Easter 7
(Last of a series of tsunami-related homiletical thoughts for use with the following Sunday's RCL readings)
Eyes in the Skies
A long time ago I once preached a sermon on Sunday's first lesson, the story of Jesus' Ascension. I titled it: "Eyes in the Skies."
The disciples were looking up into the skies.
Jesus had just ascended through the clouds, the Book of Acts tells us, and the disciples' gaze was upwards. Then two men clothed in white said that Jesus had ascended into heaven.
They then put to the disciples a question that could simply be read as an interesting question. Or it could be read as a challenging question. This was the question: "Why do you have your eyes in the skies?"
Does that question challenge us? Is our religion so focused on another world that it could be said that we have our eyes in the skies?
I have been struck by how some churches in other parts of the world have wrestled with the tough issues of living as Christ's people on earth.
For instance, while doing tsunami work with the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India , I am seeing a church that does worship, does teach, does pray, does evangelize. But it does something else. It is down to earth, as a united group of 11 Lutheran Church bodies, expressing its oneness in the midst of struggles.
A recent brochure lists some of the struggles: economic justice, issues of poverty, starvation and undernourishment, health care, children's and women's rights, literacy, challenges of caste and untouchability, and HIV/AIDS.:
Its HIV/AIDS program has worked to promote low-cost terminal care and treatment, helped set up income-generating programs, worked to reduce the stigma of HIV/AIDS, and has held two-day awareness seminars for 30,000 pastors and church leaders! No, that's not a typo. The number is 30,000!
For the moment, the current tsunami emphasis has buffeted some priorities. AIDS patients at the UELCI headquarters clinic seem to sense they could be pushed aside. An AIDS patient here told me, "We need help. The tsunami just came, but we have been suffering for a long time."
Fortunately these UELCI staff are still actively engaged, attending to this critically important work.
They are inspired, an AIDS pastoral counselor told me, by the moving spirit behind this work, Dr. Sheila Shyamprasad, the director of the HIV/AIDS Desk. The counselor paused, and the described Dr. Sheila with three unexpected words, saying she's "down to earth."
"Down to earth!" I can almost feel an elbow from one of the two men in white who asked the disciples why they had their "eyes in the skies."
--Gene Thiemann
(Thiemann served as a Lutheran World Relief Consultant with the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India. )
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Easter 6
(Part of a series of tsunami-related homiletical thoughts for use with the following Sunday's RCL readings)
"I won't leave you like orphans."
In my visits to India , I have often encountered orphanages. I remember well the first time I saw one. It was in a "bungalow" once used by a missionary family. It was converted into an orphanage for dozens of children.
I soon learned that not all were what we generally think of as "true orphans," in which both parents have died. Often one or both parents are living, but due to desperate poverty they are forced to put them-for a while-in an orphanage. When (and if) financial conditions change, they will come back for their children.
But there are also true orphans, and we have heard much about them following the tsunami that ravaged India and other nations.
Shortly after the tsunami struck, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued the following wise statement:
"Many Americans have rallied in many ways to offer support to those individuals in regions affected by the tsunami. One of these is the offer to adopt children who are survivors of the disaster. In the statement, USCIS states that Americans' good intentions to adopt children who survived the tsunami in the Indian Ocean region are "commendable, ...[but] not the recommended solution, at least in the short term."
Adoption professionals - as a standard - try to keep the children close to their family members and community. In addition, it is "difficult to determine whether children whose parents are missing are truly orphans...many children have become separated from one or both parents whose fate is unknown. Even when the children are indeed orphaned, they are often taken in by other relatives...[which is] generally a better solution than uprooting the child completely."
In India , the strong sense of hospitality and obligation has resulted in some villages seeking to find ways to care for their own orphaned village children in case other relatives simply cannot.
The words of Jesus in Sunday's gospel, "I won't leave you like orphans," would likely have this reaction from a typical citizen of India : "Of course not. Abandonment is not an option!"
