[Propertalk] 1 Advent b 2017 - homily - part 2

Fri Dec 1 18:08:04 EST 2017

Part 2 for Sunday.

	I’m reminded that when the composer Dmitri Shostakovich was being
hounded by Stalin through every phase of his life, he slept in the
hallway each night so that, if the secret police came for him, it
might disturb his family less. Yet despite this feeling of intense
loneliness and fear, he wrote, “When a man is in despair, it means
he still believes in something.” 

	 THIS “something”, this belief that could not be eradicated from
him somehow spoke to him, no matter how much his life appeared to be
shattered. 

	 Imagine the people of Isaiah’s day, and Jesus’ day, as their
lives were filled, especially the lives of those who couldn’t flee,
who had no money, no resources, no family, no friends to help them
escape. Imagine those who were trapped and desperate. Yet, somehow,
they were able to hang on to something deep within them that told them
that God was still there, no matter how invisible; that God still
listened, no matter how far off God appeared to be; that God would
still speak. It was this for which the people longed to discover in
their lives, and which kept them going. 

	 I don’t know how many of them found solace in music. We DO know of
the importance of music through the history of the Hebrew people.
We’re aware that music not only was a vehicle for people offering
praise, it was a way to sooth physical pain as well as mental pain. If
brought memories to the surface, memories of how God had acted and
will always act. 

	 WE have to deal with issues that are just as frightening. But then,
from the heart of the flame and the music, comes something that
reminds us that hope is NOT gone; that fear will NOT win; that there
WILL be a joyous resolution to all the heartache and pain. Somehow, we
are reminded that we do NOT belong to this world. And that God will
ALWAYS hold us and extend a hand to lift us into the understand that
the world can never possess us, even although there IS still much in
the world, so much in certain people, who give us courage to seek
life. 

	 This can be so difficult, though. I can’t imagine what Terezin
must have been like – a transit camp, meaning that it was like an
enormous holding pen, a detention centre far from friends and familiar
surroundings, from which people were to be sent out to
dear-knows-where, most of them never to appear again. 

	 That’s what makes music that that written and performed in Terezin
all the more poignant. As people were dragged in and hustled out of
the camp, they could hold on to the music, even if they never heard or
saw the performers again. 

	 Different composers, different artists, wrote and performed what
came from the heart of their being. DESPITE the persecution; DESPITE
everything which might make them give up, literally surrender their
lives and everything precious to them; DESPITE that, composers and
performers and listeners found that which could reach into their
lives, and give them unbelievable comfort, and hope, and joy. 

	 This maybe that to which Isaiah and his listeners may have been
referring when the opening words talked about the sky, the atmosphere,
everything above; everything being torn wide open so that the justice,
the mercy, the compassion of God could break into everyone’s lives,
to take the sting out of everything that attacks us and our sense of
dignity and value. 

	 It is for this time that Isaiah’s listeners waited; it was of this
time that Jesus spoke; it is for this time that we wait, needing to be
reassured that there WILL be a time when all the indignities, all the
persecution, all the rapaciousness will disappear. Waiting is not one
of the easier skills to develop, however, especially in our society
and culture. But wait we must, remembering, like Shostakovich, that
even fear shows that we believe in something, in the loving power of
God to raise us triumphant over all. 

	 Brother Curtis Almquist wrote: “Waiting, living with questions,
may be how God is keeping you attentive just now. From my experience,
God is more generous in giving us questions than answers. The gift of
waiting: quite counter-cultural.” 3 

	 And as Rabbi Jonathan Sacks put it, “There are saintly people for
whom spirituality comes as easily as did music to Mozart. But God does
not reach out only to saints. He reaches out to all of us. That is why
He gave us Abraham for those who love, Isaac for those who fear, and
Jacob/Israel for those who struggle.
  “Hence this week’s life-changing idea: if you find yourself
struggling with faith, you are in the company of
Jacob-who-became-Israel, the father-in-faith of us all.” 4 

	 Welcome to Advent! Welcome to the gift of waiting! Welcome to the
discovery of the power of music to draw us closer to God. 

	 Now I invite you to take a piece of paper and a pen, and to write
down:  

	 – one, two or three things for which you’re waiting this Advent;

	 – one, two or three things which might distract you this Advent; 

	 – and one, two or three things for which you’ll give thanks to
God every morning and evening this Advent.  

	 Take these with you on your journey. And even in any despair you may
have – listen to the music! 

	NOTES: 

[1]  “_DESPAIR SHOULD SERVE AS WAKE-UP CALL: __WITH MYRIAD
CHALLENGES FACING OUR COMMUNITIES, NOW IS THE TIME FOR THOSE OF FAITH
AND ALL OF GOOD WILL TO STEP FORWARD WITH GOOD WORKS” BY _STEPHEN T.
LANE
HTTP://WWW.PRESSHERALD.COM/2017/11/19/MAINE-VOICES-DESPAIR-SHOULD-CALL-THOSE-OF-FAITH-TO-HELP/
[1] [COPIED IN _“EPISCOPAL CAFé”_ NOVEMBER 20, 2017 MARGARET
WESSEL WALKER [2]]

	2 _“Notes of Hope and Consolation”_ by Erik Levi in _BBC Music
Magazine_, February 2014, page 102. 

	3  _“Wait – Brother, Give us a Word”_ by Br. Curtis Almquist,
S.S.J.E. 28th November, 2017 https://www.ssje.org/word/ [3]  

	4 _“__THE STRUGGLE OF FAITH __Vayishlach 5778”__ __by Rabbi
Jonathan Sacks, 27th November, 2017 _The Struggle of Faith (Vayishlach
5778) - Rabbi Sacks [4] rabbisacks.org › Covenant & Conversation 

Links:
------
[1]
http://mail2.spectrum.net/HTTP://WWW.PRESSHERALD.COM/2017/11/19/MAINE-VOICES-DESPAIR-SHOULD-CALL-THOSE-OF-FAITH-TO-HELP/
[2]
http://mail2.spectrum.net/HTTPS://WWW.EPISCOPALCAFE.COM/AUTHOR/MWALKER/
[3] https://www.ssje.org/word/
[4] http://rabbisacks.org/struggle-faith-vayishlach-5778/

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