Crossing Borders
Sermon Response to Scripture proclaimed for Year C, Proper 4: Luke 7:1-10; Galatians1:1-12 At Zion Episcopal Church By The Reverend Sarah E. Saxe on May 29, 2016 Crossing Borders The foundation of my sermon today is another person’s sermon. One by The Rev. Dr. Ada Wong Nagata of the Diocese of Los Angeles. (You can read it on ‘Sermons That Work’). I believe that God’s message delivered through her this week applies to us all – here at Zion and throughout Christianity; especially on the eve of Memorial Day and as we anticipate our loose plate offering in a couple of weeks for the Interfaith Refugee Ministry. With that said, let us open our ears and our hearts to a Word from God as adapted from the Rev. Dr. Nagata. (pause) The Great Fifty Days of Easter have come and gone. We prepared ourselves in Lent for the passion and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. During the Easter season we prepared ourselves for the coming of the Holy Spirit. And here we are, in the season after Pentecost - after the Holy Spirit has come and is dwelling among us, around us, within us. So what does that mean for our ministry as disciples of Christ? Well I think that today’s readings give us some good pointers: Jesus responds to the centurion’s request, and Paul is astonished by how fast the early Christians were lured away from the Gospel message. (pause) In the Gospel story, we have two persons of power. One holds military power, the other spiritual power. The one with military power is desperate because his valued slave is ill.
Now he could have sent his soldiers to summon Jesus to go to his place and heal his slave. He could have sent them to seize him and deliver him to his home. But instead he asks the Jewish elders to invite Jesus to heal his slave. Not only does he choose not to use violence, but he also expresses humility toward Jesus and trust in him. And Jesus responds to his request. The cultural and class and religious boundaries between these two leaders are erased. And a person is healed. (pause) This reading reminded the Rev. Dr. Nagata of an inspiring, and amazing story about the beginning of a Christian organization in a place where Christianity is not the dominant religion. (pause) In Hong Kong, there is a place called St. James’ Settlement. This settlement is a triad of an Anglican Church, an Anglican school, and a community service center. In 1949, Bishop Ronald Hall, who oversaw the Anglican Church in Hong Kong saw the need to minister to a group of youth in a small town named Wanchai. The youth were hanging out in this town and had gotten into trouble. There were very limited resources then, so he had no place available to gather them. But a Taoist temple in the neighborhood had some rooms available for use. Working with the minister in charge of the temple, the bishop was able to use a room to gather the youngsters and he started the Boys’ and Girls’ Club there. By gathering them, offering them the love and guidance that was lacking from the families, these youth escaped a downward path into juvenile delinquency. (pause)
Two different religious leaders for the love of God’s children, were willing to work together. This humble beginning of youth ministry in a Taoist Temple eventually became the triad it is today: an Anglican church and school, and a nondenominational community service center. (pause) By not confining ministry to their religious establishments, and focusing instead on the needs of the youth and the town, a Christian institution was formed with the help of Taoists. Since then, even greater things have been done. Services have been extended to the wider needs of the community - the mentally and physically handicapped, and the elderly - and this partnership continues. The people of Hong Kong certainly know our God and our Gospel through this Christian organization - even though the majority of them are Taoist. And so I wonder if such is the message of today’s Gospel. Because of the centurion’s love for his slave, who had much lower social status, the way children and youth do in many cultures, he is willing to seek help from another leader outside of his own people and his own religion. Jesus too shows us that his ministry is not confined only to his own people and religion. (pause) In our own day and age, due to instability and violence in the Middle East, the United States is experiencing an influx of refugees who are not of our own people – nor do we share the same religious faith with most of them. And because of the violence and instability, the fear of terrorists infiltrating our country is so great that many Christians oppose the humanitarian act of accepting these people. And today we hear Saint Paul warn the Galatians. “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel…”
(pause) Jesus has commanded that we love our neighbors. What has happened to this teaching? Are we, as Paul warns, deserting the Gospel of Jesus by rejecting our neighbors who are foreigners and in dire situations? Can we learn something from Jesus and the Centurion; from the Taoist minister and the Anglican bishop? (pause) In this season after Pentecost, through the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are again learning how to apply Jesus’ teaching in our Christian ministry which we practice in our daily lives. Right off the bat, we hear a story about breaking down barriers of class and race and religion in favor of the command to love our neighbors even when they may not be American (however you define that). Even when they may not be Christian but, like the centurion, they may very well be faithful, caring people. Or they may not be. (pause) But our Lord Jesus Christ said, “Love your neighbor.” “Even if I’m afraid of him?” “Yes, even if you’re afraid.”