And as Jesus prepares his disciples for the day the Church will soon observe-Ascension Day-Jesus says to his disciples: "You won't be left out in the cold! I will come for you."
For those who belong to Jesus, abandonment is not an option.
--Gene Thiemann
(Thiemann served as a Lutheran World Relief Consultant with the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India. )
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Easter 5
(Part of a series of tsunami-related homiletical thoughts for use with the following Sunday's RCL readings)
"Once You were Nobody"
I can relate, at least partially.
Near the end of the second reading for Sunday are these words:
"Once you were nobody."
I can relate, and I suppose all of can, because at sometime or another we may have felt like a nobody.
And who wants to be a nobody?
During the relief phase of the tsunami, in India , some were made to feel that way. That feeling of being a nobody was happening so often that some relief and development agencies began to give special attention to this. I'm referring to the treatment of Dalits.
The Dalits, or outcasts as we once called them, have had a tough time rising up even to get relief! In the U.S, the phrase that comes to mind is "glass ceiling," referring to levels beyond which many women find it difficult to penetrate. Perhaps, here it could be "thatch ceiling" or "concrete ceiling." "Thatch" fits because many Dalits are very poor. "Concrete" fits, because it is so hard to break through.
When relief goods were distributed shortly after the tsunami in various places along the coast of India , Dalits were sometimes overlooked. Sometimes others in the community simply prevented them from getting sufficient help. All this happened despite the fact that the Indian government officially banned the pernicious caste system years ago.
Here is how one published report described the situation:
"Caste continues to batter Dalit tsunami victims in India . Most of the Dalits have not been allowed to share the relief material like food, shelter, medicine, toilets and others. Dalits are forced to carry water in plastic bags and are not allowed to use the water from tanks put up by the UNICEF." (" Dalits Fight Tsunami Daily " by Udit Raj, January 13, 2005)
Many groups, including Lutherans with whom I am working, are actively engaged in helping the Dalit community. This help has come in the form of temporary shelters and other emergency relief. Now, as help moves into a rehabilitation phase, some groups are working to insure that, as a matter of justice, Dalits will have access to new opportunities in livelihood and be able to make more new choices for themselves.
Most Lutherans in India (around 80%) come out of the Dalit community. The church has many "living stones" from that experience. Many have felt that a major thrust in both tsunami relief and recovery, needs another "r" word: "release." "Release" is a word that describes a struggle for liberation from this scourge.
Not far from the shore where Protestant missionaries, two Lutherans from Germany, first set foot on Indian sand nearly 300 years ago, a Dalit community will be designated a "Jubilee Village." That designation will symbolize the need to work ever harder for a liberation from things that for too long have characterized a Dalit as a "nobody. "
I began by saying "I can relate," at least partially.
On the Dalit issue, I have no doubt that many Christians with roots in this caste experience, can relate easily.
As they draw on experiences they have endured, the concluding words of Sunday's lesson might well carry for them a special meaning:
"Once you were nobody. Now you are God's people.
At one time no one had pity on you.
Now God has treated you with kindness."
--Gene Thiemann
(Thiemann served as a Lutheran World Relief Consultant with the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India.)
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Easter 4
(Part of a series of tsunami-related homiletical thoughts for use with the following Sunday's RCL readings)
Tranquebar (Pronounced TRAN coo bar)
Tranquebar.
Town of India .
Touching the ocean.
Its waves making music.
Tranquebar.
Your name means "singing waves."
Tranquebar.
You were pummeled
One December day
By an angry ocean.
Tranquebar.
"Singing waves" became "wailing waves."
Tranquebar.
Your shores first welcomed
Protestant missionaries
Almost 300 years ago.
Tranquebar.
Your sands marked their first steps.
Tranquebar.
Shepherds entered your gate.
And there gathered a flock.
Sheep in God's pasture.
Tranquebar.
A flock in God's care.
Tranquebar.
