Oh be Joyful

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!