilst neglecting the poor and the outcast. For too long we as a society and as a faith group have lost the hope that Christ brings into our lives by moving with the majority of society and not going against the grain of society. Hope is only generated when it goes against the grain of the expectations of the majority. It is generated as a small light at the end of a tunnel, just as the vaccines have generated a small hope for the end of the pandemic.

We as the body of Christ hope in the incarnation of God in humanity. We are not hoping for some happy place were we all end up. We know that we are called to God and in the end God will see us face to face but we hope for the incarnation. God in this place at this time and as we hope for this simple thing we need to remind ourselves constantly that God is with us, God is here, God is now and then perhaps if God becomes incarnated we will recognise God's presence.

Sheep and goats

 So we come to the end of our liturgical year. Christ the King is celebrated this day which marks the end of the year and a need to reflect for ourselves on the coming year. For us this is almost like New Year's eve, a time for reflection and resolution. The descriptions in the parable that is told by Christ is fairly straightforward but who wants to be known as a goat or a sheep (Matt. 25:31-46). Perhaps, in some ancient world this is a fitting reflection but it seems to cast a negative light on goats, which are just as intelligent as sheep at times. Perhaps, the real reason for the comparison is the rapacious appetite of goats compared to sheep as they can and do cause desertification, if not managed. However, it is all very well using the analogy but what does this look like in real life, how can we discern the difference in attitude?

It is often easy to see the difference between those that do not do and those that do but it is sometimes hard to see those that are adept at seemingly doing and those that actually do. This is the aim of the parable, it is not the obvious ones that do not do but the less obvious ones that seemingly do. The Kellock triptych at Kempsey is a marvel of emotional figuration, if you compare the two side panels you will come to understand the difference between the sheep and the goats. It is a subtle attitudinal change in people. This is what we need to really understand about our own attitudes as we move forward into a New year for the Christian tradition and in our lead up towards the incarnation. In attempting to emulate Christ's presence within our lives we fall into a pattern of doing what we believe God wants without any heart or soul. In other words what we do may appear to have the touch of Christ but in our hearts we are doing the work for ourselves. It is so that we can stand up in the congregation of the faithful and gain the kudos of their blessings rather than the kudos of Christ's blessings. This is at core the difference between the sheep and the goats.

Kellock tryptich side panels from Kempsey

The description from Ezekiel (Ezekiel 34:20-22) is even more graphic and opens our eyes to behaviour patterns, which we need to account for and displace. The need for, not only, attention but a degree of power over others to attain what appears to be greatness or influence over others is prominent amongst humanity. This causes a lot of grief and anguish in communities when this sort of behaviour comes to light. Yet, it is the behaviour which is seen as the norm of society in today's world. A world that states that the I is prominent and no one else matters. This can be seen in general when people are asked, for example, to mask for the good of the general population, many do but you can see a prominent few that go against all advice. When you ask them the question "Why?" the response is always an opinion that involves their own egos or their own wishes rather than a consideration of those around them. The world has encouraged, or rather societies around the globe, have encouraged this self filled attitude of shoving those that are weaker than you to the side-lines. We can see it in all manner of situations from politics to our own agendas within churches and denominations.

In coming to this celebration at the end of our liturgical year we come to a time when we celebrate the understanding of Christ the King or the Reign of Christ, to be politically correct, in our hearts and in the world. The issue for us is that if Christ does not reign in our hearts we do not see Christ's reign in the world. It is our attitudes that need reform more than anything else prior to being able to truly celebrate. Today, we must reaffirm our commitment to Christ's reign and we do that by putting the other first within our hearts. For if we love our neighbours in the same way we love ourselves then the selfish behaviours are let go as we move with compassion and love to ensure that Christ reigns within us. Today, we reflect on our past year and ask ourselves have we been sheep or goats? As we ask this question we then begin again to start our journey towards the incarnation and the reality of the cross in our own lives. We seek to be the shepherds God calls for and allow Christ to reign once more in our hearts.

Omni- of God - the ultimate rescue

 In the space that is today, in the time that is now, it is true to say that the universe will end not in a blaze of glory but more likely in a wimp of darkness but it will end. The world will likely end in a blaze of glory as we are eaten by the sun. The heaven of the past is no longer up there as the astronauts can probably attest but our super dooper telescopes do so much better. If this is the case then what does this mean for readings that we have today speaking of a day of the Lord and preparedness for the coming of God (Zeph. 1:12-18; 1 Thess. 5:1-11; Matt. 25:14-30)? Perhaps we need to turn our thoughts to the very prosaic inhabitant of Judaea who in his insights proclaimed that the Reign (Basilea) of God was present to us in the here and now. Using this insight we may be able to disentangle the entanglement in our theology of Neoplatonism and a foreign world view.

All good plans take time to mature and plenty of planning. Changing the world does take a bit of doing but as Christians that is our purpose to re-make the world to conform with and live in love and peace and yes at the end of the day, when this eventually comes into being, there will be a lot of gnashing of teeth. The Gospel story has severe political overtones for the society in which the parable was told. It is all about political manoeuvring on a grand scale in Roman times but has much to say that is beyond the overt political message for us today. Quite honestly we are probably, 90% at least, in the category of the failed servant. Shock, horror and claims of "No we are not". Well I suppose that has to be an expected response to such an announcement and of course we would all put ourselves within the 10% that are not. Of course of those 10%  only  99% fall into category 2 and in reality only 1% are anywhere near category 1. All those statistics what does it mean in real life. 

