| Joshua 22:1-6 "Who Will Walk With Me?" |
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| Written by Rev. Don Lee | |
| Saturday, 11 August 2007 | |
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It’s been said the Christian life is a call to radical obedience. I’ve always been intrigued by that claim. One, because Jesus was frequently critical of any attempt to place a legalistic interpretation of faith in God. And secondly, how does one know which of Jesus’ teaching to follow. After all Jesus told his disciples in Luke 12:33 to “sell your possessions and give alms to the poor.” He instructed them to become like little children in Mark 10:15. He told them to follow him and let the dead bury their own, and that…those who follow him would have no place to rest his or her head (Matthew 8:22). So which of these teachings do you follow? And these are just some of the so-called “hard sayings of Jesus.” But to follow Jesus, how he lived…mirroring his mercy, his grace, his justice, his compassion for the poor and hungry; to do what he did…you know, “to walk in his ways,” that’s something we can get a handle on; something we can believe in, maybe even live by. From a Post New Testament perspective Jesus is the epitome of what it means to walk in God’s ways. Isn’t that right? And when you look at Jesus’ life in the Gospels so much of it was spent walking the dusty roads of Palestine with people; stopping to heal, forgive, feed, teach, baptize and give hope. In Jesus, God walked in solidarity with a failed broken humanity. The $3 word for that is “Incarnation.”In Jesus God became one of us. In Jesus, God walks. God walks out of compassion. God walks to make our lives better. God walks to be in relationship with us. God walks to bring healing. God walks with us, because we need God to walk with us. Thus if we are to walk in all of God’s ways, then we must walk as Jesus walked; in compassion for and solidarity with the weak and poor, the hungry and homeless. That’s why I believe that following Jesus is a call to a life of radical inconvenience. I don’t think Jesus expects us to give up everything that is important to us, rather he wants us to keep our priorities straight and clear. If there’s one thing everyone in this congregation can probably all agree on it’s this: “No one should have to starve to death for lack of food…” CROP Walk is a nationwide program sponsored by CWS to raise both awareness and monies to address world hunger. Unfortunately, last year in our area no one would take responsibility for coordinating the CROP Walk and so it didn’t happen. That’s both sad and tragic because the monies are so desperately needed and goes a long way toward feeding a great many hungry children and their families. I learned at a Minister’s luncheon last Spring that the very 1st CROP Walk in this area happened right here at Holy Covenant about 10 years ago! Did you know that? When I heard this I couldn’t help myself. Before I even knew what I was doing, I had volunteered to help coordinate this year’s CW. I was soon joined by the ministers from the Unitarian and Christian churches in our community. It’s estimated that daily more than 27,000 children die from hunger, malnutrition, dirty water, and preventable illnesses like diarrhea and malaria, according to the United Nations Children's Fund. Now I didn’t volunteer you, just myself. So I am asking for your help. I am asking you to participate in this year’s CROP Walk on Saturday, September 29th. I am asking you to go into the hall outside the narthex and sign up to be walker or if unable to do so because of physical limitations, to sponsor someone who is walking. This way everyone here can participate in some significant way! So what will getting your friends to sponsor you for a couple mile walk accomplish? I’m going to show you a short video about Crop Walk and how those monies are used by Church World Service to fund a great number of projects for the hungry across our world. (Show video) I am asking you to take one Saturday away from personal pursuits for what is clearly a Kingdom pursuit. I am asking you to tell you child’s coach or your boss or your significant other that this is a priority and to please schedule around it. This is not about you or me or Holy Covenant. It’s about living lives of radical inconvenience for Jesus’ sake. Nobel Prize winner Bishop Desmond Tutu was once asked why he had become an Anglican priest. He replied that in the day of apartheid, when a black person met a white person on the sidewalk, the black person was expected to step off the pavement into the gutter to allow the white person to pass by. He replied, “One day when I was just a little boy, my mother and I were walking down the street when a tall white man, dressed in a black suit, came toward us. Before my mother and I could step off the sidewalk, as was expected of us, this man stepped off the sidewalk and, as my mother and I passed, tipped his hat in a gesture of respect to her.” “Surprised at what had happened I asked my mother, “Why did that white man do that (walk that way)? My mother explained he was an Anglican priest, “A man of God, (she called him) that’s why he did it.” Desmond Tutu said, “I decided there and then that I wanted to be an Anglican priest too. And what is more, I wanted to be a man of God.” You know it takes tremendous courage to say no to yourself and yes to God. You cannot follow Jesus and ignore hunger when God has given you a means to do something about it. The Christian faith is a call to a life of radical inconvenience! “If anyone would be my disciple,” said Jesus, “let them deny themselves, take us their cross, and follow me.” I am asking you to join me in stepping off the sidewalk in a gesture of respect and compassion for the poor among us. Will you join me? “Who will walk with me?” |
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