When We Least Expect It

April 26, 2020

Luke 24:13-35 The Road to Emmaus

Jesus appears to us in the most unlikely of places, when we least expect it, in the quietest moments and in the grimmest…God is with us, always.

Even when we are not paying attention…

Often, we can get caught up in our daily lives and struggles to see God in our lives.

And there are times when we do not feel as if we deserve God’s Grace, that it is a gift given to others, but not to us.

When I found myself in such a place, and was all consumed by troubles that seemed insurmountable, I too felt very far removed from God’s Grace.

While I knew that we are constantly surrounded by the love of God, I was not feeling it in my life, instead I felt worry and pain.

Seeking relief, I drove over to Green Lane park, and began to hike on the trails near the old nature center. At one point, I stopped to stared out across the lake, finding calmness in the still surface of the water.

At that moment, I prayed to God for a peace, and perhaps…for a sign, that everything was going to be all right, although I did not know what ‘being all right’ would look like.

Just then, a fish broke the surface of the lake, jumping up into the air…and then another and another, and I took this as my sign!

Things did work out, not right away, and it wasn’t easy, but life did improve!

With the sight of that jumping fish, I was reminded that God was with me, and had been with me all along, I was just too caught up in my pain and misery to see it, until the presence was revealed to me in that simple way!

In today’s Gospel, we find some of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, so caught up in their own lives, and their own troubles, that they did not see the miracle in their midst…unaware that they were about to have their own ‘jumping fish’ moment.

When they met the stranger, the disciples were eager to share their struggles and fears with him…sometimes it is easier to share these with a stranger, or at least safer, because you assume that there will be less room for judgement.

This is especially helpful when you are trying to make sense of things that do not make much sense at all.

As they shared with the stranger, perhaps their burdens were lessened, and the disciples began to feel better, for the first time in a long while.

Then, the stranger began to lay some truth on the disciples, scolding them for their lack of faith, and then revealing that he had a deep knowledge of the scriptures and prophesies.

Falling into the role of teacher, the stranger reassured the disciples that God had everything under control, and that what had happened was all according to plan. It would not be an easy road, but there was comfort in knowing that everything was in God’s hands.

Sometimes we too just need to stop, look and listen for what God is trying to teach us, as we walk along our own road to Emmaus.

As we face the new challenges of living during a pandemic: the changes, the losses, the uncertainty and the fears.

Even now…God is always speaking to us!

God speaks to us when we make the sacrifices that keep each other safe, like staying home and wearing a mask when we do go out…

God speaks to us through the kindness of strangers as we help each other to get through these difficult days.

God speaks through a friend who calls or texts right when needed, who speaks truth to us, even when that truth may be difficult!

God speaks to us through our loved ones, who stand by us no matter what, even if they don’t always agree with what we do, or who we are (in the moment).

Even if these connections are now maintained online or on the phone.

God speaks through the love that we share together.

God speaks to us when we are quarantined in our homes, working and supporting those who cannot pursue their livelihoods.

And when we offer comfort to those who have experienced loss at a time when we cannot give shoulder to cry on, or hugs to ease the pain.

God speaks when we can get out doors,in the rain and wind, and in the park, on a beautiful day, walking the trails, or enjoying the sun, when it bathes us in warmth, or shines off of the waters of the lakes…and even when a fish breaks the surface of its stillness.

In the same way, just as Jesus did with the disciples…before he was recognized, we are too are called to speak for God.

As we share compassion and the truth of God’s love with others…God’s Word, and Grace are revealed to all who need to hear it, for all in need of hope, who need to be reminded of God’s presence in our lives.

This truth is that there is no where we can go, no matter how deep in despair, far into quarantine, or how lost we feel, there is no where that God’s love cannot find us.

For God is always with us, surrounding us like the air we breathe…sometimes, we need to just stop, pay attention, and take a deep breath.

Peace Be With Us

 

April 19, 2020; Second Sunday of Easter

John 20:19-31

I have red hair, when I was young, it was really red…and I was often reminded of this fact, by strangers, old ladies at church, and bullies.

One day, when I was in second grade, I ran afoul of said bullies, and after letting them know that I did not appreciate their teasing, they offered to meet up with me after school to discuss the situation further: a classic set up, right out of the movies.

However, it was not quite as much fun in real life.