We invest in relationships of love that always bring a return

The reality of the current day is that most of us are lazy when it comes to our spiritual and faith responsibilities. We would much rather put things to the side and go on about our business and not about God's business or the business of faith. Don't get me wrong, those in religious institutions fall just as equally within the percentages as anyone else. It takes effort to do the work of God and prepare for the coming Kingdom but it is in the work that we see the beginnings of that kingdom here on Earth in the present. Our wandering Aramean did not put philosophical spin nor was he tangled up in the question of who is God / What is God / Why is God? and so forth. His stories and preaching were about the present, the end was now as we moved into a new understanding of how to relate to each other as we moved into the reign of God's presence reflected in our own interactions in the present. For Christ the time was now to move into the reign of God, which meant that the time was now to change how we relate to each other. It is our investment in our community that God is looking for. For us to realise the coming of God's reign we must invest ourselves in our relationships to show the love which God represents to us.

It is our lives that are at stake. It is our communities lives that are at stake. It is our planet that is at stake. We cannot afford to park the investment of our lives and not do anything. If we do that we are literally banking on others whose interest may not be ours and quite honestly is usually their own benefit rather than looking towards their neighbours. The stakes are high but we can visibly see the returns on our investments in love within the community. Unlike burying ourselves behind closed doors or watching the stock market investment fall when we invest in love it is always on the way up. The reign of God is just around the corner and it comes when we begin to invest in our communities with the love that God has given us. The longer we leave that love buried in our hearts while we wait for better times and God appearing at the end of creation the longer it will be before the reign of God comes. Christ said that the reign of God was here, now. It was at the end of this present age and until we understand that we are harbingers of the end of the present day when we allow God's love to enter into our communities we will not see God's reign. We will continue to be caught up in metaphysics and Greek philosophical views compounded by an out moded world view.

Prepared to show love

 We know that the essential part of living as a community of God is to live in love. Essentially, we are called to show love to those who are around us as friends and neighbours whilst at the same time glorifying and loving the Lord our God. In the final chapter of the book of Joshua the Israelites make a promise about their dedication to God (Josh. 24:19-24). This promise is made with them as witnesses against themselves. The prophet Amos in a round about manner reminds them of this promise by stating that God wants above all else justice, not worship services, not being in a temple or church but being in the community ensuring that justice flows (Amos 5:24). In these readings there is a message to us, not necessarily as a parish or a diocese but to us as the body of Christ joined across the world. A call to us and a reminder of the promises made before God just as the Israelites did at the end of Joshua.

Many may take this to mean that they do not have to come to church but can participate in the world showing the Christian attributes. Yes, but.. The significance here is not about God not wanting worship service the significance here is in showing the works of love. This is hard to undertake when you are on your own and participation in worship at a communal level allows us to become part of a significant whole rather than an insignificant cog doing nothing but turning in circles. God may not require it but we do require it so that we can form around God's presence as a community that is engaged in love of God and love of neighbour. The Thessalonians are praised for their practice of love (1 Thess. 4:9-10) towards their fellow Christians and others throughout the province. In this respect the parable that Jesus tells in Matthew (Matt. 25:1-13) is an extremely good example of this community aspect of our lives centred as it is on God.

Let's not squander the lives that we have but show love to our neighbours

The group of young girls is perhaps typical of such a group in such a setting. Five are drawn out into a party frame of mind, it is after all a celebration of marriage and all the good things in life to come for them. The other five are more circumspect and have perhaps been drilled into sensibility by their parents. They acknowledge the festive occasion but are ever mindful of their responsibilities and the covenant that they have entered into with the community to fulfil the role of the welcomers at the bridegroom's house. In going of and doing things on our own we waste our energy, even if we are caught up in the fun and frivolity of society. In this we are like the foolish girls, we are wasting our time and when we are summoned to fulfil the requirements for what we are engaged in by God we find ourselves standing on the outside looking in. We have lost touch with God's presence because we have been caught up doing things our way. Due to the unexpected/expected delay in undertaking our responsibilities we have to go and seek a means to undertake that which we said we would do. We have lost our contact with the community and with God and so can no longer express that love which God has asked us to give to those around us. We spent that all on our own self indulgences.

Our covenant from baptism is to live as Christ and ensure that we are proponents of that love in the world. We have a limited life span and during that time we are asked to ensure that we live as Christ and live in the love of God. If we spend our lives away from God it is no wonder that we have issues in our lives at a later stage, when in our twilight years we complain about all the things that are missing. The grumpiness that we often see is a disruption of our living well in Christ. Only when we spend our lives in the presence of God will we know the presence of God throughout our lives. In age it is often when we find that we are missing something not only because our children have allowed others to take the burden of care but also because we have neglected our spiritual and faith lives during our life. We need to be constantly reminded that it is the presence of God in our lives that allows for our sustainable comfort into the future.

Deserving to be Saints

 Today, we celebrate All Saints (or All Hallows day) and yesterday was All Hallows eve (commonly known as Halloween). Pope Gregory III is the responsible party for these curious days in the calendar. The celebration of the one, All Saints, was meant to stamp out the underlying pagan festival of the European countries, Samhain or Summers end of the other, All Hallows eve. Thus, the prayers and services of All Hallows eve in preparation for the following day supposedly removed the temptation of the celebration of Samhain. Irrespective of the origins it is a time for us as the Christian faithful to reflect on a couple of things on this recognisably spiritual twenty four hours from the Eve to the Day. Recognisably spiritual because whether pagan or Christ follower it is to be recognised as a time of coming closer to God's presence.

Firstly, what or who are the saints we are celebrating? Pope Gregory III firmly established the date as a day to celebrate all those who had died in the Lord and passed into heaven. It had been celebrated on various dates throughout the year often coinciding with pagan feast days or celebrations. The Saints are often associated with those who have been granted sainthood, most notably the famous ones like Luke or Mary MacKillop. Yet, in the scriptures the word saints is reserved for all those who are in Christ, in other words believers who are both living and dead. In some respects as we gather at All Saints, Buraja today we are remembering both the living and the dead associated with a place that showed the face of Christ to the world. Yet, in our celebrations today we often only celebrate the dead rather than the living and remembering that God is the God of the living not the dead. Whilst our readings celebrate those around the throne (Rev.7:9-17) we need to remind ourselves of those that are around the throne lived as Christ.

