Oct 29 2019 Matthew 10:16-22 Commemoration of James Hannington and Companions

Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me
James Hannington was a priest in the late 1800’s, who served as missionary bishop in Eastern Africa. He was seen as a threat by King Mwanga, who ultimately captured him and his party. After a week cruel treatment, he and his companions were killed.

The appointed reading for this commemoration is this bit from Matthew, where Jesus is telling his followers that they’ll be persecuted because of him. Not only persecuted, but flogged in the very religious institutions from which they came – the synagogues. Because of Jesus, the religious leaders will be threatened enough to flog Jesus followers, presumably in the name of religion. But the persecution doesn’t stop there. Governors and kings will also persecute them. Basically, everyone in power – religious, royal, political – will persecute Jesus followers. This is not a pep talk anyone really wants to hear.

James Hannington felt that persecution, to the point of death. And yet, he persisted. They knew the risks in general, and knew that to continue in their Gospel proclamation was deadly.

Maybe I’m splitting hairs, but I don’t think it’s Jesus’ message that gets people martyred – even Jesus. I remember a conversation I had with a former boyfriend of my daughter. He couldn’t get behind Christianity, being a well-read, antagonistic teenager. He knew Christians did horrible things, and couldn’t suspend his new-found critical thinking on the basic concept of God. After many cups of coffee, he and I agreed that at its most basic, there really isn’t anything about Jesus that is threatening or wrong. Love God. Love your neighbor. Who could argue with Love?

It turns out it’s our own politics, or judgements, or hierarchies that take offense. We cannot be the best, or the richest, or the most powerful, or most pious, if we share our wealth and our power, if we Love the other.

It’s not Jesus’ message that gets martyrs in trouble. It’s when that extremely simple message of love runs head long into power. It’s the threatened power that is dangerous, not love. I saw something yesterday that said that it wasn’t religion that killed Jesus or MLK, and I’d add Hannington. It’s the fact that the politics of the powerful are threatened by love.

To get in trouble or to be martyred because of showing, sharing and proclaiming God’s Love is not short-sighted. It’s absolutely looking at the long-game. It’s not love that’s the problem.

This morning, I’m thinking about martyrs, and how their actions are simple and compelled by a pure trust in God, and living out Love. It’s not that they’re doing anything contentious, or argumentative. Rather, it’s the simplicity and radicalness of unconditional Love that is so incredibly threatening to the worldly powers. While I’m unlikely to be faced with a life threatening choice to proclaim God’s love, I hope that I’m able to continue to profess God’s love in the face of political, religious and royal power.