I was in our living room with Faith on Tuesday night whilst she was doing homework and every now and then she’d chuck a question at me: what’s a justification for war? What are the teachings of war? What’s a fact about weapons of mass destruction? Turns our she was doing her RE homework! And this was homework set before Christmas, before the escalation of the events we’ve seen between the political powers of the US and Iran.
The next morning on the way to school she said “Generation Z are alleviating their anxieties over a potential world war 3 by sharing memes” If you don’t know what a meme is it’s a funny picture, or video clip, usually with some text over it that gets shared on the internet, to much hilarity. One of the ones I’ve seen was a picture of Kermit the frog, sipping a cup of tea- bear with me- looking pensive, and the text reads “We’re 3 days into 2020 and World War 3 is trending…maybe 2019 wasn’t so bad after all”.
There were so many people who by the end of last year had clearly had enough of political turmoil, negativity and endless Brexit chat, alongside an increased awareness of environmental issues, the rise of the far right in various countries…they were so done, and so ready for 2019 to be over. Ready for a new year.
Christmas is that bright, sparkling bit of light in the darkness at the end of the year, then it’s followed by the hope and freshness of the new year, the endless possibilities, the chance to renew, to refresh and to start again, it’s a clean slate.
Today’s gospel is all about the beginning of something. This is where we recognise Jesus beginning his ministry, and it’s all incredibly symbolic. I don’t believe for a minute that Jesus needed to be baptised, or that he wasn’t already filled with the Holy Spirit, but as Jesus says to John The Baptist’s questioning: “it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.” It feels like a very definite way of marking the beginning of what will be the most significant part of Jesus’ life, just as baptism marks the beginning of something significant for each of us and for every child or adult who still comes here to be baptised each month.
And it feels right that the place where we remember this is at the start of the new calendar year, this is the day our Methodist friends say their covenant prayer each year, restating their commitment to following Jesus. It’s not the churches new year as that’s Advent Sunday, but moving from Jesus’ birth, to the feast of epiphany and then having this leap to his baptism does feel right, and biblically there isn’t a lot else to fill the gap!
It’s a reminder of own baptism, of our confirmation for those who’re confirmed, of ordination vows for some of us. It’s a reminder that at the start of this year we’re continuing on a particular path, following in the footsteps and teachings of Jesus and trying to live as his people.
And yet those feelings of hope and renewal can soon fall away when we wake up to the reality of global events, of the unrest that causes and what the consequences of it might be.
Generation z are using humour as a coping mechanism but they’re also deeply concerned of what this could mean. It’s a reminder that one of our obligations as Christ-followers is to not be afraid to speak truth to power. I saw many a wristband back in the 90’s with the initials WWJD- What would Jesus do? And whilst the phrase is considered a bit corny now and probably so overused it’s lost it’s power, but it’s often the question we should be applying to situations if we’re to live as people of faith.
Our other readings this morning offer such wisdom, enlightening us not only to the character of God but God’s love and care for every person on earth. In a world so caught up with the idea of nations, where we see the outcomes of toxic levels of patriotism and jingoism leading to the “othering” of entire peoples and religions, and seemingly creating a space which has given far-right ideology a place to grow, we need to see there’s an alternative.
Peter, in our new testament reading has absolutely had his mind blown. I love Peter, I love him because he’s often a bit of a pratt, he’s always getting things wrong and I find that incredibly relatable. Turns out this bit of plastic doesn’t stop me from sometimes doing or saying the wrong thing and I shouldn’t expect it to because Peter has lived with Jesus, been dramatically baptised in the spirit on the day of Pentecost but still, in his post-gospel life, isn’t perfect.
He’s had his mind blown because he’s witnessed the spirit falling upon the bunch of Romans he’s currently talking to- a bunch of Gentiles, and it moves him to what would have been a seismic shift in his belief: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him”.
He then reminds us of how Jesus after being “anointed…with the Holy Spirit and with power” conducted himself, how he used his power; doing good and healing all who were oppressed. If you think how we now perceive power, how power is used by those in possession of it this is just staggering. Peter further reminds us that after Jesus rose from the dead, in that ultimate act of love and display of God’s power, what did he do? He hung out with his friends eating and drinking, consolidating what he’d taught them and encouraging them to teach it to others.
Imagine a world leader using power to educate, to heal and to feed people? They do exist of course but it’s certainly not part of the dominant narrative we see in our daily news.
If we go back to the Isaiah reading there’s lots of differing views on who this text is referring to, we as Christians believe it means Jesus. Whatever the prophet’s intention, it does mean God’s chosen person, the one meant to unite all peoples, the Light to the Nations. The prophet tells us this is the chosen one, God delights in them, God’s spirit is upon them.
And how will this favour and chosenness be used? They have no need to shout and bluster, they won’t destroy things which are already broken or diminished but will be relentless in their pursuit of justice, and justice not just for one nation but throughout the world, and for people to live in a just world will give them life.
I’m going to re-read the next section of the text because it’s just so beautiful and inspiring and uplifting.
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
a light to the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord, that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to idols.
See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
That’s good bible isn’t it?! We believe Jesus is the fulfilment of this, his choice was made at the moment of his baptism, but the continuation of its fulfilment is through us. Jesus taught his disciples to continue his teachings, they took that message to other nations which brought it eventually to us.
In such an uncertain world, as we begin this new year and we’re reminded of our baptism or confirmation vows, we have to be the light and the ones who thirst for justice, we can be the ones who remind those searching for hope, those desperate to see that there is another way, that hope does exist, and that hope is Jesus.
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