My friends, I continue to be amazed at how the Scriptures given us to ponder each week do give us a way forward even in the seemingly darkest of times. And sometimes that way forward comes in the smallest of ways…
Our first reading today from Kings we have all heard many times before—that of the prophet, Elijah asking a poor woman and her son, “living on the edge,” to share some of what she has with him. I would like to lift up for us to consider a few words from Elijah that seem to me to speak, volumes: Elijah says, “bring [me] a little water.” I believe his words here are a fine way forward in our world that today seems to be so in need.
If any of us had to be responsible for all that is needed, we would have given up long ago. But if we each can do our “little bit,” together we can become, as Episcopalian bishop, John Shelby Spong has said so well, “divine,” and when that happens, he continues, we have reached “heaven,” the place, more than just physical, that God intended for us all along, “giving, caring, loving, and living for [not only ourselves], but for others.”
In today’s gospel from Mark, we are shown another poor woman, “living on the edge,” who gives from her need, and it seems that our brother Jesus wants his disciples, including us, “to truly get” the meaning here—we are all asked to give something. Many of us are blessed to be able to give, for the most part, out of our excess—sometimes life calls us also, to give out of our need—perhaps, and I know there are those of you either hearing or reading this today, that while maybe financially secure, are being called to give, emotionally and spiritually, out of your need as you care for spouses, children, friends, and more.
We can look again to the prophet Elijah’s comforting words to the poor woman in his time that he requests help from: “Do not be afraid.” Elijah asks her “to share,” and if she does, “there will be enough.” Others have written about this phenomenon when trying to make sense of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes that our brother Jesus accomplishes: “when we all share, we encourage others to do the same, and then, there is enough.”

A comment that I have heard repeated several times since the “will of the people” was brought to light on November 5th was the fact that many in our great country, “felt unheard.” Somehow my friends, it would seem that we all need to become better listeners, hearers of what people truly need. None of us as true followers of our brother Jesus, should be okay with the fact that anyone in our world is hungry, homeless, lonely, or afraid—frankly, it should weigh heavy on our hearts that this is the case.
Now, having said that, I want to lift up for each of you, that I know, all of this does weigh heavy on your hearts, because I see the generosity of your giving through our parish in many ways, to do our “little bit” in our world to make a difference. All of this is about striving to be “our best,” which Jesus modeled so well for us.

Being that two of our readings for today speak of women “living on the edge,” I would be remiss, as your pastor, a woman too, if I did not at least lift up a comment that came from a man in the past few days that speaks to the sexism still so prevalent in our country.

This nameless man simply asked, “What kind of a resume does a woman have to put forth in this country to be elected president?” I share this here, not to be political, but just to lift up the issue of “sexism” and to say, it’s time to grow up as a country, and a world and see the tremendous gifts that women, as well as men bring to our world. And our Church is no better—Pope Francis ended two years and more of study and contributions to make our Church better –including seeing women equally in the mix, and he could only say, “the time is not ripe,” to which I say, “if not now, when?”

I would like to further encourage all the men here and those reading this who have faithful, trusting and caring women in your lives to begin more purposefully advocating for them—speaking truth to power and calling the lie that it is whenever you hear it, “that women are not equal or acceptable!”
I did not mention the second reading today from Hebrews yet, but what I would like to lift up from there is the simple fact that, “the Jesus from the gospels,” (Paul and Barnabas—probably the writer of this letter)—never knew. They always speak of him as what he became through time, “the Christ,” –someone big enough for all believers in this world. It would seem that we all as believers need to realize, as the banner behind me signifies, our God who loves us in an over-the-top way, is big enough to include us all.
So friends, I will conclude here today, trying to make sense and to respect wherever you and I are at this point, by sharing something that came to me this week that gave me hope, direction and purpose for all that comes next, continuing to be about something bigger than myself—hopefully, there is meaning here for you as well—

From Rebecca Solnit, author of Hope in the Dark:
“They want you to feel powerless and to surrender and to let them trample everything and you are not going to let them. You are not giving up, and neither am I. The fact that we cannot save everything does not mean we cannot save anything and everything we can save is worth saving. You may need to grieve or scream or take time off, but you have a role no matter what, and right now good friends and good principles are worth gathering in. Remember what you love. Remember what loves you. Remember in this tide of hate what love is. The pain you feel is because of what you love…
You can be heartbroken or furious or both at once; you can scream in your car or on a cliff; you can also get up tomorrow and water the flowerpots and call someone who’s upset… A lot of us are going to come under direct attack, and a lot of us are going to resist by building solidarity and sanctuary. Gather up your resources, the metaphysical ones that are heart and soul and care, as well as the practical ones.
People kept the faith in the dictatorships of South America in the 1970s and 1980s, in the East Bloc countries and the USSR, women are protesting right now in Iran and people there are writing poetry. There is no alternative to persevering, and that does not require you to feel good. You can keep walking whether it’s sunny or raining. Take care of yourself and remember that taking care of something else is an important part of taking care of yourself, because you are interwoven with the ten trillion things in this single garment of destiny that has been stained and torn, but is still being woven and mended and washed.”
And I say—Amen? Amen!