Homily   Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time   August 22, 2004

Our scripture for this Twenty-First Sunday is a challenge to us act on God’s invitation – to walk in God’s ways – to remind and challenge us that we need to act now to be included in God’s plan – not to wait until it is comfortable for us.

A radio pastor once compared the discipline of inclusion – the discipline that is talked about in today Word – to two porcupines that found themselves in the middle of a blizzard struggling to keep warm.  Because of their quills, the nearer to each other they huddled, the more painful it became.  Soon they had to move apart and lie beside each other, shivering in the cold.  They needed each other even though they needled each other. So many of us, said the pastor, are porcupine Christians.  We have our good points but we allow certain “sticking points” to keep us apart.

What are our “Sticking points”?  Some allow race or gender to separate and divide.  Some choose to exclude people on the basis of hair color, eye color and ethnic background.  Remember the Third Reich’s penchant for Aryan features?  Others cherish the experience of the exclusive clique or organization that legislates membership according to the largeness of one’s salary, one’s political leanings, ethnicity or even religion.

Mohandas Gandhi once wrote that in his student days he was truly interested in the Bible.  Deeply moved by the message of the Gospels, Gandhi, a Hindu, seriously considered becoming a convert since Christianity seemed to offer a real solution to the caste system that divided the people of India. Once Sunday, Gandhi went to a nearby church to attend services.  He decided to see the minister and ask for instruction in the way of salvation and enlightenment on other doctrines. But when he entered the church, the ushers refused to seat him and suggested that he go and worship with his own kind. Gandhi left and did not return. “If Christians have caste differences also” he said to himself, “ I might as well remain a Hindu.”

We sit here today and doubt that we would do the same. Our ministers of Hospitality would never refuse a seat to anyone! But the Word of God today reminds us that God is radically inclusive – and so should we be also. We need to inventory ourselves and wonder who we exclude – who we would be separated from – who we see as “different”. What are our sticking points?  We’re certainly more subtle in our separation than the Third Reich or the usher in that church.  We’re more inclined to work hard at justifying our exclusiveness. Do we excuse it on the issue of safety – The War on Terror can give us many excuses!  Do we excuse it on the issue of morality?  Sometimes we make ourselves a bit more moral than God!  Do we excuse it on the issue of timing?  The kids are too young – the job is too demanding – my life is too complicated. I’ll work on including the other when things change.

Once upon a time there was blacksmith who worked hard at his trade.  The day came for him to die.  The angel was sent to him and much to the angel’s surprise he refused to go. He pleaded with the angel to make his case before God, that he was the only blacksmith in the area and it was time for all his neighbors to begin their planting and sowing.  He was needed. So the angel pleaded his case before God.  He said that the man didn’t want to appear ungrateful and that he was glad to have a place in the kingdom, but could he put off going for a while?  And he was left.

About a year or two later the angel came back again with the same message:  the Lord was ready to share the fullness of the kingdom with him.  Again he mad had reservations and said:  “A neighbor of mine is seriously ill, and it’s time for the harvest.  A number of us are trying to save his crops so that his family won’t become destitute. Please come back later.”  And off the angel went again.

Well, it got to be a pattern.  Every time the angel came, the blacksmith had one excuse or another.  The blacksmith would just shake his head and tell the angel where he was needed and decline. Finally, the blacksmith grew very old, weary and tired.  He decided it was time and so he prayed:  “God, if you’d like to send your angel again, I’d be glad to come home now.”  Immediately the angel appeared, as if from around the corner of the bed.  The blacksmith said: “If you want to take me home, I’m ready to live forever in the kingdom of heaven.”  And the angel laughed and looked at the blacksmith in delight and surprise and said: “Where do you think you’ve been all these years?” He was home.

Jesus talks to us today about the narrow gate. It’s not that we can’t get through the gate to salvation. It’s not even that the opportunities might pass us by.  It’s really that we have to pay attention – we have to realize the path and seize the opportunities that are continually offered to love – to heal – to care for the others. Our choices to be God’s people are many- we simply have to make the choice.