I believe these last days of summer-like weather should be savored – so when I met with two women for a pastoral care meeting, we gathered outside – and one of the women brought her dog. We had a lovely conversation and the dog, a big yellow lab, sat quietly at her feet… until, without warning, a white squirrel dashed right by his nose. That lab was chasing the squirrel up the tree in an instant – and in the process almost yanked the poor woman’s arm out of its socket. Such a little squirrel – yet he caused a big disruption.
Sometimes these days, I feel like that yellow lab – distracted by the seemingly everchanging news about the coronavirus and all of the other “bad news” that comes our way that I feel as easily distracted as the dog was by the squirrel.
On other days I resonate with a question raised by a friend of mine who ased, “Have you “hit the wall” yet?” Quoting Aisha Ahmad, a scholar who focuses on disasters says, “that’s normal…” 1 “I always hit this wall six months into fieldwork in a disaster zone.” But she also says, “Do not despair: the six-month wall is harsh, but it is also temporary…” and there are some things that you can do to make it better.
One of the things that you can do is start a new faith practice. It could be a walk in your neighborhood – noticing all of the gifts of creation. It could be a new prayer practice. Or you could turn to Scripture – and if so, I recommend the book of Philippians. It is filled with joy! And joy is a great antidote to despair.
In today’s lesson from Philippians, Paul writes, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again, I say, Rejoice.” That’s got a happy sounding ring to it – and reminds me a bit of the Bobby McFerrin_ song, “Don’t Worry Be Happy”. It’s a happy sounding message - but Paul is not sitting on the beach writing lyrics to a pop song. Paul was sitting in prison - in chains.
Prison is a funny place to be rejoicing. But Paul is looking at the bigger picture. He is not rejoicing for his situation. He’s rejoicing – in the Lord. And he’s inviting people in the church of Philipi --and us to rejoice too.
Paul urges us to not only rejoice – but to “Rejoice in the Lord”– because of God’s gift of love for you. It is because of God’s gift of love that we can dare to trust in the Lord, focus on God’s never-failing presence and seek to be of the same mind as Christ. This is Paul’s hope for the Philippians – and for us.
Rejoicing in the Lord isn’t always easy – especially in the midst of conflict. We don’t know what it was, but Paul apparently heard about a disagreement in Philippi involving two of the leaders, Euodia and Syntyche and is concerned enough to write about it – which probably means that the disagreement was affecting the whole church. Paul urges Eudia and Syntyche – to “be of the same mind in the Lord” and then encourages the other leaders in the community to help and support them. He calls one of the leaders, “my loyal companion” which in Greek is more literally translated as my yoke-partner.
So what is a yoke-partner? When a farmer went to plow a field, he would hook two oxen together in one double yoke. He would try to make them evenly matched in size and strength so that the one would not tire before the other but, instead, one would encourage the other. This is the relationship that Paul is hoping for Syntyche and Euodia. Euodia’s name means “the way” and so I think Paul is encouraging them – and through their example all of the Christians to become yoke-partners so that they can find “the way” IN CHRIST, together. This is what Christian community is all about – finding the way – in Christ – together.
This is more than simply asking people to put up with one another. It is about being a Christian community together. Paul urges the Philippians and us to remember their mission is to be of the same mind as Christ and then encourages them to reflect the love and joy of Christ in the way they live their daily lives.
So how can we do that in this time of the pandemic, the national reckoning on race, in a divided country? How can we do that in such a time as this? How can we hold onto joy in such a time as this?
Anthony Ray Hinton spent thirty years on death row for a crime he did not commit. When he was finally released by a unanimous Supreme Court ruling, he was asked why he didn’t seem bitter or angry. He responded, “If I’m angry and unforgiving, they will have taken the rest of my life.” He continued, “The world didn’t give you your joy and the world can’t take it away… I refused to let anyone take my joy. … when you are blessed to see another day that should automatically give you joy. “2
Brother Steindle-Rast puts it this way, “Joy is the happiness that does not depend on what happens. It is the grateful response to the opportunity that life offers you at this moment.” 3 And this is why we can rejoice—even in such a time like this.
In the Book of Joy, Arch Bishop Tutu said that one of his faith practices during the days of apartheid was to pray daily for the government officials that were maintaining the racist unfair system. He prayed not only for God to transform their hearts and the oppressive system but sincerely prayed for their families and their health and wellbeing. He said that it helped him to love them rather than to hate them – and it made it possible for him to work with them during the transition of the country into a democracy. It helped him to hold onto joy.
We are a short time away from the 2020 election. It may take time for the results to be tabulated. In the meantime, I have heard much anxiety expressed in the media about the results and what will happen – on both sides.
So… brothers and sisters, friends in Christ, this is our time to pray. Like Arch Bishop Tutu, let us pray - not only for the candidates that you want to win this election but also for the ones that you do NOT want to win. Pray for the people – your friends in Christ – who may be voting differently from you. Pray too for peace – peace for the nation, peace for those who vote and think differently than you do and peace for yourself.
For the blessing in prayer – in taking all of our cares and concerns to Christ, is–as Paul writes, that “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
We can be at peace. For we know the end of the story. As Paul says, our names are written in the book of life! How much more then, should we spend this time, and these days, cultivating a spirit of joy among us, a spirit of love for the other and praying for peace for ourselves, our neighbors and our world.
And if you still get anxious, then, hear Paul’s words to the Philippians and us: “beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” In Jesus’ name. Amen.
1Women in International Security-Canada and author of Jihad & Co.: Black Markets & Islamist power.
2 The Book of Joy, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Douglas Adams, Penguin Random House 2016 p. 245
3 The Book of Joy, p. 245