Acts 17:22-31, 1 Peter 3:13-22, John 14:15-21, Psalm 66:7-18
My husband Rick and I were married 36 years when he died. We met through YMCA camp, I was the waterfront director and he was a camp counselor. But the point of this story is baseball. When Rick and I met and were dating, we went to the Metrodome for Twins baseball. Now, in those days, I rolled my eyes at baseball, boring! And actually fell asleep during baseball games. But I went, because he seemed to enjoy it and I loved him so I went. We got married, and had kids, and brought our kids to the Metrodome for Twins baseball. As long as the kids could walk under the turnstile, they were free. We packed our own hotdogs in our picnic basket, and got to the dome early so we could sit way down in front, or on the third base line to watch batting practice. Before the game began, we'd move up into the nosebleed section into our own seats. I actually grew to love baseball, our kids love Twins baseball. It's crazy what we'll do for love.
In the fifteenth chapter of John, following what we read today is, "This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." And what we have from John this week is a follow up to what we heard last week. John reminds us, you know how to do this, love is hard, and you can do hard things. John reminds us that love is about a relationship, love God, love yourself, love others. And in John, Jesus reminds us that we will not be left alone, love is a hard thing after all, and so Jesus does not leave us alone, Jesus leaves us with the Advocate. Advocate is one way to translate the Greek word, Paraclete. Paraclete can function relationally by designating one who brings help, consolation, comfort, and encouragement. All of these meanings however, derive from the most basic meaning of the word to “come alongside another.”
There was a time in our history when a person who was standing for trial in a courtroom literally stood in the box the entire time. A Paraclete is the one who stands with, the one who holds up, and the Paraclete was the one to come alongside to help the person stand throughout the trial, and if needed, to stand in for that person. This is the image that John evokes in this passage, this is the truth of what Jesus does in this passage. Jesus shows us what God's love for God's people looks like, we are not left alone, we are not left to our own devices.
One thing that is hard about love, among many things, is that our society has led us to believe that love is about a feeling. Love is the same as romance, or passion, or sex. Love comes and goes. You can fall into and out of love. But that is not the love that God commands, that is not the love that this story shows us. A real love story is a story that shows a relationship that endures, a relationship in which the lovers treat each other well, respectfully, compassionately, lovingly, even when they don't feel like it, even when they don't want to. There are some wonderful love stories out there. How about a real love story in which a father pushes his son's wheel chair for the whole race, so that the son will know what it is like to run. Or another love story when one friend, who is blind, puts his friend who has no legs, on his back and they go about living life together. A real love story is when a couple watches baseball together, because they've grown to love baseball together.
Love is holding another person up, when all we want to do is fall down. Love is holding another person up when it seems impossible to stand another moment. Love is standing there for another person, speaking on behalf of the other, being the voice for the voiceless, love is showing up. And it is hard, so Jesus leaves this Spirit, this Advocate, this Paraclete, with us, so that we are not left alone.
Love is hard, and you can do hard things. Have you ever known that Spirit, that Advocate, that Paraclete coming alongside of you? This Spirit is sometimes hard to identify. But it lives somewhere in the wind and the flame of compassion, of grace, courage, faith, peace, laughter, music, strength, and joy.
Love is hard, and you can do hard things. When is a time when you have wanted to just lie down and not get up again, but someone came by your side and held you up? When have you been broken and spent, and someone came by your side and gave you words of encouragement? When have you been ready to throw in the towel, when have you been ready to call it quits, and someone came by your side and said, that's why a baseball game is nine innings, you’ve got plenty more chances. When have you stood by the side of one you love, when doing so may have seemed doomed.
An understanding of Advocate is "to speak on behalf of another." In John, this is a manifestation of the third person of the trinity that is different from the more familiar Spirit, wind or fire. The Advocate will stick up for you, and you will stick up for others. You will bear witness, you speak on behalf of love, you will stand by the side of the other or the beloved, you will hold one another up, because you can do hard things, because God loves you, and because Love wins even when the Twins don't.
Another story about Advocate - or Holy Spirit. I’ve played the flute now for a long time. I was very fortunate, my parents encouraged me, I was in band and able to take private music lessons. Once in high school, there was an expectation that all of the band students would prepare a piece of music and participate in a music competition. Again, I was fortunate in that the person from whom I had private flute lessons was a piano player as well, and therefore, an accompanist. Since then, I’ve had some opportunities to play and be accompanied by some pretty wonderful pianists. An accompanist is a partner in the music. The job of the accompanist is to get the best out of the soloist; to help the soloist to do their very best. When the soloist is nervous, like a high school flute player would be, the accompanist encourages her playing, and even occasionally covers mistakes. There is a sense of joy in making music by oneself, but I think my greatest musical joy is in making music with others.
There is a new creation, a spirit if you will, that lives in the particular time and place that music is made. The picture of the accompanist for me is one of partner, and even co-creator, without whom music is less. Music can be played or sung, and with the accompanist, it is more beautiful, and more fun. It is this image I encourage you to hold on to as we continue to read through John in the next few weeks as we hear more about this Advocate, the Holy Spirit, the Accompanist, who teaches us to love in hard ways, and in joyful ways.
Alleluia, Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia.
A Prayer for Mother’s Day…for all of us.
For women being celebrated by their children and grandchildren today… may your joy be complete.
For women separated from their children today, due to physical or emotional distance -and for those with difficult relationships with their mothers… may your joy be in what was and what yet may be.
For women whose child – born or unborn – has died – and for those whose Mother has died… may joy be present in the midst of your grief.
For women who lost a child in abortion… may the joy of peace be yours.
For women who have given a child in adoption… may you be bathed in the overflow of joy you provided to another.
For women who are expecting or dreaming of a child someday – and for women who are struggling to conceive or adopt… may your hope lead to joy.
For women who are not called to have children of their own… may you find joy in community.
For women who raise or love the children of other women as their own – and for women who adopt or foster children… may your love bring you joy.
For women one and all… may you find joy in the truth that you are wonderfully made.
For the miracle of life, we give thanks to the Lord. Amen.
Blessing
May God give you grace not to sell yourself short;
grace to risk something big for something good;
and grace to remember the world is now too dangerous
for anything but truth and too small for anything but love.
And the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you for ever.
Amen! Alleluia!
No comments:
Post a Comment