The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 2, 2001

By
The Rev. Ann M. Smith

I used to dread the first day back at school. "What did you do on your summer holidays?" the teacher would write on the blackboard. And a paragraph or two later we would know that it was back to reality. So when a clergy friend of mine suggested that it was time to dust off the old 'back from vacation' sermon I shuddered and then avoided even looking at the readings. But they are wonderful passages of Scripture with a powerful message for us as we get back to the busyness of our fall schedule. It is an important theme as we take stock of who we are as the people of God.

The theme of hospitality and solidarity with others runs through the readings, encouraging us in our daily lives to be welcoming to others as God is welcoming to us. Jeremiah reminds us that even when we fall away from God, God is with us. God provides water in the wilderness. God is with us in times of trouble. God includes us. And so we reach out to others in solidarity and with a sense of justice for all.

The writer of Hebrews provides a practical list of what it means to live a just life. "Love one another. Welcome newcomers. Remember those in prison and those who suffer. Respect the commitment made in your marriage. Keep your lives free from the love of money. Be content with what you have."

And Jesus in the gospel calls us to think about the motivation behind our actions. Know your own place. Extend hospitality, not to those whom you know can repay you, but to those who cannot – the poor, the lame, the blind. For they have an important place in God's kingdom.

It is no mistake that Scripture calls us to a sense of justice. It is through our commitment to justice making that we as Christians discover God. Through reaching out, through offering justice to others, we discover like the people of Israel, that God, far from causing the terrible things that happen to humans, things that happen because of the human condition, walks with us through all the hurts and terrors of life. Through offering justice to others, we come to understand and anticipate our meeting God at the heavenly banquet.

It is exciting to see the work of the Church when it comes to matters of justice. The writer of a recent article in the Star pointed out that with the cutbacks in Health Care and Welfare churches are called on more and more to fill in the gaps. The writer seemed to think that such social justice ministries were new. He discussed Food Banks, drop in centres, In From the Cold programs, and so on. What the writer did not point out is that governmental social reform is a direct result of the religious community pointing out the needs and calling people to a sense of accountability. In the early part of this century our Anglican Church of Canada laid the foundation for the current emphasis on social conscience. It has become part of our ethos that the church's mission is to work towards the transformation of society. It is sad that present circumstances make us so busy providing Band-Aids for a crumbling economy that we cannot do the real work of transformation.

The faith community does not have sole ownership over justice. Our whole sense of community as human beings comes from a need to organize ourselves over such concerns. When social systems begin to break down we see people lobbying and taking up the cause. Society is a call to just living.

But the Christian gospel goes far beyond that call. Justice does not have to do with the rights of the individual. Justice does not have to do with punishment for crimes committed against society. The Christian's call to justice goes so far beyond that. It overturns all of our perceptions of what justice is.

It seems perfectly reasonable to invite your friends over to share in a meal. When we consider having a special dinner party we think carefully about whom we should invite. Who would make the party interesting and fun? Which of our friends get along together? To whom do we "owe" an invitation? We make up the list, pare it down to the right size, consider it again, invite the guests and reconsider when we find out who can and who cannot come. It makes perfect sense. We have a right to consider carefully whom we should invite into our home and whom we shouldn't. So what is this Christian call to justice? How far does it go?

"When you throw a party," today's gospel says, "Don't invite those who can repay you. Rather invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind." Invite those who will never be able to repay you.

Liberation Theology calls it Jesus' "preferential option for the poor". Jesus, friend of outcasts and sinners, offers justice which goes far beyond the demands of society. It is a gospel that turns the tables on the actions of the most just person in society. We see such a call displayed in the lives of modern day saints like Jean Vanier of the L'arche community where mentally challenged adults live productive lives in an open and inclusive community. Some whom we have never heard of live out that gospel. The volunteers at Casey House who help AIDS patients die with dignity. Bill, who can often be seen sitting with a group of street people on Trinity Square. When he has earned their trust he often is able to provide them with a meal, help them to get a welfare check, or perhaps even find them a permanent home. Betty who lives and works at Flemingdom Park helping women cope with poverty. Bill who works with young people at the DAM.

What do we do to invest in relationships and causes that are not self-serving? How open are we as a congregation? Are we welcoming? Are we just as welcoming to those in need as we are to those who have much?

The primary gift the Christian community offers, past and present, is community and hospitality. Our call to do so is repeated over and over gain in Scripture. We hear it in Jesus' preferential option for the poor. We hear it in the call to love God and love neighbour. For it is through loving our neighbour that we truly come into relationship with God.

Perhaps the best thing that we can do in our parish in Meadowvale is to be open to the wider church. We certainly need to be as welcoming as we can to newcomers to our community. There is a growing loneliness in our urban world, a loneliness that can be answered by our selfless outreach to the community and beyond. And through that outreach we will find ourselves free to be of help and benefit to those in need. Ultimately we will find ourselves guests at that banquet table in the kingdom.