Who us? Us change? Who would want to do a thing like that? And yet, that is exactly what Jesus calls us to do. And the best part, he offers to do the changing for us – he can change our minds, our hearts, our very lives. So what’s stopping us from saying, “Sign me up!”
Because this kind of change means a change, a transformation, of identity. And the people around may just like us the way we are, even if they don’t like us the way we are. Let me explain.
This past Sunday through the Biblical narrative, we traveled to the land across the sea, the land of the Gerasenes. There we encountered the man possessed with a legion of demons. (Luke 8:26) Without being asked, Jesus heals this man, who up until this point hung out in the graveyard wearing only his birthday suit and screaming.
You would have thought the townsfolk would be happy to have this violent, asocial person restored in relationship to community, family, self. The townspeople responded with fear and asked Jesus to leave. What was up with that? Because it upset the status quo in that village. It messed with their homeostasis. Jesus showed up, got involved and that changed everything!
The Gerasenes defined themselves up and against this man. They were sane, he was not. They were clean, he was not, they were alive, this man was living death. We do the same thing. And like the Gerasenes, we don’t want Jesus casting out the legion of demons that kill relationships, we don’t want the change, the transformation that Jesus offers.
And we don’t like the fact that Jesus offers grace and salvation to anyone and everyone, just like he offered life to this man who was outside of the Gerasene society, the social norm, the “other.” So the Gerasenes, filled with fear, looked upon Jesus as “other” as well and told him leave, that they didn’t want “his kind” around there no more. They didn’t want transformation and a new way thinking about other people. They certainly didn’t want any of what Jesus had to offer. They were scared – of Jesus, of change.
Just this past weekend, the first anniversary of the killing of the Charleston Nine at Mother Emmanuel AME church in Charleston SC was commemorated. Just one week ago, the horrible reality of the Pulse Nightclub Massacre was coming to bear.
Another week of terror. Another hate crime against a vulnerable population this time perpetrated by another member of a vulnerable population. How long, o Lord, how long?
And we remind ourselves that God is there, among those in the greatest pain and need. And we lower our flags to half-staff and we go to vigils and we pray – personally or corporately. And we talk about gun laws and the cover of Time magazine this week featured a picture of an AK-47 and the words, “Make it stop.”
We check the boxes and move on. And that’s not good enough. It’s time to cast out the demons. Time to cast out the bad spirits and replace it with life-giving ones. We are part of making it stop. Not just the guns, not just the violence, not just hate crimes, not just all manner of crimes perpetrated upon vulnerable populations.
It is time for transformation, to asking God to help us change our ways, our hearts, our minds, to cast out the demons, to empower us to make it stop.
And using the opening confession from synod assembly on June 18 it’s time for transformation.
It’s time to reaffirm our renunciation of the powers of this world that rebel against God.
It’s time to reaffirm our renunciation of the ways of sin that draw us from God.
Kick out the spirit of indifference that excuses our ignorance and is insensitive to the cries of anguish that come from the bodies and souls of our brothers and sisters.
Throw out the spirit of cowardice that claims us as bystanders.
Banish the spirit of falsehood which believes that some people deserve God’s love more than others by virtue of their gender, race, religion, or nationality.
Cast out the spirt of fear that feeds racism and keep us withdrawn from the fight for justice and peace.
Purge from our hearts the spirit of supremacy that denies the existence of white privilege.
Exorcize the spirit of entitlement that spiritually and literally kills people of different colors, religions, and sexual orientation.
Reject the spirit of pride that trusts we have no need to repent.
Transformation. That word is a hot button, a trendy word. It says change, new direction, a new future.
Transformation MEANS change. It’s hard for me to transform my thoughts, to enter into a spirit of mindfulness. I don’t want anyone to know what needs to be changed about me. And people see – just like everyone in Gerasene saw – the what needs to be changed.
Are we the townspeople who are too afraid to invite Jesus to stay and change, transform, us too? Will we send Jesus away too?
Or, following the example of others around, are we emboldened through the Spirit of life, to transform what we say, think, how we act, feel to reflect the call of Jesus to love God, love people and make disciples. Even if it’s as simple as going to a local gay bar to show solidarity and support.
Take time to read about the very moving experience of Ohev Shalom Synagogue in the Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/06/15/what-happened-when-an-orthodox-jewish-congregation-went-to-a-gay-bar-to-mourn-orlando/
Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld concludes the article with message: “And I learned that when a rabbi and members of an Orthodox synagogue walk into a gay African American bar, it is not the opening line of a joke but an opportunity to connect; it is an opportunity to break down barriers and come together as one; it is an opportunity to learn that if we are going to survive, we all need each other.”
Transformation – it’s OK to be afraid, Jesus has our back and it will be OK. He’s cast out the demons and he bids us, come.