Longing for Shalom
In my first call as a Minister of Word and Service, that is, as a deacon, I served with and among people who have disabilities. It was a wonderful call; a life-giving call. I got to do ministry with many wonderful people who share their love for God through the experience of their own unique lives.
This call sparked my interest in learning more about the Theology of Disability. Dr. John Swinton, a leading theologian in this emerging field of study, defines disability theology as “the attempt by disabled and non-disabled Christians to understand and interpret the gospel of Jesus Christ, God, and humanity, against the backdrop of the historical and contemporary experiences of people with disabilities.”
Disability theology centers people with disabilities – their voices, their lived experiences, their understanding of God – to give us new ways to look at scripture and think about our relationship with God and with each other.
Today’s gospel reading offers a good example of this. The story appears in the gospel of Luke under the heading “Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac”. And that’s a problem – labeling this person “the Gerasene Demoniac” tells us nothing about who this person is; it takes away their humanity; it creates an immediate barrier between “us” and “them”.
It leads us to think that this healing story is only about this one particular person, who is so tormented by demons that they have been ostracized by the community, banished to the tombs, naked and in chains and shackles.
From this description we might consider this a story about mental illness. It is not.
Having a mental illness does not make a person demonic; it is not evil; it is part of life; someone’s lived experience. Like anyone who has cancer or Parkinson’s or congestive heart failure or any other illness, people with mental illness are, well, people; fully human; loved by God in all of their humanity, including their illness; made right with God through the saving grace of Jesus Christ just as they are. People who have mental illness are not demons. People who have mental illness are no more evil than anyone else.
If this story is not about mental illness, then what is it about? It’s about many things:
- Jesus’ power – over sin and evil and empire
- Jesus releasing you and me from the chains and shackles that bind us
- the powers and principalities that (try to) rule in this world – for our struggle is not against blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)
- reconciling relationships and restoring community
- new life in Jesus Christ (the gospel truth)
It is also a story about politics; perhaps even political satire. Does that surprise you?
Dr. Obery M. Hendricks, Jr., a scholar at Columbia University who studies the intersection of religion and political economy in our country, says this story is about “the politics in the time of Jesus – the prophetic politics of living under occupation by the Roman Empire – the politics that led to Jesus’ execution on the cross.” (From The Politics of Jesus Rediscovering the True Revolutionary Nature of Jesus’ Teachings and How They Have Been Corrupted).
On what basis does Dr. Hendricks make this claim?
We know that Jesus and his people lived under Roman domination (occupation); life was harsh for them. When Jesus asks the tormented man “What is your name?”, the man replies “Legion”. For us ‘legion’ means many, right? For those who were there with Jesus that day, ‘legion’ meant only one thing – it was the term for the Roman military unit (6000 soldiers). The man with the demons self-identified as the Roman army; chaotic, destructive, and totally out of control. Jesus sends the demons out of the man and into…a herd of pigs. Pigs, of course, were considered unclear by the Jewish people.
Do you see the satire here? Jesus is ridding the land of the demonic Roman Empire military forces by casting them into the lake, without the benefit of lifejackets. (This is reminiscent of the Exodus, Pharaoh’s army drowning in the sea, as Moses was leading the Hebrew into freedom).
Jesus is setting the people free. Through his actions, Jesus is making a political statement. Everyone of his followers who witnessed this event or heard about it later would understand his meaning and find hope in his actions. Jesus came to set people free.
This story is indeed about many things; yet, all these things are connected together through these words from Galatians: We are all children of God through faith…baptized into Christ…(and) clothed with Christ. (Galatians 3:26).
In Holy Baptism and Affirmation of Baptism (Confirmation), we are asked three questions:
Do you renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God?
Do you renounce the powers of this world that rebel against God?
Do you renounce the ways of sin that draw you from God?
Each time we answer – I renounce them.
I renounce them – I reject them – I give up – the devil and every evil that defies God.
I renounce them – I reject them – I give up – the powers and principalities that fight against God.
I renounce them – I reject them – I give up – every sinful thing that turns me away from God.
Then we are baptized (or affirm our baptism) in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; and we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the sign of the cross forever.
As baptized children of God, we are a new creation in Christ. We are set free by Christ. We are called to live differently. We are called to let the light of Christ shine in us and through us for the sake of this troubled and chaotic world that God so dearly loves. We are called to stand with people who are oppressed. We are called to speak truth to power.
And…As people of God, we too long to be healed from the ravages of sin and evil and the devil and the powers of this world. We long to sit at the feet of Jesus, clothed with Christ, and in our right mind. We long for shalom – that sense of wellness and wholeness and completeness and peace; the peace that passes all human understanding.
The good news for today is that Jesus forgives our sins and gives us new life through our baptism into his death and resurrection.
The good news for today is that Jesus casts out our demons and heals our troubled souls and gives us shalom (peace) and sends us out to declare how much God has done for us.
The good news for this morning is that God is with us now, even in the midst of the terrifying attack of the United States on Iran.
Pray with me, please.
You calm and quiet us, eternal God, as a mother holds her children close; all people have refuge in the shadow of your wings. Spread over us the shelter of your peace. Hold before us the wisdom of your cross, where we are drawn to you not by might or power, but by your boundless love and forgiveness in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. (from All Creation Sings)