Children

Charlotte Collins Reed

Christ Church Episcopal

November 5, 2017

All Saints 2017

          Some years ago, the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio and the Liberian Episcopal Church were looking to establish a companion relationship.  My husband Don was chosen as part of a 5 person team to travel to Liberia for two weeks to build relationships and see what gospel work two very different dioceses might do together.

          The story of the trip is Don’s story to tell, not mine.  But one of the things he did while he was in Liberia was take many, many photos of the children he met.   He has photos of individual children, and photos of groups of children.   Once the photos were taken, the children loved looking at their faces on the back of Don’s camera.  These children had never seen their image because all mirrors and glass were destroyed in the decades of civil war in Liberia.  They had never seen themselves!

          Once Don got home and downloaded his photos so I could look at them, what I saw astounded me.  These children live in abject poverty.  They go to school in buildings and live in homes that we would consider uninhabitable.  Dirt floors, windows with no glass, and doorways with no doors are the norm.  Their toys are sticks, rocks, and whatever else they find to play with.  Shoes are rare.  And yet, in photo after photo, the children are happy.  I don’t mean “smile for the camera” happy, but deep down joyful happy.  Their smiles are huge, and their faces are bright.  The photos of these children are stunningly joyful.

          On this All Saints Sunday, we hear Jesus say “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,” and “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”  Jesus says “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God.”  The Greek word that is translated “Blessed” can also be translate “Happy.”  The word does not mean “smile for the camera” happy.  The happiness meant by the Greek word “makarioi” is a deep down, rooted, lasting happiness that is not circumstantial. 

          In the beatitudes, whether we translate the word as blessed or happy, Jesus is not telling us that we should be meek so we can inherit the earth, or that we should be merciful, even though we should, so that we will receive mercy.  Jesus is describing the kingdom of heaven.  Our world tells us things like "Blessed are those who have resources for they will have more," or "Blessed are the educated, for they will get ahead," or "Blessed are those who have health care, for they will live longer," all of which are true.  Education, resources, and health care are all good things and the beatitudes do not glorify poverty, illiteracy, or poor health.  But Jesus is describing a different reality, similar to the one we heard about in the reading from Revelation. "For they will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd and will guide them to the springs of the water of life."  In this new reality, which is the Kingdom of God, the poor in spirit, the meek, those who mourn, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied.  Because they will be blessed in God's new reality, they are blessed now.

          Every year we hear the beatitudes on All Saints Sunday.  Why is that? When I think about the children Don met in Liberia and their deep down happiness that is clearly not based on anything material, I am also reminded of our reading from 1 John.  “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.” And “Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed.”  On All Saints, we remember those who have gone before us, both the named saints of the church and the saints of our own hearts.  I believe we remember those people because, in some way large or small, they have demonstrated for us the love God has for all God’s children.  They remind us that we are loved unconditionally simply for who we are.  I think of my grandparents, my mother, and dear friends who have died, none of whom tolerated poor manners or bad behavior, but all of whom who loved me unconditionally.  Their love is how I know the love of God.  The children in Liberia teach us this as well.  Their great happiness, their great joy, comes from knowing they are loved because love is all they have. 

          But there is more to All Saint than the joy that comes from knowing that we are God’s beloved children because of the love we have experienced from those who have gone before us.  All Saints calls us to be that love for others, and not just each other.  All Saints calls us to touch the lives of all those we encounter with the love of God.  At Christ Church, we practice how to be that love for each other so that we can be that love for the world.  How do people know that they are beloved of God if we do not show them with our lives? 

          On All Saints Sunday, we sing the great hymns, we light the candles, and we pray with and for those who have gone before us.  But our music, candles and prayers are not an end in themselves.  All Saints Day sends us out into the world to radiate the love of God with our lives so that people in Hudson and everywhere we go can know the same happiness, the same blessedness, as the children Don met in Liberia.

                                                                                   Amen.