A sermon based on an Henri Nouwen quote

[I read this beautiful quote, and decided that I wanted to flesh it out a bit for a sermon for our series on the Kingdom of God.]

We belong to a generation that wants to see the results of our work. We want to be productive and see with our own eyes what we have made. But that is not the way of God's Kingdom. Often our witness for God does not lead to tangible results. Jesus himself died as a failure on a cross. There was no success there to be proud of.  Still, the fruitfulness of Jesus' life is beyond any human measure. As faithful witnesses of Jesus we have to trust that our lives too will be fruitful, even though we cannot see their fruit. The fruit of our lives may be visible only to those who live after us.  What is important is how well we love. God will make our love fruitful, whether we see that fruitfulness or not. – Henri Nouwen

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What is success?  How do we define success?  Throughout history, as one empire has risen and fallen after another, it seems that they have all tried to become the biggest and the best.  American author David Sedaris wrote that his biggest shock after moving to France was that no country's motto was "We're number two!"  He was shocked to find that French people really felt their country was better than America.  And although most Ukrainians are realist enough to state that we may not be the best country in the world, we certainly have a long list of things that we are best at.  Even grandmothers are quick to remind us that Ukrainian girls are the most beautiful in the world.  We have the best salo.  The list goes on and on.  

For your mother, success is grandchildren.  For many of your colleagues, success is making more money than most of your colleagues.  To have a bigger house, a bigger military, a bigger paycheck, a bigger police force.  The way that we define success is pretty clear, isn't it.  Bigger, more, better.  We belong to a generation that wants to see the results of our work. We want to be productive and see with our own eyes what we have made.  

We are promised that if we work hard, all of these things will be delivered to us.  That we deserve these measures of success for our hard work.  

But that is not the way of God's Kingdom.

Let's read John 19:16-30

What is successful about this passage?  How does this compare to our understanding of success, productivity, and power?  Jesus himself died as a failure on a cross.   There is perhaps no greater failure in society's eyes than being executed by the state for criminal behavior.  There was no success there to be proud of.  In America, we regrettably execute a tremendous number of criminals.  But, we justify this by claiming that all of these people are beyond redemption and a serious threat to the people.  Jesus was executed as an enemy of the state, because he was a threat to the people.  He was executed for his promise to raise up a new Kingdom, one that would destroy the empire that surrounded it.  And as the soldiers mocked him that day, they certainly felt that the threat of his coming Kingdom had certainly passed.  He had failed at his mission.  He would be forgotten to history, just another failure in the footnotes of history.    

Often our witness for God does not lead to tangible results.  

Still, the fruitfulness of Jesus' life is beyond any human measure. As faithful witnesses of Jesus we have to trust that our lives too will be fruitful, even though we cannot see their fruit. The fruit of our lives may be visible only to those who live after us.

The governor of a large state back in America was traveling around his state raising money and meeting the people.  At one fundraising dinner, he waited patiently in line to get his meal.  It was a long buffet line, but to make sure it went quickly and that there was enough for everyone, they hired people to dish out the food.  When he got to the woman dishing out fried chicken, she placed two small pieces on his plate.  He leaned forward and asked, "Do you think I could have another piece of chicken?"  

"Two for each guest, that's our policy" she responded without looking up.

The governor was taken aback and obviously offended.  He angrily looked at her and demanded, "Do you know who I am?  I am the governor of this state.  I control the budgets for thousands of employees, have a staff of over one hundred people, and received more than sixty percent of the vote - now, I'll ask again - Can I have another piece of chicken?" 

The woman looked back at him with the same ferocity and responded, "Do you know who I am?  I'm the woman who is dishing out the fried chicken, and I told you that you already got your two pieces, so you can just move along now." 

This is a humorous story of a woman standing up to the powers that be.  What would it take for us to stand up to the powers that surround us?  We have this idea in our heads too often that we are powerless to change things, that we are too small and powerless to make a difference.  We too often forget that 1 plus God is always a majority.  What if we really began to stand up agains the corruption and bribery that make our hard earned diplomas less valuable?  

   

When I was a little child, the youth group from the church in my village took a field trip to the big city to visit an inner-city mission church.  I have so few memories of that trip.  I was probably eight or nine.  It was the first time I had seen more than one black person at a time.  It was the first time I had seen poverty. homelessness.  soup kitchens. bread lines. clothing drives.  And we closed in worship and this little white woman stood up at the pulpit - certainly the first female I had ever heard preach God's word - and she was the one leading this inner-city church.  And I just remember being so awed by her presence, by her courage and strength.

Years later, I'm close friends with that woman ... she and I are collegues in ministry.  I think about how much that experience impacted my call into ministry and how much her courage continues to shape me.  I'm sure that none of the good men and women who have influenced me over the years fully understand the impact they have had on me.  Few of us understand the ways that we are slowly and surely changing the world.

Because when we can see beyond the trappings of the Empires that we live in - when we can see beyond the  costumes and offices and business lunches and politicians - we can begin to see the glory of God and God's Kingdom.  When we look past the busy work and study schedules that trap us we can see the plans that God has for us.  When we can see beyond the Empire that insists we work hard to make more money to buy stuff we don't need to impress people we don't like we can begin to see what really matters in the Kingdom of God.

What is important is how well we love.

This is the only thing that matters in the Kingdom of God.  Our task is to love and God will take care of the rest.

God will make our love fruitful, whether we see that fruitfulness or not.

Amen.