Nov 6 2019 Exodus 22:21-27 Commemoration of William Temple

You shall not…

In this bit from Exodus, God is explaining things that shall not be done by people of God to other people of God. You shall not oppress the alien, abuse the widow or orphan, exact interest on the poor, take your neighbor’s coat. If you do these things, God will deal hear the cry of the injured, and deal with the injurer.

William Temple was the Archbishop of Canterbury, effectively like the parliamentarian leader of the worldwide communion of the Anglican faith and all derivatives, like the Episcopalians. He was a firm believer, and acted with deep conviction and passion for the incarnation. He believed that because Jesus took flesh and became human, ‘the personality of every man and woman is sacred’. This believe created a deep obligation to loving and serving the poor, because through serving them, he served Christ himself.

I echo this deep incarnational theology, although I wouldn’t have had a name for it. In our baptismal covenant, which we make with God when we are baptized, and then recommit several times a year contains a question and response that still chokes me up. It asks, Will you seek and serve Christ in all people? And our response is, I will with God’s help.

I believe this deeply. Christ is present in all people. ALL People. When I say that, I immediately want to go do something to serve Christ in my neighbor. I conjure up all sorts of activities to do, some of which actually get done. But I believe God’s holy presence is in all of us.

I’m reminded of a woman who worked at a homeless breakfast with me. She came to bring a lot of half & half, every time we gathered. She had clear reasons for this. She said that because she got half & half in her coffee and it tasted so much better than that powdered stuff, they should get half & half too. Christ is in all.

There are many who serve the poor, or donate to charity, or even cook a meal because they are wealthy and good and privileged. And those others are not. There’s a sense of condescension, of the donor being better than the recipient. But think how absurd that is if Christ really is present in the other person!

How can or should we act better than another person, if Christ himself is present in that person? Although condescending charity may be good for funding a social service system desperately in need of money, it clearly is a sign that someone does not believe they’re serving Christ in that other person. 

This morning, I’m thinking about seeking and serving Christ in all people, and how much honor and grace should be given to everyone I meet, because I’m honoring Christ. William Temple was a man who deeply believed in Christ’s presence in and amongst us, and helped me and many others strengthen our incarnational theology.