Here the Good Shepherd still gathers,
Here abundant life is rebuilt.
Here souls are restored.
Tranquebar.
Here waves sing again.
--Gene Thiemann
(Thiemann served as a Lutheran World Relief Consultant with the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India. )
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Easter 3
(Part of a series of tsunami-related homiletical thoughts for use with the following Sunday's RCL readings)
Heading Both Ways
When my son, Jeff, was taking a course in clinical pastoral care at Stanford a year ago, I asked him for some thoughts I might share on hospital visitation with a group from our Colorado congregation preparing to become Stephen's Ministers.
He referred me then to the Emmaus story, which happens to be the gospel for next Sunday.
This is what he told me:
We don't know how long Jesus walked with the Emmaus disciples, but maybe for a long time. The whole gospel of Luke is oriented toward going to Jerusalem . Here the disciples are heading the wrong way, but Jesus walks with them, going the wrong way. Jesus doesn't try to turn them around, but when the truth lights them up, they run back to Jerusalem .
I had not thought of this aspect of the Emmaus story before. But it may be a good point for anyone finding him or her self in the company of someone discouraged or distraught.
I now think of that Emmaus story again in this new way, as I work in India with people affected by the tsunami.
Some here are on their own journey, still emotionally going away from an angry sea. Some are slowly coming back toward it. For those who walk with them, it may require a long and patient walk.
The jargon words heard here are "accompaniment" and "psychosocial counseling."
Other words--Emmaus words--tell us that Jesus walked with the disciples even though they were headed away from Jerusalem . But when they were ready, in their case with a burning recognition of the risen Lord, they headed back toward Jerusalem .
The Emmaus story offers insight, no matter which way one is headed.
--Gene Thiemann
(Thiemann served as a Lutheran World Relief Consultant with the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India. )
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Easter 2
(One in a series of tsunami-related homiletical thoughts for use with the following Sunday's RCL readings)
Five Words
I write this a few days after visiting with Fr. Lawrence Raj.
Fr. Raj is the parish priest at a massive and beautiful white church located near the beach in Chennai ( Madras ).
Near the end of the visit, I asked to have his card. He replied with a smile, "I have two to give you: an earthly one and a heavenly one."
Of course, I was interested to see what the heavenly one looked like!
It was laminated, and looked like a Visa card. On the Visa icon were the letters: SCBC. It stood for Santhome Cathedral Basilica Chennai. It was the St. Thomas Cathedral, which along with St. Peter's Basilica in Rome , are the only two churches in the world believed to be built above the tomb of an apostle.
The back of the card says: "Traditionally it is believed that St. Thomas , one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ came to India in 52 A.D. to proclaim God's message of love and forgiveness. He died as a martyr for the sake of Jesus Christ and was buried at Santhome, Chennai , India ." So the "credit card" number on the front begins with these digits: "0052 0072"-signifying the year of his arrival in India and the year of his death.
There is little or no doubt among Indian Christians that this is so. References to the historical accuracy of this claim date back to about the third century. A large orthodox church based in the southwestern state of Kerala (where Thomas is thought to have done much mission work) is named "Mar Thoma," or Holy Thomas.
There are legends that have surrounded the life of St. Thomas . One is that a log jammed a flooded river, a log stuck so tightly between the river's banks that even a local king's royal elephant could not remove it. Thomas, so the story goes, removed his "girdle," gave it to a bystander to attach to the log, and with little effort, the log was yanked away. The grateful and astonished king gave that log to Thomas to build a church near the ocean's shores.
From that log came a pole, which it is popularly believed, Thomas thrust into the ground, saying the waters of the ocean would not reach the church.
When the tsunami struck, the waves came close according to some published reports, but did not reach the church! That same published report quoted Fr. Raj as saying "We believe the miraculous post of St Thomas prevented the sea waters from entering the church." I asked him about this legend, and he replied to me that it was just "fertile imagination." But the post still stands about 30 feet tall at the rear of the Basilica, overlooking the Indian Ocean .