Can we live the lives of the saints?

Our Gospel reading for today points this out (Matt. 5:1-12) as we hear of the way to live in an ethical and Christian manner. It is not pie in the sky goals for us but actual living that is the requirement of God. It is a means of reacting and being in relationship with those around us so that we are likened to the saints who were the living followers of Christ. Something that we often forget, partially due to how we are conditioned to think theologically, is that Jeshua (to remove our normal associations) spoke to people who were poor and who were in the midst of daily struggles. He did not preach in theological terms but in the parlance and relevance of a downtrodden society that had been colonised. On this day, if on no other, we need to remember that the Gospel is for those who are struggling and it is good news because they are given the understanding that we struggle with them, they are not alone. In our theologising we often allow ourselves to follow ancient Greek philosophy and Augustine's meandering as a trusted part of who Jeshua was and neglect the honest story that is behind the theologising moment.

The second take away message from today, is that in light of having been lured away from the simple minds of the past into a confusing array of theological words that divide us more then anything else, we need to live as the Christ. Not, I might add, the theologised Christ. We need to go back to basics and live as the Saints of yore did in speaking the truth and living the truth of the Gospel. It is this that makes us saints nothing else for we are just as human and frail as everyone else but as followers of the Christ we bring the Good News to those that are at the margins of society. We bring the truth that needs to be spoken into the lives of our own society irrespective of the cost for we are all martyrs for Christ.  In 1 John the writer informs his recipients that the reason the world does not know us is that they do not know God (1 Jn 3:1b). The reason being that as Christians we are truth speakers, which is anathema in the world, for the world does not want to know the truth and hence God's presence of love that comes with the truth. We are those that bring the truth of God into the lives of those around us.

Love the heart of the Law

 We know and understand that God is the ultimate demonstration of Love as this is what God is. So, when the Gospel from Matthew has Christ saying that Love of God and Love of neighbour are the two most fundamental aspects of the Law we have no issues with the proclamation (Matt 22:37-39). Over the past few weeks we have heard of the generosity of God and how we should be committing everything to God's purposes and if we have not yet realised why, the present Gospel passage gives us no better reason but love. In working out love in our lives we commit to God's purposes for in what other way can we show the abundance that God gives to us but by following in his footsteps of love as shown by the Christ. Yet almost in the same breath of the word love we are also reminded of things that spring not from love of the other but from our own selfishness (Lev. 19:15-18).

This, then, is the paradox within which we have to work out God's love in our lives. We are enjoined by God to live the life that is reflective of God's love, but we are almost always ruled by the desires of our heart. If the desires of our heart are not God centred love then we are a long way from being Christ centred. The idea that love is at the centre of our hearts is a valid one, however, more often than not our idea of love is not God's idea of love as the latter does nothing for us in the immediate future or in the present now. Our love is more often than not something that is heart bound but centred on our own selves rather than on the idea of the other. So how do we see the working out of God's love in the community if our hearts are centred on ourselves? Following Reinhold Niebuhr, the theologian, the outpouring of God's love needs to be concretised in the instrument of justice, not just for humanity but also for God's world. To often we are prepared to let things take their course in the world, as surely our laws and those in charge are just, in working out the benefits for citizenship. Martin Luther criticised this approach as facere quod in se est or to put in in modern terms doing the best we can in the moment. In this case the best we can is to leave it to others and allow the peace of our hearts to dwell in the love of ourselves and forget about the other.

Strange fruit result from our selfish interpretations of love and apathy

In recent weeks we have been speaking about commitment and specifically our commitment to our God and God's call upon us. In using justice as an instrument of love in the world we engage in a political future that creates the impossible as a reality. It is only when we concretise love into the reality of our everyday do we begin to see love in action. A reminder of this is the protest song out of the American South "Strange fruit" which even today brings out the horrors of what Christians can do in the name of God for the sake of our own self-deluded beliefs. In our commitment to God's love in the world we also commit to its outworking using the instrument of justice. Not the justice of the self, which is so often seen in the halls of politics and the dramas of our 'civilisation' but rather the justice of God that does mean putting to the side our own dreams and wants for the dreams and wants of God. Does this mean that we all should line up with the protestors or become involved in the 'climate strike'? Only if God calls us to this but God does call us to see that justice is the reality and not the parsimonious wants of the rich and powerful. It means that we cannot let things take their course, as we so often do, believing in a better future while allowing the injustices of the present to continue into the future.

Love demands an action; love demands a commitment; love demands solidarity. Our commitment begins within our hearts by bearing our gifts before God. By giving ourselves to our local communities to bring God's love; by working for justice locally, nationally and globally. Our local actions will reflect onto the national scene, if and only if, we are committed to the task as the body of Christ acting with the one heart of love that is Christ's own. The consequence of influencing and demanding local justice that is national we begin to impact globally as we bring the needs of love to the attention of the world. So often we begin at the top and try to work down whereas love begins with our hearts and then outwards. This means that our start must be where we are, not where we want to be, in other words locally for we live locally. Only when we fulfil our commitment to our local communities in terms of justice and love can we begin to reach outwards. In transforming our local communities, we begin to transform that which is greater as others take heart from God's love poured out by our shared communal experience.

