Sermon, August 13th, 2000
“On Chicken Soup, Narnia, and Harry Potter” -
Deuteronomy 15:7-11, John 15:12-17
Summer days hardly seem “lazy” anymore. A few weeks ago at Rome First I coordinated a youth service for the congregation. The worship was great - everyone enjoyed the service and praised the participants, but the trickiest part was getting the youth together for the worship. They weren’t sleeping in, they were just busy. Some were at Camp Aldersgate, some where busy singing for other churches, and some were at other churches visiting relatives. These busy youth were busy in ministry, giving of their time and talents in many ways. The lazy summer days go by quickly and suddenly it is “back-to-school” time again. In fact, I am sorry to say I saw a Halloween display in a store the other day. Our time is filled with a plethora of activities and events. However, in the down times we do have left, summertime has always been a time to do a little reading for leisure. For me, and many students, I suspect, it is a pleasure to read something that isn’t homework!
Today, I want to turn to three stories that I have read this summer. The wonderful thing about lazy summer reading is that even in reading for fun, there is much to learn. I have for your consideration and reflection today three stories that reflect something of the nature of Christ. Jesus does not exactly “appear” in any of these stories, but I think these excerpts project some characteristics that resonate with the spirit of Christ that we strive to imitate. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy some lazy summer reading!
About five years ago, the book Chicken Soup for the Soul rapidly gained popularity. People used excerpts from them for weddings, parties, school lessons, and more. Today, there are about 8 servings of Chicken Soup, not to mention specialty versions for the pet lover’s soul, the golfer’ soul, the survivor’s soul, and on and on. So, are these books as good as they seem? Here’s a story for us to test out.
On Giving. “So you think I’m courageous?” she asked. “Yes, I do.” “Perhaps I am. But that’s because I’ve had some inspiring teachers. I’ll tell you about one of them. Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liza who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her five-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes, I’ll do it if it will save Liza.’ As the transfusion progressed, he lay in a bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smiled faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, ‘Will I start to die right away?’ Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give her all his blood. Yes, I’ve learned how to give”, she added, “because I’ve had inspiring teachers.”
A five-year-old, so quickly willing to give his life for the sister he loved, forces us to ask ourselves, are we giving? Could we make such a sacrifice, with so little deliberation? When was the last time you gave something up, in order that someone else might receive? Even when it is not a matter of life or death, we are still confronted each day with need. We come across needs that we can provide for, but it is at a cost to ourselves. How well acquainted are we with the spirit of giving found in the five-year-old boy? What would you be willing to give? Our Old Testament lesson for today reminds us that for thousands of years, God’s servants have been called to give of themselves, with the greatest reward in pleasing the heart of God. We read, “You should . . . open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be.” Open your hands. Meet the needs. Reap the rewards of God’ smile upon you.
Our second story comes from my personal favorite set of books, The Chronicles of Narnia. Their author, C. S. Lewis, is a loved and famous theologian, but the Chronicles are a series of fictional children’s fantasy books. In my opinion, these books are packed with as much intriguing theology as any of his major non-fiction works. So, what can we learn in our lazy reading of these children’s books?
On sacrifice. In Book 1 of the seven book series, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, we learn of the following events. Aslan, a great lion and the son of the Emperor Across the Sea, has been killed by the White Witch in place of a young traitor named Edmund, according to the Deep Magic from the dawn of time. His death is mourned by his close friends, but suddenly they find that he has come back to life. They ask him how this has happened, and he replies, “Though the Witch knew the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back only tot he dawn of Time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incantation. She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table would crack and Death itself would start working backwards.”
Our passage here is even more troubling to us than the first. In our last story, we saw someone giving for the sake of someone he loved dearly. Here, we see something remarkable. Aslan gave his life for someone who was a traitor, someone who had been acting as the enemy. When do we do that? When was the last time you sacrificed for someone who was no friend to you? In Luke, Jesus taught us about care for our enemies, saying, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even the sinners love those who love them. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return.” It is easy for us to love someone who loves us too. It is easy to give to someone who is grateful for the gifts. But, it is not so easy to love someone who hates us. It is hard to give to someone who doesn’t give thanks in return. However, as Christians, that is exactly what we are commanded to do. Love our enemies, expecting nothing in return. Are we up to that challenge? Prepare yourselves, as faithful servants, to give, and feel the pain of rejection, to love, and not be loved in return. It is our calling, shown through the perfect example of Christ.
On life from death. Our last story comes from a set of books that have swept through the world with a speed and high demand unmatched by current popular authors. Harry Potter, a young boy training to be a wizard, who is the prime object of the hatred of Lord Voldemort, has captured the hearts of young and old alike this past year, and promises to keep our attention in the next few years to come. I have to admit - I have read all four installments of the Harry Potter series, and I love them. I have heard of complaints from some groups saying the books encourage fascination with witchcraft or magic, but I think the popularity of the books strikes at a greater attraction: the pivotal struggles between good and evil. In Harry Potter, we find a young boy trying to do his best, even when faced with threats to his very life. So what can we learn from the Harry Potter books? What is at the core of these best-sellers? Let me read you a short excerpt that I think represents the good message of Harry Potter.
Harry, after escaping Voldemort for the second time in his life, asks his school master why he couldn’t be touched by the villain. The headmaster replies, “You mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn’t realize that love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign . . . to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. [Voldemort’s servant], full of hatred, greed, and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good.”
In Harry Potter, we read about a love that is pure and rare. It is love that chooses the other over the self. It is a love that is so powerful that it lasts beyond earthly life. It is love that leaves its own mark. Are we familiar with this kind of love? Let us turn again to the gospel reading for today: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.” Do we know of a love that leaves its mark on us? In Christ, we see a love for us that is matched by no other. We see love that gives, like the little boy in our first story. We see love for the enemies, as in the Chronicles of Narnia. And we see love that lasts, love that leaves marks on our lives. Jesus called his disciples friends, and loved them as friends, and left his mark on their lives, marks that lasted long after Jesus’ earthly life was over. Imagine, God became our friend. That is powerful love to have in our life. Let that love, the love of God through Christ, our friend, our protector, our challenger, leave a mark on our lives. Let us be changed, not by outward scars, but by inward marks - a growing heart, a stretched mind - let us be changed by God’s love. Then, we will be ready to go out and leave our marks - the marks of our love, on others. If we do, our lazy summer days might be more meaningful than we ever dreamed.
Let us pray: God, you have shown us how to give, by giving so much to us. Let us learn to give to those around us who need love. You have shown us how to sacrifice, by sacrificing your life for us. Let us see where we need to put others before ourselves. You have left you mark on us, by becoming our friend. Let us through loving friendship leave your marks on others. Amen.