Proper 22b 2024; 6 October 2024
Mark 10:2-26; Jack Hardaway
THE EYE OF THE HURRICANE
St. Francis is like the eye of a hurricane.
A still and quiet space in the storm.
Wherever he went people were inspired to live more simply and generously, to follow Jesus more deliberately, rebuilding their lives, the church, and their world together with other people.
It is interesting to celebrate the unofficial patron saint of creation the week after a hurricane.
I keep thinking of that old TV commercial from the 1970’s for margarine, “It’s not nice to fool mother nature” as she brings down lightning and wind, as we dig out from a hurricane going where it doesn’t belong, facing consequences we hoped would never happen.
Mother nature is not happy.
Mother Nature is wounded and agitated.
St Francis called her “sister, our mother earth”.
Francis would probably say we have not honored our mother.
The language of the earth as mother comes from the creation account in Genesis chapter 2, humanity was born of the dust of the earth.
It is also interesting how the Gospel from Mark about divorce and welcoming children comes up this Sunday so often.
The heart of the Gospel lesson is the reference to creation, “From the beginning of creation.”
It is about divorce and children, but it is really about much more than that.
Kind of like how the parable of the sower is about much more than gardening.
From the beginning of creation.
Creation is full of God spoken purpose, and intention, and goodness.
And that purpose is communion, relationship, connection. It is very good.
When we break that, how-ever and when-ever, we break the God spoken purpose of things, we void the warranty.
From the eye of that hurricane of broken communion Francis reminds us to follow Jesus deliberately and to rebuild our lives, the church, and our world together with other people.
This is done with humility and thanksgiving, with constant repentance and starting over.
As we dig out and start over, may we be still and quiet places in the storm, honoring all creation in all its fullness of God spoken intention and purpose and oh so goodness.