When Life Comes Tumbling In

“When Life Comes Tumbling In” Mark 13:1-8 25th Sunday after Pentecost/Founder’s Day Sunday November 18, 2012 By Rev. Richard K. Kamanu

Have you ever noticed how quickly people's lives can be turned upside down? A true story was written of a young man who’s life seemed to have fallen apart in one day’s time. Up until December 4, 2010, Robert Mancillas of San Antonio, Texas thought he was doing all right. When Robert arrived at work that morning, however, his boss fired him. After receiving this news, Robert decided to walk over to his mother's office and tell her what had happened, but he never made it. A five-story historical building under renovation collapsed on him. When rescuers arrived, all they could see were his feet. He was quickly taken to a trauma hospital. He had several broken bones, including a broken back, a concussion, and other injuries. None of his injuries were life threatening. Robert told his mom from his hospital room not to worry, that he was okay. I don't know if I would have been okay after a day like that or not. Obviously the twin catastrophes that occurred to Robert are not likely to happen to any of us, not on the same day anyway--yet sometimes it may feel like they have. Our entire world can be turned upside down in just a few moments time. Ask any new widow--or anyone who has gotten an adverse medical report from their doctor--or any of that army of people in recent years who have lost their jobs, particularly persons in their fifties--or a young athlete who has experienced a devastating injury. Life can be cruel to us, and it can happen in a few breathtaking moments. Things we have taken for granted--a happy old age with our spouse, a comfortable retirement, the ability to run and jump and do things we enjoy--can be ripped away from us in a second. You never know when life may suddenly change. Listen to these words from our Lord: As he came out of the temple one day, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!" Then Jesus asked him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down." (NRSV) Do you hear what he is saying? The temple was the center of Jewish life and faith. And he said that in a relatively short time span, it would cease to exist. He was speaking of change that was so dramatic for the Jewish people that if it were to occur--and of course it did occur--it would be breathtaking. He was talking about a specific historical event, but he could have been talking about our lives. What do we do when our world is suddenly ripped apart? What do we do when the stones of our physical, intellectual and emotional temples come tumbling down? First of all, we fall back on our faith. We reach out in the dark to the steady hand of God. You expected me to say that, but that is where we must begin. It is amazing how many people have reported that a time of crisis was one of the most important times in their lives because it was then they learned to trust God. A wife by the name of Kristi Kauhane had always relied on her husband, David, to take care of her. He was her source of strength, the one she relied on to keep their lives running smoothly. Then in December of 2011, David was in a horrible accident. He suffered massive brain damage. Kristi prayed for God to work a miracle and heal her husband instantly, but it didn't happen. How could Kristi find the strength to take care of David now? In desperation, Kristi turned to the only