God's love demands much of us but most importantly we need to recognise that we are asked to ensure that justice is done to the living, however horrifying the past may be. Christ showed us the horrific side of personal injustice when he died on the cross but God is a God of the living (Matt. 22:32) and it is to the living that we owe God's love by seeking justice. We have too many witnesses (martyrs), from Christ's death on a cross to the Rwandan genocide and the George Floyds of recent times, to humankind's ability to do evil; we have too few witnesses to God's love in action that changes our world towards that which Christ proclaimed in truth. So we are reminded to be committed in our giving of ourselves as a sacrifice and witness to the truth of God's transforming love, no matter what it takes for it is a requested sacrifice.

Rendering to Caesar

 In the passage from Matthew that is read today we have the very famous quote which is often misused for either political or pecuniary gain; "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and to God that which is God's" (Matt. 22:21b) or similar depending on translation. Even today this is applicable but what is Caesar's and what is God's; how do we discern what is correct; do we have to rely on some formulaic response or does everything belong to God? The saying raises so many questions as to what is appropriate and what is not. It can have so many meanings that we have to worm our way around many corners of interpretation to find one that applies to ourselves in the current age.  Perhaps in our complacency we try not to make any decision as to what we actually need to give either financially or in time and talent to God. What is clear through out the Gospel and Paul's letters is that we need to give our all.

To render to Caesar and to God could look something like this for many Parish churches throughout the world. A particular parish in the Anglican Communion there is a joint plant between the Anglicans and the Presbyterian denominations. In their founding documents it was agreed that they would give away all the loose change that was placed in the Sunday plate to God, that is mission work throughout the world. In order to satisfy Caesar (the Diocese and the need for ongoing running costs) the decision was made to rely purely on the envelope system at the time (we would now call it DG or direct deposit). Their faith understanding was that they were obliged to give to God and did so by placing their loose change, notes etc that they had in their wallets when they came to worship. In addition to this chance giving all of the parishioners gave money to their best ability to Caesar by way of the envelope or DG. The parish continues to thrive through the blessings of God as they maintain their commitment to this way of honouring both God's presence in their lives and the needs of Caesar in the form of the Parish expenses.

Render to Caesar in the Church as much as to God

When we read scripture in this way we find an additional means for us to secure our commitment to both God and the needs of the everyday. It is on occasions such as these that we can see why we often neglect what can be seen as something that is apart from but close to God. We are often very good at giving to God in terms of our charitable works but Christ also mentions Caesar in this passage. We make sure that this refers to our civic duty (taxes, rates, etc) over which we grumble and moan. We then do not see anything else but ourselves as we understand that we have made our commitments in the small amounts of energy we place on the side for the work of God and the ongoing work of the denomination we belong to. When things that we love or have loved deteriorate we then find it in ourselves to blame everyone but ourselves for the lack whether it is in ministry, charitable donations, advocacy or anything else inside or outside of the Church. Our lack of foresight in terms of the things we love are often the issues around our sense of dedication and commitment. Often the issue is we do not apparently own the buildings, owe for electricity, need to maintain the Church's property (note not ours). It all belongs to the nebulous 'Church' and is their responsibility without realising that we are the Church.  

In Isaiah 45, God sends Cyrus to raze the nations and to take up the reigns of righteousness let lose by the people of Israel. The lack of commitment has passed things over to another, so that they learn the lesson of commitment to God as their wishes and wants have turned them away from God's presence in their covenant and its promise. Paul is quick to praise the Thessalonian church (1 Thess. 1:1-10) for its steadfastness in God. They have become an example within the burgeoning faith community due to their commitment. It is a commitment in faith to those things that bring God into the midst of the community. If we allow ourselves to be drawn away from that commitment then we languish and it will come as no surprise as our presence in our communities contracts. Often this contraction is due to our contraction in being committed to our faith journey with the other in community as we rely on, not God, but alternate agencies to do what we used to do to foster community. 

We need to be active in the same way as the Thessalonian church was active but not in the same way. I know that this is a contradiction but we are not living in the Roman Empire. Our actions need to be the same in that they need to be outpouring of God's love in the life of the community. This means that however aged we may be, however incapacitated we may be, however neglected we think we are and however impoverished we believe we are; we need to be active in the application of God's presence and the outpouring of God's Spirit in the world. We are not as poor as we believe. I suspect that if each of person was to forgo a cake, a coffee, a drink, a lunch, a piece of chocolate and the money / time we spend on the frivolities of our lives went towards God or Caesar in our faith community our communities would be a richer places. I am truly amazed at our own selfishness in terms of time, talent and finances within our communities. I have had people come looking for food and petrol with the latest technology dangling from their hips who have rejected the food that those with no finances have donated for their need. Yet this selfishness has been conveyed to an impoverished generation by their forefathers in the faith community as they have denied the other and indulged themselves. God cannot be seen face to face if we do not show God's face to our communities and we cannot do that if we are ourselves selfish with out time, talents and money.

Hospitality - the gift of food

 I enjoy going out to a restaurant or a really exquisite meal. A good time had with friends and family with conversation, wine and food all in an elegant setting. Who doesn't? Well it appears that when a King gives a feast for his son's wedding there are some who do not (Matt. 22.1-14). Thinking about what that would mean in terms of the time; killing fattened beasts, high expenditure on wine, catering for large numbers all ready to go. Just think of the costs that have been outlaid just for a party. Weddings today have nothing on this but just think of one of those fancy weddings and no-one turns up. Egg on one's face to say the least so it is not surprising that he went out an invited all the commoners and those in need. At least the expense was not wasted and most got something out of it through the Kings grace. Yet, one person did not have the curtesy to be dressed in clothing that was provided (dissing the tux for the work clothes). He used his wealth to the betterment of all not just his friends who despised him (Yes, behind the scenes there is political commentary but lets just leave that one for the moment).

