Lord, Change the World, Beginning with Me
S0me years ago we awaited the dawn of a new millennium. There was much debate :
- which year was it : 2000 or 2001?
- who would see the sun up first? (like this year, too damp to see)
- all eyes on NZ for effect of Y2K bug
- calls for a new order of global peace.
Perhaps we weren’t too surprised little changed :
- not long till 9/11 set off a whole new conflagration in Afghanistan and Iraq, with terrorist attacks in many countries, some uncomfortably close to us eg Indonesia
- Bob Geldof and the Make Poverty History campaign, and the campaign to cancel debt, remind us of the grinding poverty of many, a poverty which could be fixed with a fraction of the money spent on armaments
- Climate Change the new global agenda
- inter-religious debates, some with violent overtones (eg Danish cartoons)
- modernist attacks on Christianity, claims that now the Church was trying to muscle in on Christmas, Richard Dawkins and The God Delusion.
In the words of the Christmas carol : Yet with the woes of sin and strife, the world has suffered long; beneath the angel-strain have rolled two thousand years of wrong. lChristmas reminds us that into this world where. maybe it all seems too hard and hopeless, and we are wearied and disillusioned with the effort, the boundless energy and love of God in Christ springs always fresh into our lives and our world. Our readings this morning speak of the images of youth :
- 1 Samuel 2, 18-20, 26 :here is the young boy Samuel whom his mother Hannah had dedicated to the service of the Lord, and living at the Temple with the ageing priest Eli : his mother brought him a little tunic each year. Samuel grew in stature and in favour with God and people
- Luke 2. 41-52 : this story linked to that of the boy Jesus, aged 12, making the journey to Jerusalem with his parents, sitting among the learned ones of Judaism, listening, asking questions, offering insights so that they were amazed at his replies.
It is the spirit of youth that counts, God’s spirit of compassion that brings a lasting justice and peace that encompasses every living creature on Earth, and the Earth itself. That spirit can be alive in older members of the community, and unformed in the young : age is no determinant.
Christmas reminds us that the power of God is found in weakness and humility, not in displays of military, financial or political power. This became clear in Vietnam, and again in Iraq and Afghanistan : overwhelming military muscle can be defeated by small-scale insurgent groups that vanish into the bush or the urban network. In democracies politicians lose power as public opinion turns against them. As it is said, where the people lead, the politicians will follow.
It comes back to us, to follow in Jesus’ way of a love that warms rather than compels. We have challenges to face in this country : the poverty of many, the violence in our homes and community, the challenge of a changing climate.
But I am heartened by :
- the recent service of awards of the Order of St John – ambulance drivers, rescue workers, first aid instructors – people giving their time and skill, in risky situations
- Oxfam gifts : for $100 the metal from a Kalashnikov is turned into hoes and sickles, for $2500 a tank; Goats for peace, $50.
- social workers, teachers, police, church agencies, all on the front line in the efforts to bring enhanced life to people on the edge.
The Church has no need to be defensive of its truth or witness : it is evident to all who have eyes to see and ears to hear.
We also need to deal with our own internal poverty. Mother Teresa reminds us that “sometimes the rich are much poorer; they can be lonely inside, and always wanting something more. The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread”.
And Mary, as she listened to her son, Jesus, “stored these things in her heart”. As we come to 2007 we know that we too can store the truth of Jesus in our hearts, and let that truth change our lives, and God’s world.
