He is in us and He is among us...

Sermon

He is In Us; He is Among Us

Luke 3:15-16, 21-22

January 12, 2013

Dear Rev. Clelia: I am glad that you are preaching on Haiti this January 12. My thought for the occasion is: we want our brothers and sisters throughout the world to know the church of Haiti is always there in its vocation to serve Haitian people despite difficulties and challenges. We are grateful to all who have helped us and will continue to do so because the way is very long. We still need your help in the ministries of education, healthcare and development programs. God Bless You. The Rt. Rev. Jean-Zache Duracin, Bishop of Haiti

Three years ago, on January 12, 2010, Haiti was hit by a massive earthquake that killed approximately 250,000 people in 35 seconds of unimaginable terror. Another 300,000 men, women and children suffered serious crush wounds. Millions of Haitian men, women and children were left homeless, grieving and frightened.

In those same terrifying seconds, The Rt. Rev. Jean-Zache Duracin, Bishop of Haiti, was left scrambling amidst the debris of his home, desperately digging away rubble with his bare hands. He was determined to rescue his wife whose leg was pinned under a concrete pillar deep within the fallen structure.

In those same seconds, Holy Trinity, the grand Episcopal Cathedral with its priceless frescos crashed and crumbled.  The church’s convent; its seminary; its music school; its school for handicapped children; it vocational school; its main hospital; and many, many other structures throughout the country were all completely destroyed. Many children were crushed beneath the rubble of these sacred structures.

This catastrophic and tragic earthquake of January 12, 2010 was the worst national disaster in the history of the western hemisphere. The destruction was massive – the death toll unbelievable. The ensuing homelessness and poverty mind boggling.

Is it possible to even imagine such devastation as we sit here in this comfortable and sacred space?

Soon after the disaster, just before Ash Wednesday, Bishop Katharine visited Haiti. Of that visit, she said, “Bishop Duracin and I talked about foregoing Lent this year, for Haiti has already experienced Good Friday. Their task is to practice resurrection, find hope, and dream together of a restored world. That is our own task as well. The nations of the world, under Haiti's direction, can help to rebuild a stronger and freer nation, where all people have hope of a more abundant life.”

Six weeks later, in his Easter Sermon, Bishop Duracin said, “Even though we are in trouble, we are not alone. We have to put our faith in action so that the Lord can come to deliver us, because he is not far from us, he is in us and he is among us. He is suffering with us, so he can lift us up to rejoice…We will rebuild, not just our Church but our country…The devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010, does not stop us from singing in joy and gladness in this Easter season, “Alleluia, Christ is risen. He is risen indeed, Alleluia.”

“Even though we are in trouble, we are not alone…because he is not far from us, he is in us, and he is among us…He is suffering with us…”

Since that incredibly poignant, yet determined, Easter Day, the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti has indeed risen from the ashes. I have witnessed it with my own eyes. I have been and continue to be astounded at what is happening in the Diocese of Haiti.

This weekend Bishop Duracin together with Bishop Katharine will announce the approval of plans to rebuild Holy Trinity Cathedral and many of the other Episcopal institutions in Port-au-Prince – the seminary, the convent, the music school, and the vocational school.

St. Vincent’s School for the Handicapped has been rebuilt and emerged as a much stronger institution that is now partnering with American prosthetic companies to provide state of the art artificial limbs for Haitian children of all ages.  All 254 of the diocesan primary and secondary schools have re-opened.

Hopital Ste. Croix in Leogane, totally destroyed in 2010, as was 97% of Leogane, has become a state of the art medical center for maternal health care, and has just received a multimillion dollar grant from the German government to build an orthopedic wing with a complete rehabilitation center.

The Bishop has ordained many additional priests, and for the first time deacons – three to be exact. New missions have been opened and they will soon become sanctioned congregations. More missions are in the planning stages

God is in and among the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti. Most certainly, he is still suffering as he watches over those who remain in darkness; but I am just as certain that he is also shouting with joy as he watches Bishop Duracin and his diocese put their faith into action as they rebuild their world.

Today as we remember the Haiti earthquake of 2010, we also celebrate the Baptism of Jesus.

The baptism of Jesus is the third of three great manifestations or revelations which characterize the Christmas season. This crucial event brings our Christmas season to a close, and we move into Ordinary time as we go about our business of living out our life in Christ in the everyday world.

This third great manifestation is crucial because it is Jesus’ way of showing his total solidarity with us. “The Word was made flesh and lived among us,” says John’s gospel. Jesus was made flesh with all the connotations of our human weaknesses.

Two things happen in this third manifestation. First of all, in his baptism in the River Jordon, Jesus identified with us not just in our humanity but in our human weakness. Jesus, although without sin, is identifying himself as being with us by asking, along with many others, to be baptized by John. It will be a baptism of repentance. Jesus makes his request despite the fact that John had just said that “I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals,” and has identified Jesus and the one “who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”  

Second of all, this is no ordinary baptism. As Jesus was praying after his baptism “the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’”

After his baptism, while he was praying, the Spirit came down on Jesus in the form of a dove. During this time of prayer, Jesus is being commissioned by God, his Father. He is being commissioned to begin his ministry of teaching, preaching, and healing in order to bring “true justice” to all. This commissioning marks the beginning of Jesus’ ministry as the Son of God.

Jesus despite hostility, rejection, and efforts to destroy him, persevered in this ministry to the end. And, it was in his death by crucifixion, the most degrading death imaginable, and in his resurrection that millions of people throughout the world – all nations - were called to follow him for centuries to come. Jesus’ mission was to be with us and among us, and through his death for our sins, to bring us salvation.

Today is an opportunity for us to reflect on our own baptism. It was not something that happened “long ago,” and which made us Episcopalians. It was not just a ceremony that lasted for a few moments, producing magical effects that would last a lifetime. It was the beginning of our lifelong journey of growing into the Body of Christ. It was the beginning of a lifelong journey that involves active participation in the life of the Church, calling us to be living witnesses to the Gospel, the salt of the earth, a lamp radiating light for all.

Our baptism is a never-ending call to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, co-operating in the “doing” of God’s work in the World.

Bishop Duracin and our brothers and sisters in Haiti know the importance of this baptism. Bishop Duracin made that clear when he said on that Easter Day in 2010: “Even though we are in trouble, we are not alone. We have to put our faith in action so that the Lord can come to deliver us, because he is not far from us, he is in us and he is among us. He is suffering with us, so he can lift us up to rejoice…”

Let us pray that we, like Bishop Duracin, and so many others like him, may know that the Lord is not far from us, feel the presence of his being in us and among us, and have the courage, the strength, and the endurance, to put our faith into action; to love and serve the Lord; and to bring dignity and justice to those whom God has called us to serve.

AMEN