Why Are We Here?
Our Gospel reading this morning contains what has been called the most-beloved verse in the New Testament, John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” There are innumerable posters illustrating this verse. There are baseball hats, tee shirts, bracelets and neckties marked with it. Some include the full verse, some only the identifier, John 3:16. “John 3:16” has been spotted on the bottom of In and Out Burger drink cups. Tim Tebow, who played football for the Florida Gators, wrote “John 3:16” in the black markings under his eyes. If you’re caught up in March Madness, keep your eyes peeled for that fan waving “John 3:16” in the crowd.
The verse is beloved because it reassures us about our salvation and reminds us of God’s enormous love for each of us.
But the verse, too, has been used to separate the world into “us” and “them.” It has been used to inflict Christianity on non-Christians. In our New World fervent Christians have crushed the indigenous beliefs of native peoples. In 16th and 17th century Mexico, Christians literally built churches on top of destroyed temples to force people to accept the new faith, for their own good. In our lifetimes missionaries have prohibited Native Americans from speaking their own languages and living their cultures and traditions. Why? – to discredit and replace these beliefs with so-called Christian faith, virtue, and practice. Tragically, the verse has also been used to justify the bloody Crusades against Muslims and the Holocaust against Jews, homosexuals, gypsies and others. And I heard echoes of the sentiment just before the shock and awe bombing of Bagdad. Quoting the New Testament to justify coercion and exclusion? Please let us stop that from happening.
Let’s look now at Verse 17’s slant on God’s love for us.
“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
Jesus did not come to condemn us or to separate us into “them” and “us” or to teach us to judge and separate others from ourselves. He came to gather us all to himself and to God as a community. Jesus taught us to gather together; our salvation is living inclusively, opening doors of healing to ourselves and to others.
At our last Vestry meeting, we talked about the homeless man found sleeping at the church door on several Sunday mornings. Should we do anything about him? Should we shoo him along? Should we call the police? Will our children be safe? Should we feed and clothe him? Should we give him money? What should the church do?
And it made me wonder what Jesus and our long tradition have to teach us. The indigent gathered in public places to beg for food and money. Some asked Jesus for help. Most did not. For those who asked for help, Jesus provided compassion, understanding, and forgiveness. He provided respect and acceptance, healing their brokenness. He did not avert his eyes, ignoring them. He invited them to join him.
To my knowledge, with the exception of two spectacular displays of feeding people in the thousands, Jesus did not tackle meeting people’s physical hunger or housing needs. His concentration was spiritual embrace.
Like the poor in the Gospels, our homeless man never once asked for help. I saw him on three occasions. The first time I saw him, he was awake. I told him he was welcome to come inside out of the cold rain and to have coffee after the service. The second time, he was sound asleep and so I let him be. The third time, I repeated my offer. He thanked me. As before, he had left before our service ended. He never once asked for material help, and I did not force it on him.
As a church institution, as a living part of the Body of Christ, St. Mark’s best bet and first priority is to follow Jesus’ lead by offering acceptance, respect, compassion and dignity to everyone on our path, whether we are inside our outside of this building. We are called to continue to broaden and deepen our community as Christ did. We heal in community. We grow in community. We explore our faith with one another in community. We listen and tend to one another in community. Our job is not to separate, but to invite people to join us. We needn’t be discouraged or bitter if someone turns down our invitation. We need only make sure the invitation is offered as Christ offered it to all.
Maintaining a spiritual center and active support for one another’s spiritual growth is our first priority because doing so makes all things possible in Christ. When we tend to our souls, our bodies are in a much better place to carry out the work Christ has in mind for us to do: serving at a CHAM dinner, becoming actively involved in Tending the Flock, or in work you find by typing “Volunteer Santa Clara County” into your favorite search engine. You may find you have the work of praying for those involved in this work, or it may be, as Carrie does in our office, providing resource lists to people looking for shelter and food. The options are practically endless.
We come together on Sundays to honor God and give thanks for God’s gifts, sharing our common Christian story and our common bread and cup. We invite others into our spiritual intimacy. We are recharged here so that we may effectively “Go forth to love and serve the Lord”. And in this time of Lent, let us look for ways we can build Christian community within this church and outside of its walls. Let us strive to bring together rather than to separate and judge, to heal rather than to harm. We need not become a service agency, but we must welcome all into the light of Christ.
“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”