The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, Year C July 25, 2010
Relying Upon the Kindness of Strangers The Reverend Dr. Howard J. Hess

I. Introduction: Today in our Gospel reading, Luke writes about our Lord’s effort to teach his disciples to pray. He begins, “When you pray say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your Kingdom come . . . ” Then to make his teaching crystal clear, he told his disciples a story about a man whose friend from out of town arrived unexpectedly in the middle of the night. He had insufficient food for his guest and thus he went out into the night to find fresh bead. A critical Middle Eastern value was at stake here -- hospitality. The honor of the host and even of the whole village was on the line. How would they respond to the sojourner who had come among them? The guest in this story was in part reliant upon the kindness of strangers. Out of desperation, the host goes out into the night to find the food he needed and knocked on a neighbor’s door. The neighbor tried to shoo him off, but either on principle or out of pragmatism relented and gave him bread. So said Jesus, Ask and it will be given you; search and you shall find; knock and the door shall be opened. Jesus had made a conceptual leap, and I ask you to make that leap with me as well. The giver of the gift, the one who opens the closed door, is ABBA, our Father, our “papa” in Heaven. The “strangers” upon whom we rely are the vehicles, the conduits, through whom God gives us protection and meets our needs.

II. I’d like to share several examples of the intervention of strangers sent, I believe, from God. In the late 1980s I spent a summer studying in Cali, Columbia, as a part of doctoral studies at the University of Alabama. While there, I met a family of missionaries who were very hospitable to me. One night while riding a public bus to their home for dinner, I felt the sharp point of a knife in my back. Nothing was said, but I could feel my wallet and my passport being taken from my back pocket. My traveler’s checks and my traveler’s check receipts were all in my wallet. Bad planning; never again. I was angry and thought I saw who had robbed me. He got off the bus and I started to follow him. But another passenger pointed secretively for me to get back on the bus. Then I became convinced that I knew who the thief was. I rode with him to the last stop and went down along a very dark street to confront him. While all this was happening I was praying constantly. Then as clearly as I can hear my own voice now, I heard a voice say “You are in danger, turn around and go back to the main road.” So I turned around and went to a small comida and told my tale of woe – I had no money, no ID, no passport, nada. A man who was listening said, “I will help you.” At his own expense, he took me by cab to the police station, then by cab back to my hotel. He would take no money for reimbursement nor would he leave his name and address. He had been to the states, he said, and some Americans had helped him. He was returning the favor. Two things were happening here, I am convinced of this. This unknown man – a stranger -- was helping me out of his deep kindness, and it was God who had sent this man in answer to my frantic prayers.

III. The second example of God’s intervention was shared by the Reverend Michael Breen 5 years ago in a sermon given at a conference at Kanuga. Fr. Breen is an Anglican priest from London, England, who had traveled on a mission trip to Africa. I don’t remember which country in which the following incident occurred. Perhaps it was the Congo. Fr. Breen traveled with several others extensively through the countryside. At that time there was a very intense conflict between two different rebel groups. On a stretch of isolated roadway his Land Rover was surrounded by a band of rebels who were very menacing and began to move toward them with weapons ready for action. Fr. Breen feared for his life and was praying with great passion. Then, as suddenly as they came, the rebels ran back into the bush. The priest and others in his party had no idea why that had happened. Later in some odd co-incidence they met up with one of the rebels and asked him why they had run away. The man said, “ Did you not see the bright white figures surrounding you and holding one another’s hands?” Fr. Breen and the others were reliant upon the kindness of holy strangers in this very dangerous situation, but actually they were most reliant upon the kindness of God who loved them and sent these strangers to protect them.

IV. There is a third example of how God watches over all of us through the kindness of strangers and this example has been happening right here in our midst. We have been having a series of events to raise funds to bring running and electricity to the Gathering Place, a center for worship and teaching in Toliara, Madagascar. Bishop Todd McGregor and his wife, The Reverend Patsy McGregor will also live in this center. We will be journeying to be with them for two months of my three-month sabbatical. During last Friday’s night’s event we surpassed the $10,000.00 mark, half way to the total cost of the water and electrical system. We, you and I, are in a powerful way strangers to our Malagasy Christian brothers and sisters almost half a world away. Imagine the joy they will experience to be loved so greatly by so many people they have never met. They and we are reliant upon the kindness of strangers. And in its deepest form God’s kindness always works in a reciprocal way. You know what I’ve seen in all of our events? The gift of hospitality being extended to one another; the same gift that Jesus is speaking about in today’s Gospel. Our gift to others has resulted in our receiving the gift of fellowship with one another. Our gift to others – to strangers half way around the world -- has resulted in a gift being given to us.

V. I want to get personal with you for a moment. Peg and I want to thank you for making this possible. Through your approval of my sabbatical, your gifts, and your encouragement to follow a dream that I’ve had for many years we are able to make this trip. Thank you. I want to assure you however, that at the end of the three months I will be back. You can count on that.

I have several requests of you this morning. We have a Holy Spirit momentum underway in this parish. We are blessed with wonderful clergy and staff who will manage well in my absence. Support them, let them know when you need something, let them know when someone else is in need, and if anything is on your mind and heart, please talk with them about it.

I also want to ask you to support this year’s stewardship campaign as you have supported the campaigns each year that I have been here with you. We have two dedicated creative stewardship co-chairs, Tracy Edmundson and Kay Ray. We have a stewardship team working with them and much of this drive will take place while I’m away. Please continue to be generous and faithful in your giving, not only for the rest of this year but also in your pledge for the year to come.

Lastly, I want to remind everyone about what faithful and dynamic Senior and Junior Wardens. Julie Hembree will be overlooking the whole program of Ascension while I’m gone. Bert Ackermann will back her up, as will the Vestry, the clergy, and the lay staff. Look around – these are the folks God has given us to lead is to do the things that God is calling us to do. I’d like to close by quoting one of the most well-known English saints, Julian of Norwich. I know that here at Ascension between now and the end of October, “All shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” Amen and Amen.

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