Isaiah puts it slightly differently, in that the destruction comes first, i.e. the guests are destroyed before rejecting the good things and the banquet is put in place for those who are impoverished (Is. 25.1-9). Again it is the extravagance that is laid out for those that are without. A grace filled giving with no thought for God's self only for those that are at the end of their tether and are sheltered by God. It almost puts the king to shame in the offering that there is for the downtrodden. The wealth that is present is not hoarded but given freely in food and shelter, in love and hospitality. There is no thought of holding back from those that are in need. It is almost as if the whole is too much to contain and must be released into the lives of the community for the community to grow. Gathering around feasts and an abundance of food demonstrates not only extraordinary grace but also love and hospitality. This is only so when the offer is gratis and filled with love for all so that the benefit is not just for a favoured few but for the whole of God's people.

God's grace allows us to freely give to all who come for sustenance

Sometimes we give freely with extraordinary extravagance but not for the other rather for ourselves and for our well being or supposed well being. This becomes detrimental in so many ways for our own faith and well being in the world. Our Exodus reading from today takes us back to the shameless ecstasy of the golden calf and its effects on the community and on Moses (Ex. 32.1-14). There is a sense of generous giving in this episode just as much in the Isaiah and Gospel stories but the giving here serves a very different purpose. It is not one filled with grace but is rather a commentary on our own self centeredness that denies the possibility of change in our lives. It perhaps has more to identify itself with in our modern era then the other two parables and is in distinct contrast to them. The centeredness of their dance, like ours, is on the object of their desire which disables the ability to transform into generosity as it is not centred in prayer. Rather our focus, like theirs, becomes centred on our ability to disregard the depredations of everyday life and live in blissful ignorance of the suffering around us. We ignore the trauma that sits within our community focussing solely on our on needs and not those of the other.

We are called into a generosity of spirit that ignores those that are part of our lives so that we can reach out into the community. The foundation upon which we as a faith community build our lives is the ever generous Spirit of God that comes to us in love. It is we who must reciprocate with God's love flowing into our community through our generosity of time, talent and finances to uphold the prayer filled centre of our lives. We cannot think of this as a exercise in theory but actually become a part of God's presence through our own hospitality of love ensuring that our bounty is given freely. Only in our working out of God's commandments and incarnating God's love can we truly become a Christ follower. The question then for us becomes one of commitment to being hosts that are faithful to God's overflowing love and so ensure that all, no matter who they may be, are filled with that love which fills us.

Giving to God

 Two vineyards both expected to yield profit for its owner and yet both failing to do so; one as a result of poor grape varietal (Isaiah 5:1-7) and one the result of poor management practices on the part of tenant farmers (Matt.21:33-46). Both of these stories relating to the expectations of God for God's people in light of the Covenant and the Exodus story. There are clear expectations in the Covenant with God that the people of Israel are obligated to meet. The story at the time of Isaiah and at the time of the Gospel is the same that the expectation has not been met. Both illustrations are comparable with the times and are understandable in terms of the economic principles of the day. They clearly indicate what God will do to those who do not conform to the covenant. If, the stories are talking about the covenant how relevant are they for us today as we live in a time beyond the requirements of the law as propounded in terms of the covenant. Yes and no, yes that we are indeed beyond the law as stated but no in that we each have entered into a relationship with God and each other that is covenantal in nature and we are thus bound by its obligations.

In the Exodus story (Ex. 20.1-20) the Israelites are given the basis of the law in the ten commandments, in the Jewish literature and its words, they actually "see" God's words and stand at a distance. The basis of the law when it is given is too overwhelming for them that they are pushed back and tremble in fear. Some sources actually suggest that they are pushed away from the presence of God by some 40 miles and are brought back by angels following each utterance. They cannot accept what is being asked for them and so put Moses in front to come before God. Our intercessor is Christ not Moses but we still need to make the initial response to God's call upon us to love our God and our neighbours as ourselves. This is as true now as it was then, for our community becomes broken and in despair if we do not make this commitment for ourselves. We like the Israelites in the Exodus passage are driven away from God by our own desires and the fact that we find ourselves afraid of embracing the truth that God brings into our lives. The Israelites feared God's presence as they saw God's words and did not want to have that closeness to God, so they asked Moses to stand before God and mediate for them.

We create throw God out and do not pay our all to God

Like the Israelites before us we are invited into a close relationship with God as he invites us to care for the vineyard that is our life and our life in community. We are called to labour in the vineyard and give to God that which God requires. We are called to tend the vines, the growth of our community, so that the wine of love and the ecstasy of God's presence can be felt by all. Yet, we fear the responsibility and we do not wish to garner the fruits and product only to lose it. We want someone else to do that not ourselves who have been given the responsibility. We then reject what is asked of us and throw those who come to us from God out of our lives. Our communities eventually suffer as a result of our rejection of God's love. It is not God who destroys us but our own greed and wants that drive us towards destruction. The vineyard that we tend as tenants are our own lives and the lives that are our communities. We hide away because we are unable to take on the responsibility and prefer to give that to somebody else, whether it be priest, bishop, pope or the government. Just like the Israelites we drive ourselves away from God in our rejection of what it means to have God as part of ourselves.

In accepting our responsibilities we need to accept them all. We can not be a people of faith who grow wild grapes and only give a minimum of flavour to the world around us. We must be cultivars that are filled with hope and grace so that we may impart God's love into the hearts and minds of those who surround us in our communities. Only when we can shed our fears and accept God's fulness in our lives through the acceptance and willingness to follow the Christic road of sacrifice and love. The sacrifice we make is the sacrifice of everything. So many of us think that it is just a little bit of time, it is just our due and no more. The rest is for me not for the other or the person I despise and leave on the street corner. This is the action of the poor tenant who rejected the servants and cast them out. We give freely of ourselves in sacrifice to contain the love of God that we can impart to our neighbours only to receive so much more. Paul writes in Philippians that his one desire is to know Christ (3.10) and he is willing to sacrifice everything for that one desire. In our daily lives and our faith lives can we truly state that our one desire is to know Christ? If that is the case we will not moan about our needs but are willing to sacrifice everything for the greater need of the faith. This is what it means to be a good tenant and produce a wine worthy of respect and the grace of God in our lives. A wine that can inebriate the community in which we live with the love of God's outpouring love.

