Once upon a time, not so very long ago, some North Americans hired a few bushmen to guide them through the Kalahari Desert. Not being used to moving at the pace their employers were expecting, the bushmen suddenly sat down to rest and no amount of persuasion would convince them to get up until they were ready. There was a very real need for the delay, the bushmen explained, because they had to wait for their souls to catch up.
Indigenous peoples often have an innate awareness of the need to honour the natural pace and rhythm of their inner beings. They seem able to pick up signals drawing them into a stance of obedient listening. The bushmen of the Kalahari call this ancient knowing the tapping of the heart. (Seven Sacred Pauses, p.22, by Macrina Wiederkehr)
This sense of obedient listening to the heart spoke very clearly to me this week as I was studying and pondering the wisdom of this week's reading from the Gospel of Luke.
The key portion of today's gospel reading, that stood out for me, is at the very end of the passage where Jesus says,
"Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is God's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
That last line, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" is especially beautiful but is also an equally enigmatic phrase.
As a child I always remembered this scripture quote in the reverse — where your heart is there your treasure will be also. Which is not surprising, I suppose, because common sayings such as home is where the heart is, gifts of the heart and follow your heart made me think the heart is the starting place and the treasures were products of the heart.
Luke's gospel reveals an alternative vision and gives us some insight on some wisdom from the early Christian community. The portals to this wisdom are found in the words treasure and heart and in the way they connect with Luke's understanding of the Kingdom of God.
The word heart alone had immense meaning for Luke's original audience and appears well over a thousand times in the Bible. In his book, The Heart of Christianity, eminent biblical scholar, Marcus Borg, says that heart is "...a comprehensive metaphor for the self. It covers much more than does the metaphorical meaning of 'heart' in contemporary English. ...in the Bible, the 'heart' is a metaphor for the inner self as a whole. (p.149) The heart is an image for the self at a deep level, deeper than our perception, intellect, emotion and volition. As a spiritual center of the total self, it affects all of these: our sight, thought, feelings and will." (p.151)
The word treasure also has profound meaning when we understand the way Luke describes what treasure is and is not. Last week's gospel passage, "The Parable of the Rich Fool", cautions listeners to "Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." (Luke 12:15) The passage ends with the admonition against "those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God." (Luke 12:21)
What does, "not rich toward God", mean? Does it mean putting worldly possessions and concerns ahead of God's intention for our lives?
Luke begins today's reading with Jesus telling his disciples not to worry about the basic necessities of life. We know, from our own life experience, that he is right when he says,"Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?"(Luke 12:25) Instead of worrying, Jesus says, focus your attention on striving for God's kingdom. Trust in God, focus on living God's way of love and justice and God's kingdom (God's Commonwealth) which is an unfailing treasure will never be destroyed.
Other references in the gospels affirm an understanding of the connection of the word treasure with God's Commonwealth. While Luke uses the term the Kingdom of God, Matthew, writing for a Jewish Christian audience, uses the phrase the Kingdom of Heaven. Both terms refer to Jesus' central teaching of the presence of God's realm or commonwealth which is not otherworldly but present on earth whenever and wherever people choose to recognize it and make it a reality.
Matthew tells the story of a rich young man who wants Jesus to tell him what good deed he must do to have eternal life. Jesus immediately brings the focus on the Kingdom of Heaven which is here and now and not in a future spiritual realm. Quoting from Matthew 19:21, Jesus says, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then, come, follow me." Matthew also quotes Jesus as saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." (Matthew 13:44)
The biblical commentary, Feasting on the Word, notes that kingdom does not simply mean eternal life in the sweet by-and-by. Here kingdom refers to God's active reign over heaven, which Jesus is now inaugurating on earth through his ministry...One's heart, then, is not set on getting rich by accumulating human treasure but is set on what God ultimately treasures, which is compassion and mercy for those in need.. (Feasting on the Word, Year C, Volume 3, p. 337)
These past few weeks I have experienced a few of the treasures of God's Commonwealth, treasures of the heart, that have touched me profoundly. Many of you will remember that a few weeks ago we blessed a number of prayer shawls during our Sunday morning worship. One of the shawls had been lovingly made for Doreen Neufeld who was worshiping with us that morning. Doreen was presented with her shawl and embraced in love by the creator of the shawl and with the love of our community of faith. Eight days later Doreen died quite unexpectedly and a memorial service was held at the United Church in Fruitvale where she'd lived for many years. I attended that service, with others from our congregation, and I was deeply moved when I entered the sanctuary and saw Doreen's photograph in the middle of the communion table draped by her prayer shawl.
I've also had the honour, in the past few weeks, of presenting two other prayer shawls created by members of our Prayer Shawl Ministry. Both times the prayerful and loving manner in which they were created and the heartfelt blessings conveyed by their gift was recognized and appreciated by both the giver and the receiver.
Over the years I have come to understand that God's commonwealth is not found in one specific place but is a tangible way of living which creates inclusive community, justice seeking people, prayerful discernment and compassionate action. And, I believe that, the treasure of God's commonwealth is: manifest in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ; revealed in the lives of faithful people throughout history; celebrated in the welcoming of babies and elders into an inclusive community; embodied within Christian community and flourishes when it transcends language, race, culture and creeds; and resides within the hearts of anyone who will listen carefully to God's call and who responds with loving action.
Celtic theologian, Philip Newell, calls this listening of the heart "meditative practice of listening for the Word of Love at the heart of life, the Word that is deeper than any fears and sufferings that we will also bear within us when we listen." (J. Philip Newell, Celtic Benediction, preface)
If we tell a person, who is struggling to decide what is the right thing to do, "Follow your heart", we are not suggesting they act blindly but rather that they listen to God's guidance within their inner heart. All of us has the ability to open our hearts to God's love and guidance. It takes faith and trust but if we can listen to Jesus, and let go of some of our fears and doubts, then we can discover the treasures of the heart which he exemplified.
We carry our treasure with us, Jesus says. We don't need any of the outer trappings of finery to show that we are richly blessed. Love and faith are our greatest riches and sharing those riches with others is our greatest blessing.
We have experienced the treasure of God's commonwealth in many ordinary and yet extraordinary ways. It is in such simple blessings that we find the heart to continue to serve in Christ's ministry today and in the future.
And so on this day, as we welcome Aliyah into our church family, we give thanks for the love of God which dwells within her, the love of her family which nurtures and sustains her and the love of Christian community which surrounds and blesses her this day and all the days of her life. And we give thanks that in the blessed sacrament of baptism we are reminded that we are all beloved children of God, members of the worldwide Christian community who seek to embody Christ's love for the world in our daily lives.
I'll leave you with the concluding lines from Marcus Borg's book, which I mentioned earlier:
At the heart of Christianity is the way of the heart –
a path that transforms us at the deepest level of our being.
At the heart of Christianity is the heart of God –
a passion for our transformation and the transformation of the world.
At the heart of Christianity is participating in the passion of God.
(The Heart of Christianity, by Marcus Borg, p. 225)
and may we join our hearts together
to embody God's commonwealth this day and always.
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