"You Are My Child the Beloved"--Really
The Rev’d
January 7, 2007
Mikell Chapel
First Sunday after the Epiphany
In the name of God, our Creator, Redeemer, Sanctifier, and Friend. Amen.
And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." (Lk. 3.22)
What would it take for us to hear our heavenly father saying something like that to us? I mean, what would it take for us to really hear it? To really hear it so thoroughly and profoundly that we would believe it no matter what; no matter what happened to us, or what we felt like, or what our own misdeeds were even?
By contrast consider the following list of childhood virtues quoted by the former U.S. Secretary of Education, William J. Bennett. This list is found in his popular book from 1995, A Child’s Book of Virtues. The title of this list is called, “Boy Wanted,” a fictitious “want ad” that appeared anonymously in the early 20th century:
WANTED - A boy that stands straight, sits straight, acts straight, and talks straight;
A boy whose fingernails are not in mourning, whose ears are clean, whose shoes are polished, whose clothes are brushed, whose hair is combed, and whose teeth are well cared for;
A boy who listens carefully when he is spoken to, who asks questions when he does not understand, and does not ask questions about things that are none of his business;
A boy that moves quickly and makes as little noise about it as possible;
A boy who whistles in the street, but does not whistle where he ought keep still;
A boy who looks cheerful, has a ready smile for everybody, and never sulks;
A boy who is polite to every man and respectful to every woman and girl;
A boy who does not smoke cigarettes and has no desire to learn how;
A boy who is more eager to know how to speak good English than to talk slang;
A boy that never bullies other boys nor allows other boys to bully him;
A boy who, when he does not know a thing says, "I don’t know," and when has made a mistake says "I’m sorry," and when he is asked to do a thing says "I’ll try";
A boy who looks you right in the eye and tells the truth every time;
A boy who is eager to read good books;
A boy who would rather put in his spare time at the YMCA gymnasium than to gamble for pennies in a back room;
A boy who does not want to be "smart" nor in any wise attract attention;
A boy who would rather lose his job or be expelled from school than to tell a lie or be a cad;
A boy whom other boys like;
A boy who is at ease in the company of girls;
A boy who is not sorry for himself, and not forever thinking and talking about himself;
A boy who is friendly with his mother, and more intimate with her than anyone else; |A boy who makes you feel good when he is around;
A boy who is not a goody-goody, a prig, or a little pharisee, but just healthy, happy, and full of life;
This boy is wanted everywhere. The family wants him, the school wants him, the office wants him, the boys want him, the girls want him, all creation wants him.
_______________
Source unknown; Quoted in The Children's Book of Virtues by William J. Bennet [sic]. Quoted by William Schneider on the website for “Fathers for Life” based in Bruderheim , Alberta , Canada , posted 2-25-02 , and accessed online by Theophus “Thee” Smith on 1-6-07 at: http://fathersforlife.org/fatherhood/men/boy_wanted.htm
Quite a list, isn’t it! But consider, how does it compare with a love of God for us that is unconditional love; not conditional or dependent on anything we do or fail to do; on our achievements or our demerits; but dependent only on the sheer character and grace of a loving God whose very nature is to love us no matter what?
That’s also why we are especially fortunate to be baptizing infants today. Because the baptism of infants signifies that the sheer favor and pleasure and love of God for us has nothing to do with whether or not these young ones have done anything good or bad, or are even conscious of what we are doing here today. Rather the sheer favor and pleasure and love of God for us is wholly dependent on God alone. So take heart, parents and godparents here today! Your little ones are entrusted to a God of unconditional love whether or not they live up to the virtues listed in Secretary Bennett’s Child’s Book of Virtues. For today we baptize them into our family—the church family founded on that love.
But again: What’s it gonna take for us adults here today to get through to a God who loves us with that sheer unmerited love that we keep hearing about in the scriptures—in scriptures like today’s prophecy from Isaiah:
Now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. (Isa. 43.1)
In a similar vein we have the view of the love of God offered us by Julian of Norwich. Julian was the 14th century mystical nun whose writings on the love of God have become so popular for many of us in the 20 th and 21 st century. Her view of God’s unconditional and unmerited love is especially important for those of us who were raised with a view of God as always judging us; blaming, shaming, accusing, even condemning us. By contrast, Dame Julian’s “Revelations of Divine Love” (ch. 51) asks us to imagine that all of us start out in life as good and willing servants of God. And then God sends us out into the world on a mission.
