Homily at St. Faith’s Episcopal Church
The Second Sunday after the Epiphany
January 17, 2010

By: Thomas Graf

May the Lord be in my heart and on my lips, that I might worthily proclaim his holy word.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit…Amen.

The words of Isaiah:
“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch.”

The prophet will not cease to pray and call out until Yahweh’s saving action shines forth from Zion and the present desolate situation is reversed. What encouraging words these must have been for a devastated Israel……what powerful words they are as we gather this Sunday during a week when our BROTHERS AND SISTERS in Haiti have themselves experienced tremendous devastation.

Scholars have dated the writing of this section of the Prophet Isaiah around the time after the exile, and perhaps as the Israelite community began to return to the area of Jerusalem and begin the difficult/arduous/complex task of rebuilding their temple, their community/their lives.

How providential that we would hear this particular prophecy just days after another community…our BROTHERS AND SISTERS in Haiti…experiences tremendous DEVASTATION……….Search and recovery efforts unfold and we all anxiously wait…hoping and praying…praying and hoping…

Isaiah’s response is very positive…..those attempting to outreach to Haiti are doing so in a positive way…YET….UNFORTUNATELY…we do not always see such POSITIVE actions/reactions when DEVASTATION/DESTRUCTION befalls people…when CRISIS strikes in certain areas.

Just this week, the Televangelist Pat Robertson said that the earthquake ravaged Haiti has been cursed by a pact they made with the devil. He said, “Something happened a long time ago in Haiti and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French. You know. Napoleon III, or whatever. And they got to get together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, we will serve you, if you’ll get us free from the French. True story-and so the devil said, OK it’s a deal. Ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after another.”

AMAZING……………is this the correct response?
Is this what the majority of people feel has happened in Haiti?

I would hope not….but history has shown us time and time again that many…even GOOD CHRISTIAN PEOPLE have held similar beliefs.

What happened when Hurricane KATRINA hit? Did we not hear similar messages:
“Hurricane Katrina was an act of God upon a SIN-LOVING and REBELLIOUS people. It’s a WARNING and a CALL TO REPENTANCE!!!”

Is this the correct response?
Is this how Jesus would react?

Another Christian Minister/Leader…whose holiday we celebrate this week…Marin Luther King Jr. once said: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

Martin Luther King Jr. was not naïve…he knew the stirrings of people’s hearts…minds….he had experienced prejudice…injustice…even of some of those GOOD CHRISTIAN PEOPLE!

His life gives us example of what should be done, how we should react…just like another Christian model/leader in our second reading today---PAUL in his letter to the Corinthians and his speaking about the GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT.

Why is he even addressing the gifts? Certainly not an exhaustive list….what is happening in the Church of Corinth that necessitates Paul’s intervention?
--There is a distortion concerning the gifts of the spirit.
--The stress of his words suggests that the presence of such gifts w/in the community had given rise to a COMPETITIVE SPIRIT!!!
--The situation was ripe for an EXPLOSION of ENVIOUS RIVALRY!!!

Yet…Paul does teach and does stress the MOST important aspect of the Gifts of the Spirit…….the ULTIMATELY the PURPOSE OF THE GIFTS is SERVICE!!!---to assist with the COMMON GOOD.

Naturally the truest and greatest model for all Christians is Jesus himself….and he certainly models well what is most important in our GOSPEL today.

Wedding Feast of Cana----the FIRST MIRACLE---SIGN

SIGN—in the gospel is a miracle that symbolizes a SPIRITUAL REALITY about Jesus. It REVEALS who he is…and strengthens FAITH IN HIM.

It is interesting to note the symbol of WINE in the gospel…WINE in ABUNDANCE in the OT and for the JEWS is a SYMBOL of the richness and over-flowing plenty that GOD promises for the days of the MESSIANIC DELIVERANCE!!! THE COMING OF THE MESIAH!!! THE PRESENCE OF JESUS!!! JESUS DELIVERS and MAKES NEW!!!

I don’t know why this horrible devastation occurred in Haiti.
I CRINGE at some of the THOUGHTLESS and CRUEL comments that have been made and that I have no doubt will come out of the mouths of others….even some GOOD CHRISTIANS……….

I believe we are called to be INSTRUMENTS OF PEACE and HOPE in whatever way we can, to sooooo many who are SUFFERING/DISTRAUGHT/HOPELESS…

Are we called to JUDGE………or to callout, pray and to ACT?

INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH….I believe we are WITNESSIG the answer unfolding before our very eyes…..HEADLINES this week read:
MASSIVE QUAKE propels MASSIVE OUTPOURING of AID and PRAYERS for HAITI!”

Another…”Major U.S. wireless carriers say the numbers of people donating to Haitian relief efforts via text messages has been the largest and most successful outpouring of charitable giving of its kind to date. As of Thursday—US cell phone users contributed more than $7 MILLION to the relief efforts.”

The prophet will not cease to pray and call out until Yahweh’s saving action shines forth from Zion and the present DESOLATE SITUATION is reversed.

Martin Luther King Jr.—another prophet---once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

May we BOLDLY stand as Christ would stand.