Sermon for November 30, 2008

Scripture Mark 13, 24-37

“Keep Awake!”      By Rev. Sharon James Fazel

Thanksgiving for Americans is a holiday we proudly claim as our own. It is a time to pause intentionally to say thank you, to acknowledge the many relationships that enrich our lives, even if our physical, or especially if our financial, circumstances don’t live up to our concept of material wealth.  And – it’s easy to do that when you’re sitting at a table spread with good food, sharing a well planned meal with family or friends. But what if something unexpected happens?  

Chris and Dylan and I spent our Thanksgiving with the Fazels in Perry, Iowa, where Chris’s mom and older brother Rick live. Dennis, the oldest of the three brothers, and his spouse Kay, arrived in Perry shortly after we did, having driven there from Monroe, WI.

All was going well on Wednesday evening, until Dennis began having sudden difficulty breathing. When he was gasping for air, unable to talk between gasps, we called 911. Dallas County Hospital is literally the distance of about five blocks away, but the way Dennis was breathing, none of us was sure we could get him there ourselves, soon enough. Paramedics arrived in moments. Outside the house, a plethora of flashing lights from emergency vehicles and police cars lit up the night sky in Perry like a Hollywood movie opening. Dennie got better with oxygen. Then, as paramedics were about to leave, he got worse again. He and Kay were at the hospital till nearly midnight, but they spent the night in their hotel room. The next day was Thanksgiving.

Thursday morning, Grandma’s spirits plummeted from joviality to impending despair. What she had planned as a “use the good china Thanksgiving dinner,” with all three of her boys at the table together with her, now seemed a remote vision.

Yet, there came one more unexpected turn.  Prescription pharmaceuticals kept the combined effects of emphysema, asthma, and allergies all at bay just long enough to get everyone through an entire meal, together, without re-dialing 911. Kay drove them home to Wisconsin a full day earlier than planned, but without incident. All was well when we last spoke.

After all this had transpired, Chris and I remarked to each other how quickly the trajectory of one moment can impact the direction of several lives. In our case, although frightening at the time, the situation turned out not to involve any real tragedy (although it might have). In the twists and turns of one moment to the next, we realized intense gratitude for what was indeed the privilege of being with family this holiday. And yet, our plight paled at the news of events in India, birthplace of one of the world’s most prominent leaders of non-violent resistance, Mahatma Ghandi.

Pondering the contrast between our story and the stories of those swept up in the terrible unexpected violence in Mambai.  I realized at once both the sharp differences and the striking commonalities of the two experiences. Faced with the threat of losing a loved one by any unexpected means, we understand perhaps better what Jesus might have meant when he asked his disciples to “stay awake.” We all know that adrenalin produces a physical, biological response within the human body, when we are faced with a surprizing, life threatening situation. But there is also a clarity of mind that comes amidst such experiences.  It’s what prompts one to call 911, or to pluck a young child whose parents were just gunned down, from harm’s way, and shelter him to safety. It’s hard to capture that moment when it happens, because it happens so quickly. Yet, in retrospect, it feels to have happened in slow motion.

I wonder what Jesus really did mean by “keeping awake.”  “…about that day or hour no one knows…Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.” Jesus spent a lot of time with his disciples teaching them, modeling behavior for them, praying with and for them. His words and his presence must have fine tuned them to awaken to greater spiritual subtleties, as time went on.

Are we fine tuned enough to be alert, these days, not only to door-busting bargains on Black Friday, but also to the pleas of the oppressed for justice? To the clues of our own bodies begging us for a healthier lifestyle? To the cries for help from those living in our own community? To the whisperings of the Spirit that teach us who we are, and who we need to become?

“Keep awake!” Jesus told his disciples as he prepared to enter Jerusalem and face his own death. “Keep awake!” amid the challenges of the unexpected. They are words from a story long ago, but also relevant for us today. I pray that as we enter this season of Advent, of awaiting the coming of the Christ light into the world, that you and I may indeed keep awake -- in body, in mind, in community, and in our very souls. Amen.

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