Again, doubt is associated with the name "Thomas!"
The Day of St. Thomas, observed on December 21, is also the day of the winter solstice, the year's longest night and shortest day. It is said that St. Thomas is commemorated on this day because he was the last of the apostles to become convinced of Jesus' resurrection--he was the one who for the longest time remained in the "night of unbelief and doubt."
But wait. Let me tell you about five words printed on the front of the "credit card." The words are not words of doubt! They do not begin with the words: "Unless I touch.."
These are the words: "My Lord and my God!"
A heavenly card, with five words of conviction!
"My Lord and my God!"
--Gene Thiemann
(Thiemann served as a Lutheran World Relief Consultant with the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India. )
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Easter Sunday
(Part of a series of tsunami-related homiletical thoughts for use with the following Sunday's RCL readings)
Alleluia!
Prabhat and I first met in India 26 years ago. He was then working with CASA, the Church's Auxiliary for Social Action, a competent Christian relief and development organization that does superb work throughout India . He now serves as Lutheran World Relief's Asian Regional Director, and is deeply engaged in tsunami assistance throughout South and Southeast Asia .
I remember well the first days I spent with him long ago. His English was very good, and he explained that before he began working with CASA he had served as a translator.
Jokingly, he told me then that there were only two words that he didn't have to translate into English. One was "Alleluia." The other was "Coca-Cola." He paused, then smiled and added: " India has just kicked out 'Coca-Cola,' and now all we can say is 'Alleluia!'"
Sunday is Easter. The Easter Gospel brings us the best news this world has ever heard. And once again, all we can say is "Alleluia!" In India , or in Indiana . Everywhere. Whether it's Tamil, spoken in churches along the tsunami-ravaged coast south of here, or Telegu, spoken in churches along the tsunami-ravaged coast north of here, much hope and much joy are still wrapped up in that universal word of Easter!
And all we can say is "Alleluia!"
--Gene Thiemann
(Thiemann served as a Lutheran World Relief Consultant with the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India. )
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Palm/Passion Sunday
(Part of a series of tsunami-related homiletical thoughts for use with the following Sunday's RCL readings)
Survivor or Victim?
A key ingredient of tsunami assistance here in India includes dealing with the emotional aspects of the disaster and trauma.
Recently a training handbook was published by a medical unit of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India , a handbook compiled with the help of assorted NGOs, community counselor and medical teams.
In one section, the handbook gives its preference for using the term "survivor" rather than "victim," explaining that the word 'victim' should be used with caution as this has "negative implications towards outcome."
I was delighted to see that point being made. A few years ago, when I was working in Colorado with Lutheran Disaster Response to respond to a devastating series of wildfires, this point was stressed over and over.
Palm Sunday is also called "Passion Sunday," and the mood shifts on this day from celebration to suffering, from a triumphant entry to a sorrowful exit.
Was Jesus a "survivor" or "victim?"
Charles Wesley wrote:
Victim Divine, Thy grace we claim,
While thus Thy precious death we show.
Divine Victim? Yes, without "negative implications towards outcome."
The positive implications will be celebrated on Easter, when a plainsong chant will herald these words:
Christians, to the Paschal Victim
offer your thankful praises!
A Lamb the sheep redeems: Christ,
who only is sinless,
Reconciles sinners to the Father.
Death and life have contended in that battle stupendous:
The Prince of life, who dies, reigns immortal.
A "victim" becomes a reigning "survivor!"
--Gene Thiemann
(Thiemann served as a Lutheran World Relief Consultant with the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India. )
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Lent 5
(Part of a series of tsunami-related homiletical thoughts for use with the following Sunday's RCL readings)
Under My Laptop
I have the back of my laptop propped up on a table in Chennai ( Madras ). I do it for ease of typing.
Holding up the laptop are two photo albums here at the Tsunami Relief Office of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India .