So, when school ended, I found myself sheltering in place. I was smart enough to stay near the office, but could see the bullies loitering just outside. I knew I was safe for the moment, but would not be able to stay there for long, and was thinking of an exit strategy, but not coming up with anything practical.

All I knew was that it was not safe to go outside.

I was thinking about my chances of taking another exit, thinking they could not be watching both the front and back doors at the same time…right? Then I saw a rattling old ’65 Valiant pull up to the curb!

It was my big brother Pete!

I was not expecting him, but my mother had asked him to pick me up after school, because there was big news!

When I walked out of the school, the bullies approached, but Pete saw them and told them to “get lost” and they backed away!

I was safe, at least for that afternoon!

When I got home, my mother told me I was changing schools!

(Yes, this really happened)

I would have to get used to a ‘new normal’ but at least those bullies wouldn’t bother me again!

And I knew that no matter what happened, that I would always have someone watching my back, always have someone to support me…just like Pete did, when he chased off the bullies.

In today’s Gospel, we find the disciples, also sheltering in place.

They were afraid to go out…because it was dangerous out there.

I remember hearing this Gospel in church, as a child, and thinking that they lacked faith in God, faith in the words of Jesus.

Wondering why they did not go out boldly and stand up their bullies…although I used caution with my own.

Looking down on them because they were afraid, and hiding.

However, these were thoughts of a child, and I was mistaken. For the disciples, going out WAS dangerous!

It would have put their lives, and the lives of those they loved, at risk because the same people who had executed Jesus wanted to kill them as well!

So, the disciples stayed hidden, and waited until it was safe to go outside; although they did not know when that would be.

While in hiding behind locked doors, they did their best to make sense of everything that had happened:

The arrest, torture and death of Jesus, the threats given by those in power, and now, the stories of his return! None of it made any sense, no wonder the disciples were afraid and confused.

They were facing an uncertain future. They knew it would be different, but had no idea what it would be like…yet.

But, for the moment, they knew it was better for them to play it safe, and stay in hiding.

There are some of us who may be able to relate to how the disciples were feeling on this evening.

Then, in the midst of their fear, sorrow and confusion, Jesus was with them!

And he appeared right when they needed him!

Just like my brother Pete did on that afternoon!

On this evening, the disciples needed hope, they needed to have something to give them peace, they needed Jesus!

He knew this, and so the first thing Jesus said to them was “Peace be with you”.

Usually, it is a simple greeting, but here, in the midst of their hiding place, these words became something more!

The last thing the disciples were feeling at that moment was peace.

Jesus’ greeting was also a sincere wish calm, a message of hope in the midst of a very difficult time.

Telling them, “Peace be with you” was a way of letting the disciples know that they were not alone, that God was still with them…that the promise of Christ, the promise of new life, was at hand…and this was reason for peace!

And this gift was given to them…and to all of us!

Then, Jesus asks us all to go out into the world, to tell others the good news, to share this gift of peace with a troubled world.

It is not an easy task, as our world is unsettled, and not everyone wants to hear this message of peace, nor does everyone want to hear the about God’s presence in our world.

The disciples would discover this for themselves, and that is why their road was not an easy one, but Jesus never promised that following him would be easy. There were plenty of reasons for them to have fear and uncertainty, but in the words of Jesus: “Peace be with you” there is hope, and strength.

Because with these words, Jesus is reminding the disciples that they are not alone, that they were part of the miracle of the Resurrection.

That faith can overcome fear.

Our lives are not easy either, even without a pandemic there are plenty of reasons to feel fear and uncertainty…

And at a time like this, it is even more important to be at peace, to seek out the faith that can quiet our fear, the hope that is found in knowing that God’s love surrounds always.

It is also important to remember that not only did Jesus wish us peace, but he also called upon us to be peace in our world…and to share this gift with our troubled world.

For the more we share God’s love and grace with each other the stronger it grows!

When we show compassion to those who are struggling, offer comfort to those who mourn, we are sharing our faith, faith that speaks to fear and uncertainty.

It is together that we will find the peace that we need to face the challenges of today, together that we will become the peace we need to move forward into our new normal…as we adjust to a new way of life in the wake of the virus.

In our new normal, it will be even more important for us to watch out for each other; not only to share this peace, but to be that peace!

May the peace of the Lord be with us all.

Easter Time

Easter Sunday – April 12, 2020

Matthew 28:1-10 

It was late fall when a company email was sent out, announcing a “Town-hall” meeting, that we were all supposed to attend.

