Not Tomorrow. Not Next Week, Not Next Month. Today!
“Food is a universal human right!” That’s not a suggestion. That is not a feel-good hope. That is not a nice thing to suggest. Rather it is a declaration. It is a demand and it happens to be the mission statement of the World Central Kitchen. Food is a universal human right, and declaring so means that the World Central Kitchen demands your attention, and insists on showing up. The result – 350 million cooked meals. Wrap your mind around that number – 350 million cooked meals around the world. Meals cooked and served both in Gaza and Israel, in Egypt and Lebanon, in Haiti and Ukraine, in Japan following their earthquake, in Texas and Chile following their wildfires. 350 million meals cooked all over the world where people are hungry. We demand your attention. We insist on showing up. We declare that access to food is a basic, universal human right.
World Central Kitchen is a humanitarian non-profit organization often first to the front lines providing fresh meals in response to humanitarian, climate and community crises including during times of war. Founder Chef Jose Andres says this, “When people are hungry, send in cooks. Not tomorrow, today. Don’t tell me you are going to get ready and do it a month later. Feed everybody as quick as possible. It has to be urgent. Food and water is now. Not tomorrow, not next week, not next month – today!” He goes on to say, “We overcome every obstacle and if we cannot overcome every obstacle, we go around the obstacle. Here we are, and we’ll come back tomorrow and we’ll come back until you are OK.” We demand your attention to those who are hungry. Feed them!
Thomas, one of the disciples in today’s gospel story says this, “I demand to see Jesus,” And then he insists, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” He insists on proof of the wounds. He insists on evidence of the crime. He insists on seeing for himself the one who was killed. It’s as if he is saying, he needs to see for himself the one who is hungry. Let’s not just talk about those who are hungry. Let’s not just wish them well. Let’s not just pray about the hungry. Let’s see for ourselves and feed the hungry. “When people are hungry, send in the cooks. Not tomorrow, not next week, not next month. Today!”
Just a couple of weeks ago our own Feeding the Hungry ministry here at Holy Trinity received a plea from Father Bill’s (a near-by non-profit serving those experiencing homelessness) – a plea for us to provide not 75 weekly lunches but 100 weekly lunches. Was there a debate about whether to increase the number of lunches from 75 to 100? Was there a moment of hesitation? Was there any doubt? NO! The answer was immediate. Yes, of course we will provide 100 weekly lunches not 75 and today, not tomorrow!
In the gospel of John there is an unfolding order to the actual appearances of Jesus after his death. First, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene. She mistakes him for the gardener until he speaks her name. Then Jesus appears to the disciples all huddled together in a locked room – except Thomas who was not there. Then in today’s story Thomas demands to see what they saw – to experience what they experience. Thomas insists on seeing Jesus himself in order to make this outrageous, ridiculous, remarkable resurrection news believeable. Jesus alive – come on! You’ve got to be kidding. I need to see for myself. Now – Thomas usually gets the label, “doubting Thomas” and today is labeled “Doubting Thomas Sunday.” I’d much rather call a spade a spade and label him, “Demanding Thomas.” “Insistent Thomas.” He just wants to see what everyone else saw! After all don’t we all just want a little proof that this resurrection business is real?
Proof of God actually showing up in the world? Proof of God actually showing up in, for example, a brutal, dangerous war zone? Proof of God actually showing up where people are being starved to death in the midst of war?
OK – proof. Here’s some proof of the divine actually showing up. Remember the World Central Kitchen organization? Well, 7 of their field workers showed up last Monday morning delivering from ships at sea to the people in Gaza, 100 tons of food to be cooked into hot meals.
But then after they unloaded the food and were driving back at 10:09 pm Monday night, the first of their three vehicles was hit by a missile. One account of the horror describes survivors running for safety to the second vehicle. Then the second vehicle was hit by yet another missile. Then survivors ran to the third vehicle for safety. Then the third vehicle was hit and 7 humanitarian aid workers were killed – from Great Britain, Australia, Canada, one dual citizen of the US and Canada and one Palestinian. Humanitarian workers whose mission was to feed the hungry. Their first names: Saifeddin, Lalzawmi, Damian, Jacob, James, James and John.
