Easter Visions
Third Sunday of Easter - Year C
April 22, 2007
Third Sunday of Easter - Year C
April 22, 2007
Let us pray: O God, may we sense the workings of your spirit in these words and the spaces between them. Guide them and use them. Amen.
Note to the reader/speaker: Please read this reflection as if it was a letter to the congregation, that should help to resolve the issues around the first person’s voice etc.
If you hear these words, it won’t be the writer speaking them. I am writing them in my church office on Thursday afternoon for someone else to speak, just in case my Sunday morning flight is late returning to Yellowknife. Lloyd Henderson and I had the opportunity to attend the Northern Regional Event in Leduc this weekend, and as you already know - we didn’t get back in time.
As you heard in the introduction to the first scripture reading this morning, during the season of Easter, there is a reading assigned from the book of Acts - the story of the development of the Christian church in the days following the death and rising of Jesus. As you know, the dramatic story of the conversion of Saul was the subject of today’s reading. Saul the persecutor of followers of The Way who had a vision and then was struck blind on his way to Damascus. Saul so affected by the experience that he did not eat for three days following, not until Ananias paid him a visit, restored his sight and in some ways verified that the vision had been real. Saul so affected by the experience that it completely changed his life goal as persecutor of the people following the Way to one of the strongest, most prolific and staunchest defender of the Way of Christ. Saul, so affected by the experience that resulted in a name change - Saul became Paul - who, as one source I read recently suggested, was the real founder of the Christian church - Paul’s church - not Jesus’ church, a thesis that is not without a great deal of merit.
Of course, Paul’s Damascus road experience has become a symbol for many followers of the Christian faith of what conversion is all about. There are any number of Christians who can recount the date and time when a similar type of experience occurred in their life.
While not wanting to deny the possibility and even the importance of such experiences in life, it is not quite as likely to hear similar stories from people in the mainline Christian tradition. There are some, and the recounting of them can be a powerful experience for both the speaker and the listener, but such accounts are just not as likely to be told among the people with whom we share this community of faith. Most likely, conversion stories happen over a long period of time and for the most part they are not yet done. Certainly that describes my own journey - one which moves along with many experiences and insights to impart - all of which are important, but none which would qualify as being similar to the one described for Saul slash Paul.
While I love the story of Paul and his Damascus road conversion, it all seems just a bit too fantastic as a metaphor for the things I expect to happen in my life. Having said that, I do have a conversion experience of sorts, and I quite surprisingly told it to the residents of Aven Manor on Thursday morning when I went there to have worship with them. Since I didn’t make it back in time for worship this morning you are just going to have to wait to hear it. It’s okay for you to ask, even if I make it back for coffee time following worship, but you may have to wait until I can fit it into the reflection on some other week.
No, for me, the story from John’s gospel is much easier to identify with. Unfortunately, I identify with my namesake, Peter, far too often. Perhaps identify is not the right word, it’s more like sharing the ridicule or scoffing laughter because I happen to share the same name. Peter who couldn’t wait for the boat to travel some one hundred yards back to shore but had to jump in and start swimming as soon as he realised who it was on the beach. Regardless of which gospel story you read, the disciple Peter seems to demonstrate the same kind of personality - act first, think second is a way to describe it. Of course, the story this morning ended with a poignancy that goes beyond the stumbling, bumbling impetuous aspect. Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves Jesus. Three times Peter assures him that he does, but on the third occasion - in sure reference to the three times denial of Jesus during the events leading up to crucifixion we read how upsetting the sudden recollection is for Peter.
There’s another reason that I like the gospel story. Just as in other post-resurrection gospel accounts, the disciples did not recognize Jesus. Mary thought he was the gardener. The disciples walking along the road to Emmaus didn’t know who he was until his actions caused them to recognise him, Thomas doubting that it was him with them in the room, and now the disciples who both believe and don’t believe at the same time. There is one very curious line in the story. I read it with the Avens Manor people from The Message and here is how that line reads: Jesus said, “Breakfast is ready.” Not one of the disciples dared ask, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Master.
Think about that for a moment - despite the determined statement that concludes that sentence, there is anything but sureness in the words that precede it. Surely there was a fair bit of doubt about who it was if they were thinking “who are you?” but not daring to ask. Why would it be daring to ask if they were sure? I can only conclude that something was telling them that it might not be who they thought it was, even though they knew!
And so, what is the point of these stories - the fantastic story of Saul’s Damascus road vision, or the otherwise fantastic story of a large, unexpected catch of fish, a surprising, unexpected encounter with Jesus who didn’t look like Jesus or who at least cast a certain amount of doubt about whether it really was Jesus?
For me, it is clear. These aren’t really stories about Jesus - they are stories about the Christ - people start recognising the Christ in people who don’t look like Jesus - but they act like him. People start having fantastic visions about Jesus the Christ, and visions that result in radical transformation from one way of life to another. That’s a story about the power of the message Jesus told in words and with his life, in his actions and with the connections he made for people about they way their lives connected with the way God would have them live.
It’s a story which keeps on asking to be lived out. We are Jesus’ disciples too. We keep running into Christ as well - and only sometimes do we recognise the Christ. But Christ is there if only the scales would drop from our eyes. This is about Easter - not then, but now. Amen - see you soon!