The time given for the meeting was mis-typed as “Easter Time”, and while I thought it was slightly amusing, it got me thinking…that maybe it wasn’t all that wrong.

For in a very real way, it is always Easter time!

No matter the season of year, even during Advent or Lent…it is still Easter time.

No matter what is going on the world: feast, famine, war, injustice or celebration…

Even during a Pandemic, it is Easter time!

Whatever we are going through, wherever we are, it is always Easter time, because we are living in the light of the resurrection!

Christ has risen, and there nothing that can change this, no way for us to lose that light, for this gift was given to us freely… and this gives us a reason for hope, even when it may feel as if hope is out of reach!

Hope that we really need right now, because it has been a long Lent…

These last six weeks has felt more like six months, and our lives are in a far different place than they were on Ash Wednesday.

Now at last, it is Easter, and this morning’s Gospel has us standing in the garden with Mary, as the dawn is about to break…

Waiting for the miracle…waiting for the light of dawn.

Waiting for Easter.

When I was in seminary, I spent a summer as a Chaplain at Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia. Part of my duties required that I stay on-call one night a week, in case one of the patients or staff needed support during the night.

On one of these nights, I had just settled into the “On-call” room and was drifting off to sleep, when the beeper (it was 1994) went off!

I had been called to one of the units to help a patient who was dying of AIDS.

When I arrived, the nurse told me that the patient’s family had been called, but were three buses and several hours away, and may not arrive before dawn.

Unfortunately, the nurse was afraid that the man would not last that long, and asked me to stay with him, so that he wouldn’t be alone.

This was the first time I had been asked to spend time with someone as they died, and I was nervous, not only because he had AIDS and I had to take precautions, but also because I was not sure what I would say, or if I could help him.

But I put on a mask and gloves and was about to walk into the room, when the nurse asked me “Do you speak Spanish?”

I do not speak Spanish, and he did not speak English, but we found ways to communicate with each other during that long night.

And I quickly forgot about being anxious.

He understood that I was there to help him, knew the Lord’s prayer, and enjoyed it when I read him some of the Psalms…in any language, they offer comfort.

However, we spent most of that night just waiting…

When we had nothing to say to each other, I would put my hand on his shoulder and we’d look at each other in the silence, something I am not used to, but learned to accept.

While waiting, I found myself looking out to the hallway, hoping I would wee his family arriving, but it remained empty. I also looked out of the window at the night sky, beyond the Philadelphia skyline and seeking out the light of day…but the night lingered.

But, fortunately, so did my patient. I was afraid he would not survive long enough to see his family, but he stayed with us.

Then, after hours of waiting…the sky finally began to brighten.

I looked down at the man, who smiled and nodded at me, and at that moment the room was filled with people!

His family had arrived on time!

As they surrounded his hospital bed, as I stepped back, to give them time with their loved one.

However, before I left, we gathered in prayer and as we did the first rays of the Sun broke over the horizon, and the room was filled with light!

Dawn had come, my patient was surrounded by his loved ones, and would not be dying alone!

It was Easter time!

It is always Easter time…

Even during the longest nights…when fear threatens our faith, when we think the dawn may never come.

In many ways we are in the midst of our own long night, as we continue to keep Socially Distant. During this time the light of Easter can seem far away, especially since we are not able to go to church for worship, have egg hunts with our kids, or dinner with family and friends.

And we find ourselves separated from the people, places, and traditions that we love.

We are isolating, but for a good reason, to keep each other safe…as an act of care, and love.

Yet, being Socially Distant does not mean that we are alone.

We are still connected because we are all living in the light of the risen Christ, the light that broke over the garden that morning.

And this light binds us together…to the promise of new life given to us on that quiet morning.

When we are striving to help each other, showing compassion for those in need, and taking care of ourselves…

We are all living in Easter time…

When we offer comfort to those who are afraid, support to those who need help just getting the basic necessities and when we act selflessly, to ensure that we all have enough to get by…

When we think of others before ourselves…

It is Easter time, and this is what gives us hope…even during our long nights.

Hope that is found in knowing that nothing can separate us from God’s great love.

Hope in knowing that we are surrounded by that love, just as my patient was…when he was surrounded by his family as the Sun rose.

When we are supporting each other through these difficult days…

On this Easter Sunday, we are all waiting a miracle, waiting for the light of dawn to wash over us…

Yet, even though we still have a way to go until we get to the other side of our trial…it is good to remember that the miracle we are waiting for, has been with ever since that first Easter morning.

