Jesus is sitting with the disciples after he’s died. This section of Scripture is likely not an original part of the Gospel of Mark, which originally concluded with the women finding the tomb empty, and a man dressed in white, telling them to not be afraid. The women flee the tomb, trembling and afraid. Some time later, Mark 9-20 was appended that talks about the resurrected Jesus meeting the apostles, and eventually his ascension. This bit of Mark is almost like a postlude, butit does wrap Mark’s Gospel up better than the original text.
As the apostles are siting at dinner, Jesus appears to them and rebukes them for their unbelief. After their rebuke, he commends them to go into the world and proclaim the good news to everyone, everywhere.
The reflection today focuses on the part about going to other places to proclaim, in advance of a short-term mission trip. It talks about how when we’re out of our culture, we can recognize problems in others. Dark spiritual forces are at work in the places we’re going, it tells us. But we are going, as God’s chosen mission workers, to dispel darkness with the armor of God.
I believe some of this is true. Dark forces are at work in the whole world, or at least bad things happen, and God’s light is the answer. But and I fear this reflection is couched in a way to set us up as the ones with God’s light and call, exclusively.
I think we children of God from America can learn from those children of God from America. We can share God’s light. They can share God’s light. We are touched by dark forces. They are touched by dark forces. I do not think I have something better or more or superlative to share. I have my self, and my love, and my time, all of which I hope is undergirded and overshadowed by God.
I believe the work of anyone travelling is to learn, listen and absorb, rather than teach, talk and dispense. Jesus was encouraging his apostles, and now encouraging us to go into the world and proclaim the good news, to show God’s love and light through us. I am also eager to be enlightened and taught by God’s love and light in the people I encounter.
Jesus charged his apostles to go into the world. I am eager to go into the world. I am eager to go and share God’s love working through me. I am eager to go into the world and see dark forces, and try to help shine light on them. I am more eager to go and share God’s love working through them. I am eager to go into the world and see dark forces in me, and have them help shine light on me.
I am not suggesting all is equal. But I do think I have as much to be taught as to teach.
Lord, make us instruments of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let us sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is discord, union;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
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