A couple of weeks ago I was at a civil service conference in
Blackpool. It was a shock – everywhere was so rundown
and poor. Down one street it was all boarded up shops,
nowhere was there shade from the blazing sun. At
lunchtime, I was looking for a place to take
refreshment. Nowhere, it seemed offered a refuge of
comfort and relaxation. It had been a tiring week, and
I needed such a place.
Then, like a gift from God, I found THE place – it was an
upstairs café, attached to the Methodist church. Like
an oasis of calm it was – soft chairs and quiet tables, I
enjoyed a cup of tea, whilst gazing into the back of the
chapel. And yes, the tea was delicate and
reviving. I read the first of a 9 day prayer booklet –
the visitation of the archangel Gabriel to Mary. The
meditation picture was of a Dalit (in the Indian caste
system – the untouchables) Madonna and child.
The image resonated with Blackpool – the deprivation and the
poverty. Yet, in the image, there was the certainty of
the worth of the Dalit mother and child. I noticed too, how
busy the church café was – This was the place of refuge for
the elderly gentlefolk of the town of Blackpool.
In our daily lives, we often yearn for refuge. When we
find those moments, they are so precious. Like the
Dalit mother, how often do we feel outcast, or
marginalised? Or that life is cruel? And how
often do we inflict those feelings on others? With a
thoughtless or unkind word or gesture. Maybe, it is
isolated, or maybe more systematic - part of the way
of being.
In the Old Testament reading today, from Ezekiel – we hear
how the prophet accepts his mission from God, to be the
watchmen for the people. That they are rebellious and
suffer the consequences of their own defiance of God.
That they have found themselves exiled from Judah, by the
Babylonians, is a consequence of their own rebellion against
God.
Ezekiel offers warnings to the people and commands them to
keep the law of God. There is though, also hope and
protection in the words of the prophet. To keep their
spiritual integrity, that is what must be maintained, above
all. This is to be done, in all circumstances.
Faith in God, and obedience to God – is the goal of each
follower.
Ezekiel is very much there with the Jews, in exile. He
is one of them, though he is an intermediary for them, with
God.
There is profound peace to be found in just reading
scripture. The power of the word of God, reflecting
upon it – bringing it into everyday life, is without
measure.
But it brings its challenges too. They are not just
reassuring words of comfort, but ask also for sacrifice and
humility. Exercising judgement is not easy, when the
pain and suffering of earthly life grab us. How can we
respond truly as people of God?
The Jewish people, in their centuries of persecution have
known bitterly the reality of being outcast.
We should have courage, be ready to discern the will of God
and to respond with action, inspired by the Holy
Spirit. This may mean having to accept some
deprivation, to rely upon God for strength. To see God
even in the deprivation, in the brokenness.
In today’s Gospel passage from Mark, Jesus is tasking
his disciples with going out and ministering, healing and
spreading the Gospel. This is also our
discipleship. We cannot be passive, just waiting to be
fed. We need to bring the hope of the Gospel message
to the world, to be a small light ourselves. If we
open our eyes and ears, we will experience God – lifting our
senses, not look inwards. Seeing God in the world
around us. But, as Jesus says, we often don’t
recognise the prophet in our midst. Instead, we think
it is somewhere beyond our sphere. In this, we may
fail to see the reality of God with us, and the Holy Spirit
at work, and alive in the world. We do not become
charged instruments ourselves, but remain passive and inert.
Immersing ourselves in pray and scripture, we become more
open to the reality of God in the world. When we
engage in this way, as disciples we can seek the way to
bring the kingdom of God into reality. In the quiet
time of pray and reading of scripture, we are re-grounded
and renewed in the holy spirit. The fever of our minds
and hearts is calmed and rebalanced.
The person of Christ, as he was when he was among his
disciples, brought divine leadership and direction to their
lives, their mission and their purpose. The old ways
of Jewish law, were no longer enough. Jesus was asking
more of the disciples, less of a strict rules and observance
way of life. But with a more fundamental
self-sacrificing and dangerous mission. For the
disciples, this would have been a daunting task – with real
threats to themselves and lying ahead.
Jesus means for us to join in the mission too, however we
can. Though we need to pray and read scripture, we
also need to see what is happening in the world around
us. By bringing a prayerful understanding to the
world, we can be different in the world, making it a better
place, one where we can witness to our Christian
faith. That it is not just a physical place, but also
one where the Holy Spirit dwells and is alive.
There is much suffering and deprivation in the world, we do
not have to look far to see it. Sometimes it is
hidden, when a person does not want to let others see their
agony, for the sense of shame. The ill-tempered person
we encounter may be that person. The brokenness of
some of the places and lives – be it Blackpool town centre,
or the homeless people on the streets. It is our
Christian mission to do what we can to ease suffering in the
world and live not just for ourselves. To be prepared
to open ourselves up to God and ask for divine grace and
enduring faith. That is our mission today.