Surprised by Life
John 11:1-45 Lent 5A
Rev. Patricia D. Barth
March 13, 2005
“Lazarus, come out!” With those words, Jesus pulls his friend back from death to life again. We might imagine that Lazarus was surprised to be brought back to life by Jesus (1) , but we don’t know anything about his other feelings. Certainly his sisters were happy to have him back; they were very angry that Jesus had let their brother die. Each one of them makes a point of trying to guilt-trip Jesus, saying: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
We humans have a lot of different ways of coping with the mysteries of life and death that are a part of every being on the planet earth. There’s a saying when someone is complaining about a really bad day: “It sure beats the alternative, doesn’t it!” Or you may have heard this one, “Every day above ground is a good day!”
Whether we’re complainers or not, we all cling to life, wanting to prolong our time on earth as much as possible. It’s animal instinct! At practically any stage of our life, we may think, “I’m not ready to die! I haven’t ________.” Fill in the blank! I don’t want to die until I see my sons settled down and possibly some grandchildren. What about you? How would you fill in the blank?
We aren’t usually surprised by life; rather, we are often surprised by death. Death of the young or middle aged is always surprising. But even the death of very sick, very old people can be surprising somehow. When our loved one contracts a fatal illness, even when the doctors predict that death will come quickly or over a certain period of time, even then, death is surprising. Even though death is expected; somehow when it comes, we find it to be unexpected. I don’t know why that is.
Harriet McBryde Johnson is someone who has been surprised by life. She is the author of a soon-to-be published memoir, Too Late to Die Young: Nearly True Tales From a Life (2) . Harriet is an early childhood muscular dystrophy patient who grew up with the realization that she might not grow up. She says, “…then and now, life has a certain edge; I know it will not last.” (3) She describes her growing up as happy, as the beloved child of graduate students; with an accepting older sister and younger brothers to boss around. At each stage of her life, she makes the conscious decision to take on new challenges, to explore all her possibilities, and to seize the joys of a life that are all the sweeter because it may not last.
When her parents decide, after discussion, to send her to kindergarten, she thinks, “Good. I might as well die a kindergartner.” As she progresses through school, she thinks, “When I die, I might as well die educated .”(4) And so on, through her decision to go to college and then to law school, (“when I die, I might as well die a lawyer”) and then to her political activities in the disability-rights movement, and her present age of 47. What an age to achieve, when she thought she was going to die early!
She finally came to the realization that we all are going to die someday, every one of us. Mortality unites us all in a way that nothing else does. Each life lived is precious and wonderful no matter what its length. Death, like growth and change, is a part of every life. Death is as natural as our Mid-Atlantic drifting leaves in the fall and our budding flowers in the spring, and as the change of seasons in all the different climates around the globe. We never can predict the precise time or even the exact cause of death. So we might as well not worry about it! We might as well live each moment to the fullest and with the greatest joy possible! Or as Harriet Johnson says, “When I die, I might as well die alive.” (5)
Life, death and rebirth—the cycle endlessly repeats itself wherever there are living beings. The cycle of life applies not only to animals and plants, but to institutions as well. How will Takoma Park Presbyterian Church be surprised by new life? We see new life and wonderful changes when babies are born or adopted into loving families. Children grow, are taught the gospel and learn new skills. People are baptized and confirmed, and new members choose to make TPPC the place to live out their baptismal covenants.
The cycle of life applies to ministry and mission, too, as well as people. Takoma Park Presbyterian is not the church that it was in the 60’s, 70’s, or the 90’s. You are not even the church you were last year! The Holy Spirit is always at work, inspiring us, teaching us new things, knitting us together in the family system that we call the Body of Christ. She gives us new energy, and calls us to go out into the world in new places and to do new things.
How has the Holy Spirit surprised you with new life lately?
We can expect new energy and freedom to fill every part of the church, as we study the past, honor it, and release it. Jesus said, “Unbind him, and let him go!” Grief, sorrow, anger, relief, numbness, confusion—any and all the emotions we humans feel when a loved one dies are feelings that people also have when a pastor leaves. So one of the most important things we will do together will take place after church on May 1st, History Day, when we will celebrate the history of the church and see what is useful to carry forward into the future. Jesus will unbind us, and let us go.
As you do the work you need to do to get ready to call a new pastor, I believe that God will surprise each and every one of you with new life in ways you least expect it. Some may find God calling them to leadership even though they have hung back before. For others, who are used to leading, new life may mean that henceforth you spend your energy developing and nurturing new leaders instead of being in charge yourself. The One who said, “I am the resurrection and the life” no doubt has surprises for us all. To God be the glory! Amen.
(1) For an exploration of the idea that Lazarus was angry to be brought back to life because he had to leave heaven, see the play “Lazarus and His Beloved” by Kahlil Gibran. (Back to text)
(2) Copyright 2005 by Harriet McBryde Johnson. To be published in April by Henry Holt and Company. Quotes taken from an excerpted article, “Too Late to Die Young,” AARP March & April 2005: 44. (Back to text)
(3) p. 44. (Back to text)
(4) p. 46. (Back to text)
(5) p. 46. (Back to text)
Webmaster : Brian C. Monsell
Sermon Archivist : Jorge Montalvo