"Mirror of Light"
A Sermon of
The Rev. Dr. David A. Killian, Rector
All Saints Parish
Brookline, Massachusetts
The Third Sunday after the Epiphany
January 22, 2006
Text: Mark 1:14-20
I
In his book, How the Irish Saved Civilization, Thomas Cahill describes the sixth to tenth centuries when Europe was over-run by barbarian invaders. Cities were plundered, buildings burned, schools ceased to function, roads fell into disrepair, crops were uprooted, merchants could not obtain goods to sell. This period, called the Dark Ages, showed a decline of commerce, travel, and learning. During this decline, however, libraries, scholarship, and art were preserved in Ireland by Celtic monks who heroically brought civilization back to the continent.
These courageous Celtic scholars and teachers believed they had a call from God to bring the light of learning back to the lands from which they, centuries before, had received it. Like Simon, Andrew, James and John in today's Gospel, they felt called by Christ and empowered to become Christ's disciples in the world. They made their impact in small increments, establishing new monasteries and centers of learning year by year, decade by decade.
One of these great monk travelers to Europe was Columbanus. After serving as a monk in Ireland for twenty-five years he departed in 590 with twelve companions for Gaul, where he founded in quick succession three monasteries. His mission was not easy. On one of his seafaring trips he was shipwrecked. He was harassed by local authorities and had to escape from Gaul. He crossed the Alps and founded monasteries in Italy and Switzerland. In his twenty-five years on the continent, he founded between 60 and 100 monasteries, establishing libraries with books that had been lost in the invasions and leaving behind writings on the classics as well as the bible. This is how the Irish saved European civilization. The Celtic monks knew they could not change the whole world and they knew they could not change it overnight. But they were determined to bring light to a dark world.
It's like the story related by the philosopher Alexander Papaderos, when asked a question about the purpose of life. He took a small mirror, about the size of a quarter, out of his pocket and explained:
When I was a small child during World War II, I found several broken pieces of mirror on the road where a soldier's motorcycle had been wrecked. I tried to find all the pieces and put them together, but it was not possible, so I kept only the largest piece. This one. And by scratching it on a stone I made it round. I began to play with it as a toy and became fascinated by the fact that I could reflect light into dark places where the sun would never shine -- in deep holes and crevices and dark closets. It became a game for me to get the light into the most inaccessible places I could find. I kept the little mirror, and as I went about growing up, I would take it out in idle moments and continue the challenge of the game. But, as I became a man, I grew to understand that this was not just a child's game but a metaphor for what I might do with my life. I came to understand that I am not the light or the source of light. But light -- truth, understanding, knowledge -- is there, and it will only shine in dark places if I reflect it.
Jesus is calling us to reflect the light -- just as he called Simon, Andrew, James and John. Our mirror may be small -- yet we reflect the light of Christ.
II
Someone who reflected the light of Christ to me when I was a teenager was the leader of my parish's young adult group, Father James Groppi. Our parish was on the south side of Milwaukee, a white section of town. Father Groppi arranged for our young adult group to partner with the young adult group of a predominantly black parish on the north side of town. We had meetings and discussions; we talked about our issues and concerns. We broke down the barriers that kept our neighborhoods apart and we became friends. For many, it was the first time that we met someone of another race. Later, when Father Groppi organized marches for civil rights in Milwaukee, black and white marched together for fair wages and integrated schools. We weren't changing the world, but we were shining a light on a small part of it.
III
All of us are called to reflect the light of Christ -- and most of us will do this outside of church -- in our families, neighborhoods, and places of work. Here at All Saints Parish we have many mirrors reflecting the light of Christ. I will mention three examples: the minister of healing, via media, and the mission pilgrimage project. The ministers of healing shine the healing light of Christ each Sunday as they offer prayers for those who are sick or in transition. They reflect Christ's healing touch giving support and comfort in times of illness and turmoil.
Via Media is a new course that will begin this Wednesday. Via Media means the "middle way" between extreme conservative and extreme liberal approaches to scripture, tradition, authority, worship, and morality. Via Media will shine the mirror of Christ's light to give a 21st understanding of our great Christian tradition.
The mission pilgrimage project will be an outreach effort of our parish to the Gulf Coast or outside of our country. This project will not change the entire world, but it will shine the light of Christ's love and compassion on a small part of it.
Rheinhold Niebuhr said, "Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore we must be saved by love."
Jesus does not call us to change the whole world, but he does call us to get involved and to make a difference. He calls us to be partners with him in creating communities of faith, hope, and love. As we pray in our post communion prayer: "Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart."
Amen.