There are not many things worse than getting a phone call
from a child who says, “Mom, I’ve got a problem with the car.” It sucks the joy right out of my day! I can
go from feeling fine, even optimistic to having a hard time breathing.
Thank goodness my child is smart and sensible. Thank goodness it was something AMA could
deal with easily. Keys locked in a car
is standard fare and something they deal with regularly. Thank goodness for telephones and computers
and call displays and credit cards that can sort things out in record time.
It got me thinking about how AMA is like Jesus. It’s a bit of a stretch, I know, but bear
with me on this.
John the Baptist has gone from the heights of fame and
fortune, pulling in crowds that would have even modern-day politicians
jealous. Even temple leaders went to
hear the prophet speak, and to be baptised by him. But in today’s passage John is locked up, no
chance of parole, wondering and waiting with no trial date, no defence lawyer
and nothing to do with his time except overthink everything that is
happening. I can’t imagine that the jail
back then was a nice place either, no Amnesty International to make sure he was
getting decent treatment.
But he still has the ability to cut through the propaganda,
the social niceties and ask the only question that mattered, not “when are you
unlocking my prison cell”, but “are you the one we are waiting for or should we
keep looking for another?”
Jesus doesn’t launch into some high-faluting explanation of
how he was going to be crucified, buried and resurrected to prove he was the
messiah to John or even tell John to repent and be saved, nope, he just said “Look
around you and see that lives are changing for the better, that the people are
continuing to be healed and transformed with new vision, new enthusiasm and new
openness to hear what needs to be heard.”
In essence, Jesus told John that his efforts were not
wasted, that the mission and ministry John had started was continuing, and his
current suffering was not in vain. He
had prepared a way so that the people were ready for real transformation, and
Jesus was taking it to the next level.
So how is Jesus like AMA?
AMA is very clear on its purpose.
The first thing you hear when you call is “are you safe?” Their sole purpose is to make driving safer
for everyone, not just their clients.
Even with a complicated problem like my kid being locked out of her car
on a chilly Saturday evening somewhere near a Boston Pizza in Edmonton with the
temperature in the minus teens and they stay calm and friendly. They help with a few suggestions and tell you
it’s probably a two hour wait and twenty minutes later, the car is unlocked,
and your child is heading safely home.
That’s focus on their purpose in life, and they let their actions speak louder
than words.
Jesus too knew his purpose and it was not to rescue people
or enable them. It was to empower
them. Because if he had just been
wanting to rescue folks, he would have said, “John, I’ve been healing people
and teaching people. My record of
success is great and I’m getting big crowds.”
He said, “People are seeing, moving and hearing, rejoice!”
Certainly, there’s a fine line between rescuing and
empowering and I feel joy when I see people transformed and empowered as they
come here. Even in one week there have
been great stories connected to this congregation. Folks learning to stretch their food dollars
and learn new recipes; folks struggling to find meaning and hope in life coming
and having someone support them and listen to their story.
People taking brave steps to break out of unhealthy
thinking patterns or destructive lifestyles, government employees reaching out
to us to ask about homeless individuals that are struggling with the cold snap,
people working as a team to help refugees and addicted human beings. And people struggling with the hardest thing
of all, changing the way they look at the world and think about the world.
Yes it’s a tough time of year with cutbacks looming,
self-serving politicians and global environment crisis, but there are also
signs of hope! Children calling for
change and action beyond lip service.
New technologies developing to reduce our dependency on oil, paper
straws in every grocery store, reusable beeswax cloths instead of saran wrap
for food for sale at our farmer’s market, generous people donating some of
their stocks to help with our congregation’s cash flow, dozens of scarves being
churned out for our homeless population, people donating to Santa’s Anonymous
and helping with community dinners, and people entering into treatment programs
or getting the mental health counselling they need to deal with complex issues. And people understanding the difference
between enabling and empowering those they support.
What do we need to see with new eyes? What are the things that make us limp along
that we could deal with better? What
words of transformation do we need to hear that we’ve been avoiding
hearing? What are we waiting for? Who are we waiting for? Are we ready to see the changes and healings
that are happening under this roof? Are
we ready to feel the joy of knowing that we are part of something larger than
ourselves? Are we ready to be part of a
big mission of empowering people and the world?
May we wait this Advent with hope, peace and joy for that transforming
new life that Christ opens in us!