Celebrating a Vision
Celebrating a Vision – John 14:1-14
The celebration of Mother’s Day in this modern era finds its roots in America when it was first proposed by Anna Jarvis in 1908. It became an official holiday in 1914 but its creator denounced the commercialization of the holiday as she envisioned not a day for huge commercial gain but for it to remain what it was intended for and that was a pure celebration of the people who were our mothers.
Another interesting fact about Mother’s Day is from the United Kingdom and parts of Europe where the celebration fell on the fourth Sunday of Lent and was seen as a time when the faithful would return to their “mother church” – the main church in their area or the church of their childhood – for a special service. It was known as Mothering Sunday. Imagine returning to the community that brought your faith to birth! There is definitely a strong link for people between faith and life; birth and growth.
Of course, today the celebration of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day have moved into the secular realm of holidays and such ideas as celebrating the place where our faith was given birth is the furthest thing from people’s minds. Even the church itself has seemed to have come to the conclusion that a celebration of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day have moved beyond the confines of the church. Most communities of faith call this Sunday “Family Sunday.” It is a time for families to reflect on their relationship with and to each other and celebrate the love that binds them together. Of course, we also can celebrate it as a Sunday to reflect on our relationship to one another as the family of God.
Having said this, I trust that each one of us here will take some time today to remember our mother or other significant person who nurtured us and guided us as we grew and matured. And let us never forget that a day set aside in the calendar is never to be the one and only time that we remember those who have sacrificed so much for us.
But I would like to reflect on something that celebrates our parents. More and more it is being recognized that the emotional, physical, mental and spiritual development of children needs the presence of both parents. Certainly fathers have become more active care givers in the last 30 years to the point where it is no longer seen as strange. Of course we know that life is not ideal and that there are many cases where a child is left with only one parent but where a trusted friend can provide support to a single parent, there is a wonderful opportunity to assist in the care and nurture of a growing life.
Now I would like us to consider something we may not have considered before. Each of the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God was given for the benefit of the community. They were intended to guide and sustain the life of the community and to instruct them in a way of life that would foster a respect for life among the people. Life in those ancient times was cruel and dangerous – not unlike what life is like for many in the world today. The difference was that what we would see as a lack of respect for the life of another was seen as a way of life. Life was sacred only to those with power and influence. Those who possessed no real power, influence or wealth were treated as if their lives didn’t matter. But God had created the world and all that is within it with a different vision. God envisioned a world where harmony and peace existed; a world where the lives of all were respected and honoured. One of the hardest things we can do as humans is maintaining open communication that allows us to express ourselves verbally and emotionally and yet be able to hear others and find the place where all of our needs can find expression and balance. While God has placed within us a deep desire for peace and wholeness and balance within ourselves, we know that we struggle with selfish tendencies to assert our agendas. As much as we desire to honour others and show respect, we find ourselves wrestling with our need to be seen or heard.
The Commandments speak to this tendency within us and seek to give guidance as to how to respond to this tendency in a way that allows our lives to be respected and show that same level of respect to others. Out of all the commandments, the one concerning honouring mother and father stands out to me on this day. All the other commandments speak in general terms that could apply to any person but God chose to frame one commandment for the people with a specific target – parents.
Long life in the land to which God will take the people – that is what is promised to those who will honour their mothers and fathers. For the people of the time of Moses, this was their only life; there was no life beyond this life. To live a long life was important not because it was a mark of how good you were but rather it was a sign that you respected your life and the life of others in community. Whatever the length of your days might be, your life would be a blessing through the honouring of others – particularly your father and mother. If you could honour the people who gave birth to you, loving them in a respectful manner, then you would no doubt be able to love others. Respect and honour within the family unit was to be a mark of the community that would radiate out into their relations with others.
In his letters the Apostle John states over and over that if we cannot love the brother or sister that we see in this world, we cannot love God. Similarly, I believe that God was trying to teach the people that if they could not honour or respect the parents they had in this world, how could they honour or respect the One who was the Father of them all – God. Indeed it is the very act of respecting and honouring each other that reveals our respect and honour of God.
In the Gospel reading for today, Jesus tells the disciples that he is going to the Father’s house where he will prepare a place for them. Thomas is unsure of how this will happen and so asks Jesus to show them the way. Jesus’ reply that he is the way, the truth and the life; that he is the way to the Father reveals something of what was hinted at in the Ten Commandments. As they honour, respect and love Jesus, they come to see in him the Father, the God, who desires for them to love him. Following the example of Jesus in word and deed will reveal their honour and respect for God and draw them closer into a relationship of love and life with the One who is the God and Father of them all.
Do celebrate this day with your mother or anyone who in your life has nurtured you and helped you to grow and mature but remember that the celebration of these relationships remind us of an even greater relationship with a parent who can be both mother and father to us as we are loved and nurtured to the depths of our being.
May we be guided by the Commandments and the words of Jesus to a greater celebration of life that brings respect, honour and dignity to every life!
AMEN