Do how I do – Safe Parking

Sermon on John 14:23-29

Some good news isn’t good news for everyone. Some good news is hard to take at first. Like in our Gospel today. Jesus is trying to prepare his friends for the time when he will be gone. Gone as the person they knew, as the friend they shared a meal and a good story with. Gone as the companion, the travel buddy, the one bringing the wine to a party and ordering the food for all.

Jesus’ friends sure don’t want to hear that all of this will come to an end. It doesn’t make sense. They were having so much fun, so much success, they really just got started. 3 years wasn’t enough time to learn everything that needed to be learned, change everything that needed to be changed, preach to everyone who needed to hear God’s word and feel God’s love.

Yet, what seems to be odd: Jesus isn’t sad about leaving. About dying. He speaks in riddles, that’s for sure. But he isn’t sad or angry or worried or numb to the very notion of his death. He asks his friends to rejoice in his going to the Father. When, of course, he isn’t kidding anybody and everyone knows that that’s a euphemism for his death. Why should they rejoice in Jesus’ death? Why should we rejoice in anybody leaving their beloved community?

Where is the acknowledgement of grief, of pain, of disappointment?

There doesn’t seem to be room for that in this story. It’s all about accepting the future, taking it from God’s hands.

Or, maybe, that’s not the question to ponder. Maybe this story is not about the disciples’ feelings of loss and despair. Maybe the question today is: How do we rejoice in someone else’s gain rather than cry over our own loss? 

Jesus’ upcoming death is really just one event among so many he is promising here. He isn’t dwelling on it or even naming it for what it is. He likes to focus on the good, uplifting things. There is the Holy Spirit who will be advocating for Jesus’ friends. Guiding them through their lives with all its ups and downs. There are those who will keep Jesus’ words because they love him. And they will be a home for God with their loving hearts and souls embracing the world around them. Maybe they will even make a home for God with stones and sand and metal and glass. A home where people will feel welcomed and seen and save. 

While the promise of the Holy Spirit might seem less tangible, harder to plan for, there is a very clear guidance in this text already. Telling us that if we love Jesus we will keep his word and God will love us and be with us. It’s the truth that in the end, we will be recognized as Jesus’ people when we do what Jesus did. Do as I do not as I said, basically. Because keeping Jesus’ word means taking Jesus seriously as the incarnated word of God. Jesus is God’s word in action. So should we be, right?

Instead of going into a listening session with his friends about their feelings about Jesus’ upcoming departure, Jesus starts talking about peace. About real peace from within that only God can give. About the peace of heart that doesn’t depend on the place or time or people you are with. In an interview with a Russian dissident and member of the Punk Rock Band “Pussy Riot”, the young woman said how she doesn’t like to think of her adventurous escape from Russia a couple of weeks ago as freedom. She always felt free, even when imprisoned multiple times in the past 10 years. “You can’t give me what no one can take from me.”, she said. To live in exile in Iceland right now is not about freedom for her. It’s about the opportunity to fight Putin more effectively. At least, for now. Peace at heart is possible anywhere.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” It’s an amazing, an overwhelming ask to live without fear in a world that has so much to be afraid of.  It’s especially overwhelming since the very person Jesus’ friends relied on with their hearts, souls, income and future, is preparing them for this death. Good news feels differently. 

We all know what happened later. Jesus’ friends stayed back forming the first church that had lost their beloved pastor. 

A group of people not sure what the future might bring. Yet, their hearts filled with stories and memories and the promise that they wouldn’t have to face the future alone. That God would provide and the Holy Spirit guide and that Jesus Christ would be among them every day. Eventually, they understood that Jesus going away was a greater gain for them. That he made space for the many leaders to come. That he made sure that everyone could feel as close to Christ as anyone else. That there was no monopole on friendship with Jesus, no exclusive club with very limited numbers. That there would be love spreading through the world instead of keeping it to one’s inner circle. 

Today’s story talks about some big words. Words that everyone wants and needs and deserves. 

Love, home, advocacy, peace, heart. That’s what it boils down to being friends of Jesus. At least according to Jesus here. 

First and foremost, to love. As abundantly and freely and unconditionally as Jesus did. The well of God’s love is deeper than we could ever imagine. There is no end to it ever. Which effectively means that there shouldn’t be limits to our own ability to love either. Since we are feeding off God’s love.

That love will build a home for us, among our communities and with God. That home can have many shapes. It can look like a church, like a living-room filled with friends, like a hospital room filled with quiet prayers and silent tears. That home can be a car carefully locked in the night, tucked away in a church parking lot. It can be anything that feels like love and care advocating for a life in dignity. Which, as we all know after the last 16 months, takes quite some heart to do. It takes courage to even want to host a Safe Parking program. Knowing that neighborly peace might temporarily get disturbed, hearts might get troubled and feel small and tired. It takes courage to stand up for peace and homes in this world. And be it just the peace of sleeping without fears of the police knocking at your window. 

I am excited for the month of June. To experience God at work in yet another way through CTK. 

To experience how God will work out new things out of farewells and new beginnings. How who we say we are and what we do come together yet again. Because your hearts are filled with God’s love. Because the Holy Spirit is at work at CTK and in Tri-City. 

Because the Holy Spirit will continue to work among you as she already did way before me. Which was what I saw in CTK and why I wanted to be your pastor. Because it’s inspiring to be among people like you who do how Jesus did! Amen.