Disciple: Little Resurrections

By Bishop Sam Rodman

There was an article last spring in The New York Times [1] about people who have taken up something again after a long hiatus. The author wrote about skiing for the first time in 20 years, detailing how much she enjoyed rediscovering her love for the sport. Others then wrote to her about hobbies or activities they had given up for a time and took on again later in life.

These included stories of people who returned to horseback riding, skateboarding, fly fishing and tennis, another language or a musical instrument. I found myself inspired by these stories and intrigued by the ways these activities resurfaced with renewed energy and also a different perspective. Here is one of my favorite accounts from the article:

“Kurt Neubert of San Mateo, Calif., is a Juilliard-trained former musician. He recently picked up the violin after a 28-year break. ‘Slowly, I started playing excerpts from pieces I used to enjoy but quickly realized that while the neuromuscular memory was there, my left hand had lost most of the agility from its former life. I decided not to give up, but to embrace it as a beginner again!’

“He added, ‘This experience has been a metaphor for this chapter of my life—to let go, step aside and let it unfold organically.’”

I love this. Here is someone who excelled as a musician earlier in life and, when he returned to the instrument, found his body could no longer do what it did when he was younger. Rather than be discouraged or walk away, he saw this as a chance to start again, a new beginning. He embraced his beginner status and let it unfold naturally.

EVERY KIND OF SPRING

We all know the timeworn adage “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” But apparently you can teach an old dog an old trick that feels like a new trick, a new beginning. I think of them as little resurrections.

And whether it’s a sport, a hobby, a musical instrument, a game or your particular passion, when we rediscover something we love to do, it has its own excitement that can leave us feeling joyful, energized and even elated.

The energy in these moments is also connected to the promise of resurrection, the gift that comes from something new and unexpected, that can infuse us with enthusiasm and set our hearts racing.

And Lent, for all its emphasis on somber repentance and self-denial, is also about making a fresh start, amending our lives and changing our pattern. The word Lent is actually from the Middle English word for spring – the season, not the verb, though that could work, too.

Not only is spring a season that invites new beginnings and fresh starts, it can also be a season when we are invited to take a leap of faith and delve into a new opportunity to lead, to serve, to pray and to step outside our comfort zones.

In the Gospel of John, the story of Jesus in the temple seems out of place when compared with the other three gospels. In the accounts of this event in Matthew, Mark and Luke, this scene of Jesus and the moneychangers in the temple appears near the end of Jesus’ public ministry, right before his arrest and crucifixion. In John’s gospel, the encounter takes place at the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry of preaching and teaching.

This is in part because, for John, Jesus is making a statement at the very outset of his ministry, not just with his words but with his actions. He is announcing that he is here to inaugurate a new age, a new order, and a new way of proclaiming justice and fairness at the heart of beloved community. The moneychangers were making money hand over fist by insisting that animals for use in the sacrifices people were required to make could be purchased only with temple currency. In doing so, the moneychangers ensured they would make money with each exchange, taking advantage of the poorest of the poor. Jesus calls out this injustice with his words and actions.

And make no mistake, this is also a foreshadowing of the resurrection. The last verse makes this clear: “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” (John 2:20) But Jesus was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus spoke.

HEARING THE OLD ANEW

We can get disoriented and confused by the mixed message of Lent. Is it a season of penitence or a season to anticipate the gift and power of the resurrection? In the drama of this moment, Jesus is saying, “Look for the signs of the new age, the promise of redemption and salvation.” Turning the tables, or in this case overturning the tables, is a manifestation of this promise.

When these moments happen, take notice, and reawaken to the possibilities to rethink and renew. The chaos and confusion all around us do not have the last word. Even this moment is pointing to the resurrection.

The Ten Commandments are often read during Lent. I recently came across an alternative version of the Ten Commandments [2] while browsing social media. It offers a contemporary translation of the traditional phrases, addressing the same timeless concerns of the original text, while bringing a fresh clarity, meaning and purpose. Reading them is not unlike when we renew our Baptismal Covenant and recognize we are also renewing our commitment to these values, these principles, that stand at the heart of our journey of faith and the heart of our tradition.

Let us hear the words of a sacred tradition with new ears. Let us recognize these commandments as fresh expressions of ancient truths. See if you can connect some of the contemporary language with the traditional versions with which we are familiar.

1. Practice loyalty to the sacred.
2. Do not forget that any given image of God is only a glimpse.
3. Do not use God’s name to do harm.
4. Do not allow life to be dominated by productivity.
5. Care for those who have cared for you and honor those who have paved your way.
6. Do not be unnecessarily destructive.
7. Be faithful to the commitments you make.
8. Do not take what does not belong to you.
9. Do not hinder justice from coming to fruition.
10. Do not use power over others to get what you want.

The violence and conflict in the Middle East, the ongoing scourge of gun violence in this country, the upcoming election and our increasing polarization: All of these fuel our anxiety. It can become easy to get discouraged or cynical and feel as though there is no hope, that we will never get this right. But Jesus is saying this is not the end. Even as we struggle in the here and now, the foundation on which we stand is still found in the words of the one we follow.

Jesus’ message to us is this: Stay alert, look for me, watch what I say and what I do. Look for me when systems that are unjust and unfair are overturned. Look for me in the gift of hope, the break of day, the new possibilities, an unexpected promise. Look for me in the little resurrections that happen every day, even, and maybe especially, during the somber season of Lent. Amen.

[1] Read the full article at bit.ly/NYTOldSkills.

[2] The Ten Commandments by the Rev. M. Jade Kaiser, enfleshed.com

Bishop Sam Rodman is the XII bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina.

Subscribe to the Disciple