Repairing The World

“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” — Martin Luther King Jr.

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” – Matthew 9:35-38

One of the privileges of my incarnation as a cis-generded, mid-aged white man in Western NC is that I can go just about anywhere, do just about anything, and enjoy at least a few moments of reasonable doubt. I can take for granted this ability to trespass almost anywhere and be offered the chance to at least explain myself before what powers that be decide what to do with me.

So it feels odd to get up before you this morning as the son of a racist, a panasexual father myself, college educated yet marginalized worker, a recovering addict, and spiritual doubter. I feel, quite naturally, a bit like an imposter. I wish I had a better emissary to offer you. And since I’ve just revealed, in labels, certain aspects of myself that allow you to engage your defenses, that may have you raising some shields in your heart.
I’d better quickly use what shadow of doubt I have left to illuminate the message I am here to share.
Which is this: that the struggle for liberation of all people and all things might be the central purpose of our life and our primary spiritual work. It is very much a part of the Main Thing.
Until we are free, until our brothers’ and sisters’ are free, we will suffer, and cause others to suffer, a separation from the Divine Reality we are all born into.
That’s the bad news.

But you already know that.

You already know that you and your fellows suffer. You know your own suffering intimately, and you see it in others. Maybe you have been given labels for it.

What you may not know this morning is the means by which to end that suffering.

You may think you have to go to great lengths, engage a specialist, sign up for some sort of a retreat, eat certain foods, believe certain things. And yes, those all help.
Or depending on your level of despair you might even feel that death or the certain obvilition offered us in sex, drugs, and social media are solutions. I have myself, at various times, in my walk with this person named John David, sought such relief.

But there is a more excellent way. I was taught a magic trick by which I now daily manifest paradise. Let me tell you how I began practicing resurrection. I found the first step in an email from Carol Greenspan in 2014:
“Volunteers are needed to help feed and house twelve women experiencing homelessness here in Western NC. Would you be willing to make twelve sandwiches for these women as they go about their day? Anything you could do would be welcome. Thank you for your interest in supporting Room in the Inn.

Shalom, Carol”

I could do nothing staring at the screen that day to deal with my own homelessness and hunger. The result of minor discriminations and poor decisions I made facing the reality of my own sexuality, and the drug abuse I engaged in, the stories I told myself.
I felt hopeless in the face of my own humanity.

But I could make sandwiches.
I could trade my cot at the Salvation Army for an awfully uncomfortable metal chair watching over the door so that others could sleep. In time I could begin to tell others why took drugs as a logical, if wholly inadequate solution, for not knowing how to live in my own skin.
In time I found there are many waters to draw from.
I am learning to face up and sing.
My liberation began by toasting bread and spreading peanut butter.

And that is the good news.
That, whatever hurt you have experienced in the world, the first step to repairing it is the small act you take in helping others overcome their hurt.
That is, I think, the gospel, a very old, but I imagine, not very tired, Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King might preach on his 93th birthday.
So my challenge to you this morning Jubilee! Radically simple.

Look over this rough beast slouching to Bethlehem to be born and ask, “what can I do?” What can I do?

Can I … Make the sandwich.
Can I …Answer the email.
Can I… Make that phone call.
Can I …Pick up a case of water to give out at stoplights.

Can I …Go to the meeting.
Can I …Answer the email.
Can I … Pick flowers.

Crawl out from under Covid’s covers and however imperfectly as you are able-
And get into some necessary trouble.
Manifest paradise in your own soul and community.
And thank you.
Thank you for continuing my liberation.

The Kingdom of God is at hand.
Shalom.