his fall we launched our annual theme of The advice on how to save the monastery. The only thing Good Journey, with the hope of leading us into he could tell the abbot was that “the Messiah is one of Tthe very heart of God. During the month of you.” THROUGH THE FACE OF A NEW FRIEND, October, we have been talking about the companions When the abbot returned, he told the monks about his we have along the way. Today we have the opportunity visit and that puzzling message he received. JESUS SMILES AT US AND OUR HEARTS to dive into that familiar passage we just heard in Matthew 25 as we explore the idea of making new In the days and weeks and months that followed, WARM, AS WE ARE REMINDED OF friends. the old monks pondered these words and wondered “ whether there was any possible significance. The EMMANUEL - GOD WITH US.” As you know, the Gospel of Matthew proclaims the Messiah is one of us? Could he possibly have meant good news through the miraculous birth of Jesus - one of us monks here at the monastery? If that’s the show them this special place. And their friends brought sick Jesus. This one has leprosy or gangrene; I must that God is Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” case, which one? their friends. wash him and tend to him. I serve them because I love Our particular passage is the last story in the public Jesus.” teaching ministry of Jesus and it seems to be the Do you suppose he meant the abbot? Yes, if he meant Then it happened that some of the younger men who message Matthew wants imprinted on our hearts and anyone, he probably meant the abbot. He has been our came to visit the monastery started to talk more and I’m wondering if people only appreciate this because minds. leader for more than a generation. more with the old monks. After a while one asked if he she went to them to help. The difference with refugees could join them. Then another. And another. So within of course, is they mostly come to us for help. There is a stark contrast from Jesus first coming to On the other hand, he might have meant Brother a few years the monastery had once again become a earth in a humble manger under a dark cloud of Thomas. Certainly Brother Thomas is a holy man. For me, it’s this “welcoming” part that makes these thriving order and, thanks to the hermit’s gift, a vibrant obscurity, to this foretold second coming in a bright Everyone knows that Thomas is a man of light. acts of mercy more of a challenge. Most of us find it center of light and spirituality. cloud of glory surrounded by all of the angels! His Certainly he could not have meant Brother Elred! relatively easy to donate some money, food or clothing, message of judgment is delivered to all those who Elred gets crotchety at times. But come to think of it, Imagine for a moment if all of us were to act like Jesus which is all good. But to actually have conversations or refused to offer simple acts of mercy to the vulnerable even though he is a thorn in people’s sides, when you is among us wherever we are. How might that transform to try to get to know the person in a way that may lead people on their path. While we may typically think of look back on it, Elred is almost always right. Maybe the our church? How might we respond in the long line to mutual understanding and even friendship is a much God in terms of power and might and glory, it turns out hermit did mean Brother Elred. at the grocery store or at the DMV? How would we steeper mountain to climb. Imagine that the face of the high Lord is found in the low human. Maybe Garth treat one another, not knowing which one of us is the Jesus is in the vulnerable person, wouldn’t we want to As they contemplated in this manner, the old monks Brooks was on to something, when he crooned, “I’ve Messiah in disguise? I wonder if we might be a little open our hearts as well as our wallets? began to treat each other with extraordinary respect Got Friends in Low Places.” more patient, a little more curious, a little more open on the off chance that one among them might be the Lord knows I’m not saying it’s easy, because if it were to becoming friends and to treating one another like we Perhaps it’s time for us to make some new friends. Messiah. And on the off, off chance that each monk easy, everyone would be doing it. But I do know it’s are friends. possible. Because all things are possible with God. There is a story about a monastery that I really like himself might be the Messiah, they began to treat I love how the acts of mercy in the Matthew 25 story are Because the Holy Spirit is alive and working in and because it captures the essence of the Matthew 25 themselves with extraordinary respect. so easy. Jesus doesn’t say, “I was sick and you HEALED through us. Because if we ask, it will be given to us. And passage actually being lived out. So this monastery Because the forest in which it was situated was me” or “I was in prison and you LIBERATED me.” perhaps some intentional asking for courage, and a had been a great order but it had fallen on hard times beautiful, it so happened that people still occasionally Nope, just that I was sick and in prison and you visited divine opening of our eyes and heart will help to get us leaving just the leader, an abbot along with four other came to visit the monastery to picnic on its tiny lawn, me. You gave me clothes, fed me, gave me a drink and on the right path. monks. to wander along some of its paths, even now and then welcomed me. This is SO EASY anybody can do it. I want to explore a few of these relational opportunities One day the abbot went to visit a hermit who lived to go into the dilapidated chapel to meditate. As they And yet we heard the sad and shocking news this past with you, in an attempt to encourage and inspire us to deep in the woods, looking for advice on how to save did so, without even being conscious of it, they sensed week that 39 refugees were found dead in a trailer. step out of our comfort zones to make new friends. the monastery that was so dear to him. the aura of extraordinary respect that now began to surround the five old monks and seemed to radiate Imagine the desperation of people to risk such horrors, This huge gorilla, named Fran and a tiny duckling The hermit welcomed the abbot into his hut and out from them and permeate the atmosphere of the to escape apparently worse ones. became unlikely friends after the bird escaped into listened to his story. The hermit commiserated with