“Who do people say that I am?”
Yesterday we recognized the 20th anniversary of the 9/11
and the horrific acts that took place that day.
Any of us who were around then remember very clearly
where we were and what we were doing
at that very moment when we saw the attack.
I remember vividly seeing that 2nd airplane fly into the 2nd tower
live and in complete disbelief.
One of the images that has been seared into my memory
more than anything else is the response of the first responders.
They marched in locked step into the burning building,
that everyone else was running out of; they ran into.
And they were in locked step right behind one another
and ran up the staircase.
We had pictures of this live coverage given to us,
watching them pouring into the building.
Little did they know, they were walking into their death.
The defining moment for me was that was their first response.
Their immediate response was to go into the burning building,
the building that was falling down
to help those who were trying to get out.
One would think that because of something like this
the recruiting process for firefighters and police officers
would diminish but in fact, it went the other way around.
The firefighters increased and people from all over the country
went to New York to help the New York Fire Departments
and since then the number of firefighter recruits
and police officers has actually gone up.
Part of the reason is that people were inspired by their sacrifice
and their dedication;
their immediate response
to go and to help.
It’s very clear to us who do people say that they are.
They are first responders.
They go into burning buildings that people run away from;
they go into moments of danger and
put their lives at risk to save our lives.
We have always known that instinctively but in moments like 9/11
where this demonstration of human sacrifice is so large,
it becomes all the clearer.
But we see it right now even as we sit here today.
Right this very moment, there are thousands of fire fighters
risking their lives in the Caldor fire and in the Dixie fire
and have done so for over a month.
They are fighting there and not only locally
but from all over the State and sometimes all over the nation.
They continued to be defined because that is what first responders do.
They respond by facing and going into the danger.
The reason why I bring this up is not just
because it is the anniversary of 9/11
but I think it is very clear who they are;
and what they stand for.
Is it as clear who we are as Catholic Christians?
Who do people say that we are?
What is our first response to anything?
Are our values and our actions so clearly defined
that everyone would know what we would do
or what we ourselves we know to do in this situation?
I am not so convinced that is true.
What distinguishes us as a community of faith?
The Catholic community of faith at St. Simons for example or any Catholics? What distinguishes us from anyone else?
We have to reflect on that.
Be very clear, if there is no difference
between us and anyone else
then empty is our faith.
Our faith makes some pretty loud claims.
Our gospel makes pretty heavy demands
and if we do not meet them,
if we do not at least strive to meet them,
well, we become part of the scandal of the gospel
because we are not doing as in the letter of St. James.
We do not do what we say. Our faith is empty.
It does not have works as he says.
It does not have works of justice.
I am going to suggest a couple of things
that we ought to have in common;
that we as a people of faith, as Catholics at St. Simon’s
or anywhere around the country or world,
it ought to have a very clear sense of what we need to do.
For example, when somebody is talking ill
of somebody else in our company,
that we are the first one, the first responder to stand up for them.
“That is not my experience of her.
And I think if you have that experience,
you may want to go and have a conversation with her
before you talk about her behind her back.”
That we are the first ones to step forward
and defend somebody who is not present
in the midst of a gossiping situation,
which is all too common in our world;
that we have the first response to defend somebody’s good name
even if we do not even know them.
Our first response to those in need
is one of kindness; one of gentleness;
that when people are broken and damaged,
either because of life’s circumstances that have come to them;
or they have made bad choices
that we leave room for their mistakes
and that our first response is one of kindness;
one of gentleness;
and that our immediate response is to help;
to give back to them some grace
that they need in this difficult moment in their life.
And probably more so than any of all the other ones,
is that when somebody hurts us or violates our values,
that our first response is to forgive;
our immediate response is to say I will give them more room;
I will forgive them.
That doesn’t necessarily mean forget;
it doesn’t necessarily mean condone;
it means to forgive,
to look past that error that hurt to us.
If every one of us did those three things each and every single day
in word and in action as James said
then people would say,
“What are those people over at St. Simons really doing
because there is something different!
They all seem to have these traits;
they all seem to be kind;
they all seem to not allow gossip to happen;
they all seem to be gentle;
they always seem to be forgiving.
What is it that they do?
Who is it that they follow?”
Then if others are ever going to know who Jesus is,
it is because of our words and actions.
We are the ones who claim to follow him.
Like, if we are the ones who claim to follow him,
and our actions and our words do not in any way look like Jesus
then they will never come to know Jesus.
Remember that the most important part is that
the most common bible people will read is our actions; and our words.
That may be the only bible people will read,
what we say
and what we do.
And so we have to be very committed to this demand of the gospel
to act and to follow Jesus.
I am not saying any of those are easy.
They are not.
In fact, we know that they are so hard
that we keep coming back to the table every single week.
And that is why we come here every Sunday.
Now it is important that we do come each Sunday
but let’s face it, it is not enough
that we come on Sunday and watch from home.
But it is not enough that we come to Mass;
or watch Mass on Sunday.
We have got to be purveyors of peace.
We have got to be the ones who do the works of justice.
And so that is our call.
And so we come to receive the Eucharist
to receive strength from it;
not just from Christ himself but from watching
that there are others who are struggling;
others who are working at this;
others who are committed to making this a reality in our lives.
That gives us strength;
that we are together on this.
And so today, who do people say we are?
I hope that they will say we are Christ’s followers
but only if we are the ones willing to be the first responders
to criticism;
to be the first ones to be kind and gentle
and the first responders in hurt to be forgivers.
May we make that our challenge this week
that we are people who follow Christ in those ways.