They are full of photos from the days immediately following the devastating tsunami that struck the long coast of Southern India .
Many are photos of pain, suffering, death. Some I do not want to see again. Once is enough.
Last year I saw the "Passion of Christ." This year I will not. Nor do I wish to. Perhaps once is enough.
In Sunday's reading, there is a section that speaks not of the "Passion of Christ," but the "Compassion of Christ." When Jesus hears Mary say that her brother has died, the Gospel describes Jesus as deeply moved and disturbed. And it tells us that Jesus cried.
Tears.
I need a God with tears in his eyes!
The Day of Resurrection will soon be celebrated. But this Sunday I grapple not only with resurrection, but with tears.
Under my laptop are so many stories of tears. Some I see in the photos, some I feel in the heart.
I recall a song:
"I felt every tear-drop when in darkness you cried,
And I strove to remind you that for those tears I died."
Tears, death, and here.here are words that support me when dealing with the albums under my laptop.
--Gene Thiemann
(Thiemann served as a Lutheran World Relief Consultant with the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India. )
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Lent 4
(Part of a series of tsunami-related homiletical thoughts for use with the following Sunday's RCL readings)
Duct Tape
It's time to pass the duct tape!
There have been plenty of jokes about the uses of this tape.
But I had a prof at the seminary many years ago, who said that when he was confronted with questions that were hard to answer, he would like to tape those questions to his chest. This he'd do, he said, so that when he got to heaven he could ask God himself for an answer.
The question of why God would allow the tsunami to happen is not just a philosopher's question, or a journalist's hook for a story. It is being asked by real people who have held the lifeless bodies of their children.
Pass the duct tape!
There are answers that might satisfy to some extent, and some answers totally unsatisfying.
The man born blind was the perfect setup for questioning people to probe Jesus for an answer.
"Who sinned?"
Jesus says it was no particular sin of the man or his parents, and then quickly moves the question to another plane.
One Bible translation says that here the work of God might be displayed.
I sit in an office in India . The door announces that it is the "Tsunami Information and Relief Operation Center " for the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India .
Inside the office, I look up and see on the bulletin board, charts of "the work of God" displayed.
- Utensils? The work of God displayed.
- Stoves? The work of God displayed.
- Bed sheets? The work of God displayed.
- Food? The work of God displayed.
- Medicines? The work of God displayed.
- Lanterns? The work of God displayed.
- Boats? The work of God displayed.
- Nets? The work of God displayed.
People of God here and elsewhere, have for the moment taped the hard questions to their chest, and have displayed the work of God in relief distributed.
Thanks be to God!
--Gene Thiemann
(Thiemann served as a Lutheran World Relief Consultant with the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India. )
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Lent 3
(Part of a series of tsunami-related homiletical thoughts for use with the following Sunday's RCL readings)
A Jug of Water--and a Nice Surprise
One of the many tsunami stories told is of a terrified man who still crouches in fear with his back to the sea while sharing his experience of the raging waters that slammed into his village. For him, water and chaos were linked as one, terrifying image.
Quite a different image of water came to me today. I was warned after arriving in India earlier this week to help with tsunami recovery efforts, to be very careful to drink only bottled water. On previous trips to India , I sometimes ignored that warning; but I wondered what I would do on this trip. When I saw the murky water I had drawn into a bucket, I decided the advice was good.
A nice surprise appeared at my apartment today in Chennai ( Madras ). It was a jug of roughly five gallons of fresh, clear water. Good and drinkable, though not lasting.
At a well, a woman encountered one who said he was Living Water. It was her good surprise. She neither crouched in fear, nor turned her back to this water. Good water. Lasting water. Water for sharing.
When tsunami survivors early on were greeted with emergency relief, a key part of it was good, clean water. But it comes as no surprise that some of that plain, clear water came from folks who have tasted Life-giving water.
--Gene Thiemann
(Thiemann served as a Lutheran World Relief Consultant with the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India. )
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