Sometimes our world falls apart.
Sometimes our lives fall apart.
The flood waters rise and everything washes away, we are overwhelmed.
In the days of Noah the world fell apart, the world dissolved, and all that was left was this little colony of life on Noah’s Ark, until God spoke the word that restored the boundaries of creation, pushing back the waters of the flood, the waters were held at bay, and life could flourish again.
Sometimes our world falls apart.
The boundaries are broken, and the flood waters break in until the borders are restored and the distinctiveness of creation, the integrity of creation is honored once more.
What transgresses the borders? What breaks down the boundaries? What violates the integrity of God’s creation? How does this flood keep breaking out, dissolving and disordering the patterns and relationships of life?
In the biblical mind frame anything that dishonors the integrity of created goodness is called unclean. Not because it is dirty but because it violates the freedom and integrity of something or someone. It somehow takes advantage of weakness or vulnerability or fragility. Once the violation happens the fabric of creation begins to unravel until there is nothing left or until the boundaries of life are restored and healed.
How do we honor the uniqueness of creation? How do we honor the boundaries of one another?
How do we restore what has been violated? Whether it is a person, a community, earth’s ecosystems, or the divine human communion.
Where does this word of restoration come from? How do we recognize it? Is this a word of restoration or is it just another word that dishonors, violates and unravels?
We are still in the first chapter of the Gospel according to Mark.
We’ve met John the Baptist, Jesus has been baptized, he has been tempted by Satan in the wilderness. Jesus has called the disciples and then there is today.
Today is the day of collision.
Jesus faces down the enemy and pushes him back.
Today the battle begins, Jesus ministry is initiated.
The Holy One meets the Unclean, and the unclean is banished, the integrity of a person and his community are restored, that which violates personhood, is silenced and cast out.
The flood waters subside; Jesus pushes them back and reclaims the God made goodness of creation. The boundaries are expanded and life has room once more.
So we begin.
The Holy One of God and the spirit that is unclean.
The One who orderest all things mightily and the spirit that violates, that transgresses, that erodes.
Whom do we serve?
How do we honor one another? How do we transgress one another?
How do we honor God? How do we violate God?
There is a wonderful line in our marriage liturgy with the giving of rings.
“With all that I am and all that I have I honor you.”
That is who Jesus is, Jesus is God’s honoring humanity with all that God is and all that God has.
Jesus is that honoring and restoring word, reclaiming our lives from all that violates the integrity of all our relationships.
Sometimes our world falls apart. It is our faith that God can be trusted to re-speak creation back into existence. It is our worship to honor God’s restoring word, and to honor one another with all that we are and all that we have.
Behold the God given glory of all creation.
Be filled with awe and wonder.
Be brave as God restores what has been violated.
The battle has begun, the enemy is engaged.
It will take us all the way to the cross, where even death is silenced and cast out.
Be brave.