Matthew 6. 1-6, 16-21
It’s not the alms or the prayers or the fasting that make lent. It’s the love – god’s love!
It’s been circulating around cyberspace, for a couple of years now. You might have seen it. It’s a photo – a painting, actually – of a big red heart. Fire engine red. Surrounded by brush strokes. Big. Bold. Shades of yellow and blue. Superimposed are twenty-one words. “If we could spread love as quickly as we spread hate and negativity, what an amazing world we would live in.”
If we could spread love as quickly as we spread hate and negativity,
what an amazing world we would live in.
First time I saw it, I had a flashback to the Sixties! Back to all the songs we sang! Yearning for that Age of Aquarius! When peace would guide the planets! When love would steer the stars! And I sat back, took a deep breath, and sighed. Those were the days. I’d thought they’d never end. But I digress … Sarcasm? Maybe a little. Cynicism? Probably a lot. It’s, just, that after all the years – especially the last few – you’d think we’d realize … that’s not how it works! That’s not how any of this works!
If it was easy – spreading love as quickly – we’d already be doing it! If it was this simple, we’d already be back in the Garden! That photo leaves us with the impression that we can do it! We can spread love! If we want to! If we put our heart and soul into it! Don’t, just, spread hate and negativity … Spread love, instead! And start doing just that! Right here! This very night! But if we could …
If we could spread love, if we really wanted to, we wouldn’t be here. You see, this isn’t a time for wishful thinking. This isn’t a time for good intentions. This day … this message … this believing … isn’t for those who stand tall and toe the line. It’s for those who fall short and miss the mark. Ash Wednesday’s for the captive! For the bound! For those who do what they don’t want to do! Who don’t do what they want! Foe all those who can’t save themselves. No matter how hard they try. No matter how well they do. We’re not here because we do; we’re here because we don’t! We aren’t here because we can; we’re here because we can’t! Not because we will, but because we won’t! Can’t, don’t, won’t love, that is. Sure, we talk the talk. And yes, we go through the motions. But when all’s said and done, nothing ever changes. And it’s always … It’s always just more of the same.
If we could spread love as quickly as we spread hate and negativity,
what an amazing world we would live in.
The reason hate and negativity spread so quickly is because we’re so gosh darn good at it! It comes naturally! Effortlessly! Love, on the other hand, doesn’t. Love takes effort, energy. Sacrifice, suffering, is involved. Turning the other! Going the extra! Doing unto! We might sing about it. But doing it is something else. It looks good cross-stitched and hanging on a living room wall. But it’s just so unrealistic, so impractical. If only we could spread love just as quickly? Truth is, if only we could spread love, at all. But we don’t. And we can’t. And we won’t. So, we come here. Year. After year. After year. To say the same words. To do the same things …
Most holy and merciful God,
we confess … we have not loved.
In thought. In word. In deed.
What we’ve done. What we haven’t.
We can’t try hard enough.
We can’t do good enough.
We wish we could, but we can’t.
If we could spread love as quickly as we spread hate and negativity … we’d, already, be doing it! And the world would be nothing like it is! Tonight, we’re not looking for a coach, for a cheerleader. Someone to motivate us! To encourage! To urge us on! And contrary to popular opinion, we’re not here to follow Matthew’s advice. Giving alms in secret. Praying. Fasting. We’re not interested in storing up anything. For ourselves. For anyone else. We’re here to be told, one more time … We’re here to be reminded, and one more year … that god loves us! Loves us just as we are! God loves us, and to show it, to prove it, god gives creation Jesus! And Jesus – not us – is the one who turns the other cheek and goes the extra mile and does unto others as he wants done!
We look in the mirror, see the reflection, and cringe. And we wish we were somebody else. But on this night, we discover, we weren’t looking in a mirror, at all. But we were seeing our reflection in god’s own eyes! Our reflection! God’s eyes are gentle and kind and caring. We’re not here to make our Lenten resolutions. We’re not sacrificing anything. We’re not taking on anything. Jesus has, already, done that. Jesus is, already, doing that. For us, this is a season for silence. For stillness. As we are drawn, for the next forty days, closer and closer, to god’s amazing grace. God’s amazing grace for each of us. God’s amazing grace for all of us.
This night, there are no punishments and there are no rewards. There are no warning, no ultimatums. No challenges, no demands. There’s no example for us to emulate. No commandment to obey. There’s only that reflection in god’s eyes. And we, simply, become who we’ve always been … a people loved, so loved … and a people going and doing the same! And what we receive is what we’ve always had … a promise! A promise to believe in! A promise to stake our lives on!
In the mercy of almighty God,
Jesus Christ was given to die for us
and for his sake – for Christ’s sake – God forgives us …
forgives us everyone … forgives us everything …
We are saved! We’re forgiven! We’re set free! We’re loved! We are dust! And to dust we’ll return! But if we are anything, we are god’s dust! And god cannot, god will not, let us go! This night, we wait not for death. We wait for resurrection! This night, we remember not the grave. But we remember god! And if we, my friends, really could spread love just as quickly as we spread hate and negativity … we wouldn’t be the church, because we wouldn’t need Jesus!