Now he could have sent his soldiers to summon Jesus to go to his place and heal his slave. He could have sent them to seize him and deliver him to his home. But instead he asks the Jewish elders to invite Jesus to heal his slave. Not only does he choose not to use violence, but he also expresses humility toward Jesus and trust in him. And Jesus responds to his request. The cultural and class and religious boundaries between these two leaders are erased. And a person is healed. (pause) This reading reminded the Rev. Dr. Nagata of an inspiring, and amazing story about the beginning of a Christian organization in a place where Christianity is not the dominant religion. (pause) In Hong Kong, there is a place called St. James’ Settlement. This settlement is a triad of an Anglican Church, an Anglican school, and a community service center. In 1949, Bishop Ronald Hall, who oversaw the Anglican Church in Hong Kong saw the need to minister to a group of youth in a small town named Wanchai. The youth were hanging out in this town and had gotten into trouble. There were very limited resources then, so he had no place available to gather them. But a Taoist temple in the neighborhood had some rooms available for use. Working with the minister in charge of the temple, the bishop was able to use a room to gather the youngsters and he started the Boys’ and Girls’ Club there. By gathering them, offering them the love and guidance that was lacking from the families, these youth escaped a downward path into juvenile delinquency. (pause)
Two different religious leaders for the love of God’s children, were willing to work together. This humble beginning of youth ministry in a Taoist Temple eventually became the triad it is today: an Anglican church and school, and a nondenominational community service center. (pause) By not confining ministry to their religious establishments, and focusing instead on the needs of the youth and the town, a Christian institution was formed with the help of Taoists. Since then, even greater things have been done. Services have been extended to the wider needs of the community - the mentally and physically handicapped, and the elderly - and this partnership continues. The people of Hong Kong certainly know our God and our Gospel through this Christian organization - even though the majority of them are Taoist. And so I wonder if such is the message of today’s Gospel. Because of the centurion’s love for his slave, who had much lower social status, the way children and youth do in many cultures, he is willing to seek help from another leader outside of his own people and his own religion. Jesus too shows us that his ministry is not confined only to his own people and religion. (pause) In our own day and age, due to instability and violence in the Middle East, the United States is experiencing an influx of refugees who are not of our own people – nor do we share the same religious faith with most of them. And because of the violence and instability, the fear of terrorists infiltrating our country is so great that many Christians oppose the humanitarian act of accepting these people. And today we hear Saint Paul warn the Galatians. “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel…”
(pause) Jesus has commanded that we love our neighbors. What has happened to this teaching? Are we, as Paul warns, deserting the Gospel of Jesus by rejecting our neighbors who are foreigners and in dire situations? Can we learn something from Jesus and the Centurion; from the Taoist minister and the Anglican bishop? (pause) In this season after Pentecost, through the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are again learning how to apply Jesus’ teaching in our Christian ministry which we practice in our daily lives. Right off the bat, we hear a story about breaking down barriers of class and race and religion in favor of the command to love our neighbors even when they may not be American (however you define that). Even when they may not be Christian but, like the centurion, they may very well be faithful, caring people. Or they may not be. (pause) But our Lord Jesus Christ said, “Love your neighbor.” “Even if I’m afraid of him?” “Yes, even if you’re afraid.”
