Day of the Church Year: 4th Sunday after Pentecost
Scripture Passage: Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
In the gospel of Luke, the work of the kingdom of God is carried out by the many instead of by only the twelve disciples. Jesus appoints and sends out people to cure the sick and proclaim the kingdom of God come near, all with a message of peace armed with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Even when the people of a particular town reject those appointed to minister, Jesus commands them to simply shake the dust off their feet, proclaim the nearness of God’s kingdom, and go and come in peace. Regardless of the town, whether or not the people of the town graciously receive these ministers, the kingdom of God comes near.
This week, last week, watching or listening to the news, I suspect it wasn’t just me who wondered: Where is the kingdom of God in all this mess? The deep polarization, the significant decisions made by the Supreme Court, the continuing war in Ukraine and violence in countless places across the world, the overall crabbiness of humans right now. Even the mess right in front of us, the bills we need to pay, the difficult relationships, the worries about health and safety. Where is the kingdom of God in all this mess?
Upon returning from the Holden Village soul journey this week, someone involved in a conflict during heat respite came to the church office asking if she could still be part of the heat respite program. Since I hadn’t been here and had only heard about the situation, I asked her to describe what had happened. As she described what clearly had been a difficult day for her, behind her anger and frustration appeared her sadness and hurt and humiliation. The urge to point out her wrongs rushed through me, but the Holy Spirit calmed me down. At the conclusion of her story, led by the Holy Spirit, the first thing I said was: I am so sorry you feel sad and hurt and humiliated. We also discussed the problematic behavior and how it would never happen again, and I went to find Ksea to make sure we were all on the same page. With tears in her eyes, she apologized, and they shook hands. Getting up from our seats, she commented: “It’s good to talk it through!” And a gentleness filled the room. The kingdom of God come near!
On our way back from Holden Village, the group of soul journeyers, including myself, were in the tiny Wenatchee, Washington airport. We had just gone through security and were waiting to board at gate #2. Eartha, one of our group members, came and told me that a woman, I’ll call her Susan, also waiting at gate #2 had seen Eartha’s tee shirt that read “Grace Lutheran Church Soul Journey 2022.” Susan had approached Eartha to say that she had been baptized at Grace Lutheran Church in Wenatchee. We had actually stayed overnight at Grace Lutheran Church in Wenatchee, and Eartha is amazing in her ability to connect with strangers. So of course friendly conversation ensued. Later when Eartha came up to me, she shared that Susan was nervous about flying and suggested that we go over and offer to pray with her. So we did. Susan was, indeed, nervous, quite nervous about flying, we learned. Listening to her share, we also met her son and learned about her life. She didn’t want to pray then and there, but when we told her we would be on the same flight and assured her we would keep her in prayers on this and her next flight to Anchorage, she beamed and, with deep relief in her voice, thanked us. The kingdom of God come near!
It occurs to me that the kingdom of God comes near most often when I listen, when I don’t open my mouth, when I keep myself from making everything about me. At the same time, especially this week, I am not pleased with the unjust systems of our world, and the only way our systems will change is if we speak and act for the common good—and not simply listen. I’m not quite sure how to reconcile that. But while we anticipate the fullness of God’s kingdom breaking forth, it breaks open among us in glimpses of light, in moments of gentleness. While God’s kingdom will certainly come in all grandeur one day, the kingdom of God isn’t always grand. Sometimes, it’s quiet. Sometimes, it’s gentle. Sometimes, it’s behind the scenes.
The seventy whom Jesus sent out—some of them went to towns where they were rejected. Like us, ancient Jesus-followers lived with conflict and division and injustice. Regardless of where they went or who they met, Jesus commanded them to come and go with a message of peace and the kingdom of God come near. The way they came and went, the proclamation of good news regardless, the message of peace indiscriminately shared, the way of being Jesus-followers, this itself revealed the kingdom of God.
In this present age, at this moment in our nation, I wonder if screaming louder, posting voluminously on social media, and even unfriending people who disagree with us—whether on Facebook or in real life, I wonder if this is what God calls us to do. I doubt it. I doubt it because, today, Jesus instructs his followers, when confronted with people who reject them, to shake the dust off their feet, to wish them peace, to proclaim the kingdom of God come near, all while armed with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Today, Jesus instructs his followers in gentleness, in a way of non-violence, love, and peace. Not everyone is going to love us. Not everyone is going to agree with us. Not everyone is going to work for the common good. But we can love them anyway, wish them peace anyway, proclaim the kingdom of God come near in their lives anyway. And when we do, there, the kingdom of God appears among us.
Dr. King once said: It is no longer a choice between violence and non violence in this world. It is non-violence or non-existence. Ironically, Dr. King, Jesus, and others who practiced non-violence were killed. It is a striking truth, that violence can be tolerated but that love is dangerous. Dr. King and Jesus, they were never going to hurt anyone, yet they were killed...because non-violence, love, peace, these are the forces that change the world. They are “soul force” as Dr. King taught. And confronted with the soul force that changes unjust systems, the people who desired the status quo ended the lives of those who practiced non-violence, love, and peace.
We, the Jesus-followers of 2022, we are gathered by Jesus and sent out to counter force with soul force, to practice non-violence and love, to proclaim peace and the kingdom of God come near. In the granular details of our lives, with strangers at grocery stores and libraries, among the Grace community, with our family, friends, and co-workers, while advocating for systemic change that we might seek and find the common good. Then and there, the kingdom of God comes near! Thanks be to God! Amen.