of 3 true Source of strength available, God. She took Isaiah 40:31 as her motto: "They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles." Over the next few years, David slowly recovered from his accident. Among the lessons Kristi learned from that time was that waiting on the Lord in itself is healing. You're not just marking time while God does God's thing. Each day you are making new discoveries about how much God loves you. Each day you are growing stronger in your confidence in God's promises. That is a lesson some of you have already learned. Periods of crisis have been times of growth because you've learned to fall back on your faith. You've had to wait on the Lord, because there was no other choice. In 1995, model Niki Taylor's younger sister died suddenly of a heart attack. Not long afterwards, Taylor's marriage fell apart. And in 2001, Taylor was severely injured in a car crash. She has undergone more than 40 surgeries since the accident. Taylor claims that it was her friends and her faith that pulled her through these tragedies. She has re-focused her priorities. In an article in Family Circle magazine, Taylor comments, "I've learned that tomorrow is out of my hands and that I only have today. I learned that God was telling me to slow down, to appreciate my life. Now I'm ten times closer with my family and friends. I don't take one day--or one friend--for granted." I believe Niki Taylor's going to make it, don't you--in spite of all the adversity that has befallen her? This is where we always begin when life tumbles in--we fall back on our faith. But there is a second step that is essential in times of great personal change: learn to stand up to your foes. This sounds almost contradictory--fall back on your faith, but stand up to your foes. It is not contradictory. In fact, it is a necessary part of faith. How can you say you are falling back on your faith, if you give up and quit and let life defeat you? Heartache and failure are part of life. No one avoids them forever. It's like the story of a man who lived in the Midwest. After several tornadoes came near his home he decided to build a storm cellar. He decided to go first-class and build a well-stocked cellar that would give him refuge in any storm. He spent an enormous amount of money. But, as luck would have it, as soon as he spent the money for the shelter, tornadoes stopped coming in his direction. Oh, sometimes a warning would be posted on the news and he would go down into his cellar, but invariably it would be a false alarm. He began to wonder if he had spent his money for nothing. Finally, there came a major storm that roared through his property and flattened his barn. Surveying the damage, he looked up at the sky and said, "Now that’s more like it." He should have realized that no one evades the storms of life forever. And sometimes the damage is almost more than we can bear. Sarah Rehnberg was just fifteen years old when she was stricken with Bell's Palsy, a nerve disorder of the face. As if the teen years aren't hard enough, Sarah also had to deal with the physical side effects and altered appearance that are hallmarks of her disease. But Sarah doesn't let her troubles affect her attitude. She wrote an open letter to her peers. In that letter Sarah vowed to profit from her condition. "I am going to gain a powerful weapon," she writes, "empathy. Empathy for all the disfigured people in the world. Empathy for anyone who has had a stroke . . . God has handpicked me to bestow this blessing upon, and I believe when God bestows a blessing, the entire world changes." Friends, that's faith. Sarah's world was changed, but she did not let that change crush her. She fell back on her faith and she's standing up to her foes. It would be so easy for a young person in her condition to run and hide from the world. Instead she is looking for God's hand in her misfortune to give her a certain victory. And that brings us to a final essential for dealing with a changing world: Look for God's hand. We said in times of great change to fall back on your faith to gain strength to stand up to Page 2 of 3 your foes. And that's critical. But this is different. There are some changes that are from God. There are some changes which bring significant good into our lives. And we thank God for them. We can see changes in history--the fall of the Third Reich, for example, or of the Soviet Union, or even Saddam Hussein--that we could say, "This was from God." Sometimes we can look back at our own lives and say the same thing. The loss of a job--or even a relationship--turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to us. And we say, "God's hand was at work." There are other changes that have occurred to us in which God's hand was less discernible. Some changes appear to have come from hell itself. But the good news is this: There is no situation that cannot be redeemed if we will turn it over to God. Any change can be used to God's glory. Any change can be an opportunity for us to grow in faith, hope and love. It's like a great story that Mary Hollingsworth tells. It's about the noted director of biblical epics, Cecil B. DeMille. When they began working on the movie Ben Hur, DeMille talked to Charlton Heston--the star of the movie--about the all-important chariot race at the end. He decided Heston should actually learn to drive the chariot himself, rather than just using a stunt double. Heston agreed to take chariot-driving lessons to make the movie as authentic as possible. Learning to drive a chariot with horses four abreast, however, was no small matter. After extensive work and days of practice, Heston returned to the movie set and reported to DeMille. "I think I can drive the chariot all right, Cecil," said Heston, "but I'm not at all sure I can actually win the race." Smiling slightly, DeMille said, "Heston, you just stay in the race, and I'll make sure you win." Those are the words of God to everyone through a time of tumultuous change: "John, Mary, Kimo, Leilani, you just stay in the race, and I'll make sure you win." Look for God's hand. If you cannot see it in the event itself, look for it in the aftermath when you are putting your life back together. I promise you, God's hand will be there. The disciples of Jesus were impressed by the magnificence of the Temple in Jerusalem. They thought the Temple would be there forever. One of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!" Then Jesus asked him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down." That's a warning about all of life. Only one thing in this world is sure--God's great love for us as revealed in Jesus Christ. How quickly our world can be ripped apart. Here's how we cope with a changing world. It is not easy, but it is sure: Fall back on your faith; stand up to your foes. Look for God's hand. And let God give you the victory. Amen.