place. There was something strangely attractive, even Everyone admires and applauds Mother Teresa’s the ape’s home at the Bronx Zoo. Size, color, age and him echoing the abbot’s concerns, “Yes, I know how compelling, about it. Hardly knowing why, they began to vision: “I see Jesus in every human being. I say to background didn’t matter. it is. The spirit has gone out of the people.” When it come back to the monastery more frequently to picnic, myself, this is hungry Jesus. I must feed him. This is was time to leave, the hermit sadly said that he had no to play, to pray. They began to bring their friends to It reminds me of the story that went viral on Twitter This is probably why Jesus says to become like a child, His enthusiasm reminded me of when we are new about a year ago when a young rapper from East because the kingdom of heaven belongs to children. Christians or when we’ve had our hearts set on fire for Matthew 25:31-46 Harlem became friends with an 81-year old woman Whenever we need a dose of this innocent, unfiltered Christ. Wild abandon mixed with a bit of recklessness from Palm Beach Florida. Twenty-two year old Spencer love, remember, our Palms Preschool is only a few and maybe even mowing over a few people from time Sleyon met Rosalind Guttman online playing “Words steps away. to time as we chased after Christ. with Friends.” He actually flew to Florida to meet her I want to share a story about how God spoke to me But then something happens and we start dragging in person. They aren’t best friends, but they formed while I was running with my Husky, Malachi this past our feet. Maybe we had an unexpected or inexplicable a nice connection. Spencer said, “When I met her it week. Not in a split-the-clouds, thundering voice kind tragedy. Maybe the church or someone in the church was so natural. It wasn’t like anything spectacular, or of way, but in a way where I asked God to speak to me hurt us or someone we love. Maybe the busyness of life different than you speaking to one of your friends.” about this Matthew 25 passage and I tried to quiet my took control of our schedule. Making They discovered that size, color, age and background mind enough to listen. didn’t matter. For Malachi, I think it’s just middle age. But now I As many of you know, I was not a distance runner. have to pull him a bit. I give him nudges and words of How about enemies that cross the bridge into But when I was 40, a friend tricked me into running a encouragement, but he is literally dragging his feet. Friends friendship? A wolf and a goat who are natural foes have Marathon with her. She was and continues to be eleven Until, we make a turn towards home. Then his ears Rev. Laurie Haas unimaginably become friends. Their paths intersected years younger than I am, which kind of makes it a mean perk up, his step is lightened and he prances with a October 27, 2019 when the wolf was an orphaned newborn and the goat, trick. While the Chicago Marathon was unbelievably newfound energy, knowing he is going home. who had recently had babies, had milk to share. Now life-giving and even fun, I haven’t run a marathon since! the wolf is 3 years old and the two are inseparable. And isn’t that the same for us? At some point on our Now I have trained for and ran several ½ marathons, path, we are reconnected to Christ as it sinks in that This is like the movie I recently saw called Best of but the last one was probably 3-4 years ago. I’ve been we’ve always been on this journey towards home. I truly Enemies. It is based on a true story of Civil rights activist slogging off and on, but can’t seem to get into a good believe that Jesus often uses new friends to reignite our Ann Atwater who faces off against C.P. Ellis, Exalted rhythm of disciplined regular running. You know the spark. Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan, set in 1971 Durham, North kind where it doesn’t hurt so bad every time you go Carolina over the issue of school integration. Sometimes it may be a nurse or a doctor or a out? community of people we had never imagined keeping A trained mediator was brought into town to hold a And then it happened. company with…like other cancer survivors, or people 2-week long charrette which is basically a combination who are also grieving or in the throes of caregiving, of community building, sharing stories and deep My 24 year-old-daughter, Halle - who was always more of a gymnast than a runner - texted me and asked if I or with those who are also battling addictions or with listening. In one heated exchange, Ann held up her those who have been cast aside as not welcomed here. Bible and reminded C.P. that the same God who made would join her for her first ½ marathon in February. I tend to be open to any invitation from my daughters Perhaps it is a new friend from another country, or him, also made her! Ann and C.P. began to sense their with a different skin color or affiliation or orientation. mutual vulnerability and their desire for justice. They to spend time with them, even if it means running 13.1 miles. Perhaps it is a new friend from our food pantry, from learned that they had more in common than they ever Wilkinson school, or from our very own neighborhood. imagined. C.P. left the Klan and they eventually became And so…pre-training has begun. Pre-training, because very good friends. No one could have ever imagined I’m not in good enough shape to jump into a “training Through the face of a new friend, Jesus smiles at us and that these two would ever be able to see the face of schedule.” So I run out, say 1 mile, and then turn our hearts warm, as we are reminded of Emmanuel- God in each other. around and come back. God with us - every step of the way. It’s certainly much easier if we start this practice When we got Malachi from a shelter, he was about a when we’re young, but it’s never too late to begin. A year old and had more energy than anything I have ever baby monkey, tiger and lion play together at a zoo in seen. I would put a leash on him and he would bolt out China, reminding us how we all start out with a playful the front door, literally dragging me behind him. In his curiosity of one another. Think about it, children are early years I could understand how these dogs could not born with prejudice, hatred or divisive thoughts. pull sleds for days. They are open to everyone with hearts full of love. © Church of the Palms 3224 Bee Ridge Rd, Sarasota FL 34239 • (941) 924-1323