Sermon
Welcome Home
November
11, 2012
Mark
12: 38-44
One of his favorites was about his three
years in the Italian Army during World War I – yes, you heard me correctly,
World War I.
He would always start this story by saying,
“One of the proudest moments of my life was when I served my country during the
war.” Then he would go on to describe his quick rise from the rank of private
to that of Captain, and the leadership role that he played in positioning artillery
in the Dolomites.
The Dolomites are a spectacular mountain
range located along the northern border of Italy. During
the First World War the Dolomites were the scene of fierce battles between
Italian and Austro-Hungarian troops. Horses and donkeys carried the artillery up
9,000 ft. into the mountains. Eight footpaths were created to defend
against the invading Austro-Hungarian army. The first and, perhaps, most
renowned of these footpaths was the Alta Via 1. The Alta
Via 1 which penetrates the heart of the Dolomites was the path that my father
helped to create by dragging cannon up into the mountains in the heavy snows of
the winter of 1917.
My father would explain, “It was hard work
and it was very cold. We slept under the snow to stay warm. The enemy was all around
us. Cannon were going off constantly. “You know,” he would add, “my father was
very proud of me. When I finally came home there was a big welcome celebration
– una grande
festa a casa di benvenuto. Everyone was
happy to see me.”
The welcome home – a heart-felt welcome into
a supportive, loving, and pride-filled family and community – that’s what
counted – that’s what was needed to heal the wounds of war.
War has been with us since at least 2000 BC
when men in chariots used bows, arrows, sling shots and swords to attack one
other. The concept of fighting against those who threaten our territory and our
safety has remained the same throughout the ages. The only difference is that today
our weapons are drones, powerful missals, and improvised explosive devices.
War has never been gentle; it has always been
brutal. Men and women die in distressing numbers, others are disfigured and
maimed. The psychological effects of warfare are also huge, impacting not only
those in uniform but their families and friends as well.
Men and women throughout the history of our
country have dedicated their lives to protecting the United States and its
freedom. Whether in combat or playing critical support roles behind the scenes,
these men and women have experienced a reality that those of us at home will
never comprehend. They have also experienced the pain and anxiety of being
separated from loved ones, and realistic concerns that once they arrive back
home their lives will have changed in ways they cannot imagine.
The way in which we welcome home our men and
women in uniform has always been, and continues to be, critical to their successful
reintegration into the community that they left behind, and essential to their
ability to pick-up where they left off as valued members of their family and their
community.
A heart-felt welcome home, into a supportive,
loving, and pride-filled family and community – that’s what counts – that’s
what is needed to heal the wounds of war.
This welcome home has never been more
important that it is today.
Timothy Williams in a New York Times article
published in June 2012 wrote:
“The suicide
rate among the nation’s active-duty military personnel has spiked this year, eclipsing the number of troops dying in
battle, and on pace to set a record annual high since the start of the wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan more than a decade ago…There have been 154 suicides among active-duty troops through June
1, 2012, a rate of nearly one each day this year.
By contrast, there were 124 American military fatalities in
Afghanistan as of June 1 this year.”
154 suicides; 124 military fatalities…
Williams goes on to say, “Paul
Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, reported
suicides among active-duty military personnel are just “the tip of the
iceberg.” Reickoff cited a recent survey his group conducted this year among
160,000 active members of the military. The survey findings indicated that 37
percent of the respondents knew someone who had committed suicide.”
I’ll do the math for you on that one… of the 160,000 active military
surveyed, 59,200 men and women knew someone who had committed suicide.
Williams concludes, “Mr. Rieckhoff attributed the rise in military
suicides to too few qualified mental health professionals, aggravated by the
stigma of receiving counseling and further compounded by family stresses and
financial problems. The unemployment rate among military families is a
particular problem, Reickhoff said. They
are thinking about combat, yeah, but they are also thinking about their wives
and kids back home.”
Implicit in this article is the importance of a heartfelt welcome
home for these men and women - A welcome home that includes acceptance,
reintegration programs, counseling, education and jobs. These are the welcome
home gifts that we can and should be giving to our returning troops.
Welcome home gifts given out of love, respect and compassion; the
love, respect and compassion that Christ calls us to in our baptismal vows. Gifts
that seek to serve the Christ in all people, and that offer community,
belonging and hope to those who have given freely of themselves to protect the
liberty and freedom of the United States.
As members of the Episcopal Church we know full well that all of
Scripture – both the Old and the New Testaments – teaches us, informs us, and guides
us in behaviors that witness compassionate caring and heartfelt welcoming to
both those whom we know, and to those whom we do not know.
Compassionate caring and heartfelt welcoming are central to the
teachings of Jesus and to our baptismal vows; and, therefore, to our way of life.
Our sense of self, our devotion to family, and to our commitment to the
community in which we live are all driven by compassionate caring and heartfelt
welcoming.
In today’s Old Testament reading we hear the story of Ruth, a
young Moabite widow who leaves the comfort her homeland and her family to
follow Naomi, her mother-in-law who is also widowed, to Bethlehem in Judea – a foreign
territory hostile to the Moabites. Naomi
tries to dissuade Ruth from following her. She says, “Turn back…go your way.” But, “Ruth
clung to her and said ‘Do not press me to leave you or turn back from following
you! Where you go, I will go…your people shall be my people and your God my
God.’” Ruth literally gave up everything so that Naomi would not be alone.
