As you know, I believe that each and every one of us has a superpower given to us by God. Now, as many different people as are gathered here today, that’s the number of superpowers we have in the congregation. And it is very important for us to listen to the Holy Spirit so that we know which gift is ours to use for the building up of the Kingdom of God.
Now, having said that, Leonard Bernstein, the famous American composer conductor all around extraordinary gifted musician, wrote a very beautiful piece for the opening of the Kennedy Center. The piece was debuted on September the 8th, 1971, and it was called Bernstein’s Mass. It was inspired by conducting the New York Philharmonic at Robert F Kennedy Funeral in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in 1968.
Bernstein composed the piece after request of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. So there is a beautiful back story to the gift that this musical piece is to the world. In the introductory rite, Bernstein has the tenor sing a beautiful song called Simple Song. The first verse goes like this. Sing God a simple song. Louder, louder. Make it up as you go along.
Louder, louder. Sing like you like to sing. God loves all simple things. For God is the simplest of all. For God is the simplest of all. Bernstein then spends the next five stanzas trying to convince the listener that, in fact, God is the simplest, and the love of God is simplest of all. That God is not complicated now is love and is the love of God.
A simple thing to understand or is it in fact the most complicated of all things to understand? How many of us have those moments in life where we say, Lord, I don’t get what’s happening? What are you trying to tell me? Very complicated. John has one of those moments. John sees someone working to build God’s kingdom, but isn’t recognized as a follower of Jesus.
And it confuses him. He says, Lord, what is going on? And Jesus utters the very famous line, if you are not against us, you are for us. So people of God, how many of us really believe that? How many of us are convinced that in fact, most people are out to get us, whether they are on our side or not?
Now, that may sound a little paranoid, but as they say, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you. That’s the situation that Jesus is looking at in today’s gospel. Notice he says something that is very contradictory to us. It almost sounds as if the Lord is saying, go ahead. Hurt yourself. If you want to get into the kingdom of heaven.
But in fact, the Lord is saying something very different. The Lord is saying, the love of God conquers everything, even the things you think will bring you down. Jesus is saying to us this morning, stop! Consider what really matters. The love of God and the love of neighbor. The two great commandments that Jesus has given us to save souls.
And in baptism, each and every one of us is called to proclaim the gospel. Call to deliver a message of hope, faith, and love to all the world, not just to a select few. Tax collectors and sinners have an equal opportunity of getting into heaven because of the love of God. But any one of us has to do is give up that which keeps us from the love of God.
There were those who could not accept Jesus’s teaching. They were deaf. They weren’t listening for the super power, the Holy Spirit was about to confirm on them. The super power to be prophets, evangelists, healers of the sick, all which we are called to do. Some were so afraid of that that they went to see Jesus at night, so that no one else would know.
They were trying to learn the ways of God’s justice. Every now and then we hit a snag. We get confused. We think the rich, the powerful, those who seem to have everything must be the ones God really loves. Know what the Lord says? The ones I really love are those who come to me. What it really means is that as disciples of the Lord, we have to be those who stand with Jesus, with the marginalized, with the poor, with the outcast, with those sincerely looking for salvation.
Being true to the commands of God really isn’t about just following a law. It’s about opening our hearts to the kingdom and building the kingdom for people who want to enter it. Jesus smiles broadly at us this morning. He wants us to understand that some people may not want anything to do with the kingdom of God, their choice.
But if anyone does want to be part of the kingdom of God, if anyone proclaims Christ Jesus as Lord, then Christ our Savior was willing and is willing to take a risk and love. That’s what we’re asked to do today to achieve righteousness through the love of God in Jesus Christ. And that is the privilege. That is the responsibility.
That is our call. And it is by no means a simple thing. It is God’s grace that saves us. And then in God’s grace we can be righteous, and then we can live simply. We can love simply. Then, and maybe only that. Love really is the simplest thing. Right now we are asked to focus our attention on being disciples in mission today.
What does that mission mean for me? Am I so jealous that I would want to stop someone from proclaiming Christ Jesus? What I want to say that one does not deserve to be with us. Or can I love light, Jesus Christ? Do I welcome all those who proclaim the truth wherever it may be found? And today, which virtue, faith, hope and love?
Will I truly exercise in a collaborative, generous way that the call? Now, Leonard Bernstein, an incredible, gifted man, ends a simple song with the words blessed is the one who loves the Lord. Louder, louder. And what’s in his ways? Louder, louder, louder, louder. All the days of my life. Interesting. He never tells us what louder. Louder means. Well, in Latin it simply means praise God.
God be praised.