Today, we here at St Andrew’s have the joy to celebrate Oktoberfest. Clearly it is
my day to preach!
And also, how are we already in the month of October? It’s almost Halloween, let’s
face it: the holidays are upon us! It is like October is our transition from summer to
The Holidays. Already I hear the still ghostly whispers of Mariah Carey singing:
“All I want for Christmas is you…”.
October is the month our schedules can cause a whiplash; it’s zipping by so fast!
And for many, including me, a feeling of nostalgia, and memories good and bad
start coming up somewhere mid-October.
For some, the holidays bring less joy and more stress. I know for example that
some retail workers hate Christmas music, it triggers them. They have been
hearing it nonstop for months while taking care of increasingly needy and rude
shoppers, do not play Mariah Carey around them! When there are too many
negative emotions, like when we mourn a special person in our lives, memories
from years past can make for a miserable holiday experience. There are so many
things during the holidays that can trigger someone. Memories of traumatic
experiences and losses can take over when we hear, see, or smell a number of
familiar things. The Holidays are loaded with triggers.
Interesting word, isn’t it? Trigger. It’s somewhat new and describes what happens
in a person with PTSD very well. It even sounds violent. Trigger. I am glad it has
become part of our vocabulary, giving voice to so many people who couldn’t really
put into words the misery they keep reliving.
I like words that are precise. Therefore, I like the word trigger. Obviously though,
no one likes to be triggered. But did you know that there is an antonym, the
opposite of a trigger? There is. It’s called a glimmer. Now I appreciate the word
trigger. But I love the word glimmer.
A glimmer is when you are reminded of a wonderful moment in your life. A
moment of pure joy. The obvious moments would be your wedding day, or a birth,
big milestone events. But the really good glimmers I find are the ones when I’m
reminded of the ordinary little joys in life. Like watching my kids climb a tree, my
cat sleeping in my lap, or hiking with my husband. Being reminded of those
moments always makes my heart smile.
Something else I noticed about glimmers. The moments that we keep as precious
memories don’t seem to involve many possessions, if any. Instead, it is people and
pets, beautiful landscapes, it is God’s creation that turns into these most treasured
memories of joy. Isn’t it curious then, that we value possessions so very much?
In our Gospel reading today, a pious man approaches Jesus and wants to know how
to achieve eternal life. We can call him pious, because we are told that he kept
God’s commandments since he was a boy. We also know that he has many
possessions. A curious thing happens when people have many possessions. We call
We have created a false piety, a piety of achievements. Obviously, this is not just a
modern world issue. Because the pious man in our gospel reading, upon hearing
that he needs to give away his possessions all out of a sudden is no longer
interested in eternal life and sadly walks away. He walks away with all his
possessions, with all his achievements, yet he is sad. #blessed?
Of course this is an extreme example, telling someone to give up all their earthly
goods is a bit much, no? As a matter of fact, giving away everything one owns is
not considered pious in the world of our gospel. It is discouraged because it will
leave the family that depends on this man vulnerable. Plus: we all heard stories of
people disappearing into a cult and giving their guru all their money. We call those
people brainwashed.
So why does Jesus tell this man to give it all up?
Jesus has a way of turning questions into teachable moments. The question was:
What must I do to inherit eternal life. Jesus also has a way to know a person’s
heart. He knows our biggest weakness. He knows what keeps us from following
him. In this case, it is an attachment to the way of the world, it is the piety of
achievements that stands between this man and eternal life. He believes that he can
achieve, that he can earn the kingdom of God. Hasn’t he kept all the
commandments? Isn’t that worth something? This is the way the world teaches us
to think; our existence is dependent on our merits, our achievements, our
possessions. The economy of our world demands blood, sweat, and tears, and a
whole lot of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.
But to follow Jesus Christ, one has to give up that way of thinking. The Kingdom
of God has its own economy, one that is rooted in faith and community and love,
not merits and achievements. There is no way for us to earn God’s love, there is no
entrance fee to God’s kingdom. The only way in is through faith in God’s
sovereign power and following the way of Jesus Christ. We must give up valuing
our possessions above God.
However, we do live in this world, and simply not participating in the world’s
economy is not an option. Nevertheless, we can live mindful of God’s economy
and God’s kingdom. We can choose the joy of God’s kingdom.
Being mindful of God’s kingdom. That doesn’t sound very effective, that doesn’t
sound like a lot, does it? Especially in light of our gospel reading today. Being
mindful can’t compare to literally giving up all you own.
But our minds are in fact quite powerful. For example, say you need a new car.
You have a certain model in mind, and it is that model you now notice on the roads
everywhere. There are not actually more models of that car on the road. But since
it is on your mind, you notice it that much quicker. And you don’t even have to
consciously work on it. That’s quite powerful, isn’t it?
And it works. Whatever your mind is set on, whatever it is looking for, it will find.
Good and bad. An anxious mind finds many potential triggers. A mind set on faith,
community, and love finds many glimmers. And they have an awful lot in common
with God. They are so joyful; I believe God is in the glimmers. I believe they are a
glimpse into God’s kingdom. Little crumbs leading us home.
Of course, being mindful of glimmers doesn’t change the world into God’s
kingdom, but it changes us. We ascribe more value to the matters of God and less
to our possessions. Being mindful of our faith, our community, and our love for
each other is not only a good way to live, but it also takes us closer to God’s
kingdom with every step, with every tiny glimmer.
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