June 6, 2010

Ann Mellor

Pentecost 2      1 Kings 17:8-16     Luke 7:11-17

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I believe in miracles. There I have said it. It’s not easy to say because we are used to ‘dumbing down’ our spirituality. We are afraid that we might overdo it. We risk being misunderstood or labeled or being in danger of taking our concept of miracles to extremes. The word miracle has become mundane as we are bombarded by the daily barrage of miracle face creams (I buy them!), and miracle cleaning liquids…worldly miracles that hold no surprise or doubt in our mind as to their efficacy. Or we think of the miracles of biblical proportions we find that if taken literally, they are well beyond our reach. No… I am talking about miracles from God, now in the present, working in our lives.

The now Miracle experience is when we know that the inexplicable has happened. Moments when we are intricately close to God. When we hear his words, when our life is shifted onto a track that takes us on a new unexpected yet life-giving direction. When things happen that are beyond understanding. As passionate believers then surely we are to embrace all that God offers us in our relationship, and that includes miracles. But so often we leave before the miracle has happened, or we simply don’t recognize it when it does. How many times did Moses wander past that bush as he was tending sheep, before he saw it burning? I ask what sort of relationship we have with God when we don’t bother to stop and smell the roses, because they couldn’t possibly be for us?

Trinity Sunday last week called us to re-vision God, so it is timely to remember that the intertwining of the Trinity represents an egalitarian God, a God where a relationship of equality and mutuality rather than a hieracrchy, opens for us a true relationship with God. This one communion of the divine and human is imaged by Catherine La Cugna, a renowned feminist theologian, as the ‘divine dance’, a vision which I love. Everything comes from God and everything is returned to God – we are a partner in the divine dance – living a life where we partake and exist in the dance. ‘The Holy Spirit brings about the true communion of God and Creature’ says La Cugna, and we celebrate this true union of the divine and human dance at the Eucharist. So… if we understand the Holy Spirit as God’s outreach to the world, we must see miracles as divine happenings that touch us in our world. Love touching us in unexpected ways at unexpected times. Just be sure not to leave before it happens! 

I was in Corfu with Danny Watson and his wife Teresa recently. The three of us headed to visit a Byzantine church. Teresa expected to find intriguing Byzantine pottery, I expected stunning icons and Danny was interested in the history of the church. When we arrived there was a beautiful courtyard to a monastery with a well worn stone seat carved in the wall – framed by a luscious red bougainvillea in full bloom with a faded fresco on the back of the seat. I spent some time there in contemplation – it was a very special place. When we entered the church Danny broke out in a beautiful Waiata. His voice lifted to the high wooded ceiling of this ancient place and hung in the left hand corner. Danny headed through an entrance to the right leaving Teresa and I to reflect in the peace and beauty of the moment, being alone in the church. Then from high up in the corner came a chant replying to the Waiata. It was in Greek we imagine, but it was soft and beautiful. We searched for a monk or a speaker and found neither. This was our miracle.

Experiencing such a miracle left us uplifted, filled with a goodness beyond ourselves, life-giving and powerfully transforming our attitudes. Thankful for the love received in this extraordinary moment, we felt drawn to a deeper relationship with our God whatever that meant to each of us, along with a renewed commitment to pass on that love to others.

We know that powerful bible passage seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened. Clearly, there is no point seeking if we are going to exit stage right just as what we are looking for is presented to us!

In Luke Chapter 7:11-17, we hear of the young man being raised from the dead. In our rational world it is hard to be enchanted by biblical miracles. But if they are seen as larger than literal, if we see them as a window or icon into Christ we can learn more about the Jesus who is being presented to us by the gospel writer. We can translate biblical literalism into ways that draw us closer in our relationship with Christ, to know him better. As Marcus Borg (a contemporary theologian) states, ‘the point is not to believe in a metaphor, but to see with it. The point is not to believe in the Bible, but to see our lives with God through it.’ As a window to Christ in this morning’s gospel we are met with a God of compassion, of new beginnings, we see that a trusting relationship with God brings a new closeness.

This miracle is set in Luke’s gospel narrative to reinforce the power and authority of Jesus. He is referred to as a great prophet and the crowd acknowledges that God has visited their tiny town and go on to spread the news throughout Judea. Today we are called to know Christ, and to be persistent, not expecting instant wisdom, or an immediate epiphany. We can find the means towards transformation through worship, prayer, meditation, time with nature, that all help to fine tune us, programme us to receive. Open hearts and thin places – those sacred spaces, where in Celtic tradition God brings us near through natures beauty, give us the means to transform. Fear on the other hand hinders us in our spiritual growth. Fear of going to the unknown, fear of a God so great, fear of a close passionate relationship with an egalitarian God. Persistence, just as the mother in the miracle story displayed, is indeed required.

As Christians in relationship with an egalitarian God, we can understand that the power and authority in our life today, is the love of Christ. This inspires and directs us, because it is empowering rather than being power over us, so when miracles are acknowledged and shared they become gifts of love, rather than solely for the benefit of the receiver. Embracing miracles that we have experienced boosts our passion in our relationship with God and with others. Our transformed attitudes can be used to connect those at the margins of society with love and justice.

As we reflect on our own miracle experiences, and the miracle story in Luke, we must hold in tension the kingdom metaphors that inform our faith. There is the Old Testament religion of promise, where God intervenes to save nations, speaks to prophets, and creates a covenant relationship with his chosen people. This sits alongside the Kingdom to come, the eternal kingdom that Jesus in the New Testament points towards. We hold these images alongside our egalitarian God, and discover through Gods activity in the world today as we are touched by miracles, that the Kingdom is also here… and yet still to come. Our own miracle experiences involve us irrevocably in the Kingdom now. Our response is to be ready to receive, to wait patiently and still in the presence of God and then to share that love to create a better world. But remember… don’t leave five minutes before the miracle.