How Jesus Informs This Memorial Day in Covid-times

My three year old granddaughter, like most preschoolers, is figuring out her world. She is a child that is stoic about physical pain, but very expressive in  her emotional agony when she does not get her way. From the sound of her cries one would think the world was ending. Her brother, almost 20 months old, observes his sister. Although he is generally more easy going, when he has been affronted because of something he cannot have, he will slowly “fall” down, slow enough that he doesn’t get hurt in his collapsing, but at the same time the dramatic wailing of his cry informs us that he is suffering and displeased. Because these two are so young their suffering is short lived and they are easily redirected to something else, usually by picking them up and taking them outside where I point out the birds or the squirrels. 

The Covid times we are living are being experienced by each of us in different ways. Some of us are managing this time just fine, with little interruption to how life is normally. Others are finding this time extremely difficult and for many different reasons - either because one is working in the public sector and that is very stressful and challenging. Or maybe because one is home alone, bored and feeling isolated.

Suffering in these times is real. Grief is real. Even those of us who are not feeling much strain may still be grieving from losses and changes. 

Our reading this morning from the First Letter of Peter speaks about suffering. It was a letter written, we believe, in the early part of the second century, or about a hundred years after Jesus’ death. Some suggest that it was written by the apostle Peter, but that is unlikely given its probable age. It was written to a community in Asia Minor, a church or a group of churches somewhere in Italy, Greece, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Egypt, Libya, Israel or  Lebanon. It was written because people in these churches were suffering.

In addressing their suffering the author writes about  the suffering of Christ. His suffering was not just the physical suffering as he died on the cross, it was also the mental and spiritual suffering of betrayal and all the suffering that led up to his betrayal and death - the suffering of real people from the injustices of the world. Jesus’ entire ministry was spent trying to address the injustices of the Roman Empire - the devil of those times - and its efforts to oppress and marginalize people. 

Despite, and even because of two thousand years of Christianity, systems of oppression are still active in the world, and suffering remains a universal experience. 

This country, the United States of America, was founded on a document that called for the pursuit liberty and justice founded on a principle of equality. In 1776 equality for all only meant equality for  white men. But 90 years later, in 1865, the Civil War was fought and the pursuit for liberty and justice now included freeing enslaved peoples. More battles were fought, more wars took place including two world wars and many many many smaller wars. The United States has been fighting one war or another for most of its history. Many people died in those wars fighting in the pursuit of justice and liberty for all. 

At various times this country has done well to make advances in equality for all people from Black people to women to poor people to LGBTQ people and marriage equality. We have made advances to ensure all people have access to quality education, the right to play sports and employment opportunities. At various times in the history of this country other laws and policies have worked to dismantle these advances and limit the rights of some people in favor of other people. 

On this Memorial Day weekend, we remember those who have died in the fight for liberty and justice, beginning with those who died in the Civil War, it is rather profound that we have this reading from first Peter. For in this letter Peter writes about suffering but he also writes about resistance, discipline, and humility. 

In this letter Peter reminds the people to be like Jesus in their resistance to evil - the evil of prejudice and the systems of oppression that enable racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, classism and elitism - which are the primary systems at work in the United States today. 

Peter reminds people to stay disciplined in living the Christian values that Jesus teaches - to pray, to give thanks to God, to love our neighbor as ourself, to become aware of how the systems of oppression prevent me, and each one of us from living the Gospel fully. 

And Peter writes assuring the people that God is with us, that we can cast our worries and anxieties on to God and God will be with us to guide us. In this we can find our sense of humility. The humility that Peter speaks of requires self-awareness and insight, not self-degradation. God cares about me and God cares about you and God cares about all people. In my humility I learn to care as God cares. This is a powerful antidote to greed and selfishness that tends to direct humankind in our ways. 

In particular, in these Covid times which are bringing out the error of our ways and  highlighting the injustices of policies, particularly as the disease kills more poor people, Black people, and Hispanic people, and as Asian people are being treated as if this is their fault and economic challenges threaten nearly every family, we are called to remember the teachings of Jesus and what it really means to fight in the pursuit of liberty and justice. Let us remember those who have fought and died, then and now, while serving in harms way. Let us work so that their lives were not lost in vain. Let us cling to the teachings of Jesus to overcome systems of oppression in every way the manifest. Let us love one another as God loves us.

A reflection on the reading from 1 Peter for the seventh Sunday of Easter: 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you.

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.