“Glory to God whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we could ask or imagine.”[1] In the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. AMEN
I have always been taught to know “Who are you, Where are you going and Who is your captain?” Ok, I get that --- but How do I live where I am? Right now, today? The disciples of Jesus had to learn how to do just that ------live where they were.
If you will remember, in last week’s gospel Peter won the “who is Jesus” contest and identified Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus said to the disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven…” WOW. Peter had to be feeling good about now. But then he gets impulsive, he was living in the moment, sometimes impulsiveness is never a very good thing. He goes from hero to zero in just a few verses! Perhaps his next to most awful moment (the first being when he denies Jesus). Here he is described as Satan by Jesus and Jesus scolds him. (Ouch).
Poor Peter, he got it right, but then he got it wrong. Remember everyone was expecting a Messiah who was a military man that would unite everyone and kick the heck out of the Romans. I would say that Peter was just trying to live where he was. That is something I think we all have to learn to do as well. After Peter’s announcement that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus goes on to tell them how he must go to Jerusalem and suffer and die. Peter wants no part of that, “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” This is the first prediction of the passion. Without the cross, Jesus would have been just another man who spoke great truths, who was a great teacher but didn’t demonstrate anything else. Without the cross we are left without a savior. We need both cross and savior. Peter did eventually pick up his cross and follow Jesus. What about us?
As good question we could ask, “is how to do that ---and how to I live where I am?” Especially now with the Covid Pandemic, the Racial Pandemic and the Political Pandemic all going on at the same time. As disciples, how do we follow Jesus and spread the Good News? We are all going to have great days and then some not so great days. Peter demonstrates for us that Disciples can be great one day and not so great the next. Sometimes we get it right and other times we don’t. And there are many moments when it could be much worse. There is a story that starts,
“It was lunchtime when the father noticed that his son’s bedroom was completely neat and tidy and in the center of the bed was a letter with his name on it. The father walked into the room, picked up the letter and sat down on the side of the bed to read it. The letter read as follows:
Dear Dad,
I decided that this was the easiest way to pass on the news. I am in love. I have run off with Becky, my new girlfriend, because I knew you and mom would not approve. Beck is much older than me, but she is great. She lives in this cool shack. She has taught me that pot is okay. And we have a trade. We grow and sell the pot so we can get all the ecstasy and heroin that we need. We are going to make enough money to support our child – oh yes – you are going to be a grandfather. So, I am dropping out of high school to focus on the trade and raising the child. I don’t want you to worry Dad. I am sixteen now and perfectly capable of taking care of myself.
With Love,
Brian, your son.
P.S. None of this is true, Dad. I am over at a friend’s house. I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things than my report card, which is in the top drawer of the desk. Call me when it is safe to come home.”[2]
The young man in the story was inviting his dad to see the spectrum. Discipleship is like that - on the spectrum. Sometimes we get it right and other times we don’t. And there are many moments when it could be much worse. How do we begin? How do we start? Brenda Green shared with the Prayer Warriors this week that she has a new Mantra –she wrote;
“During my morning walks with my dogs, I briefly encounter other walkers. Also, when shopping I briefly encounter others such as the clerks and stockers. My new mantra is to Be More Kind to others by saying words of kindness during these encounters. Sometimes that may only be a quick hi or conversation about our masks. Each of these kindness encounters also makes me feel better. Maybe my words encourage the other person. I pray that you will be encouraged throughout the week with kind words from others. We all need encouragement and kindness throughout our life to lift us up. And maybe your kind words will encourage someone also. For sure your prayers encourage all our prayer recipients.” Thank you Brenda!
Frank Turner wrote a song whose title is “Be More Kind.” One of the lyrics is “in a world that has decided --- that it’s going to lose its mind, Be more kind, my friends, try to be more kind.”[3]
So how do we follow Jesus and live where we are? To “Be more kind” is a great start. Jesus practiced kindness throughout his ministry with acts of love, joy, and healing. There are many examples of the kindness of Jesus in the bible. Jesus touches lives and makes a difference. What if we worked on just that ----to be like Jesus -- to Be More Kind wherever we are.
Here are ten ways to get started,
1. When you believe in someone tell them, let them know you support them. People who feel supported can do amazing and extraordinary things.
2. Consider kindness before you speak. Before you say something on your mind that is unkind, remember to choose kindness before speaking. It is not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of love.
3. Spread the kindness you have received. Figure out a way to spread that goodness you feel when someone is kind to you to someone else.
4. Be mindful of how you treat others. Considering all the interactions we have; you can impact another person by simply the way that you treat them. Acknowledging their presence is a good way to start. Greet them.
5. Don’t discriminate who to be kind to. As we all known, each of us is facing challenges, some more than others, even if we are different, we can still be kind to everyone.
6. Set the example. What if you were the role model who sets the example of kindness. Be the Poster child for Kindness.
7. Practice Good Intentions. Kindness and good intentions come hand in hand. Do not expect anything in return for your kindness. A good intention goes a long way on the road to being more kind.
8. Feel good about it. It is ok to feel good about. The act of being kind will come more regularly when you allow yourself to feel good about the behavior and it spreads more positivity within you.
9. Reach out when it is unlikely others will. If you feel that being kind will just go against the grain, try then just being nice. Be the first to show niceness. It can make a huge difference.
10. And try to be kind every day. If you are in doubt, be kind as often as possible – even every day. When you are kind to another person, you spread the joy into that person’s life.[4]
You get to decide if you are going to be kind or not. We don’t have to be perfect at it. One just must wake up each day and pick up one’s cross and start walking. It is ok not to get it perfect, the disciples sure didn’t but we do not walk alone. Think about how it felt the last time you received a kind gesture. It’s exactly like spreading love, the love of Jesus. Wouldn’t it be amazing if that feeling could be spread around the world?
My favorite antiphon in Compline from our prayer book is “Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace (BCP134). Guide us waking, O Lord. AMEN.
Proper 17 Year A Matthew 16:21-28
The Rev. James T. Said Be More Kind August 30, 2020
[1] Ephesians 3:20. [2] Markham, Ian S., and Samantha Gottlich. Lectionary Levity, the Use of Humor in Preaching. P. 77 [3] https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/frankturner/bemorekind.html Accessed August 30, 2020. [4] 10 Ways To Be More Kind. Huffpost. Accessed August 30, 2020.
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