The Hope of Truth-Telling
Christ
Church, Poughkeepsie
February
27, 2005
The Rev. Richard C. Witt Jr.
Exodus
17:1-7
Romans
5:1-11
John
4:5-26(27-38)39-42
Lent 3A
In the
midst of Lent we are asked to prepare for the resurrection by acknowledging our
broken-ness. This morning I want to
connect to the hope of the resurrection, but I must go through the pain of our
broken-ness to get there - I pray that you will bear with me.
*
* * *
My
step-brother Jim was smart and charming and athletic. He went off to college
with much promise. As time went on he began to feel a tremendous void in his
life. Most of us have felt a similar
void at one point in our life. It may be
one rooted in fear, or a feeling that you are wasting away, or a pain that is overwhelming. Or it could be a void filled with loneliness or at being overwhelmed. As I said, we each have our voids. I wish
I knew what Jim’s void was, I am not sure that he knew. But he worked hard to overcome it -
eventually turning to alcohol.
The
alcohol became a great way of covering up the pain and providing a doorway to
relaxation. Slowly the void appeared to disappear. Jim fooled himself into thinking that it was
working. He worked hard to convince himself and others that
things were fine. All the while I
think he knew it wasn’t working, and all the while he grew distant from those
who loved him.
Along the
way he tried other ways to either escape his path or perhaps to make amends for
his direction. He explored monastic
life. He gave away all of his
possessions. And he continued to dig a
deeper hole. Again many of us have done
this - whether with alcohol or in other forms.
Some of us feel we can fill the void with eating. Some, with fast living. In the recent film RAY, we see how the famous
Ray Charles turned to cocaine to overcome the death of his brother when he was
a child.
And the
more we get caught up in trying to control our void the more we feel trapped
and too embarrassed to ask for help. Unfortunately we live in a society that
encourages us to be individuals separate from one another - rather than as a
part of a community that depends upon one another. Deep down Jim knew wasn’t working. He knew he
was sick and isolated and at one point he tried to take his life.
*
* * *
The woman
at the well was lost like my brother Jim. She was turning from husband to
husband in search of something. And
there she is at the well and it appears that Jesus is offering a quick fix -
something that all of us yearn for in the midst of our pain. Jesus offers her water of eternal life. She grabs for it. “Sir, give me this water,
that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw”
And Jesus
does not withdraw the offer - but he does throw her for a loop: “Go get your
husband.” It is harsh. . . . . . Perhaps
the greatest fear of any of us - that we will be exposed - that the truth will
be revealed.
And this
is the starting point. . . . This is the starting point for her salvation. This is the door that she did not want to go
through, that she has desperately avoided going through - but it is the one
that she needs to go through. And the
doorway is confession.
It is a
Confession about the reality of her life, of her pain, of her false (and most
likely un-conscious) efforts to overcome the pain. Our confession is one to
ourselves, to others and to God that we cannot do it alone, that we need God.
There is
no way we can avoid this. The other
night I was angry with my wife. And I
did what you are not supposed to do - I went to bed angry having said something
really stupid to my wife. I figured that
it was no big deal, that I would be able to suppress
my feelings and all night I tossed and turned.
It ate away at me and it created a wall between us. I tried rationalizing, ignoring, blaming her,
thinking up new justifications. I started planning how I was going to avoid her
in the morning. But the reality is that
the only I was going to feel better and connected was if I acknowledged my
error to her.
Truth is
the beginning. Truth helps us to begin removing the barriers that we have
created. It opens the door to healing. Frankly I would much rather spend my
time and energy being in relationship than figuring out ways to avoid.
The woman
at the well had created a life based upon running. She probably didn’t even
know what she was running from. But
Jesus opened a door for her. It was a
painful door, but it was a door. This
all may seem impossible, and yet time and time again the Spirit finds a way
through the impossible. The Spirit finds
a way to honor our deepest yearnings for love - to feel connected - with God
and with one another.
*
* * *
What
Jesus offered to the woman at the well is what Jesus offers to each of us:
·
A
promise that the journey into the love of God will be more fulfilling than the
hiding in the midst of fear
·
A
freedom from the energy that goes into shouldering the pain alone and all the
energy that goes into maintaining an avoidance.
The more
we go through the door opened by Christ the more God’s love and joy will be
revealed.
My
Brother Jim finally found that door and the courage to go through it as he
found Alcoholics Anonymous. It was most
difficult as he became honest with himself and with others. But as he did: doors - unexpected opened up and revealed a new
way living. It was a way of life that consumed
him as became more involved in AA attending more and more meetings, meeting
more and more people - sponsoring
countless others and touching (and saving) lives. It was fulfilling and inspiring and I would
hazard a guess that the void became truly filled
*
* * *
So what
does this mean for you and me and for this parish?
Let us
continue to create a parish that nurtures love & truthtelling. This is why we have a parish. Christ Church allows us the opportunity to
work together, to live in the midst of the pain together, to
cherish one another. It also allows us
to create a sanctuary to be vulnerable.
And as we do this there are three things to keep in mind.
·
Acknowledge
the creativity and determination of our tendencies to falsely fill voids. Honor
truthtellers.
I have a wonderful friend that has a tendency to ask really hard
questions about how life is going and the issues of life. He does it in a loving, but forceful way that
requires an answer - and in turn it leads to deep, invigorating
conversations. He does not do this to
pry or be nosy, or to say aha! You fool! but out of
love.
·
Honor
those who have gone through the emptiness and found love. Hear the words of
Paul to the Romans: “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering
produces endurance and endurance produces character and character produces
hope” These are people who have faced
the emptiness of life, the pain and suffering and in the midst of this they
have witnessed God’s presence and they are hopeful. That is a hope that we can
trust and learn from. What a gift for
all of us!
·
Celebrate
God’s love. Each and every chance we
get. God is about love. God is
love. And love is empowering, nurturing
fulfilling. Jesus reminds us this season
of Lent that life is possible - in God’s love.
Let us devote ourselves to searching for God’s love and when we find it
- allow ourselves to feel God’s love.
Today’s psalm is about celebrating God’s love. Today’s Eucharist, as is every Sunday’s
Eucharist is about celebrating God’s love.
Life is about living into God’s love.
AMEN!
(I am
indebted to my friend Terry Henry for a sermon that he wrote in 1981 that has
helped influence and direct the creation of this sermon)