3rd Sunday of Advent
James 5:7-10
Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Grumbling in the Streets
This epistle reading from the lectionary for today is interesting to me as a choice for Advent. Traditionally understood to be written by Jesus’ brother, James, he writes about the need for patience as Jesus’ followers wait for Jesus to return once again, having been crucified and resurrected, and having ascended into heaven, basically our understanding of the second coming. While we, in this season of Advent, anticipate Jesus’ birth, God in the form of a human baby, come to Earth. Yes, it’s a text about waiting for Jesus, but not quite in the same way that we wait for Jesus during Advent. But, it’s fitting in a sense, because in both instances, we are waiting for Jesus to come.
Each Sunday of Advent, we lift up and contemplate a different aspect of this time of waiting and expectation. The first Sunday of Advent is Hope, which in many ways is synonymous with waiting. It’s looking towards the future for what’s to come, anticipating a time when things will be better. We await the arrival of the messiah with wonder and awe at all of the changes that we expect him to bring. And, we have all kinds of rules around this time of waiting, which our music director Steve Michelson wrote about in the last issue of the Waymarks. We patiently wait for the birth of Jesus, even though his birth happened 2,000 years ago, so it might seem silly to some people to be so rigid about when we sing Christmas songs. Nevertheless, Advent is a season of hope, as we hope for the better world that Jesus will bring.
The second Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of peace, as we think about the peace that Jesus will bring as the Prince of Peace. This is perhaps the aspect that we talk about the most throughout the year, as it often seems like it’s the one that is most needed in the world. From the strife that sometimes happens in our congregations, neighborhoods, and towns, to the conflicts that occur between nations and entire populations of people, I think we can all agree that we need more peace in the world.
Today is the third Sunday of Advent, when we light the candle of Love. Like peace, the world could do with a little more love, a little more understanding, a little more sympathy. What would the world look like if we could all truly love one another? If we could see the world through each other’s eyes, and know what it was like to walk in each other’s shoes? Today, on this third Sunday of Advent, on this Love Sunday of Advent, I want to ask the question: “What does it mean to love your neighbor?”
But first, we have to ask, “Who is our neighbor?” The obvious answer is that it’s the people who live around you. But, according to the stories that Jesus tells, your neighbor is any person that you interact with. And, Jesus makes special mention of those in need. So truly, your neighbor could be anyone.
The question, “What does it mean to love your neighbor?” is an important one for us, here in Helena. There are over half a million unsheltered people living in the United States today, and over the last five years, we’ve seen an increase of 120% in the number of unsheltered people living in Lewis and Clark County. This is an especially dangerous time of year to be unsheltered. God’s love sees more than 100 people every winter who need help, and they don’t turn anyone away when the temperatures drop, even if it means putting cots in the hallways and in rooms not typically used for overnight guests.
Numbers for how many unsheltered people die from the cold each winter are hard to find; most government agencies don’t keep track of that information. A more cynical person might say that if the government didn’t care about unsheltered people while they were alive, then why would the government care about them when they die. We cannot wait around for other people, other agencies, other churches, to take care of the needy in our midst. We need to act now, and we need to act quickly.
There are several organizations in the tri-county area who are trying to come up with a solution for this issue, including Good Samaritan Ministries, and the United Way. Rev. Jeff Buscher was here about a month ago as a representative of the United Way, sharing his perspective on this issue with us. Our own Social Justice and Outreach Committee has decided that homelessness will be the issue that we tackle as a congregation in 2023, and I think this is a bold and critical decision for this time. And, I am so proud and grateful the we are taking this stance and making this statement for our community.
Last week, Rev. Buscher held a meeting for non-profits, government agencies, and faith-based groups, like Plymouth Congregational Church, in order to talk about what we might do, as a group, to end homelessness in Helena. The scope of this issue is enormous, it’s more than most organizations could hope to tackle on their own. Our hope that we can all come together to take this on, working together and supporting each other, each of us drawing on our strengths, experiences, and resources, so that the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
This is a multifaceted issue, from the funding required and who knows how many hours of work we’ll need to put into it, to navigating the rules and regulations and gathering community support. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the acronym NIMBY: Not in My Backyard. While most people can agree that we need to do something to end homelessness, anytime a project like this starts to gather steam, concerns rise up from the community about crime, and safety, and property values.
Today’s epistle reading actually addresses this very issue in verse 9, “Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged.” Biblical scholars think that this may have been an admonition against non-Christian Jews who might have started using the Birkat haMinim, a curse on heretics, to curse Christians. This letter was written at a time when Christian and non-Christian Jews would have still been worshipping together, before the two traditions parted ways. James was concerned about the grumbling that was happening within the community, concerned about the growing disharmony, which would not have been in line with Jesus teachings about generosity and acceptance. And, this admonition still rings true to this day. People say they want to help, that they want things to be better, but there’s a lack of trust, and fear of change, and people start to grumble.
Plymouth Congregational Church is uniquely positioned to educate the wider community about this issue, and to be a leader in helping to make sure that all of our neighbors have a roof over their heads. We are hosting a luncheon this Thursday for all of the faith leaders in the area who want to learn about this issue. Our hope is that we can educate them about what might be happening, and hopefully get some of them to join us in this endeavor. If all of the faith leaders in the tri-county area were to speak to their congregations about the necessity of this work, about the holiness of this work, that by itself would go a long way towards seeing it become a reality. If we can open our hearts, then we can open our arms in welcome to our neighbors who need us.
We have to be the good news of God’s work in the world. We have to bring warmth and safety to the neediest members of society, and in doing so, embody the true meaning of Christmas: Hope, Peace, and Love. We can welcome all people to be our neighbors, living next door to us, working side by side with us, and maybe even worshipping with us, without all of the cursing and grumbling that James warned against. That’s what it means to be the church. That’s what it means to love God, and to love Jesus, and to be moved by the Holy Spirit. That’s what it means to love your neighbor. Amen.
~ Rev. Charles Wei