Once Ruth arrives in Bethlehem her servant loyalty and compassionate
devotion to Naomi shine through all of her actions. Within a short period of
time Ruth, the non-Israelite, is welcomed by Boaz, the Israelite landowner –
unheard of in those days! Boaz gives Ruth work in his fields and allows her to
take the leftovers from the harvest home to feed herself and Naomi.
Boaz is deeply moved by Ruth’s devotion to Naomi. By the end of Chapter Four we learn that …”Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife,
the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son…The women of the neighborhood
gave him a name, saying. ‘A son has been born to Ruth.’ They named him Obed; he
became the father of Jesse, the father of David.” (Ruth
4:13-17)
A non-Israelite welcomed by and then married to an Israelite whom
God chooses to bear the ancestor to Jesus. What a story of welcoming and
inclusion! What a story of God’s love for those who model caring and welcoming!
The book of Ruth portrays a perfect example of a God who desires inclusion of
all, transcending cultural or racial boundaries.
Ruth and Boaz are models hesed,
a Hebrew term that means kindness, or loving-kindness. They act in ways that
promote the well-being of others. As their reward they are given the gift of
peace and fulfillment in unity under God.
Afghanistani veteran Captain Alvin Shell who was
severely wounded in 2004 in Iraq also recognizes the importance of these gifts.
Several months ago at a local fundraising event in his home town he shared his
experience of overcoming the hardest time in his life with the help of his family,
especially his wife. He said:
“When I woke
up from the medically-induced coma, I saw my mother, father, and wife. I
remember immediately everyone loving me,” he said. “My wife looked at me the
same way she did on our wedding day. She accepted me for what I was.”
Shell said: “I often think, what would I have done if I didn’t have these people in
my life to support me? I’m glad to say
I’ll never have to know.” Then he said.
“My question is, who is going to be there to support the other Veterans out
there? How many of you are going to hold fast to your commitment to Veterans?
We all have an obligation to serve those who chose to serve this country.”
What do we think when we think about the story of the widow's meager offering? Do
we say to ourselves: "What's the point of such small acts of faithfulness?
Why bother? Why would someone with so little give her last two pennies to the
poor when there are so many rich people giving large sums of money? In the
scheme of things, what is the value of these two small coins – why bother?
I would like to suggest that the story of the widow's offering points out that faithful giving (and faithful living) – a life dedicated to compassion and caring - is not for the sake of recipient but rather for the sake of (or maybe it would be more accurate to say proceeds organically from – grows out of) the life of the giver. The poor widow in her giving and her gift of self represented by two small coins, becomes a Christ figure rather than a disciple figure.
Henry Langknecht, Associate Professor of Homiletics of Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, writes concerning this interpretation of the widow as a Christ figure:
“What makes this connection appealing is the difficulty (but
rightness) of the forced analogy between her worthless coins and Jesus' life
which leads to the paradox that this worthless gift brings about the salvation
of the world.”
In discussing this conclusion, Langkencht references Philippians
2:1-5.
“If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consideration
from love, any sharing of the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy
complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and
of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility
regard others as better than yourselves, Let each of you look not to your own
interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was
in Christ Jesus…”
The poor widow understood the importance compassion and caring –
gifts to be given out of love – not out of wealth.
As we salute our Veterans on this their day of national
acknowledgement, let us understand the importance of love, compassion and
welcoming others into our community. Let us be clear that no one of these gifts
is ever too small; no act of caring too insignificant in welcoming home, in
honoring, and in supporting the men and women who have committed their lives to
the liberty, freedom and safety of every single person sitting in this room and
every other person throughout our nation.
Now more than ever our love, compassion, and welcoming are needed.
Our understanding of our role as a Ruth or as a poor
widow is essential. No gift is too small in welcoming and caring for our
Veterans and their families.
I began with my father and I will close with
him - with words from what he claimed was his favorite song –a song from the
Broadway production that he appeared in during the last months of his life.
It was his favorite song he told me, in yet
another story, because it reminded him of his father’s love for him, shown in
the welcome that he received when he returned home from his treks through the
Dolomites in World War I.
Welcome
Home
Why
even when I leave this neighborhood for only a day
To
go to the beach or the vineyards across the bay,
No
matter what I do or see,
After
turning home again, I get to that corner and then,
Sweet
voices, I hear sweet voices calling to me.
Welcome
home says the street as I hurry on my way.
Welcome
home sings the gate like a song!
Welcome
home says the door, Glad to feel your hand once more.
Now
that you’re back where you belong.
Welcome
home, says the chair holding out its friendly arms.
Welcome
home says the bed, Rest on me!
Now
you’re back where you should be, close your eyes, close your eyes,
And
the world will settle down to size.
Welcome
home says the lamp, lighting up familiar things.
Look
around at your friends good and true.
Get
your cares all untied while you’re warming up inside.
Welcome
home to you. Welcome home to you. Welcome home to you.
