This afternoon
I bring you greetings on behalf of Bishop Michael Pryse, Synod office staff,
and from your Lutheran sisters and brothers throughout the Eastern Synod.
Welcome to the beginning of a new expression of being In Mission for Others, in the Atlantic Ministry Area.
I am going to
take a moment and talk about a particular aspect of Jeff’s life, relating it to
the Gospel and Jeff’s pastoral role in our midst. The particular aspect is what
I will call “Jeff’s open house policy.” In the not so distant past, I took the
time to complete a doctorate degree at Acadia Divinity College in
Wolfville. It required traveling to
Wolfville, a coupe of times a year, for intensive weeks of courses. Jeff made the whole process easier by opening
his home in Kentville as home base for me during those weeks. I appreciated
having a short drive, a place to lay my head, and a person who translated the
Baptist world I was studying in – to something I understood.
Over the
years, I was warmly welcomed: sometimes given my own room, depending on
roommates – Jeff sometimes took the couch giving me his bed and ensuite. I learned quickly and with amazement that
Jeff’s door was always open. There were
people who dropped in. People living in a separate apartment, another
downstairs, another upstairs, Jeff, myself --- all sharing one kitchen, one
bathroom, one driveway. And then of course the dog whom Jeff had taken in. And
the people all had a story, mostly colourful, interesting, and surprisingly shocking.
There were a few long term tenants, but, there were those who were drifters
leaving of their own accord, others that Jeff had to evict. And through it all
Jeff was the gracious host, with an open door; and as tenants came and went; were
in trouble with the law, partying, keeping extra people in their room,
stealing, dealing with addictions, opening bags of psychological luggage, and leaving
behind a garbage dump of possessions--- Jeff continued to keep his door open.
I learned over
my time with Jeff, that he wasn’t opening his house out of some kind of martyr
syndrome, or out of stupidity. Although the rent that was collected was helpful
and at times needed, the secret is
that Jeff’s open house policy comes from an open heart policy.
Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and
whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
Jeff’s
role among us will be lived from his open heart policy. Take a look around you. Notice your neighbor. It is quite obvious by
the groups of people who have gathered around Jeff this afternoon, that we have
all been infected by Jeff’s heart. We would not usually find ourselves in each
other’s presence. Jeff’s open heart,
open house policy, open welcome --- draws us closer together, to honour and
respect each other and the light within the other.
The
section of scripture read from Matthew’s Gospel, speaks of reward. It would be a dishonor to the word if we
focused on the reward, or needing a reward, or the expectation of a reward in a
simple understanding of receiving a tangible item for an action or services
rendered. This would be Jeff simply
receiving rent, as payment for offering space. Jeff’s open house policy was
more than that. Matthew is talking about
a deeper kind of reward – one that requires risk, being uncomfortable, working
in unfavourable conditions.
Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward; the prophets’ reward,
according to the Biblical record, and examples from this past century, often
meant ridicule for the prophet, who stood alone, worked alone, angered people
by saying words they did not want to hear, and in some instances their words
brought prison, death, martyrdom. And whoever welcomes a righteous person in the
name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; in the time of Matthew this also required
walking courageously; facing persecution by one’s own people who understood
scripture differently, abuse by the occupying people who interpreted
proclaiming the good news as disturbing
the peace and inciting insurrection – in both cases disciples were put to death
by stoning or left to rot in prison, maybe to face gladiators, lions, and
tigers.
Being a
disciple, a follower, welcoming others – all people- forming relationships,
focusing on healing, forgiving, reconciliation, proclaiming the good news… was
not … is not… welcomed by all. People
didn’t want to hear about it. People
didn’t want to do it. What was the
reward for them in providing welcome and hospitality?
And whoever gives even
a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly
I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.
There is a
story from the end of WWII, where towns in Germany and Russia experienced a
movement of prisoners of war being marched back to their places of origin. On one such march, a Russian mother watched
as German POWs were marched down the street.
Crowds had gathered, and there was much jeering, lots of derogatory
comments, stones thrown; pleasure being taken in humiliating the foreign
POWs. In this milieu a Russian mother
was watching as a young German soldier – tired and famished- fell; she was the
first to run out into the street, people trying to pull her back, and she offered
him -the enemy- a piece of bread. She
too became the object of disgust. When asked why she had acted in this way, she
responded that she was a mother feeding a son. Her hope was that a German
mother would treat her son in the same way as he was hopefully being marched
back to Russia, to her arms. This woman,
this mother, worked from an open heart policy.
Lutheran Professor
Elisabeth Johnson reflects: What would
happen if we stopped expecting people to come on their own initiative through
our church doors, and instead took seriously our calling to bring the gospel to
them? What would happen if we truly believed that we bear the presence of
Christ to every person we encounter, in every home, workplace, or neighborhood
we enter? What would happen if we saw every conversation as an opportunity to
speak words of grace, every interaction as an opportunity to embody Christ's
love for the neighbor?
What would
happen if we all lived from an open door policy, an open heart policy?
I live in
Halifax, and one of the civic events growing in popularity, is Open-Doors
Halifax. Twice a year, different buildings and venues around the city, open
their doors to welcome the community inside.
There is a map and there are people present to welcome guests at each
venue. Some of the venues allow people
to see spaces they otherwise would or could not, like the inside of the town
clock, privately owned historic buildings, newly constructed apartment or condo
units. At most of these Open-door events,
the Mosque, opens its doors… and do they provide a welcome. The event isn’t so much about showing off the
building as it is about building relationships with the community. The Mosque is filled with an array of the
faithful – representing Muslims from many countries and traditions. People are
given one on one tours; tea is poured; stories are shared; sacred items are
displayed; individuals talk about their faith; lectures and discussion panels
are offered on a wide variety of topics; one can learn to put on a hijab; public
officials and police are invited and visible; questions are welcomed and
answered. People from the greater
community have learned and come, ready to remove their shoes; many women now
come with their own scarves to cover their heads. When a Mosque in Quebec experienced terror
directed at their community, -- the next day at the time of prayer --- Halifax
neighbours joined hands, circled around the Mosque, facing outwards, to keep
out those who would come to harm Muslim neighbours. Open doors at the Mosque, has not only helped
us understand each other, it has grown relationships and opened hearts.
Jeff has been
invited into our midst to open doors and to open hearts. He bears the presence
of Christ to every person he encounters, in every home, workplace, or
neighbourhood he enters. In each
conversation he is called to speak words of grace, and in every interaction
sees an opportunity to embody Christ’s love for the neighbour. May his example of discipleship compel and
empower us to do the same. May we share
a cup of water with all on our door steps, all sitting beside us, all whom we
are afraid of starting a relationship with. May our purpose be ministries of
healing, forgiveness, reconciliation, welcome, hospitality --- for the healing
of the world.
