Never too late!
By the Rev. Dr. Sandra L. Bochonok, Assoc./LSSC
Text: John 20:19 - 31
April 15, 2007
As a volunteer lighthouse keeper, every other year or so I join a small group of friends, and the New Dungeness Lighthouse Society (www.newdungenesslighthouse.com) delivers us to the lighthouse for a week of service and recreation. The experience feels Benedictine with distinct rhythms of work and rest as we greet every visitor with hospitality.
I love being part of this lighthouse community. Members live throughout the USA and several countries. Maintenance and mission are never ending and we are dedicated to keeping this one particular light shining. No two lighthouse keepers are the same, and we gladly volunteer precious time and resources, sharing a common love for this remote place and everything it represents.
Lighthouses provide us a universal spiritual metaphor. There is no darkness in God and for the Christian; Christ is the Light of the world. There is something energizing about living and working, sleeping and eating in the light. It is comforting and inspirational to be part of something so illuminating and valuable. There is an excitement about the pulsating energy and it's thrilling to see the brilliant light flash in the night skies. The light does not discriminate against friend or foe, but shares its guiding power generously. Without words, its message is proclaimed day and night without fail, similar to God's good news for us today.
Our visitors come from land and others from sea. Everyone has his or her own reasons for visiting the lighthouse. One woman came out to "rediscover her passion and purpose for living." A young man hiked out with his parents wanting to show them his favorite place. Suddenly they realized they had to hurry home or he'd be late for his own wedding. Some hike out for the sheer pleasure of being outdoors and others view the journey as a pilgrimage, a physical challenge or just enjoy lighthouses. Many are interested in learning more about the lighthouse and the volunteer keepers are glad to share their knowledge and experiences of living in the light.
I cherish the wilderness spirituality so readily experienced at the lighthouse. One evening I saw a pod of Orcas as I gazed outside the windows. One morning I prayed the beautiful prayer attributed to St. Francis, "Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace..." blissfully watching eagles soar in the dawning light. Suddenly Black Death swooped upon an unfortunate rabbit and the eagle calmly returned to its hunting perch for a leisurely breakfast. The lighthouse is my "big sky chapel" offering big views, big thoughts, big memories, big everything. Whenever I'm there, my soul feels large and spacious, open and attentive, highly receptive to God.
Transition
Every lighthouse has a signature light. The New Dungeness light shines every five seconds and you can trust your life with this light. Today's lectionary scriptures (Acts 5:27-32; Revelation 1:4-8; Psalm 150; John 20:19-31) offer an equally compelling signature light for our prayerful consideration. Every world religion offers unique spiritual light and spiritual light is generous in every tradition.
But there is something extraordinary about the light of Christ, offering a distinctive signature light for believers, skeptics and doubters in every generation. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a martyred Lutheran pastor murdered by the Nazis near the end of World War Two, insisted that a fierce allegiance to the teachings of Christ would transform the Church, individual believers and the world.
Central truth
Today's gospel light shines brightly, flashing its message of hope that it is never too late to become the person God wants us to be. Never too late to accept God's peace that surpasses all human understanding, never too late for forgiveness, and never too late for faith, however incredulous and doubting.
The Sacred Story
Lighthouse keepers are storytellers and I'll do my best to tell this sacred story. Immediately after the first Easter, many followers of Jesus huddled together in fear. Rumor had it Jesus had mysteriously risen from the dead, allegedly appearing to Mary Magdalene, and later to some men journeying on the Emmaus road. Even so, it felt terribly dangerous and terrifying to his inner band of disciples. What happened to their beloved master could easily happen to them. They were afraid and vulnerable, hiding together behind closed doors, petrified of the religious and secular authorities who had accused Jesus falsely and condemned him to an altogether dreadful and shameful death on a cross.
As human beings, we can identify with their extreme fear. Who among us at some time in life has never been paralyzed by terror, worried sick about survival, terribly anxious about a loved one, traumatized by grief, loss, and anguish? It's an inescapable part of our shared human condition.
Suddenly, Jesus appears to his shocked disciples. Miraculously he entered through the locked doors, blessing them with peace, the Holy Spirit, divine authority to forgive sins and a missionary commission. The bewildered disciples upon seeing Jesus transform into joyful faith.
Jesus was loving and patient and returned just for them, giving them a clear responsibility and ability to proclaim faith in God because of his resurrection and his second coming. As God sent Christ, Christ sends his followers out into the world with the message of God's shalom and forgiveness of sins.
Thomas was elsewhere. When he later rejoined his friends, the other disciples were delirious with joy. But Thomas refused to believe. The news was incredulous, improbable, and inconceivable to imagine someone coming back to life after being dead and buried for days.
A week goes by - heavenly for those who've seen Jesus, but hell for Thomas. The poor guy is miserable, grieving the death of his friend and spiritual leader. Without warning, Jesus reappears just for Thomas, blesses him with peace and insists Thomas feel his wounds and believe. Thomas is transformed. He immediately falls on his knees and worships Jesus. Jesus came back just for him and the good news today is that Jesus returns again and again for us. This is our reality.
Thomas is blessed. Seeing was believing for him and the other disciples. However, Jesus insisted future generations would be even more blessed as they experience saving faith in his Name. Years later, the apostle Peter would write: "Although you have not seen him, you love him, and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy." (1 Peter 1.8)
What's in it for us? Never too late applications:
Summary
Jesus comes again and again to give us peace and the Holy Spirit, so we can live and tell others of the deeds of God. Christ comes to us with scars, sharing his solidarity with our human suffering. He makes us worthy, important, constructive and indispensable. It is never too late to become the person God intends us to be. We are here for a purpose - Christ himself calls us by name, empowers us by the Holy Spirit, and sends us into the world with a divine message of peace and forgiveness, faith and renewal in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
About the author: Rev. Dr. Sandra Bochonok earned her Doctor of Ministry degree at Wesley Seminary in Washington, DC and Masters of Divinity degree at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. She studied at the famous ecumenical Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Bethesda, Maryland. Her ministry training includes four units of Clinical Pastoral Education. She facilitates retreats and labyrinth events, provides ecumenical and interfaith pulpit supply and writes spirituality materials for international Internet readers. You may email your comments to her at revsandyb@aol.com.
