Grace and Peace to you, from the one who is, who was and who is to come, Jesus Christ our brother and Lord, Amen.
This week’s gospel text is an incredible story. It is a story of Jesus, alone at the well with a woman, a foreigner whom Jesus as a Jew should have no contact with. A woman who has had an unfortunate history of romantic relationships. A woman at the well, in the middle of the day, a socially isolated person, for any number of possible reasons.
This is an amazing story for any number of reasons. Jesus is breaking barriers and talks of a time to come when God will remove all the barriers between people and between God and humans. Jesus also for the first time in the Gospel of John reveals himself to be God. I think that it is important also that this happens when Jesus is speaking to a foreign woman of questionable social status. The Samaritan woman knows and is waiting for a messiah. Jesus responds, I am he, the one that you are waiting for. Ego Eimi, the Greek form of Yahweh. Jesus announces first to this woman that he is the messiah, but the language that he uses is also the name of God. These two things cannot be separated. To be the messiah, Jesus must also be God.
There are so many amazing things about this text and our other readings this week. I don’t know if you remember this or not, but the first Sunday in November, we celebrated The WELCA Thank-offering, All Saint’s Sunday, and the anniversary of the ordination of women, this Gospel was the text we used and my sermon was based on. I could have had a rather nice and easy week for sermon preparation and just reworked that sermon, I understand that it is likely no one would have noticed, there might have been a slight sense of déjà vu. But, there is something a bit more pressing in our community, our nation, and the world that needs to be addressed.
We are living in an unprecedented time. That isn’t to say that things like this haven’t happened before, we can actually look to a century ago to the Spanish Influenza Pandemic or the bubonic plague of the 15th and 16th centuries. But much has changed in the last 100 years. As a culture and as a global people we are much more mobile and interact with people daily who could have hours ago been on the other side of the globe. Today, many churches around the country and world are not meeting. Instead they have been forced to cancel worship services or move those services to digital, virtual livestreams. Communion and the passing of the peace is being suspended at many churches that remain open.
We live in a time filled with fear. Fear of a virus, Fear of other people, fear of sickness and of death. Our cultural anxiety levels are finding new highs. The global health systems are struggling to cope with a contagion that is not localized but seems to be everywhere and spreading all at once. Resources are thin in places. In our individualistic culture, fear causes people to act ridiculously, hoarding toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and lysol like they will be the currency in some post-apocalyptic dystopian movie, like oil in Mad Max or sand and dirt in Water World. Sadly, here in Northwest Iowa at least one of the firearm dealers is using this fear to drum up additional sales of weapons and ammunition.
So then, what are we as Christians to do in a time of fear and uncertainty?
Martin Luther responded to a fellow pastor when the plague was once again hitting Wittenberg and all of Saxony. It is a long letter, but I will quote a section.
“Use medicine; take potions which can help you; fumigate house, yard, and street; shun persons and places wherever your neighbor does not need your presence or has recovered, and act like a man who wants to help put out the burning city. What else is the epidemic but a fire which instead of consuming wood and straw devours life and body? You ought to think this way: ‘Very well, by God’s decree the enemy has sent us poison and deadly offal. Therefore I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine, and take it. I shall avoid places and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance infect and pollute others, and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me and I have done what he has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own death or the death of others. If my neighbor needs me, however, I shall not avoid place or person but will go freely, as stated above. See, this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God.’”
Seems like Luther might have had some good ideas in his time that we too should think about following. Use medicine, take potions, listen to scientists and Doctors, medical professionals. There are plenty of people who are spreading information, but when and where possible, listen to experts. I am sorry to say, but there are plenty of people right now who are in positions of power and authority who just don’t understand what is going on, or worse are using the Coronavirus for personal gain. If you hear something that is too good to be true, or that upsets you, seek out other sources, particularly if it supports your own thoughts, Look to the Center for Disease Control or the Iowa Department of Public Health for information, they are both updating information as much as they can possibly do so. If you do become ill or have contact with someone who is ill, follow the guidelines set forth by your doctors.
It seems odd to say this, but, if you don’t need to do something in public, it might be a good time to practice some physical distancing. This does help slow the spread of any number of diseases that are spreading through the community. Right now, we are still planning on having worship services, but if you are uncomfortable attending due to the virus, or if you are among the more vulnerable populations, I understand that you might not come. That is okay. Get in touch with me or the office, email or phone call. I would be happy to talk to you about what you are feeling and experiencing, and to say some prayers with you.
I like something Luther says, “If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me and I have done what he has expected of me.” That is confidence, not fear. This is confidence in God, confidence in the promises of God and the reconciliation of Christ.
It is this confidence that the Psalmist writes in the 46 Psalm
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult...
God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.
We also heard this earlier in our reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans:
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
Or later in Romans,
What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
So, this then is what we are called to do. Place our trust in God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Christ has promised to be with us now until the ending of the age. God continues to support us, and the Holy Spirit continues to pray and minister to us.
But, don’t put God to the test. Don’t take foolish or unnecessary risks. Don’t risk other peoples’ safety either because, God loves me, I won’t get sick. The reality is God love you, and some of us might get sick. But God promises to be with us while we are sick, have doubt, anxiety, or fear.
I want us to be reminded in this time of social distancing, to be physically distant, but not socially disconnected. Love your neighbor. Pray for one another. Call, text, e-mail, snapchat, whatever you do to stay connected, to show your love and stay in community with each other. If your neighbor needs a roll of toilet paper and you have enough to soak up Lake Okoboji, give some to them. If you know of someone effected by coronavirus and are quarantined, make an effort to keep them in community, through any safe means. Love one another because Christ loved us.
In this time of COVID-19, we are called ever more ardently to trust God, love our neighbors, and to use our hearts, our minds, our bodies in service to God and each other. While some of us might be physically absent, remain together spiritually, for we are the Church, the body of Christ. Remember all who are affected. Pray for the sick, those who are mourning. Pray for first responders and medical professionals. Pray for leaders and scientists. Pray for the vulnerable and pray for one another.
And. Wash your hands.
Let us Pray,
God, our peace and our strength, we pray for our nation and the world as we face new uncertainties around coronavirus. Protect the most vulnerable among us, especially all who are currently sick or in isolation. Grant wisdom, patience, and clarity to health care workers, especially as their work caring for others puts them at great risk. Guide us as we consider how best to prepare and respond in our families, congregations, workplaces, and communities. Give us courage to face these days not with fear but with compassion, concern, and acts of service, trusting that you abide with us always, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.