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Disbelief and Ridicule Genesis 17:1 – 7; Mark 8:31 – 38 Langston Hughes began to write poetry when he was a young teen. The poetry was not for other people. The creativity was for his own spirit. Hughes was raised by his grandmother in Joplin, Missouri, after his parents divorced and his father moved out of the country. When he moved to Illinois to be with his mother and her husband Langston Hughes began writing. He had his first book of poetry published before he graduated college. Shortly thereafter, his first novel was published. As successful as this may seem to us, Langston Hughes’ income was still generated by jobs such as cook, launderer, and busboy. Undoubtedly, he had some concept of what success might mean and how that would be achieved. Whatever his concept, it was far from what Mary McLeod Bethune would suggest to him. Hughes wanted to meet this famous African-American educator as he traveled through Florida on vacation one year. During their visit, she suggested that Hughes travel through the South reading his poetry as a means to make his living. The problem with this far-out idea was timing. This was the middle of the Great Depression. In the 1930s there were many, many people out of work. How in the world could he NOT have a real job — but just travel about reading poetry to people — many of whom didn’t have real jobs either? “People need poetry.” replied Mrs. Bethune, “especially our people.” (D. Denenberg and L. Roscoe. The Millbrook Press. 2001) Several weeks later, Hughes decided to live and speak his poetry. He asked a friend of his to be his driver and manager. Together they traveled the South. They held poetry readings at colleges attended by blacks. He gave voice to struggle, to hope, to unity among a people that would continue to live in a country that would legally segregate them for decades. Langston Hughes’ work wove together with that of others into a movement called the Harlem Renaissance. It was a crazy idea of Mary McLeod Bethune. It was an idea with little practicality associated with it. It was almost unbelievable to Langston Hughes that she would suggest it and even more so that he would follow through with the idea. We can thank God for using her to get to Langston Hughes. Over and over and over in history we have evidence that some people hear the unbelievable ideas of God. Look at poor old Abraham. I’ve mentioned before that never have I served a congregation with as many 90 year old — healthy — parishioners. Still at 90 there are some things that are possible and some that are unreasonable. So far I have not seen or heard that any of our 90-year-old women are pregnant. But this couple — Abraham and Sarah — were told (at 99 and 90 years old) that their hope of having children was finally going to be fulfilled. Who says? God says. Ridiculous, absurd, unbelievable — yes. The point of this story for me is not to figure out IF this couple was really that old or to dive into the layers of conjecture about how a couple could conceive or could raise a child at this time in life. No, the point is that God’s ideas much of the time run counter to acceptable ideas and ordinary ways to run life. God needed Abraham and fortunately Abraham heard — even with much skepticism and on Sarah’s part much laughter. Peter’s story is a bit different. He and Jesus had been working together long enough for Peter to understand what success was tasting like. The crowds were growing bigger and Jesus’ power in teaching and healing was becoming more amazing. Organization plans, corporate visions, world campaigns were dancing like sugarplums in Peter’s head. But then Jesus began conversations about his own suffering and eventual death. Peter would not hear of such distractions in the ladder of success that was in process. And being the corporate vice-president and good friend of Jesus, Peter knew that he merely needed to take Jesus aside to give him counsel. Instead, Peter received some measure of ridicule and was the object lesson for Jesus’ teaching. The Gospel — the good news of God — is NOT about doing things the way everyone else does. It is not about acceptability. It is not about success, practicality, personal satisfaction or glory. The Gospel is about allowing one’s life to be used in a way that will benefit God’s creation. Allowing one’s life to be used in the way that God has chosen. Forget your own agenda. Forget your plan of success. Forget competition, achievement, and adulation. If we choose to follow Jesus, if we choose to be a Christian, if we choose to listen to the Gospel, we will lose our lives, give back control of our lives, turn ourselves into the grace of God, and God will have God’s way with us. That is what we are being taught through the story of Abraham and Sarah. God had an agenda, and God needed that agenda fulfilled. The agenda was not so strange but the process of fulfillment was incredible, unbelievable, and amazing. We know that God had an agenda for Jesus. Peter had a very difficult time accepting the concluding chapters of the agenda. More importantly, he failed to initially understand the responsibility of working with God’s agenda. The agenda in the 1930s that was important for America — and continues to be important for us — was unbelievable to a young poet. Was that God’s agenda articulated through Mary McLeod Bethune? I imagine so. Langston Hughes probably had no concept of the responsibility that came with the gift of verse that God had planted within him. He undoubtedly had no concept of the possibilities in using that gift. There is choice in life. But once we are aware of the power God has with us — watch out. Once we are conscious of belonging to God — watch out. Once we proclaim (even in our heart) that we have gifts, passions, abilities that are particular to us and even though developed by us are innate, God-given graces — watch out. Because at that point in life, the choice becomes either doing what we want — what pleases us; what would bring great success and perhaps privilege — or accepting an agenda that will be unbelievable, inconsistent with many parts of popular culture, not necessarily on the ladder to success. It will essentially be losing hold, grip, and control on one’s life. It is the choice of a lifetime, and many times we are to make the choice on a daily basis. I have no doubt that God is creative in presenting the choice and finds new and specific ways for each of us. So I am not looking for any of our 90-year-old women to become pregnant, nor do our young poets need to hire a driver to travel through the south, nor do we anticipate crucifixions this season. But the agenda God has for this world, the dream and desire that God has for this creation, the hopefulness extended to every child on this earth has not yet been fulfilled. May we not only revel in the amazing gifts present in the people of this congregation — the resources within our history and present. May we not only give praise to God who inspires us and provides us with good life. But may we be ready for the unbelievable challenges that will be presented when gift and resources meet needs of the world. God will have it no other way. Children, youth and adults of this very neighborhood are hungry —
All of those needs match treasures, gifts, and resources within this congregation. We have food — or the means to get it. We know how to develop community and are developing and deepening that weekly. And we not only have and are artists, but we believe at our core that artistic expression is God flowing through us – it is faithfulness. Added to that we have a building that is begging to be used. Let’s be listening, friends, for some more unbelievable ways God’s agenda can be forwarded. There are many more needs – even in this neighborhood. And there are many more resources within us. The choice we have is deciding to whom our lives belong. Once we get over that hurdle, we will be led to unbelievable, amazing, ridiculously extravagant expressions of faith. We will lose our lives in order that God will have God’s way in this world. SW |
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