“Opening our Eyes During the Blink” ~ James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a & Mark 9:30-37
September 22, 2024 ~ Northwood United ~ Rev. G. Scott Turnbrook
Many may recall those computer-generated images that became quite popular twenty years or so ago. At first glance, they appeared to be nothing more than a psychedelic collection of colours and shapes. They were reminiscent of an old tie die “Grateful Dead” t-shirt, perhaps still in the back of your closet. But as we spent time looking at the shapes and colours, we slowly came to see it revealing a 3-dimensional image. When they were popular, I had one that revealed a mountain scene with a waterfall and birds flying in the air. Perhaps you had one as well? The challenge with these types of images was that you had to be patient to see the image. You had to keep your eyes open and allow the image to invite you in. Slowly your focus shifted and blurred until you came to see this wonderful 3–dimensional art form. But there was always a challenge. The common pitfall occurred when we blinked. We could almost be at the point of seeing the 3-D image, and we would blink. And the blink would cause us to lose it altogether. We almost get there once again, and we would blink and lose the image. The autonomic response in our humanity, the blink, was very frustrating in allowing us to see fully.
Asher Lev, a famous painter, made an interesting insight about the blink. He said: “we see only between the blinks of our eyes and therefore we see the world in fragments, broken. But [God] sees both between and during the blink. As a result [God], sees the world whole and unbroken.” So, this morning we are confronted with the human challenge: the blink. We all nod off, we lose focus, we blink to clear our eyes and this morning we ponder what it is that we miss during the blink? What could we have learned during the time contained in a blink? I am going to suggest that this morning’s texts invite us to take a few steps closer in viewing the world through God’s eyes that sees fully and completely, that views eternity in all its wholeness, and misses nothing.
Now, this is a bit of an artificial consideration. Given that we are designed to have eyes that blink and refresh our eye health, how then might we move a little closer to God’s perspective of a full and open perspective? Perhaps it is a stage of life consideration for us? Have you ever considered what stages of life are the ones when we feel closest to God? When we have the widest spiritual perspective? I have an elderly neighbour who jokes with me about how much closer to God he is. He said, you have all your fancy degrees and theological training, but I am 90 years old and I’m much closer to fully meeting God than you are! There is much truth to Stanley’s words. We are blessed, when we listen to stories from our elders who have truly come closer and closer to God over the years. Elders are great spiritual teachers. And most clergy get better with age (or at least we try to!). Apart from our elder years, there is another stage of life where a wide spiritual connection occurs: that time occurs in the earlier years. Those of you who have felt called to organize youth group or teach Sunday School or lead time in the nursery have been blessed by the wonderful faith of the younger members of our church. They are deeply spiritual people! Children yearn to embrace mystery and ritual; they are spiritual people deeply embracing the mysteries of God. Isn’t it why our Children’s Time is so significant, not just for them? But also for all of us! If you ever want to deeply grow in your faith, get around young people and you will be forever changed. It isn’t just Christians who hold this belief. In Zen Buddhism, they have the wonderful the wonderful term “Shoshin” or “the beginner’s mind”. It is describes this attitude of openness that the younger mind holds. It is a movement away from the preconceptions we accumulate from study, age and experience. Celebrating the “beginners mind” honours the child-like wonder of the beginner who embraces things anew.
Jesus uses the image of the child in the teaching before us. The disciples are a group of people that are seeking to faithfully follow in the way of Jesus. But the disciples find themselves in an interesting spiritual stage of life. The disciples are not elders who are close to God, nor are they little children who so readily embrace God’s presence. The disciples are a group who live in a stage in between childhood and their elder years. They are a group who live in Asher Lev’s “blink time”. In the text, we see that they were a group who were in conflict, debating over greatness, arguing over who was the greatest. Yet they are a group who were also described as being “on their way” to figuring it out. Jesus begins on this hopeful note as he asks “what were you arguing about on the way”. “The Way” is a significant term here: it had long been established as the overarching teaching through Jesus. And “The Way” was identified as their mission ~ they were ‘people of the Way’. In asking what they were arguing about ‘on the way’, Jesus highlights that their arguments over greatness are taking them away from God. To help bring them back, Jesus places an innocent, growing child in their midst. The child reminds them of a beginners’ mind; filled with possibilities and potential; a symbol of humility; a child seen as least but yet will be greatest in Jesus’ Way. I wonder if that symbol, the child, is truly an opportunity to move (a little) past the close-minded time of the blink? I wonder if the child ~ its humility, its innocence, its wonder ~ is an essential symbol in following Jesus’ Way?
In the James text, we are invited into yet another ‘blink moment’ in the contrasting of wisdom. Like Jesus, James is dealing with a spiritual community who are in conflict as they seek to live into the way of wisdom. James contrasts two very different forms of wisdom: “wisdom from above” and “wisdom that is earthly and unspiritual”. Wisdom from above is “pure, peaceable, gentle, yielding, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy”. The wisdom that is earthly and unspiritual is filled with “bitterness and envy, with selfishness and warring cravings. It leads to wickedness and disorder, to conflict and disputes and ultimately to murder”. This wisdom results in murder: the murder of one’s spirit and self-esteem; to the murder of a community that would bring hope and peace; to the death of joy and life. This wisdom leads to death. I wonder if James is calling the early church into a wisdom from above? A wisdom that moves away from division, separation, and death? And towards a perspective that values unity of all its members?
I suspect you were all rather disturbed by the protests that occurred on Friday again this year. The anti-2SLGBTQAI+ protests returned again on September 20th. Like last year, these events protested inclusive school policies and curricula, access to gender-affirming healthcare, and the rights of 2SLGBTQ+ people. It was a sad day because we saw more division in our community and less unity. I got to thinking about ‘the blink’, and how it might open our eyes to see in this moment how we are called to be allies? What if we opened our eyes to see how we are called to uphold the needs and rights of ALL God’s children. We are a church that bears witness to God's inclusive love for ALL people. As you may have noticed in the Friday email, I encouraged people to pray for and participate in the many peaceful counter-protests occurring across Canada. The humble child was found when so many opened their eyes in this blink moment. It allowed us to see those who are being harmed, marginalized, and suffering and stand with them. Opening our eyes in the blink, calls us to stand with ALL and be their allies. It calls us to proclaim that there is 'no space for hate' ever! It calls us to follow the humble Christ Child who humbly proclaims that the last will be first!
In this season of Creation, we have been pondering God’s delicate Creation and our call to see God’s hand in it. In this 3rd Sunday, perhaps ‘the blink’ might help us to see ourselves as a part of that Creation, and not separate from it! We have touched in the past weeks on the fragility of Creation and our recognition of God’s presence in this very creation. I wonder if we might expand our awareness of Creation to consider ourselves, you and me, not merely as stewards of Creation, but rather as a part of it? And we know when God, created…God called it all …all of it “Good”! You, each and every one of you are created by the touch of God. And you are God’s good handiwork. “Wonderfully and fearfully made” as Psalm 139 puts it.
May we seek the wholeness and unity of all Creation. May we have our eyes open, more than closed as we seek to follow the humble Christ Child. The one who teaches the last shall be first and all shall gather in peace.
Amen.