Ambitious love not self pride

 In the letter to the Philippians the writer specifically states "Leave no room for selfish ambition" (Phil. 2:3). It is unfortunate, that in today's world when we mention ambition to anyone then the automatic response is towards an ambition that elevates our own selves, precisely what is spoken against in the Philippians' passage. Does this then mean that we should be ambitionless and live our lives in drear pockets of poverty? Surely we can have some ambition in our lives because that is the driving force towards where we wish to be with our desires and eventual wants. Even Moses appears to have been conflicted on this one, with the flow of water at Meribah (Ex. 17:1-7) as this is thought to be where the prohibition to journey into the promised land originates. It is pride and ambition that is a root cause for disturbances in our path towards where God wishes us to be as we form community with others. Even the Elders and Priests of the nation are not immune to this ambition (Matt. 21.22) which is often still rampant in academia and the Church today.

Let's just spend some time with Moses, so that we are clear as to the causes of the issue for not only Moses but ourselves. It is the result of the underlying questioning that is present in the Israelite people as to the presence of God. Their question is an either/or question around God's presence in their midst. They wish to ascertain God's presence despite everything that has come their way. It is having everything given to them but not understanding where everything comes from as they cannot see God. It is similar to the boy who goes on a journey to find his family's ox whilst riding the animal. He looks all around and finds many things except the one thing he is looking for which requires him to have a change of perspective. In finding God we begin to perceive not with sight but with faith and must be taught this view. Moses' job was to bring his people into faith but tearing his hair out when they do not respond he becomes prideful and ambitious so strikes the rock hard, not as asked. He is unable to change their perspective by example but wishes to impose his will. In doing so he goes against God and is removed from the promise and his ability to enter into the new home.

Our ambitions may make us fail in community

The leaders of the temple were the same they had a viewpoint that was from a theological perspective, which was in keeping with how things were, much as some today. Their view was handed down, it was a view from the past not a view of God's presence. Christ challenges them to have an alternative view of God and not being able to in their pride and ambition they condemn and judge. This seems to be a perennial problem for us as we pride ourselves on our own knowledge and have ambitions about surpassing others that means we look for opportunities to further ourselves. Our own self esteem is more important to us then any other thing. Education is about ensuring that others achieve knowledge so that they can assist and help others not to empower themselves. We enable others in their faith journey by opening their eyes not to our understanding but to the presence of God in their midst, the one thing Moses failed to undertake. it is not sufficient for us as Christians to be ambitious for ourselves but rather we need to be ambitious for our neighbours so that we can enable them in the path towards God.

Christ's criticism of the priests and the elders (Matt. 21.31-32) is that they have not enabled the faith of others but rather hoarded their knowledge of God thinking to grow whilst leaving others in the dust. They are unable to see God's presence in the hearts of those that have no learning yet those whom they despise have a better understanding of God's presence because they show love for neighbour and build community. In the same way many laud it over others with their presumed knowledge without acting out and enabling the knowledge they have in a practical manner. The praxis of our knowledge of God and inclusion of others should be our ambition so that we can enable others to come to an understanding of God. If we are to enable others as disciples of Christ it is not what we know that is important, or how much we know but rather the application of our knowledge so that others may come to faith and understanding. Our ambition should be inclusive of the other not exclusive and only for our own betterment in the eyes of the world.

Needs and wants

 One of the quirks, if you will, about living in South Africa was the ability to hire labour on the street corner. You had to be careful as to who you obtained. If you were lucky or competent and fair in your negotiations the probability existed that you could come away with a good worker. To me this is very reminiscent of the parable that is told in Matthew's gospel (20:1-16). At the end of the day the process was about ascertaining the needs and wants of those looking for employment. Some may have needed to work and were not that fussed as to what they obtained. These were the first ones often to hop on board the tradies ute for the day knowing that they would obtain some money at the end. Others wanted to find a more permanent arrangement and were content to sit back and wait for opportunity to come their way.

We are often to focused on our needs rather than on those things we think are beyond us but that which we want. Obviously, our needs often or should often come before those things we want. Yet when we look at Maslow's pyramid we can see that the next step is moving towards our wants because in reality what we want or desire is at the top of the hierarchy. This can also be seen working within the Exodus story as the Israelites move further and further into the wilderness. Their daily needs are being met but they yearn for what they had and therefore want more. God has given the fulfilled their basic desire that of being free but because they have been used to a certain level of comfort and fulfilment in Egypt they now complain that they are not getting the food. God overlooks their complaints and through God's grace gifts them with manna and quails, bread and meat (Ex. 16:2-13). These are the basic staples of our initial needs when starting out from bigotry, persecution and slavery: freedom, food and shelter. These are the fundamentals of hospitality as we care for the other. In looking beyond our initial needs we move towards our desires and wants, hopefully with gratitude to those who have provided our initial requirements.

Is it just a question of our need or is it a result of the others need being fulfilled first?

