Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

I read a story recently about a woman who had lived in one of our major cities, was well educated, ran her own business and was doing well.  Life became complicated in Covid times, and in the end, she had to sell, and within three years, she had lost her work, her home, her income and she is now homeless, living in her car.   As our parishes try to work out how we might help homeless people this winter, some ask councils to move them on instead, blaming the homeless for creating this dilemma as their neighbours feel unsafe.  But if you had been treated badly and tipped out of society because of unjust laws, insufficient welfare, inequitable rents and housing policies, rising prices, domestic violence and insufficient mental health services, do you think you would continue to behave politely in such circumstances? 

This week, we heard about three people murdered because of family and domestic violence, and their killer is still on the run. At least 5 people have already been killed this year in this scourge.  We demand a Royal Commission, but why can we not practically support refuges, demand more resources for safe courts, prosecutions, appropriate police responses, informed judges and juries; and do we call out poor behaviour by the perpetrators who happen to be our neighbours and friends as active bystanders? 

Last Monday, people marched because of political insistence we hold Australia Day on a date which many people in our communities consider a day of sorrow rather than celebration and a bomb was thrown in hatred.  We argue we don’t want to change what has worked for us, we consider such a request as divisive, and we wonder why can’t people accept it. But why don’t we change the date so all can celebrate belonging?  Can we never manage to change our customs and practices - ever?  What was Christ asking us to do in love and welcome?

This week, a 37 year-old man, a US citizen was murdered on the streets of the US, protecting another citizen under attack from Federal authorities. This happened two weeks after a woman, also a US citizen was killed for doing the same thing. Conservative Women Influencers demand empathy and compassion be discounted and for military might to be sustained to get rid of the ‘illegal, wicked and evil people’ in their country which includes those with the wrong skin colour or faith, or for just being recent immigrants.  We are asked to believe yet another lie, bear false witness because the truth of the matter has become irrelevant.  Each time we are asked to believe an even bigger lie and enough people shrug their shoulders and can’t be bothered to disagree.   Bishops and priests are now standing in the front lines of resistance, being arrested as they reject the narrative of all non-white immigrants are wicked, rapists and murderers; particularly when we see 5-year-olds and parents, in the country legally, being imprisoned while large corporations keep quiet and take money for their silence.  Are we bearing false witness?

In this country we are still split down political, racial, faith and economic lines as the lies become more insistent and bigger.  Irrespective of the arguments, we choose a side and hold on to it regardless.  We have seen this with the Voice Referendum, the Same Sex Marriage debate, and most recently about the war in Gaza, between Israel and Hamas while everyone is trying to survive, by choosing a side which they hope will keep them and their families, faith and culture alive.  Do we not all do the same? Are we now living the lie in choosing a side which is rewriting history and boundaries and bearing false witness?

A few years ago, a bishop who had opposed women’s ordination, finally came to the conclusion he had been wrong, and he wrote about his journey of reflection with God and with those he hurt, and he now ordains women. A remarkable story of honesty, openness and humility.  In the UK we will shortly be celebrating the consecration and installation of the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mulally, yet there are still bishops and priests who refuse to accept female ordination in the Church of England and around the world.   Jesus asks us to be different to the rest of the world.  Micah, the prophet reminded us of God’s hopes and desires for us:

‘Hear what the Lord says:… for the Lord has a controversy with his people

He has told you O mortal, what is good and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.’ (Micah 6:1-2, 8)

Paul wrote if we look at the world with the world’s eyes, understanding and knowledge, we will not see God or live as God desires for us, to be the person God has created in all our fullness and diversity. (I Cor. 1:18-31)

We mistake the world’s boasting of its power, wisdom and wealth, as something God admires and expects from leaders and God’s people.  We remember also, the explanation God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.  Until we work our way through this direct contradiction with how we see the world, we will misunderstand God’s hope for God’s people and we will continue to fight the world’s battles and not live into God’s world, transformed, one day at a time.  We will still have the stories I have given you rather than God’s stories.  We will still put our energies into things which grow human power and hubris, not God’s love or peace for everyone.  Empire is hoping we will become enraptured with the totality of the lie, they hope our weariness at resisting it will cause us to give in, and cause us to walk away from loving our neighbour. We will still be bearing false witness against our neighbours.  It is not justice, love or humility.

I recently told a story about a family with a much-loved disabled daughter.  They paid for her to go to a good Anglican school, with her carers, and they struggled and fought every day for her to be treated equally, kindly and respectfully.  It came to planning the graduation day, and the few families with young disabled daughters in the school were asked to withdraw their daughters from the ceremony as the school didn’t want them to be stressed about making it up onto the stage, to be walking with a carer and have to make their way down again. The school wanted a perfect graduation ceremony and pictures.  Three of the four families walked away – it was one battle too many and they were tired of being angry, sad, and weary.  The family I knew refused and demanded their daughter’s inclusion in the graduation ceremony, as her right.  Whose idea of perfection was correct?  It seems to me, Jesus’ words of poverty, mourning, humility, mercy and righteousness, of peace-making and persecution in the Sermon on the Mount, are located at the very edge of Empire living, on the stage, not outside the door, and our work is to bring them into the Light into the centre, challenging our ideas of perfection in our thinking, our hearts and our love as we live into God’s light. 

The Lord be with you.