Called to Follow Jesus

It has been another heavy week in this country that we love.

I expect you have seen the images and heard the reports in the news.

On Friday two faith based organizing groups in Minnesota – Isaiah and Faith in Action Minnesota – organized an interfaith and multi-faith day of Prayer and Fasting for Truth and Freedom. People of faith from around the country flew into Minneapolis to stand in solidarity with the people of Minnesota in prayer and in nonviolent protest. About 100 clergy were arrested for kneeling and praying at the airport (a significant place of commerce for the area). Thousands of people took to the streets.

The protests continued yesterday. Only this time the situation once again turned deadly – as ICE agents shot and killed an individual – Alex J. Pretti – who was at the demonstration. He is shown on video protecting others around him from the rough treatment of the federal agents just before he was pinned to the ground and shot multiple times.

Through the gift of relationship and the wonder of technology, I have be in community with people in Minneapolis from my home in Holliston. Since Thursday I have received live updates from colleagues and friends on the ground, sharing the terror they have experienced first hand. They describe their current situation as living in a free state under federal occupation; with ongoing tyranny and oppression; with federal ICE agents violating their civil rights.

On Friday morning I attended – through Zoom – the interfaith prayer service held in Minneapolis before the start of the day’s demonstrations. Presiding Bishop Yehiel Curry offered the opening prayer at that service. It was good to gather in community across the miles and pray together, in different words and languages and accents, calling on the Divine presence to be known to all.

What I have heard and seen and felt in these last few days weighs heavy on my mind and my heart and my soul and my body. People in Minnesota are not safe from our own government. They are not ok.

It is a dark time in our country.

And let me be clear – the present darkness in our country has nothing to do with skin color and everything to do with the character and lack of morality of the current administration and those who follow them – the white Christian nationalists who are of the belief that God has chosen them – and only them – to lead the country back in time, to that day when only white men had the power to rule the land.

Nothing can be further from the truth.

Our scripture readings this morning speak of living in deep darkness and gloom. We hear of the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali sitting in the darkness of military defeat and waiting for God to deliver them from oppression. Waiting for the light to come.

It is to the land of Zebulun and Naphtali that Jesus comes and makes his home, in the small village of Capernaum, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee; among those who made their living, meager as it was, by fishing.

Jesus did not settle among the rich and powerful religious and political authorities living in Jerusalem. He lived among the poor, the outcasts, the people suffering from the weight of the Empire’s oppression.

Jesus is the great light for which the people have been waiting. He is the light that shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it.

Jesus is the one who gathers people around him; calls them to repent, to turn back to God, to change their way of living; because the kingdom of heaven has come near. This is the kingdom where God’s love and justice and peace – God’s shalom – reign over all the people and all people are safe; loved; valued; treated with respect and dignity because all people are beloved by God, created in God’s own image.

Even today Jesus is calling us to follow him so that we might become fishers of people; so that we might testify to God’s love for all people, revealed through the light of Christ that shines in the world; so that we might hear his word and encourage each other to repent, to turn back to God, to change our way of living, because the kingdom of heaven has come near.

What does it mean to follow Jesus?

Some of you might remember that we discussed this very question during one of the Open Forums hosted by transition team at Holy Trinity last spring. We made a list of some of the things that Jesus did in his years of public ministry. We said that Jesus…

traveled – from Capernaum to Jerusalem; north to the cities of Tyre and Sidon in Phoenicia (Lebanon), where he healed a foreign woman; crossed the Sea of Galilee to the east, entering the land of the Gentiles (Decapolis)
went where the people were
healed people
prayed ofter
spoke truth to power
ate with everyone – tax collectors, Pharisees, women, children, foreigners
fed people
offered forgiveness; compassion and love

From this list we see that Jesus was wiling to cross every border – every barrier – every line – every division – that separated people from knowing God and knowing each other; from loving God and loving one another.

For Jesus, every person was his neighbor. Every person was worthy of love and compassion. Jew. Gentile. Roman. Religious. Pagan. Foreigner. Women. Men. Children. Young. Old. Sick. Rich. Poor. Grieving. Celebrating. Jesus saw each person who gathered around him. He welcomed them all and he loved them all.

As people called by Jesus to follow his example, to fish for people, to gather people around Jesus, we might ask ourselves today – What is our work to do in these days of darkness and gloom in our country?

Our work is to reflect the light of Christ that shines in us – the light given to us in our baptism – back to the world. Our work is to…

pray without ceasing. Pray especially for the people of Minnesota who are living in terror (and now also the people in Maine). Pray also for those in our federal government, that they may repent of their evil and turn back to God and change their way of living and be guided by love and compassion.
seek to learn the truth of what is happening on the ground. Beware of the lies and false narratives that government officials are offering to justify their lawless actions.
pay attention to the trauma; to the pain of those around us who are suffering. Listen to each other; love each other; comfort each other. The pain is real for all of us; we suffer together (1 Cor. 12:26)
ground yourself in scripture, theological reflection and discernment, and Lutheran social teachings. Let’s talk together about the richness of God’s grace freely given to all people. Let’s reflect on the ways we are called to love God and love our neighbor.
advocate with your elected officials. Speak with them and share your point of view as a Christian. Let them know that this reign of terror by our government must end for the wellbeing of all people in our country. Let them know that you expect better.

In the gospel reading today we hear that after Jesus called others to follow him, he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.

The Good News for today is that Jesus still comes into the world to teach and proclaim the good news of the kingdom and to cure every disease and sickness.

The Good News for today is that Jesus still enters into our lives to bring healing, salvation, wholeness, wellbeing and peace. Shalom. For all God’s world.

The Good News for today is that Jesus calls us to follow him to do the same, through our prayers and our cries of lament; in our words and in our actions. Jesus calls us to bring healing and hope to our neighbors.

The Good News for today is that Jesus calls us to shine our light in the darkness and gloom.