However, our desire to get more than what we thought was adequate is an old part of human nature that sits at the pit of our hearts waiting to come forth. The first laborers were having their needs met with an ironclad contract to work for wages. This is often sufficient for most people as our daily need is being fulfilled. However, when we see others gaining, from our view, benefits that we have also been contracted for we see that as unjust and wish to complain. We then begin to want what the other has for it is the next step beyond our needs. The desire and jealous rage, which arises within our hearts, turns our thoughts away from what we have actually promised to undertake. We grasp for what we initially thought was beyond us but now find is unavailable. Often in the African situation the same thing occurred so that when you went back to pick up the contracted labourer you would find others trying desperately to displace him. It is only when we see that our wants can be catered for that we begin to loose what we have asked for. Yes, there is the sense of generosity from the landowner who hires the labourers in the first place but there is more then generosity here over and above the obvious needs and wants debate.

The landowner has seen something beyond the individual. We constantly see the individual here as the beneficiaries of the generosity of the landowner but what of the community? At the heart of the story is not the compassion and grace of the landowner for the individual but the understanding that these are the needy within the community who are receiving justly according to their needs. We do not see the backstory of each of those who are looking for work, we assume laziness rather than seeking alternative possibilities. In a rural community households who are just holding it together often have additional duties / chores that need to be undertaken that are more important than work for these are needs beyond finance. We forget that often other's needs come first such as the old and infirm, the sick and the desperate, the young and the widow. In our modern world we pack them of to institutions to look after so that we can forget them and cater for our own needs and wants. Who fulfilled these duties in an impoverished community other than the single wage owner or the healthy individual who then comes late looking for resources to care for the other. The landowner sees this and rewards them according to their deeds not just on the farm and in the harvest but in building the relationships of community.

Judgement and forgiveness

Our present society is a society that is based on the rationale of judgement. If we take someone to court we expect a judgement to be handed down to us. If we take someone to task about a wrong doing we expect that there is some form of judgement to be handed down. If we  malign someone with intent that intent is surely to bring the community's judgement upon that person. Our goal is to ensure that our petty squabbles are finalised with someone else's judgement and thus allowing us to move forward with our lives not caring about the other only about the fact that they got their just deserves. Often this seems to be the case even in the Hebrew scriptures that God passes final judgement rather than some form of forgiveness (Ex. 14:19-31). Is this solely the case when we look at this passage? The Egyptians have done wrong in the sight of the Lord and have refused God's openness and freedom only seeing the dictates of pharaoh. Dictates that constrain and curtail the freedom that comes from God.

Yet, in some allegorical way at looking at the Red Sea passage we can see it not as retribution on the Egyptians but rather a removal of the past guilt and excess that the Israelites had accrued during their time in Egypt. The washing away of their past is a symbolic understanding that is celebrated on the shores of the Red Sea by the women, immediately following on from this reading in Exodus.  The parable from Matthew (Matt. 18:21-35) seems to instantiate this powerful supremacy of God with a suggestion that God's retribution is still alive and well in the eschaton, if we do not follow God's offer of redemption through forgiveness. This is the power of the bully in the playground who loses face and requires violence to show their strength. It reflects our own judgemental attitudes when it comes to the actions of the other. The passage from Romans asks us "Who are you to pass judgement on someone else's servant?" (Rom. 14:4). God has accepted each person for who they are not for who we think they are. It is not our role to fall into the habit of upholding our power by judging others and utilising our power to condemn whether they have acted in a manner that is contrary to what we believe to be God's purposes.

Open arms embrace the hurt in the other as we forgive the hurt in ourselves

We do not enter into the cycle or circle of forgiveness as more often then not we seek judgement on those who have created the issue for us. In the parable the pain of bearing a debt of such worth and being allowed to let it go is too much for the servant as he attempts to retrieve his own self pity by passing judgement on those that are unable to fend for themselves. Michael Lapsley reminds us that we need to turn to our own frameworks or faith to find healing and a response to hurt. Often it is not only the other that we need to blame but also ourselves who are guilty. We blame all manner of outside influences and people rather than looking first to ourselves, even as Christians, and forgiving our own faults that may have given arise to the situation in which we seek judgement. Our own failings may be a remnant of our own histories that we fail to acknowledge and leave in the past or they may be the result of an in built prejudice gifted to us from our community and our growth into adulthood. No matter which it is these chains also need to be broken through seeking our own forgiveness before we can make the amends that  is required to form community in the present.

God's power comes from forgiveness and the setting of things into right order without the need to resort to violence as love is not violent in nature. We need to avoid the trap of judgement and enter the cycle of forgiveness. The first step on that cycle is to forgive ourselves and to understand that it is often our own faults that bring about the trap of judgement rather than faults in others. By embracing the presence of God's love in our hearts we are able to embrace the love of the other that is inherent in our faith journey. In taking that step and opening our arms to the other we allow God's love to flow and improve the community to which we belong. We also decrease the animosity of the other within the community as they are not judged but rather welcomed and listened to by those around them so that their woes and our woes are eased in forgiveness.

Wait and hasten

 Festina lente I was told by my father. This is what the Israelites do on the night that God leapt over them as they initiated a celebration of the past before the fact (Ex. 12:1-14). It is something we sometimes forget to do in our haste to accommodate or pursue something that appears to be important to us. Often we understand what we want to do and leap into action before making some form of understanding as to how we can get there. There are some people who are able to do that because they see the end result without having to see the way there but for most of us we have to be careful as the end result may not be the one we expect to come from the actions we take.

There is a sense of urgency as the story progresses, from the Egyptians. A wish for the Israelites to disappear from their land as quickly as possible and indeed in a later text (Deut 16:1) it appears as if the Israelites leave in the night. Yet, they stay in their houses waiting as if with bated breath, for the morning when they leave with the gold of their neighbours. In this stillness before the action of leaving takes place they undertake the pesach meal prior to God's leap yet undertaken in remembrance of that leap that is in the future. There is a tenseness in their waiting, girded for flight but not moving in their established dwellings. Only when morning comes does the action of flight take place and with it the recovery of wealth from their neighbours. There appear to be all sorts of paradoxes inherent in the text a remembrance meal before the event, a need and pressure to go yet a waiting in tenseness. All of these things point to a need to control our haste our need to jump in and flee the horrors of life to attempt a plan without that first hesitant stop.

