Long Story Short

Scripture Matthew 28:16-20. 

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. 18 Jesus came near and spoke to them, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth.  19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”

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This has been a very strange week.  The high temperatures have ranged between 82 and 105.  There have been demonstrations - huge crowds of people gathering to chant and carry signs, mostly peacefully, most wearing masks.  There have been some riots, and some looting, but for the most part the crowds have been peaceful.  I left the house for the first time since March 16 to meet with four members of the Board - outdoors, appropriately distanced, and masked - to discuss when and how to begin gathering for in-person worship again.  Businesses are re-opening after shutting down for a couple of months, improving the unemployment rate.  Meanwhile, the numbers of those infected with the new coronavirus, Covid19, are edging up again. And will probably go higher, what with the huge crowds of people gathering to protest.  It has been a very strange week indeed.   A week in which it is good to do as Jesus said, “Remember, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”  

I titled today’s message “Long Story Short” because Luke’s telling of everything that happened from the time the women found the tomb empty until Jesus’ ascension into the heavens is MUCH longer and more detailed than Matthew’s.   Even Mark, who is usually a “just the facts” kind of writer, tells the story with more detail about post-resurrection events.  Matthew goes directly from “Go tell the brothers to meet me in Galilee” to “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus told them to go.”  No road to Emmaus, no appearances in the upper room, no ascension, even.  Matthew tells what can be a pretty long story in a very few words.   Although, Matthew IS the only one to tell us that the guards who had been at the tomb were paid by the Elders in the Temple to tell everyone that the disciples had stolen Jesus’ body . . .no doubt to assure his listeners that the rumors they had heard are not true. 

Long story short seems almost to be the theme for this year.  Today we celebrate Graduation Sunday.  Traditionally, we line up all the graduates from every level of education in front of the congregation, let them each say a few words, and give them presents at a reception after worship.  That isn’t happening this year.  Even the graduates own stories about their final semester and all the events around graduation will be different this year.  There will be no prom stories.  No final exam day stories.  No stories about how it felt to walk up and finally get that diploma they worked so hard for in their hands. I know people did graduate.  I saw some graduation parades, and Selma High had seniors come and get their diplomas with our local paper’s reporter and photographer, Laura Brown, documenting everything.  The Graduating Class of 2020 will not be sharing the stories that are traditionally told but they will have other kinds of stories to share - about quarantine and virtual education, and about their final semester during the first year of a pandemic.  They will have all the stories, but those stories will be very different this year.  Graduating may have been more challenging this year - and all 2020 Graduates are to be commended - as well as those parents who suddenly found themselves home-schooling their children.   And all the teachers who had to learn how to do online teaching overnight.  

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke all tell about the same events, the same basic stories, but they each tell them differently.   That’s the thing about stories.  Each person who tells a story tells it from their own perspective, taking into account who is listening while they speak.

Jesus said, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  Sometimes it is hard to remember that.  Maybe that’s why in some translations of this passage, we are told he said “Remember”.   

In 1967, a year before the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) established the Reconciliation program, with a mission to address the basic causes of racism and poverty.  Today we know that program as the Anti-Racism/Pro-Reconciliation program.  An offering is taken every year on World Communion Sunday, the first Sunday in October.   Fifty-three years ago the Disciples established the Reconciliation Program.   There was so much hope.  The Poor Peoples Campaign, the Civil Rights movement, Dr. King’s inspired and inspiring leadership.  Most of the demonstrations were mostly peaceful on the part of the demonstrators . . . There was so much hope.  And then, one year later, he was assassinated, and the riots started.  I was a junior in high school that year.  I remember.

The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) established the Reconciliation program fifty three years ago - and nothing is different. Oh, a few things are.  There have been some new laws passed, but laws don’t change hearts.  Segregated public schools became unlawful, but many cities and counties quickly changed the way the school districts were configured.  Changing the school district lines also changes the tax base in those districts, so the poor districts get much less funding than the wealthier districts - just like when schools were “separate but equal.”  Which was never reality, by the way.   It’s unlawful to refuse to hire someone based on their race, but as long as no one mentions race when a job application is declined, no problem.  Right?  And yet, some companies seem to have very few minority employees, especially in the upper ranks.  We don’t need to wonder how or why that happens.  These things are morally wrong, and must change.  Racism still undergirds most, if not all, of our institutions, and that needs to change.  Before we can change it, we need to recognize it, and that will take effort on our parts.  That is why ordained ministers in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) receive Anti-racism/Pro-Reconciliation training regularly - so that we may help our congregations recognize racism. 

Jesus said, “Go out and make disciples.  Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.”   That bears repeating.

“Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.” 

Things like 

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” 

 Again, “everyone will know that you are my disciples, IF you have love for one another.”   

And “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”  

And “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.”  

Make disciples, he said.  Teach them to obey these things, he said.  I think maybe we get stuck on what things, exactly, we are supposed to obey.  

I was reading reviews of a dress I liked on Amazon when I came across this 5 Star review:  

“I am PENTECOSTAL we only wear ANKLE LENGTH DRESSES. These dresses provide dual duty. Many dresses today are poor quality the underskirts only go to the knee making the lower half see through. These provide Modesty. In a world where women want to show their bodies, this makes me feel like a real lady. Short dress is disgusting. And I would never be caught dead in a pair of pants. Pants are for men only. But then again I am a real Christian not a pretend one.”    

I like wearing long skirts.  I also like wearing blue jeans.  I’m pretty sure my fashion choices do not have a whole lot to do with my Christian faith.   But for this person, the commandment found in Deuteronomy 22:5, “A woman shall not wear a man’s apparel, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment; for whoever does such things is abhorrent to the Lord your God.”  is an important part of her Christian practice.   

Or maybe it is our interpretation of love that needs work.  

When my second husband said, “I wouldn’t have to beat you if I didn’t love you so much,” his definition of love was not anywhere close to Christ’s definition.  

When a family casts their gay child out into the street, or subjects him to conversion therapy out of love, I do not believe they are obeying Christ’s injunction,  “do to others as you would have them do to you.”  

When people - Christian people! - attack one another verbally or physically 

over whether to wear a mask in public,

 or over whether Covid19 is a real thing, 

over racism, heterosexism, or any of the multitude of isms that divide us, 

When people - Christian people! - seem more interested in calling each other names than in seeking to understand why they believe differently about all these matters, 

I am quite sure there is no love in those encounters.  

We can do better.  

Jesus said, Make disciples.  Teach them to love one another.   Teach them to do to others as you would have them do to you.   Teach them to love the neighbor and even the enemy.  

And then he said, “Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  

Remember, 

Even in times like this, when hate and anger seem to be overshadowing any semblance of love and care for the other.

Christ is with us.

Even when we are fearful, or lonely, or worn out.

Christ is with us.

Even when the future is cloudy and confused, and  we talk about a new normal with no idea what that will look like,

Christ is with us.

Even when we are grieving loss - of friends, loved ones, and life as we knew it in the before times.

Christ is with us.

Until the end of this present age.