Everything from nothing

Proper 27 B 2012
1 Kings 17:8-16; Ps 146; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44


Facebook reported this week on Jose Mujica of Uruguay, proclaimed “the world’s poorest president.” Mujica drives an old Volkswagen Beetle, lives in a farmhouse with his wife and dog, and donates 90% of his salary to charity.

The comments after the article were full of praise for Mujica’s example. But President Mujica falls short of the unnamed women in the Bible today. He has a nice salary to give away. They did not.

I always felt it unfair that Elijah first asked the unnamed widow in Zarephath for some of the last of her food. Why doesn’t God through the prophet simply help her out, first promise her an endless supply of meal and of oil and THEN ask for some dinner? And what happened after that poor widow in the Gospel gave her last two cents to the Temple? Did Jesus send one of the guys scurrying after her to hand her a few coins out of their traveling purse?

It is a luxury to be rich enough to give. It feels good, like the day we gave $5 to Trumpet Man as he sat at the on ramp on the Hawthorne Bridge. It was not our last $5. What if it were? Where is the Gospel in these stories?

Maybe the Gospel is found here: it is when we think we have nothing to give that we have everything to give.

Today is a good and rich day. We gather after the Mass to share food generously prepared. We gather to be with one another, and weall enjoy that. And we gather to share hope and vision for our future as a congregation. We have begun to talk of “renewal” this year. That conversation will go on, but for today we all may speak to where we feel our parish is called this coming year.

The Vestry and clergy will take this input and form a budget with a mission focus for 2013. And in the weeks to come, we shall be invited to commit to this vision, to this ongoing energy of God’s own fire and invitation among us. It is a time of vision and a time of choice.

All during my time here, we have been tempted to think of Saints Peter and Paul as “small”, as “struggling”, even as “broke” and “poor.” The truth is we are not so small, we are not so struggling, we have been blessed in so many ways, and others have been very generous with us. Over and over we have tried to fight the language of poverty and of scarcity.

Perhaps we need to look at things a different way. Perhaps we need to listen deeply to what God says in his Word. If we’re rich, we’re rich, and like President Mujica we may do generous things with our wealth. If we are poor, well then: when we feel we have nothing to give, then we have everything to give. The poorest people can claim the dignity of giving back, of living generous lives. People who come to our doors hungry often insist on picking up litter or doing other chores in order to give back. A crumpled dollar bill will be left on a table at Brigid’s Breakfast.

If we are feeling we have nothing extra, nothing more to give, then we have everything to give.

We can give ourselves wholly to the inspiration of God as the Spirit leads us. We can give ourselves to the molding, transforming Spirit of God as Spirit shapes us into a community both new and old. We can take a chance on a vision, on a dream. Remember: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail.

And we can smile at President Mujica, knowing that we have taken his example one step farther.