And as followers of Christ, we are called to do as Mary did, and share the news.

Where that news is shared, the darkness fades, and hope spreads out across the land.

So, go and tell the world, that the risen Christ is in our midst!

That it is always Easter time!

The Long Week

Palm Sunday: April 5, 2020

Matthew 27:11-54

Here we are, Palm Sunday, and we are coming to the end of a Lenten season like none of us have ever seen before.

What we have been through, gives us some insight into what it might have been like for Jesus and his disciples, living with constant uncertainty and anxiety, not being sure where their journey was leading them.

Today, in terms of our Lenten journey at least, we pausing to remember the triumph of Jesus’ arrival in the Jerusalem, knowing full-well that this is only a moment of joy, that darker days are to follow.

Knowing what is come, it would be nice to be able to celebrate the day; instead, our Gospel skips over this event and takes us to Jesus’ last three days: the worst part of Holy Week, but also the most significant.

These were days when hope must have appeared to be out of reach for Jesus and his disciples.

It was a long week for them…and it makes me wonder if Jesus looked back on his Palm Sunday triumph during the darkest times at the end of that week.

We know about long weeks, unfortunately, for some of us it has been longer than for others…with worries about family, health, jobs and finances…

To tell the truth, we have known too many of these ‘long weeks’ recently, and I am probably not the only one nostalgic for February.

And it is not fair…we did nothing to deserve all this, we were just living our lives as best we could, when the virus came and threw everything off course!

But when has life ever been ‘fair’?

Life certainly wasn’t fair to Jesus…

All his life, Jesus had tried to do what was right, to be a “Mensch”, a good person. He sought to follow God’s Will, no matter where it took him…and this, appears to be his reward: to be betrayed by a close friend, arrested, mocked, tortured and then rejected by the very people he had dedicated his life to helping.

And then he was executed as a subversive, an enemy of Rome, put to death in one of the most horrific ways possible!

With everyone watching.

Sometimes our only reward for doing the right thing is the knowledge that we have done what is right…and by doing so, we have made a difference in the lives of others.

Even if the results do not seem to be so great, at first…even if it sometimes feels like all our efforts were for nothing.

Back at beginning of the last century, there were Bridge Tenders, people who managed the opening and closing of drawbridges along the rivers surrounding New York City.

On one warm day in June, about 1930, one of these Bridge Tenders, up on the Harlem river, was enjoying a breeze outside of his small shelter, when he saw two girls fall into the water, where they were taken by the current.

Without hesitation, the Bridge Tender dove into the river in an attempt to save the girls. Though he caught up to one, the river was too strong for him, and all three died.

However, his sacrifice was not in vain. As a result, he won a Carnegie award for public service, with his widow and children receiving a modest prize which helped them to make ends meet. They also had the honor of seeing his name on a plaque in Grand Central Station.

And, his act inspired others to service, to show compassion for others.

The fact that I am sharing it today, proves that the Bridge Tender’s story did not end with his death…

Just as Jesus’ story did not end at the cross, but in the triumph of Easter morning, when he walked out of the dark of the tomb and into the soft light of dawn.

Giving us all hope.

Yet, as that long week turned toward the cross, that hope must have seemed very distant for Jesus.

In the midst of our long weeks, hope can seem far away from us as well…when will it end, why are we doing this, at the cost of jobs and relationships, the price of our freedom?

Where is our reward?

When we find ourselves thinking like this, we can instead think of the doctors, nurses and other people helping to fight this virus…it must feel like an uphill battle, with no end in sight, and instead, a lot of frustration, fear, and loss.

They are putting their lives on hold and at risk, in order to help us…and many of them are getting sick themselves.

It would not be surprising if they also found themselves asking “Where is our reward?”

Here, we can stop and once again look to Jesus, and so many who have followed in his footsteps…as the reward is not necessarily just for us as individuals, but for ALL of us, as a community!

What we are doing now will help to keep the people we share this world with safe and healthy, to slow the spread of the disease, and to save lives.

In this case, our reward will be knowing that we acted with compassion.

It will not be an easy journey for us, but at least we do not have to travel this road alone…

Even if we have to keep our distance, we will still have each other to help us through these dark days, and into our own Easter, and what comes beyond, as we step into our new lives.

We will get through this…together.