Overcoming the Darkness

Well, the holiday season has come and gone. And, how wonderful it is! I love Christmas and generally do not look forward to how empty the house looks when the decorations have been packed away. This year I feel somewhat differently. I'm actually rather glad it's over.

Still, I had some small surprises that have brought occasion for delight. My son's girlfriend, Mary, gave me a book for Christmas, "The Greatest War Stories Never Told," by Rick Beyer. While cleaning up afterward I confided to my wife that I'm always interested in what people think I want to read. That is, at first glance I was not particularly interested in this book. Yes, as my wife pointed out, I like history. (And what is history about other than war!)

But what a surprise! It's a nice little book of 100 snippets of stories from different places and times gathered together for the History Channel's "History Minutes" series. And, the stories are fascinating. Take for instance the one about General Santa Anna (the Mexican dictator that defeated the north Americans at the Alamo) who helped to inspire inventor Thomas Adams to create modern chewing gum.

Or, the one about the military unit of ancient Thebes called The Sacred Band. This unit not only was instrumental in defeating the vaunted Spartans, but remained undefeated over a span of thirty years. The uniqueness of this group was that it was intentionally made up of 150 gay couples. The reasoning behind this was the each soldier would have the incentive to fight hard in order to both protect his partner and to avoid being shamed in front of the partner. An amazing (and successful) case of "do ask, do tell."

Or there is the story that particularly strikes me at the beginning of Epiphany: that of Joan of Arc. Joan was the 17 year old peasant girl that became the leader of the armies of France in recovering French soil from the British in the fifteenth century.

As Rick Beyer points out (p.24), "What she did to make that happen -- in a time when women were regarded as property -- beggars the imagination.

1. She talked her uncle into taking her to the local military commander.
2. She convinced the commander to provide a military escort to take her to the Dauphin (the crowned prince).
3. She convinced a group of priests that God was really speaking to her, and that she should be allowed to meet with the Dauphin.
4. In less than five minutes she convinced Charles (the Dauphin) to give her an army.
5. She persuaded grizzled veterans of the war against England tht they should take orders from a seventeen year old girl. Further, she got them to give up cursing and sex while serving under her.
6. In an age when war meant hand-to-hand combat, even for commanders, Joan survived numerous battles while never wielding a weapon.
7. Not only did she lead her army to victory at Orleans, she also liberated dozens of French towns and defeated another British army at Patay."

More than providing a few moments of interesting anecdotal reading this one story, at least, also provides some food for thought.

Last evening I presented the NY Conference OCWM powerpoint to a Council meeting in a local church. In the discussion we mentioned that the times are hard! (Don't we know it!) Anxiety is rampant! Money is tight! As we discussed how this local church might be able to give more to Our Churches Wider Mission, one man rather poignantly confessed, "In times like these sometimes we just want to give up."

Indeed! Sometimes we do just want to give up. In recognition of this fact I responded, "But we don't give up. We certainly don't want to give up on the church!"

Whether or not this answer was helpful to those gathered, I stand by the conviction (and Joan's story certainly underscores it's truth!) We don't give up, but keep pressing on. Why? Because God calls us to ministry and God promises to be with us in good times and bad. And, as God calls and promises, God is also faithful and just and abounds in steadfast love.

Another truth from Joan's story is that we need leaders that are willing to own and champion God's call to leadership. We have leaders that seem embarassed to take on the mantel of leadership. I'm talking about church leaders both ordained and lay, here!

The leadership of worship seems to be little more than begging the pardon of the worshipers for taking their time, for actually asking them to open up their hearts and minds in prayer, or to consider their need for forgiveness and to forgive others, or to commit themselves to a life of discipleship through the giving of their time, talents and treasure.

Indeed! I believe that we need to take Paul's rejoinder to heart: that we were not given a spirit of timidity but rather a spirit of power, love and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). We need to become much more bold in our witness to the power of God's love in our lives.

Boldly receiving and proclaiming the good news of God's love for all humanity in Jesus Christ does not mean that we are "puffing ourselves up", or denying the validity of other faith traditions, or putting ourselves in place of God. Rather, it is joyfully proclaiming that we have seen the light of salvation as we have experienced the grace and peace of the Christchild. It is walking with God and one another with humility, knowing that we are not God ourselves and that it is only by the grace of God that we embrace the journey at all.

It's a gloomy January day in Central New York -- the worst kind in my view (a wintry mix of rain, snow and sleet).

But it's Epiphany! With some good reading and reflecting on our own experience of the light of God in Christ maybe that light can brighten the day.

Furthermore, with Simeon we may find ourselves rejoicing, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel." (Luke 2:29-32)

Blessings,

Rick Cowles