Blessed are the Advocates

Sermon preached by the Rev. Lowell E. Grisham, Rector
St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Fayetteville, Arkansas
February 11, 2007; 6th Sunday after Epiphany, Year C
Episcopal Revised Common Lectionary

(Luke 6:17-26) -- Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them. Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
"Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
"Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.
"Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
"Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
"Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.
"Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.
"Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.
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One of the members of my church in Jackson, Mississippi lost his rather respectable job at the state's largest newspaper when it became known that he was a leader in the state Nazi party. James left Mississippi for a while, and then returned. When he came back, he was welcomed home for the most part, and reincorporated into the parish life. People knew him well enough to know he really was a nice guy despite his bizarre politics. And his wife was an ex-hippy with decidedly leftist tendencies. The community seemed to accept them as an unusual balancing act.

I talked with James about his political leanings. He said, pretty convincingly, that he wasn't against Jews or blacks or gays, but he really thought someone ought to speak up on behalf of white people. In his winsome way he said, "I'm really not against anyone or anything. I'm just trying to be an advocate."

So he gave me his spiel. White folks have contributed most to what makes this nation and this world great, he said. Look at the great inventions, the institutions that we depend on, the jobs, the literature, classical music. "I just think somebody ought to speak up for us and for our people and what we've accomplished," said James.

I was especially thankful for my friendship with James when I got involved in a rather public church-state conflict. I was standing with some friends defending the principle of separation of church and state when we were picketed by a rather large and energetic group. It was covered pretty extensively by the press. The next day my secretary filtered over twenty hostile telephone calls, a few obscene, vaguely threatening. Then James called to say, "I saw those guys marching on y'all on the TV news last night. I know most of those fellows. They're a bunch of Kluxer buddies of mine. I'll tell them to leave you alone if you'd like." I told him I would like that very much, and the calls dried up.

Where James and I found ourselves having to agree to disagree was over the question of whether white folks like us really needed a lot of advocacy. After all, I argued, we are the majority, we run most of the institutions, we've got most of the money, and nearly all the politicians. We are doing just fine, it seemed to me.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating. Those of us who have inherited some of the dominant positions in our culture need to recognize the advantages we've enjoyed as a result of our unearned privileges. It seems to me that we should use some of the power we have been given to advocate on behalf of those who do not enjoy such privilege. Jesus's words in the Gospel today appear to recognize the inequalities of power and to offer a word of God's preference on behalf of the underprivileged. "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ...But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation." Some scholars argue that these passages would be better translated "how honorable" and "how shameless." "How honorable are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ...How shameless are you who are rich, for you have received your consolation."

Lynne Spellman's sermon two months ago has stuck in my mind. Lynne discussed philosopher John Rawls' work, A Theory of Justice. Rawls invites a thought-experiment, imagining that we could return to the "Original Position" and create from their beginnings the principles that will govern the fundamental institutions of our society -- its politics and economics. There is one catch. In this experiment you don't know what race or gender or social class you will be in; you don't know whether you will be talented or healthy or attractive or none of the above. What sort of society might you imagine as being fair? What would be your Theory of Justice? One of Rawls' principles proposes that economic inequalities should be allowed only if, because of those inequalities, the least advantaged person in the society would be better off than that person would be if there were a simple, equal distribution of wealth. I've continued to think about that.

But we can't return to the "Original Position," can we? We live in a world of pre-existing inequalities. It is already given to us. Jesus invites us to join God's work of blessing on behalf of the poor, the hungry, and those who weep and suffer. Such generous advocacy seems to characterize a fundamental Christian perspective. We see consistently in the Gospel stories that Jesus reached out especially to the poor and marginalized. That work is in the tradition of the great prophets whose messages tend to comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable. After all, those of us who are privileged – wealthy, well fed, happy – really need no special advocacy. We have received our consolation. But what about those who inherit prejudice and obstacles instead of privilege? How can we join the work of Jesus and the prophets to create justice?

Years ago I met John Perkins, a civil rights activist and founder of the Voice of Calvary Ministry in Jackson, Mississippi. I said to him that to my mind equality of opportunity was an easy sell, but affirmative action was less convincing. He offered me a parable.

Two teams are in a baseball game. After several innings the score is 15-to-nothing. That's when everyone notices that the team that is losing has been playing with one arm tied behind their back. That's not fair, everyone agrees. So their hands are untied and the playing field is level. "Now," said John Perkins, his eyes filled with intensity. "What is the score?" Is it still 15 to nothing? How about 15 to 15? That would be a level field.

There is some side-taking in the scripture. Liberation theologians speak of "God's preferential option for the poor." But what about people like me? I'm a nice guy. But, I am rich; I am full; I have a happy and fulfilling life. And except for an occasional letter to the editor, most people speak well of me. What about most of us in this room who are not poor and hungry, weeping and reviled?

We have our patrons. Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man who went to Pilate to claim the body of Jesus for burial in his own new tomb. Nicodemus was a member of the powerful Sanhedrin who argued in defense of Jesus at his trial. Lydia was a wealthy merchant of fine cloth who hosted Paul's first church in Macedonia. These are people who used their wealth and position for good.

I am thankful for so many gracious people who are our neighbors and friends who give generously in the tradition of Joseph and Nicodemus and Lydia. Without the gifts from the Willard & Pat Walker Foundation, the new supportive housing facility for the homeless that Seven Hills is building would be impossible. How inspiring is the generosity of Bernice Jones and, maybe less known, our own Betty Lighton.

But you don't have to be wealthy to live generously. How wonderful are the volunteers who were here before 6:00 a.m. yesterday morning to help with our Angel Food distribution. And others in this congregation who help in countless ways to reach out and bless those who are weeping or hurting, those who experience poverty or hunger in all of its many guises. Whenever you give even a cup of water to one of the least of these, you have given it to Christ. The real privilege then is revealed. Those of us who are rich and full and respected get to participate in the blessing that God is giving to the poor and hungry and hurting.

The call to advocacy is clear. For those of us who have received our consolation, the path of blessing is in giving and advocacy. We are offered an exquisite invitation to share in the work of advocacy and blessing that God is accomplishing on behalf of the poor, the hungry, the sad, and the reviled. But notice. Unless we get near enough to the poor, the hungry, the sad and the reviled, we'll miss it. We'll miss the blessing. We will simply be too distant to share and enjoy the blessing and happiness that Jesus has promised to accomplish. That indeed would be woeful. Yet, what a gift we are offered. We can be the Good News that Jesus is bringing to all who experience bad news. How happy, how honorable, how blessed it can be to have the opportunity to share in God's beatitudes -- from either the giving or the receiving end. What a great and fulfilling reward it is to be part of that divine work of blessing.

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