Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time 'C'

Saturday October 9, 2010

It’s really about breaking down barriers

Faith and reason are not incompatible. Faithful people believe in miracles and miracles are not beyond the scope of reason when connected with faith.

Naaman was an intelligent man of pagan privilege, a mighty warrior who was not exempt from human frailty and the curse of leprosy. But he was not too proud to acquiesce to the pleas of a Jewish servant girl taken in captivity. He took the appropriate steps to seek healing in a land foreign to him and despite his doubts about the ritual of the ordinary — washing in what he considered a ‘dirty river’ compared to rivers in his homeland — an extraordinary thing happened. He was cured. His faith and his trust in the ‘foreign’ God of Israel were not only his cure but also his salvation. His trust in the servant girl moved him to cross the border in search of a cure and his cure moved to a faith-filled gratitude.

There is no indication that the ten lepers in Luke’s gospel were of privilege except that we know that nine were Israelites and one was a Samaritan. Nevertheless, all had lost their privileges. Despite the enmity that existed between the Israelites and the Samaritans, their common misfortune had broken down racial and border barriers. Luke was less interested in their geographical differences than in their theological similarities. Instead of calling out to warn passersby of their contamination as required by Jewish law, they shouted out to Jesus for mercy. Their loss of privilege became the doorway to their healing but one of the lepers went even further. He saw something more in Jesus, “and this man was a Samaritan!” His trust gave him the hope of a cure and his cure led to faith and profound gratitude.

I don’t believe anyone here in this assembly has not suffered estrangement of one kind or other and current world events surely continue to contribute to disaffection and even alienation.

If anything, the threat of terrorism and financial collapse has made us very conscious of our vulnerability and has moved some people to look beyond border and privilege differences toward the qualities that build trust and unite us in the face of common threats. On the other hand there are others who capitalize on privilege and difference, abandoning the pursuit of truth lest they be forced to acquiesce to an inclusive justice that serves the good of all.

We cannot abandon hope in a healing God whose love knows no borders or boundaries. In fact, the Gospel cautions us today not to characterize people of another race or religion as enemies despite racial differences, cultural boundaries, national borders and global tensions. Extreme positions of every kind right or left can and often do deteriorate into intentional but irrational thinking that inevitably leads not only to terrorism but also hateful attitudes, vindictive rhetoric and bizarre behavior of the kind we witness all too often in political and even religious rhetoric to say nothing of media pundits. The tragic death of the Rutger’s student has made us aware of cruel epithets about same sex orientation accompanied by bullying. It’s an issue for which there seems to be no adequate explanation but people who struggle with their sexual identity need acceptance and understanding, not mockery.

People of faith can be healed by faith and in the process become heroes to the hope that goodness will ultimately prevail. People of faith know their vulnerability and renounce their sense of privilege in deference to the call to justice and freedom for people of every race and nation. People of faith find reason to be grateful for the mercy and compassion of God who heals all wounds.

“Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of Elisha, the man of God…. Naaman said: please let me, your servant, have two mule-loads of earth, for I will no longer offer holocaust or sacrifice to any other god except to the Lord.” [2 Kings 5:14, 17]

It was forbidden to worship a foreign God on pagan soil, so Naaman transported the soil from Israel in a symbolic gesture so that he could build an altar on sacred ground as an act of gratitude.

At the edge of Green Mountain National Forest in Weston, Vermont, Weston Priory, a small community of Benedictine monks provides sacred space for thousands of visitors of every faith tradition and many of no religious affiliation. Members of the Benedictine community come from the United States, Canada and Latin America. “Each has a unique background and personality expressed through a variety of creative gifts, but they all come to center their hopes and dreams in the gospel and spirit of Jesus.” [ The Monks of Weston Priory, Sharing Life in Word and Song, a catalogue of music and materials published by Weston Priory, 2007]

Although the brothers live apart from the world, they have invested their lives for the cause of justice and peace throughout the world. They have opened not only the doors of their priory but also the doors of their hearts to all who are searching for healing and hope. For many years, they have provided a sanctuary asylum for a Guatemalan family.

We in the Christian tradition need to recognize and expose our ‘leprosy’ or whatever it is that prevents us from being our best selves even in the face of evil. Be it anger, hurt, depression, confusion, we cry out, Lord, have compassion and lead us not to the killing fields but to green pastures and beside restful waters where our souls may be refreshed. May we choose wisely and walk courageously forward in the sight of our foes despite our desire to seek revenge. In you, O Lord, justice and mercy meet. May we pursue that justice with integrity and never forget that your rod and your staff will be our strength.

Weston Priory is a rich symbols of what a parish, indeed the whole Church should be for everyone in a troubled world.

As the fever of the day calms towards twilight
May all that is strained in us come to ease.
We pray for all who suffered violence today,
May an unexpected serenity surprise them.
For those who risk their lives each day for peace,
May their hearts glimpse providence at the heart of history.
That those who make riches from violence and war
Might hear in their dreams the cries of the lost.
That we might see through our fear of each other
A new vision to heal our tal attraction to aggression.
That we might see through our fear of each other
A new vision to heal our fatal attraction to aggression.
That those who enjoy the privilege of peace
Might not forget their tormented brothers and sisters.
That the wolf might lie down with the lamb,
That our swords be beaten into ploughshares
And no hurt or harm be done
Anywhere along the holy mountain.

[From Benedictus by John Donohue, Bantam Press, 2007]

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