Decide only when we swim like a dolphin whilst being anchored in God

This is perhaps distinguished to a certain extent in the passage from Matthew and our response to those things that occur around us (Matt. 18:15-17). There is a sense of going forward in a manner that is both fast and slow, a paradox. So often in today's world our first response is to go directly to some form of judgement, either a court or tribunal, before even beginning to sit down with the people supposedly in opposition to try and work out the issue. Often times the issues are around how we perceive things and our interpretation of what is required. Unless we can firmly state exactly what is required our words are indistinguishable from threat and violence. Each step in the process that Matthew outlines is a step that slows everything down. In our modern age we will, like Clive Palmer, go directly to the courts. Everything we do is around how quickly can we involve the court system. This does not speed the process but rather slows it till it crawls like a snail and we are left wondering for years as to what the outcome will be. Taking our understanding from Exodus, we still ourselves before God and wait for God's response in our hearts and then follow with the slow response. How often in the past have our actions been quick leading to poor repercussions? The quick response to the insult, the quick response to violence leading to more violence, the quick response to someone pushing an agenda with an opposite response. All of these things we can see in our lives and in the various power levels of the world. China in a hissy fit America responds with one of their own; Liberal policies and Labour spins the opposite way. These are like young teenagers who squabble over the slightest defamatory remark that is perceived to have been aimed at them. No wonder we cannot move forward either in our own lives let alone the lives of our communities.

It is often the consequence of leaping ahead of ourselves that devolves down to a split or a division where there should actually be none. By moving to fast and without understanding we fool ourselves into believing that we are moving forward. We have been fed the illusion that we need to complete everything in the quickest possible time to reap the reward. Just as with any growing thing in nature, maturity takes time, there are no shortcuts either in growing plants or in relationships. If we want a community that is based on the precept of God's presence then we need to take time to listen. to hear, to see, to contemplate and to mature our relationships. Only when we can truly give ourselves can we truly become true citizens and able to obey the laws not only of authority but of love. In order to forward ourselves and grow as a child we must open ourselves to the other in harmony and in understanding which takes time and a hesitancy before action to ensure the consequences are the ones that we desire.

Permanence and impermanence

 We come today to a classic interpretational issue which has been debated in both Jewish and Christian scripture, God's response to Moses "I am / I shall be what / that I am / shall be" (Ex. 3:14) What does God's response in terms of name mean? It is not really one that can be answered, I suspect, in any form of certainty as all responses have a validity when it comes to God. However, we can make our own interpretive guesses both as theologians and as ordinary people, depending on our interest and education. In the midrashes there are a number of interesting points that can be raised both psychological and spiritual that have an effect on the ongoing interpretation of the Exodus story. Perhaps the most important, at least of equal importance to other interpretations, is the underlying understanding of permanence that is created in the translation of the Hebrew words at this point.

It is important for us to remember that translation and interpretation are not one and the same. It is also important to note that this initial setting comes at the start of the dialogue that frames Moses ongoing relationship with God as a person who is seemingly resistant to God's offers. Whilst there is a understanding of permanence to God's presence it is also an understanding that is based on trial and not just peace. It is the constancy of God's presence in the face of an ongoing presence of slavery and imprisonment, disaster and exclusion implicit in the wording and the request. This is the burden we bear (Matt. 16:24) as it is often our own selves which burden us in these times. Our self doubts prevent us from discovering God in the midst of adversity much like the Israelites and Moses. In taking up the cross we take up Christ's burden for the other and we look not at ourselves but at the other in community. In doing so we begin to feel God's presence with us easing the burdens that we have or are laying down. This enables us to do what Paul asks his recipients to do in the letter to the Romans (12:9-21).

In the impermanence of  life we see seeds of the permanence of love

The practicality of our ministry to others in times of adversity is often something we struggle with in our lives. We are assailed by our own uncertainties which cause us to enable the destruction of our communities through bias, hatred and our own prejudices of those who are different to our self understanding. Paul at the start of the Romans' passage (12:10b) states the obvious but necessary way forward. The norm for society is to suggest that we are better than the other and to look down upon those who do not subscribe to our own pet desires and understandings. Whether we are a Wellington killer or a regional farmer we each believe that we are better in our lives than those around us. The culture we live in brings us to this belief through our normal jokes, sly remarks and disparaging of those from outside the community. We need to remind ourselves that each person is created in the image of God. speaking in terms of the legacy of formalised prejudice the "Arch" (Archbishop Tutu) suggests that in accepting someone for something they can do nothing about, being a woman whilst at the same time not accepting someone for the same reason, skin colour, then we are extreme hypocrites. If we cannot accept the other from outside the community than how can we accept the other because they have lived in the community. We love each person for who they are even in the worst of circumstances with respect and gratitude. 

Impermanence is often a constant in today's world as we are constantly evolving and changing but in our understanding of God we see the permanence of the presence of love. We draw alongside those who are in difficulty and struggle just as God drew alongside the people of Israel in the midst of slavery and exile. This is not a temporary measure, something that is given away once they are free from their struggle, but a permanent understanding much as God's presence is permanent to in our continued struggles. Too many times in recent years and months the Church has offered God's love with one hand but then turned its back on those that are in fear and suffering in the long term. If we are to mirror God's presence then we as a faith community in the impermanence of today's society must remain consistent and permanent in the lives of our communities just as God is permanent and consistent in the life of the faith community.