Terry Paul Choyce
March 25, 2007 Brunswick Street United Church
This week there were several topics to choose from when planning this service. As we all know Spring officially arrived on Wednesday. In Nova Scotia the tulips aren't up yet, but there are subtle changes that tell us that the greenery will soon be here. Much of the ice on the lakes is gone. Most of the snow is melted. It stays light past supper time. And Easter is coming, which always signifies the rebirth that comes with Spring.
On Thursday it was the UN's World Water Day. This is a day to bring to our attention that right now, 1.1 billion people live without adequate access to water. Millions of children die every year from contaminated water, or from dehydration. While the Earth is 70% water, only 0.3 percent is usable and accessible to people. The average Canadian uses 335 litres of water per day, which is the equivalent of two bathtubs full. Much of this is wasted by doing things like running the tap while your brush your teeth, running the water to get it hot or cold, washing a few clothes at a time, or flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Right now we seem to have lots of water, but this may soon change from pollution and/or climate changes.
On April 2nd Passover begins. This is a very important Jewish holiday, which celebrates God's releasing the Jews from the bondage of the Egyptians. This holiday lasts seven days, and the Jews eat only flat bread and specially prepared food. This is because the Jews, under the leadership of Moses, had to leave Egypt very quickly, and there wasn't even time to let the bread rise before it was baked. The Jews went immediately from being slaves to being in exile, and fleeing for their lives. They then spent 40 years wandering in the desert, before being lead to their home in Israel.
The suggested New Testament lectionary reading (John 12:1-8), which we heard today, was about the dinner Jesus had at the home of Lazarus, with Mary and Martha. Mary poured expensive perfume on Jesus's feet, and Judas Iscariot criticised her for wasting her money on the perfume. Jesus told Judas to be quiet, because this perfume would be needed for his burial. He knew he would soon be killed.He wanted to enjoy this time with his friends.
The unifying theme in all of these service topics is the coming of a major change. Yes, we will soon have warm weather, then it will be hot, then it will be cold again. And yes, if we are not careful, we will have less clean, drinkable water, and more people will die worldwide from thirst and from water pollution.
Passover is all about the dramatic change the Jews experienced when they quickly left Egypt. They gained their freedom, but at a huge personal price, and very few of those who left Egypt ever saw Israel. And Jesus explained to his disciples that Mary was not being wasteful by using the perfume on his feet. She was preparing him for the death he knew would come very soon. Jesus would experience the exultation of his entry into Jerusalem, then his anger at the temple, then his betrayal by his friend Judas, and finally his torture and death as a criminal. All of this would happen within one week.
Someone once said that "change is the only certainty in life." Some changes are very welcome, like the flowers in Spring, the return of someone we love, or achieving our goals. We delight when our times of insecurity, loneliness, or suffering are ended. It is good to celebrate and appreciate all of our good times.
Most of the time we are afraid of change. Even if our lives are not as we hoped they would be, we are comfortable with the status quo. Another old quote goes "better the devil you know than the one you don't." So most of us cling to our old ways of thinking and feeling and living, because we are afraid of what may happen if we try to improve our lives. Minor changes, like new furniture or a new hairstyle are fine. Big changes like a new job or a new intimate relationship are down-right scary. So many of us play it safe and avoid them.
Can we keep ourselves stagnant and still be happy? Water that is left with no movement or flow soon begins to grow algae, smell, and become toxic. As a child we killed many fish in the aquarium because we did not frequently change the water. Our muscles will become weak if we do not exercise them. Our minds will become confused and forgetful if we don't try to learn new things. Another adage is "use it or loose it," and that is so true. It is harmful to ourselves if we do not keep moving and learning and growing. So we must keep changing.
On the CBC this morning I heard a great interview with a man who lived in sanctuary in an Anglican church in Vancouver for three years. He was just granted his freedom to immigrate last month. His name is Amir Kazemian, from Iran. Amir had been in prison and was tortured because he was in opposition to the Iranian government. His father also spent 7 years in prison for the same reason. It is beyond me why he was not granted refugee status by the Canadian government, and why he was denied permission to stay in Canada. With only an hour's notice, the wonderful priest allowed him to move into the church, expecting the stay to be short. Finally, almost 3 years later, Amir was given permission to live in Canada, but he still has not been given a work permit. His life is still in transition.
Amir was asked on the radio how he kept his sanity during his seclusion in the church. He said he would only let his mind keep good thoughts. Whenever he began to be negative or fearful, he would make himself create positive and peaceful thoughts. He would concentrate on all he had to be thankful for. And he would keep himself active within the church. There were small jobs he could do. And he had a workout bike he used daily. He read and he kept abreast of world events. He became more spiritual. Amir said those 3 years were wonderful for him, despite his inability to be in the sunshine or nature, to have a normal social or working life, to have a real home and family. He adapted to his changes, and made the best of a bad situation.
Throughout our lives each of us experiences times of distress, chaos, and grief. It is how we handle these negative times that either makes us stronger and more loving, or turns us into pessimistic and fearful people. We all have the choice of how we will react to the events of our lives. We can be courageous, compassionate, and appreciative, or we can cry doom and gloom. Jesus set the example for us of a man who faced death with grace, forgiveness, composure, and love. Let us use his example as we live our lives, and experience our own changes and choices.
Poem in the Order of Service
How Did They Know by Joyce Rupp
How did they know it was time to push up through the long-wintered soil?
How did they know it was the moment to resurrect
while thick layers of stubborn ice still pressed the bleak ground flat?
But the tulips knew. They came, rising strongly, a day after the ice died.
There's a hope-filled place in me, that also knows when to rise.
It is urged by the strong sun, warming my wintered heart.
It is nudged by the Secret One, calling, calling ,calling
"Arise, my love, and come."
Like the dormant tulips my heart stirs, and hope comes dancing forth.
Not unlike the Holy One, kissing the morning sun,
waving a final farewell, to a tomb emptied of its treasure.
©Terry Paul Choyce. Used with permission from the author.
