Blessed are you. . .

^{Matthew 5: 1-12} (The Message) When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said: ³"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.⁴"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.⁵"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.⁶"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.⁷"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.⁸"You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.⁹"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.¹⁰"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.^11-12"Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

Yesterday we got a call from one of our parents that said that as their son was walking home from being dropped off at the church after a three day mission trip to the inner city he noticed something about our statue that stands as a beacon to Christ's love in our community.  Green paint had been dumped on it and it was still wet and pooling on the ground.  

The statue is an image of Jesus holding a child and a lamb, "Let the children come to me" Jesus would say, "for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."  (Matthew 19:14)  

Being on the road at least two hours behind this young man I called to find out what they knew.  Only that green latex paint had been splattered all over the Jesus Statue, as we call it.  

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we as a community of disciples,  have worked very hard to be a presence in the Monroeville community, living out our faith in ways that actually serve the town rather than taking from them.  It has been a long and deliberate refocusing on the neighborhood.  In the past few years people were beginning to notice and they would regularly comment on it and give thanks that Trinity was there on the corner of West and Broad streets, just one block from the schools.  We have striven to make the church a place where young people feel loved and welcomed, a place to learn and grow in faith, a place where every person is valued and empowered to live a disciple's life.  It is a very loving place with very loving and generous people. . . and I'm not just saying that because I'm the pastor!  

It has taken me a few hours to feel something about this image.  

What comes to my mind when I look upon this familiar piece of art as it stands now are the stripes on Jesus' back, what he withstood for humanity so that we might have new life and life to the fullest.  People didn't like it that he welcomed the most insignificant of humans (the children) into his arms and onto his lap. . . even the disciples weren't so sure about it.  But he did and he made a BIG DEAL out of it.  He didn't care if they didn't like it and it got him into huge trouble.  

Our Jesus, at the end of his earthly life, endured the pain and suffering of loneliness, abandonment, betrayal, beatings, the stripping of his clothing, humiliation and all the physical pain that went along with it. . . and he died on that torture device of first century Roman rule, the cross.  Between two sinners, an innocent lamb died so that all who believe might have a new beginning in him.  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world calls out to me this morning to remember what he has done. . . green paint is a reminder of the darkness and chaos of human sin.  My sin.  Our sin.  

I don't want to be too dramatic here, my hunch is this is a childish prank.  

But it draws me in to a deeper recognition of what Christ has done for us.  Even though I feel sick inside looking at it, I also feel joy in knowing that this attack on Jesus doesn't make one bit of difference in terms of his love for us.  He went through worse.  (Though I do feel bad for the artist Matt Missey who carved this as a gift for Trinity and for the whole Monroeville community to enjoy.)  He walks with us in our pain and he reaches out for us in love.  He even waits for the one who painted to come to him so that his/her pain might be assuaged.  

Maybe, just maybe there is a message for us in this incident.  Like Jesus said in the Beatitudes, "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you in my name."  

Blessed are you when your love for Christ irritates others to the point of splashing paint on your symbol of Christ's love.  

Blessed are you when you are making a difference and others don't like it.  

Blessed are you when your discipleship costs you something dear.

Blessed are you when you pray for those who want to do you harm, for they need what you have- Christ Jesus.  

We will keep on doing what we do, of that you can be sure!  This prank backfired!  We will be more diligent in our witness; more faithful in our proclamation; more committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ; more willing to risk it all so that everyone knows how much God loves them and that Jesus is waiting for them to come to him with all that they have or don't have, all that they are or are not, and all that they ever might be.  If that causes someone anger or grief, so much that they want to act out against it, then they should know that my favorite color is blue. 

God bless!