Think Again: and Live!

Our job, no matter how difficult, is to be joyful.

“Be joyful all you lands,” God says.

Have joy in your heart. Do what ever you have to do to have joy. Because joy is love manifest. And your job is to love. Your job is to proclaim the Good News, and that is to show joy.

(My husband, has so much joy in his heart, that just being near him makes me overflow with joy. See?)

Yes indeed, we—you and me—we all are those people who have walked in darkness and seen that great light, which is the light of hope, the light of love, the light of joy. We have “increased … joy … [we] rejoice before [God].”

Sing,

dance,

hug,

smile.

 “Sing and make music” however you must—bake cinnamon rolls? grow tulips? make hamburger stroganoff? fix your friend’s broken garage door? hug your beloved? say “thank you” and mean it?

Sing, dance, hug, smile, and make music however it is you do that.

Our job is not to proselytize, our job is not to teach, our job is not to lecture.

Our job is to PROCLAIM with joy. “For the message about the cross … is the power of God”

Jesus told the crowd “repent.” It means, “think again.” That means, “wow, just stop for a moment and think about it.” It means, think before you speak.

Yesterday I was walking up a rainy street in Portland, my knees hurt, I was trying to make sure my walking stick didn’t hit a slick patch. And a woman coming toward me was in my way, and I was irritated by her. She was walking toward me with a walker. And as our paths crossed she smiled at me and said “Hello.” And I was irritated. And I was frightened. And I was captivated by her smile. And I was enthralled by her joy in the small steps she could make and her encouragement for mine. And I “re-pented” and in a heartbeat I looked her in the eye and said “thank you” and “hello” and smiled. And I could feel the both of us stand taller and walk with greater assurity. Joy.

Jesus walked, Jesus called, Jesus saw, Jesus said … and Peter and Andrew and James and John “immediately” re-pented, they “thought again” and they followed him.

And what of us LGBTQ siblings under God? According to The Rev. William Barber II (https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/21/us/william-barber-christian-nationalism-blake-cec/index.html’) we—queers and fags!–we have the power to unseat those who deny us a living wage, who deny us equality, who deny us a seat at the table, who deny us healthcare. All we have to do is: stand up, be present, be visible, this is called “witness” in theology.

And then re-pent, think again: smile, bring joy, bring love.

Re-pent.

Think again. And live!

3 Sunday after the Epiphany Year A 2023 RCL (Isaiah 9:1-4; Psalm 27:1, 5-13 Dominus illuminatio; 1 Corinthians 1:10-18; Matthew 4:12-23)

©2023 The Rev. Dr. Richard P. Smiraglia. All rights reserved.