Epiphany 4 Year B

The Hymn Inspired By Love and Anger John Bell and Graham Maule 1987

• The Bishops and the Benefits System; bringing more children into poverty, speaking up for those with a disability.
• Welcoming new residents to our village....a human face of welcome and the Gazette.

These things are important and they might be seen as faith inspired by love and anger.

The hymn starts with the love and anger of Jesus. Love...Jesus` approach towards those who suffer is to offer love and compassion, “The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.” Psalm 11

The anger of Jesus is most usually seen when he is confronted by human suffering, the suffering of people makes him angry and then also he shows anger to those who could do something but choose not to.

The healing in Mark 1.21-28 comes over as a battle with bad spirits, demon possession.....hard for us to pin down because 2000 years present a barrier and the language of personified demon possession conjures up exceptional situations for us but over half of the healings in Mark are described as of this sort. I think it is more helpful for us  to think of Jesus confronting all that demeans and disables the fullness and wholeness of life God would want people to have. This is what Mark says Jesus confronts and does so with the authority of his teaching that there is always a better way and that change for the better is always possible.  So in the passages the spirits that are personified are those who recognise this authority and potential for turning round and the changing of a situation. “And clearly they don`t like it at all.”

So what can diminish, demean, destroy life? .....Fear....Prejudice.....Jealousy.....the desire to control others....an acceptance of being controlled...low esteem....no sense of worth....a sense of always failing...living always in a state of stress.....in debt.....in poverty......over employed.....juggling too many roles.....under employed....loneliness...

Jesus ....angry yes....loving yes.....inspired by love and anger.... moved with compassion for all in need, for all who suffer, whatever the pain or the hurt may be....and in the cases mentioned, not really medical complaints in themselves..... (although they can lead to them). For Jesus an overwhelming communication through his teaching, especially in the parables, that change is always possible.

The main scenario and background in the Gospels and in the parables for these situations of demeaning and disabling is that of being lost.....in the stories of those who are lost, the parables, there is no dwelling on the social aspects of the situations or the moral attitudes, the need is to find what is lost and bring it back, restore it to where life can flourish.  In the healing account today, like many others in the Gospel, the person is restored to a place of meaning and total acceptance in the community. And this would be everything, individualism is really not seen as good, community is everything.

And that can resonate in good communities today. Communities where the needs of the most vulnerable are put first, youth provision, support for carers, where good education for all children, young people and adults is worked for passionately by all, where all have the best opportunities, where creativity can find a voice in community art classes, dance, drama, singing, where people have a big understanding of the issues that face our world and champion the needs of the poor. In all of this there is an emotional consideration too about there being a culture of true friendship, going the extra mile, risking failure where religious faith is recognised as a gift to sustain and inspire this way of living. Faith that shows the total acceptance Jesus showed in his relationships, the loving and not judging others, the willingness to suffer for others and the laying aside of personal comforts and securities. All of this from faith inspired by love and anger.

The message is always there that as followers of this faith that we too are passionately about the work of restoring life and showing people a fullness of acceptance that gives true worth and enables peace, creativity of spirit and freedom of heart and mind.

John Bell...Will you use the faith you`ve found to reshape the world around through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

And Verse 5 of Inspired by Love and Anger

God asks “Who will go for me?

Who will extend my reach?

And, who, when few will listen,

Will prophesy and preach?

And, who when few bid welcome,

Will offer all they know?

And, who when few dare follow,

Will walk the road I show?”