In the course of completing our mission in life many of us come to be aware at some point that we are not such good boys or girls as described in the Secretary’s book of child virtues. Perhaps we have become petty, mean-spirited, envious, greedy, and deceitful—just to give a short list. But we are also aware that through no fault of our own we grew up in environments and circumstances and had experiences that did not enable us to acquire or maintain the nobler virtues.
Does God not also favor such boys and girls, who fall short of the Secretary Bennett’s list of child virtues? Indeed, how about all the children and later adults in Jesus’ own lifetime, among his childhood friends and later his disciples? Were they not also regarded by God as beloved in some way? Even if they were not specially dedicated as Jesus was; nonetheless were they not also recipients of divine care and grace?
This is the perspective that Julian of Norwich gives us in her book, Revelations of Divine Love. Listen to this description of a vision in which she saw that all of us start out in life as servants of God being commissioned by a loving lord.
The lord sits with dignity, at rest and in peace. The servant stands reverently by before his lord, ready to do his will. The lord looks upon his servant lovingly and tenderly, and gently sends him to a certain place to do his bidding.
The servant does not simply go, but leaps up and runs off at great speed to do his bidding, because he loves his lord. And then he falls into a gully and is very badly hurt. And then he groans and moans, and wails and writhes, but he cannot get up or help himself at all.
And in all this, the worst thing I saw befall him was that he had no comfort. For he could not turn his head to look upon his loving lord, who was near him and from whom all comfort flows.
And I looked carefully to see any blame or fault in him, or if his lord should lay any blame upon him, and truly there was none to be seen. For the only reason he fell was because of his goodwill and his great desire—and he was still as eager and good at heart after he fell as he was when he stood before his lord, ready to do his bidding. (Sheila Upjohn, ed. All Shall Be Well: Daily Readings from Julian of Norwich Morehouse, 1992; p.101 [ch. 51 of Revelations of Divine Love])
We have to wonder, of course, how this vision of Julian’s could apply to someone like Saddam Hussein for example. Here was a man who was executed just a week ago for his crimes against humanity and for genocide in his own country. How could such a man—or many others we could think of—be regarded in Julian’s terms as “still as eager and good at heart after he fell as he was when he stood before his lord, ready to do his bidding?” But that is the claim she makes, as if somewhere in the story of all wrongdoers is a good-hearted soul that got lost or forfeited somehow. Here I’m reminded of that African American proverb, ‘There goes some mother’s child!’ said about anyone whom the rest of us are inclined to disparage or condemn.
Also the words of John the Baptist challenge us in today’s gospel. Recall his proclamation that the Messiah is coming with
his winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire" (Lk. 3.17)
But here, perhaps, we can interpret the Messiah’s “unquenchable fire” as the purification of everything in us that is contrary to the unconditional love of God. And that final claim on the unconditional love of God is the way that Julian of Norwich ends her Revelations of Divine Love. As she says:
And from the time it was shown, I often asked to know what was our Lord’s meaning. And fifteen years after, and more, I was answered in inward understanding . . .
‘Would you know your Lord’s meaning in this?
Learn it well.
Love was his meaning.
Who showed it you? Love.
What did he show you? Love.
Why did he show you? For Love.
Hold fast to this and you shall learn and know more about love, but you shall never know nor learn about anything except love for ever.’
So I was taught that love was our Lord’s meaning.
And I saw full surely that before ever God made us, he loved us. And this love was never quenched, nor ever shall be.
And in this love he has done all his works.
And in this love he has made all things profitable to us.
And in this love our life is everlasting.
In our making we had beginning, but the love in which he make us was in him from without beginning.
In which love we have our beginning.
And all this shall we see in God without end—which Jesus grant us. Amen.
(Sheila Upjohn, ed. All Shall Be Well: Daily Readings from Julian of Norwich Morehouse, 1992; p.192 [ch. 86 of Revelations of Divine Love])
And now, with that great love in mind, and with these young ones before us awaiting baptism, let us pray for both ourselves and for them using the baptismal prayer found on page 311 of the prayer book:
All praise and thanks to you, most merciful Father, for
adopting us as your own children, for incorporating us into
your holy Church, and for making us worthy to share in the
inheritance of the saints in light; through Jesus Christ your
Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. ( BCP , p.311)
Comments? Contact The Rev. Thee Smith: tsmith@stphilipscathedral.org