I was excited when I learned that the people inside almost
every car that stopped at the red light in front of our church during Jazz Mass
in the Grass rolled down their window to check out what was happening on our
lawn. For a few minutes, they heard a bunch of Christians happily singing along
to some snappy jazz; they heard snippets of God’s Word; they saw Christians of
all ages feasting together on the grass. By worshiping God outside among the
noise and bustle of Westport Road, we engaged in the easiest kind of Christian
testimony. We let strangers eavesdrop on our relationship with God.
Given the
present scandal about the NSA collecting data on our phone and email
conversations, I’ve heard several people make jokes like, “Well, they can go
ahead and tap my phones. I’m not a terrorist! They are welcome to listen in on
my boring life!” Those comments made me wonder: If a bunch of spies were
tapping my phone and computer to find out what I was up to, how much of my
conversations would be a testimony to my faith? How much of my daily
conversations would be about God, about Jesus Christ, about God’s presence in
my life? Would the spies listening to my life get an earful of the Good News?
Would my words invite a sleepy government bureaucrat to want to know more about
the love of God?
Since I’m a priest and earn my living
talking about God, the spies might get a fairly high “God talk” reading on me,
especially during working hours. One of my favorite things about starting the
ordination process was that people all of a sudden started talking to me about
God. My siblings, my fellow teachers, my students’ parents at school, strangers
at cocktail parties …. As soon as they heard that I wanted to be a priest, the
floodgates opened like magic, and boring superficial chatter was engulfed by
waves of interesting conversations about faith, questions, and doubts. That is
one of the best and most precious gifts that comes from wearing a collar, as far
as I’m concerned. But I know that it is harder for the rest of us to open up; in
our secular world, it is challenging for those of us without a socially-accepted
excuse to talk about God.
For our Baptist brothers and sisters,
testimony seems to come easily. From childhood on, lay people learn how to get
up and talk about what Jesus is doing in their lives. For us reticent
Episcopalians, however, such language is almost foreign, and somehow, just
plain distressing. And of course, giving testimony can be problematic. We can
accost others in such a way that makes them feel threatened. We can come across
as intolerant, shutting down relationships rather than building bridges. I read
a recent blog post about prayer at a public school graduation that made an
interesting point: Jesus did indeed warn us to beware before practicing one’s piety on street corners. Remember, he
says that we’re supposed to pray in private, and not like the hypocrites. Don’t
Jesus’ remarks on prayer excuse me from testifying, as well? Shouldn’t we keep
our religion private? My mother always taught me that you don’t talk about
religion, sex, or money in polite company. But as the author of this blog
wrote, what if a valedictorian not of
the majority religion at a high school graduation dared to speak up about how
his religion “had
motivated him and mattered to him, about how it had been part of his family and
part of his upbringing, about how it mattered within his life.”[1]
He wouldn’t be forcing others to pray a prayer that wasn’t their own. He wouldn’t
be using his power as a member of the majority to threaten or belittle. He would
be telling his little-known story, daring to witness to what he knows. That,
the author pointed out, would be an act of courageous faith, rather than an act
of intolerant bravado.
We Christians these days are often in
the minority, once we leave the safety of our church walls. Like members of the
early church, we live in a culture that is less and less predominantly
Christian. I think that the skill of talking about why our faith motivates us
and matters to us, about how it matters within our lives, is a skill that even
we Episcopalians need to learn. I am veering away from a sermon on our readings
today because I have asked Fred White to start us off with some testimony at
today’s 10 a.m. service. This is something that I think we can do more of at St.
Thomas, at all of our services. I am going to be asking you to think about how
you have seen God, seen Jesus, in your lives and in our parish. Four times a
year, we are going to share these words of testimony with one another, in this
safe and loving community, hoping that the practice will encourage you to share
them in other places, too. Now, I know that not everyone likes to get up and
talk in the pulpit. I am so afraid of speaking off the cuff, that I myself have
to write down even what I am going to say at announcement time, so I understand
that fear. So if you would rather write your testimony and have someone else
read it, then that is an option, as well. Not everyone has to do this, but I
would like everyone to think and pray about what you might say. What would you
say if someone asked you where you experienced Jesus this past week or this
past month? If someone asked you why your faith mattered?
Yes, I know that words can manipulate.
Just look at Jezebel using the royal power behind her words to spread lies. I know
that words can be judgmental. I cringe, as you do, at the harsh condemnation that
the prophet Elijah offers on God’s behalf in our reading from 1 Kings. I also know
that actions often speak louder than words, that testimony of deeds can be richer
than testimony of words. I know St. Francis’ famous line that goes “preach the Gospel
always; if necessary use words.” I see the woman in our Gospel lesson pouring out
the jar of precious oil on Jesus’ feet, showing her love without uttering a word.
Words are far from the only way to testify.
But I also know that we don’t talk about
“God’s Word” for nothing. We are a people of the Book, a people of story and of
words. Our scriptures testify with many voices, and it is the whole of these many
voices that is God’s Word. We too testify with many voices to what we read in scripture
and to what we experience in our lives. God needs all of our voices, all of our
stories, to give witness to God’s Good News. Your life with God is Good News to
the world, and it is too important to keep hidden. So bring on the eavesdroppers
at St. Thomas: we have a secret that is begging to be leaked!
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