I am a believer. I read the bible daily. Sometimes I learn. Sometimes I don't. I am a Pastor of a Lutheran church. I gather a small group of adults together to pray and listen to the bible on Tuesdays. We are not flashy. It is not entertainment. We are not trying to be relevant or attract a crowd. We are trying to live faithfully, like God matters to us.
I read from the Gospel of Luke today. It was a short passage from the fifth chapter of a gospel we started reading in December. It said this: "Once when Jesus was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord if you choose, you can make me clean." The Jesus, stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I do choose. Be made clean." And immediately the leprosy left him. And he ordered him to tell no one. "Go,"he said, "and show yourself to the priest, and as Moses commanded, make an offering for your cleansing, for a testimony to them." But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray. (Gospel of Luke 5:12-16.)
I think it is unfortunate that a bible story like this one is not better known. There is something in there for everyone, believer or unbeliever. This is what I learned today:
When these four things come together a miracle happens: human suffering/need, the power to eliminate that suffering, and the will to use that power in order to make it so. There is plenty of human need and suffering in the world. For many things, we have sufficient power (in the form of abundant resources--technology, mobilization, money). For example, there is enough food to feed the world. What we lack is the thing that Jesus exercises here. The will to do it. The suffering leper understood that Jesus had the power to change his situation. But would he have the will? He begs him to use his power to heal him of his disease. And Jesus does.
So, first learning: There are lepers out there. They are cast out. They are mentally ill, addicts, cancer patients, HIV/AIDS patients, mentally and physically disabled people, the elderly, single mothers, the poor, the gay community. The healthy and wealthy marginalize them in the interest of public health or personal comfort/safety. The criminal justice system is one way in which we cast them out. Forcing them to work meaningless, low pay jobs in order to survive is an acceptable form of slavery. Another way is to expect the government to support them; the same government pouring money into prisons while cutting spending on education, rehabilitation, and other poverty-reducing services. There are lepers out there. The church is called to recognize the systems that create them and oppose those systems. How has church created "lepers"? What morals do we ascribe to that exclude people?
Second learning: Jesus touches the leper. He risks his own health to heal. Jesus says if you have the power to address human suffering personally, align your will to make it happen. Another way to put it is this: Those who have a heart for people who are suffering will do what is necessary to alleviate the suffering and bring relief, even if it means taking great personal risk. The church is called to engage with the "lepers" among us as a welcoming and healing presence. And healing is at least as much about communal acceptance of your condition as it is about being free from disease. What or who are we willing to accept in our midst, in order to restore hope to those left out?
Third learning: Like most healing miracles, the people came to Jesus for healing. One who is suffering must have the humility and the trust to receive what can be given. Self-reliant fools cannot receive healing. Healing begins with empowerment. Jesus' presence empowered people to seek him. The church is called to empower people to seek a better life. We do this by doing what we say we're going to do, by building trust in a community, by remaining part of the fabric of a community becoming healthier. We do this by "walking" alongside those who are suffering on the margins.
A last thing, but certainly not the least. This is a key component to a God-centered life. We are all needy, dependents. We must not forget our own mortality. And we must not neglect our spirit's needs. Jesus withdrew to a deserted place to pray. Why? His ministry is growing, spreading, and increasing. At that critical moment, he disappears. Just when things are taking off. Who does that? Who walks away when things are getting successful? Who withdraws from the public life as one's star rises? Someone who recognizes his place before the creator and giver of life. As so many begin to depend on Jesus, he does not wreak of self-reliance. His power comes from another source. And he must stay connected to that source. And that connection happens when he withdraws to pray. The church is called to enter the desert. We must rely on the source of life. We must withdraw from the demands of the world,in order to be whole. We have to take care of ourselves, too. In a non-stop, high-pressure culture, who has time to withdraw and pray?
I believe that inattention to deeply embedded spiritual rhythms is creating a public health crisis in the west. Depression, anxiety, overeating, addiction, and burnout are symptoms of this crisis. The root cause? Our spirits, our souls are depleted, dying, weak. Instead of addressing the cause, we self-medicate and we point the finger. We blame. I have said before that the church itself is spiritually lethargic, obese. It's not surprising that the church is declining in the west. We have disconnected from the source of power. We do not breathe the Holy Spirit as the first Christians did. And so we have lost stamina and energy and focus. People around us are thirsty and starving for God's goodness, abundance, mercy/forgiveness, and love. The church gives them rules, morals, and programs to follow. People don't need a program. They need salvation in the form of personal touch. Love and understanding. Real Sabbath rest. A place and a way to reconnect with their creator. A sense of hope, that shalom (health, wholeness, meaningful work, rest, peace) will come because it has been promised by the God who made us and loves us. I am working on what this looks like. I suppose I see it as a community that is doing restorative things; like prayer, growing things, listening to people, being hospitable hosts, helping solve community problems by bringing people who disagree together, telling good stories, and being generous with material things. I'm not sure that established western churches are doing these things too well. I'm willing to make a commitment to do something today that may be restorative for someone else. Will you do the same?
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