This evil, this horror, this madness is the same kind of evil, the same kind of horror, the same kind of madness that started the war, the brutal, horrifying assault last October by Hamas of the Israeli people. Just as Thomas demands that Jesus shows up alive, just as Chef Jose Andres demands people show up to feed the hungry, how do we, the people of God, demand peace? How do we insist that creating the beloved community as we so often talk about here is even possible there? In the aftermath, Chef Jose Andres is demanding an independent, international investigation of the massacre. Will that demand be the beginning of God showing up in the form of some sort of justice?
If the people of God don’t demand justice, who will? If the people of God don’t demand peace who will? If the people of God don’t feed the hungry who will? If the people of God don’t get to work creating the beloved community who will?
What will we demand of our leaders? How will we, the church, make the good news of the resurrected Lord relevant – in fact, how will we demand that we, the people of God have role to play in bringing about peace – in creating policy that leads to peace? How will we remind ourselves time and time again, that this building is not a resting place, but a charging station? We, like Thomas, demand that Jesus shows up in the world. It worked for Thomas! He insisted that Jesus show up, and Jesus showed up! Thomas demanded proof and Jesus showed up! Now, on this side of the resurrection God showing up – – – in you and me.
So we begin here and now. Let me share with you a peace-making story that may seem completely unrelated. Let me share with you a story where one woman’s faith demanded that Jesus show up. Karen and Kim of Holy Trinity volunteer once a week for School on Wheels by tutoring children – children who in some way or another are experiencing homelessness while trying to stay in school and keep up their studies.
Last week Kim met again with 9-year-old Malia who struggles with her school work especially math. She comes to the table frustrated, sad, embarrassed, won’t really communicate much. Last Wednesday, Kim found a way to break through that wall with a multiplication table, something she used as a kid herself, and Kim described it as life-changing for Malia. Kim said it was like a miracle, a resurrection – a whole new Malia! The session ended with two firsts from Malia – a smile and an unexpected hug for Kim. A wall came tumbling down – all because Kim showed up. All because Kim’s abiding and deep faith demanded that Jesus show up – through her. Not tomorrow. Not next week, but today. Yes. Jesus showed up – in Kim and a wall came tumbling down between two people and Malia felt heard and seen and loved.
“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” Thomas demands to see Jesus and it works! It works! Jesus showed up!
I give thanks to God, that, like Thomas, together we insist that Jesus shows up (and Jesus shows up!) Like Thomas we demand that Jesus shows up – with his wounds visible (and Jesus shows up!) I give thanks to God that we demand that this place, this church be a safe place for people’s wounds, for your fears, for your pain, for your grief, for your joys, for your generosity, for your kindness – for your wonderful gift of hospitality. We did that together for the past six years and I am so humbled and grateful. And even more so that Holy Trinity is where Jesus has been showing up for 132 years and will be for many more to come.
I give thanks to God that we expect/desire/invite people – whoever they are – to share their stories confidently, proudly, safely and with the expectation that when you tell your story (through words or deeds or by just showing up), when you tell your story, when you are who you are, you are loved just the way you are. You are celebrated just as you are. And we respond like Thomas with joy and gratitude when he saw Jesus with his own eyes, “My Lord and My God! My Lord and My God!”
One more story? My brother Philip died back in 1996 when he was just 39 years old. His death was shocking, sudden and completely unexpected. I was just sixteen months younger than he. We grew up like twins. At his funeral, I was sitting up in the front row with my mom. Now my mom – how do I say this – I loved her dearly and she was a good mom – but she also wasn’t a terribly affectionate person. She often described her clan as she said – now these are her words, not mine – she described her clan as the frozen Norwegians. (My son, William, who is here can attest to that fact. She wasn’t the kind of grandmother who would get down on the floor to play with her grandchildren. Make the best cinnamon toast ever – yes, but she’s not getting on floor to play.)
Well, as the funeral started I was struggling and she knew it so my mother – grieving the death of her own son – did something unexpected – she put her arm around me and pulled me close. I laid my head on her shoulders and I knew at that moment that I was loved no matter what. I knew at that moment that Jesus showed up. I knew at that moment that I was in the presence of the divine. My mother’s deep and abiding faith insisted, no demanded, that God appear to her distraught son. And God appeared. As Thomas said, “My Lord and My God!” And that moment changed me.
Thank you God, for showing up in the beautiful people of Holy Trinity. Thank you for showing up in my dear family and friends. Thank you for showing up in our community. Thank you for demanding proof that Jesus is alive. All I have to do to have proof, is to look at you. “My Lord and My God!” Amen.