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"Things Are Going to Change"
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
The Rev. George D. Smith
Sunday, January 13, 2008
The First Sunday after the Epiphany
Isaiah 42: 1-9
Acts 10: 34-43
Matthew 3: 13-17
Let’s play, “Who am I?” I’ll try not
to give it away.
“I will bring change you can believe in!”
“I will bring change you can count on!”
“I’m going to fight for change!”
“Things are going to change!”
Let me give you several clues: one is Barack Obama, one is
Hilary Clinton, one is Mike Huckabee and one is God. There is
no overlap, and no arguing over who was first to talk about
change. Let’s see. One is saying that there will be change
you can believe in. Hmm. Does that mean that the change will
be real? One is saying that there will be change you can count
on. Does that mean that you will notice the change? One is going
to just try to make change happen. That’s clear enough.
And one is going to change things, period. Guess which is God?
Yes, there is a lot of talk about change these days. And I
don’t think we’ve heard the last of it – not
for a long time. An article on the front page of the Chicago
Tribune asked “What does ‘change’ mean, anyway?”
written in response to the sudden rush by White House aspirants
to claim themselves as agents of change. I like the word “change.”
It gets my attention, and to me, it means the hope and imagination
of moving beyond our current problems into a better place. But
I don’t know if I can be sure that the better place looks
the same for everyone. When people talk about change, it can’t
be trusted on face value. Hitler ran on a program of change,
as did his ally, Mussolini. According to Peter Seeves at DePaul
University, both Socrates and Aristotle thought change was one
of the biggest problems we ever have to solve. The Greek philosopher,
Heraditius, pointed out that “all things are in flux.”
One cannot step into the same river twice. The moment passes,
and everything is forever altered. But Socrates said some things
must remain stable and eternal. Maybe, but then what is eternal
and what is the “it” that is changing?
It is timely then that in today’s readings we hear from
the prophet Isaiah, who relays to us a meditation from God.
“See, the former things have come to pass, and new things
I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them.”
We may not see any sign or signs of change right now, but it
will happen, and will happen with certainty, vigor and abruptness.
Although this message had a particular audience and addressed
a particular issue, it also has a universal audience and addresses
a universal issue. The particular issue was the exile and captivity
of the Israelites in Babylon, over 2,500 years ago. The Babylonians
were the most powerful nation on earth and were masters at warfare
and conquest. They had gone into Jerusalem, the capital city
of Judea and decapitated the social structure by physically
transporting all of the leaders to Babylon. This was a time
of despair and darkness for both Jerusalem – the people
left behind, and the people in captivity. Years passed and then
decades. Many of the captives grew old and died away from their
homeland. Would there ever be a return? Would things ever change?
At the moment of greatest despair comes the Word of God to Isaiah.
“The former things have come to pass, and new things I
now declare.” But God speaks before there is any evidence
of a change. God promises that there will be change –
change you can count on, change you can believe in. God will
fight for change.
Beyond the particular situation, there is a universal message,
that applies to each of us, individually and collectively. Today,
many people suffer from a deep sense of darkness and depression.
According to the American Medical Association, more and more
Americans report being depressed. Although we have had a revolution
in the United States in identifying and treating depression
with new families of antidepressant drugs, there is no reduction
in people who say they suffer from depression. A recent survey
showed that 14 million Americans had a serious depressive episode
in the previous year, while more than 35 million experienced
such depression over their lifetimes. That’s at least
ten percent of the population. Many suffer from depression in
silence and isolation. In a society that expects people to “snap
out of it” and pull themselves up by the boot straps,
depression is often not respected or seen as a valid problem.
But depression is present in every community and every extended
family. The Isaiah passage speaks to these individuals on a
personal level, giving them an assurance of hope at the deepest
level. But there remains a mystery to it because change is not
yet apparent and remains undefined. The message is to both individuals
and communities. Through Isaiah, God speaks to groups of people
as well – those in Darfur, Mexican immigrants in the United
States, and the scattered Iraqi Christians – to name a
few.
The Isaiah passage tells us about change – that it will
happen, and that underneath and behind the change is God. But
it is on God’s terms and it will not necessarily be easy
on us. But there is much more that we learn in this passage
today, that goes well beyond the question of change. We have
nothing less than a glimpse into the heart of God and into ourselves.
I want to compare it to an unexpected heat wave that melts the
winter’s ice and snow to reveal green grass and brown
twigs, if only for a short while. The earth is bare and the
people remove their coats. The Hebrew and Christian mystics
tell us that the essential God is unknowable – en sof
in Hebrew or “limitless.” But God manifests God’s
self to us in various ways, which serve as a bridge between
the limitless and our imperfect reality.
What we see first and foremost through Isaiah is God in relationship
with us. “Here is my servant whom I uphold.” What
a striking image! Who is this servant? Is it Jesus? Is it the
Hebrew people? Is it the church? Is it you and me? Yes! Today,
Isabelle Rose Friebel will be baptized at the 10:30 a.m. service.
During a pre-baptism meeting with her parents, Jared and Gina,
Isabelle was getting a little fussy. Without missing a beat,
Jared moved deftly to lift his daughter from her car seat, holding
her flat on her back in his hands and forearms, moving her from
side to side in a rapid but gentle motion. I’ll have to
have him demonstrate this later. Every parent does this rocking
and holding in a unique way, Jared no exception. But the result
was predictable – Isabelle became immediately quiet and
content. I see God doing the same thing with us individually
and collectively, holding us in unique ways that we can trust,
that conforms to us and reflects an intimate love, knowledge
and relationship. But there is more – we see a glimpse
of a proud and boastful stance, one of profound joy. Our identity
is proclaimed as well – we are both chosen and servant
– individually and collectively. We are not just created
male and female, but as servants. It is then that we get a glimpse
into the divine inner life. God says, “Here is my servant
in whom my soul delights.” You have no doubt heard over
and over again that God loves you. But what we hear in Isaiah
is that God’s very soul delights in us. How often have
you heard that God is delighted in you – to the depth
of God’s soul? What is it like for you when your very
soul delights in another? The source of God’s love is
an inner delight, in the depth of God’s soul.
The Isaiah passage gives us a rare look into God. And we see
also the work of God. God puts his spirit upon the people, upon
us, and gives us his breath. He has called us and taken us by
the hand and kept us close, and given us to others. This echoed
in the Eucharist, when the bread is taken, blessed, broken and
given to us and the world. Finally, God reveals his name, declaring
“I am the LORD.” Naming oneself is the ultimate
sign of relationship, friendship and love.
The revelation shifts back and forth, from God to us. As servants,
imbued with God’s spirit, we are set forth to do important
work. What is this work? To establish justice in the earth,
to a coastland that waits - longs for a message of God’s
justice. We are a light to others, a light that will help people
see, and rescuers to those who are enslaved in the dark dungeons
of a broken world. While we are embraced and cared for like
an infant on the one hand, we are also given responsibility
in maturity to help others, to make the changes that are God’s
vision for the world. We have our work cut out for us.
When Isabelle is baptized today, we can all hear the words
of God who declares, “Here is my servant.” In her
is a reflection of all of us, collectively as a servant. The
words, “Here is my servant” pours upon all of us.
In witness to her baptism, we are reminded and renewed in our
baptismal covenant - in its meaning of servanthood and service
to the world. This is change that delights God’s soul.
This is change that you can believe in. This is change that
you can count on. This is change worth fighting for. This change
is you.
Amen.
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