Grace to you and peace…
Well Heather and I have just travelled half way around the world and back, and Jesus is still on the mount preaching his sermon. We’ve moved incredible distance, but he’s been there all along. You have gone through so much in recent weeks, perhaps not geographical changes— but we are all journeying in some way or another. I can’t help but think of your mourning the death of our beloved Lars Hellberg, your giving thanks for his life and commending him to God, as you gathered around Lois and the family yesterday. (I deeply regret that I was not able to be here with you because our flight was canceled.)
We’ve all been journeying in some way or another in recent weeks. So when I looked at the Gospel text for this Sunday having been out of touch for so long it seems, expecting that everything would be different even in our lectionary, I was struck that Jesus was still up there preaching the Sermon on the Mount, the great Matthew Chapter 5. There is something wonderfully comforting about that. Jesus still there, teaching us about love, teaching us about peace and leading us into full maturity as God’s people – NRSV translation calls it “being perfect”, but I think that’s a bad translation, Jesus guides us into full fruition, just as our God in heaven has come to complete fruition.
Love your enemies, Jesus specifically teaches us today. Love your enemies—perhaps the greatest challenge in all of scripture. And perhaps the most striking characteristic of the Christian. This is what sets us apart: People of God, followers of Jesus love their enemies. Nothing new about loving the people who we love, Jesus almost seems to taunt his listeners. But loving those who are most unlovable, most unlike us, even our enemies: this is what Jesus-followers do.
Heather and I made a bit of a last minute decision last week while we were in Edinburgh, Scotland. And we decided do one of those guided bus tours up through the Highlands all the way to Loch Ness. It was one of the highlights of our whole two weeks for me, as the scenery was just incredible. (We even got video footage of the fabled Loch Ness Monster for Micah.) On the tour, we saw breathtaking glens and lochs and mountains, locations where they filmed parts of movies like Braveheart and Harry Potter. Sometimes we just listened to various types of Scottish music as we enjoyed the passing dramatic landscapes and weather.
At one point, our guide pointed out a tiny island in the middle of a loch (lake). There were no trees on this little island—about the size of this sanctuary—it looked like just a mound of mud or peat. But he told us that in the summer time that little island changes colors as flowers cover it with blossoms. And he told us that the ancient clans of the Highlands would use that island for meetings. They called it Peace Island, and it still holds great meaning as a symbolic place for local Scots. The story goes that ancient chiefs would come from all around the Highlands, literally lay down their weapons on the shores of the mainland and paddle out to the island with nothing but food, where they would meet and negotiate and eat and carve out roads for peace among their peoples.
Now it sounds quite idyllic; how much is myth and how much is reality, I’ll never know. But, I was struck by the image of Peace Island in the highlands. I wish I had gotten a picture of it, but I was too taken up in the moment, and of course the picture wouldn’t have done it justice. I couldn’t help but share this image with you today as we consider Jesus’ invitation to us, to love our enemies. [pause]
Imagine the church as a certain Peace Island. Where our weapons, our cruel words, our prejudices from our main-lands/our everyday lives, are laid down. And we paddle out together to this place where flowers grow during some days of the year and other days, well, it’s muddy and ugly, it’s painful and mournful and rainy. But we meet there together, and eat there, as sisters and brothers in Christ, followers of the crucified one, to carve out ways, while we eat, of loving and caring for each other through our differences. Peace Island. [pause]
And this might be a stretch from what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, but I think Paul says it in today’s Corinthians lesson: may our bodies be a Peace Island as well. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. What a powerful idea – the Spirit is housed in you, because of Christ! How many of us may experience our own selves as one of our greatest enemies. (Picture on the cover of the two men shaking hands: I saw that as Dan shaking hands/making peace with Dan.) How we can do battle with all those voices in our own heads, all those countering sides of ourselves. But Jesus tells us to love our enemies, that our lives and our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Let us put down the weapons that we use to cut our own selves down, let us put those aside and paddle out to true selves that God has created us to be. A Peace Island, God makes us each.
God is filling us this day, sisters and brothers in Christ, with love. I was looking at some notes I made for this day a few months ago, before we thought that Lars’ death would come as soon and as quickly as it did. And I had jotted down as an illustration for this text, what the Hellbergs have on their answering machine. Have you heard it? “This is Lois and Lars. You’re all our friends; we have no foes. Please leave a message.” This is true Christianity come to fruition, on an answering machine message. (God shows up in surprising places.) The enemy is destroyed, but not with swords or words or mighty arms. With love. When we love our enemies, they cease to be our enemies. “You’re all our friends we have no foes.” Only a God of grace can offer us such a gift, such an island of peace.
May that love, that peace that passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in faith in that Christ Jesus this day and forever. AMEN.
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