Commissioned To Labor for Peace

Luke 10:1-9 (NRSV)

The Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, `Peace to this house!' And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, `The kingdom of God has come near to you.'

If only Christians could know for ourselves that Jesus commissions us to labor to bring greater peace in our world, what a different Church and world we would have.  Here is Jesus sending out seventy people and telling them to see how the harvest of opportunity is so plentiful, yet those who want to labor for community and peace are so very few.

Christianity as a religion has unfortunately for too many, become another financial enterprise with a tax exempt status.  Some of the biggest complexes in Christianity from the Vatican City State to the mega churches all over the United States.  Many of them subsidized by tax dollars, while the revenues for the guys on top turn into billion dollar profits.  Who ultimately pays the price for all of this?  The good Name that is the Person of God's Son, Jesus Christ and those for whom Jesus came to deliver not only from our personal sin.  But, also to help us see that political, social and religious marginalization of any person or group of people is just not at all the will of God.  As long as the message against the equal rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer people, women and any one else that makes conservative Christians get shivers up their spines, earns someone a billion dollars in revenue, I am afraid the real message of the Gospel will get lost in the mix.


We commemorate today Channing Moore Williams a man born in Richmond, Virginia in 1829 who after studying for the Priesthood eventually became a missionary and Bishop to the folks in China and Japan.  The message of the peace that Jesus Christ brings into a persons heart and life meant so much to Channing Moore Williams that he couldn't keep it all for himself.  He had to share it with people in a foreign land.  Bringing the peace of Jesus Christ to other people is what the Gospel is really about.  Building good communities where people can worship, pray and help others better understand the goodness of God in others around them is what being a Christian is all about.  It does not give us a monopoly on the truth so as to plunder other civilizations with no regard for a people's culture or even their own religions.   But providing a good example, should people be looking to find their way to God through Christianity is not a bad way of doing things.

As we continue on our journey of Advent we are also reminded that preparing for the coming of Christ means being a laborer to bring peace.  It means not always doing the most popular things.  Standing up for the rights and inclusion of LGBT people means that many well meaning Christians will not understand or like what we are doing.  But, we can labor as LGBT Christians by telling our stories of how we found God in spite of all of the opposition of Christianists and learned to be examples of compassion and inclusive love and service to those separated by religious, social and political corruption.  That we are individuals who care that the unemployed of our Country receive their benefits to keep from being homeless or without food, and utilities to keep them well.  That we care about people having health care, jobs, equal rights and our elderly having their medicare and social security.  We speak up for immigrants to be able to find jobs, housing and opportunities to become citizens of our great nation of immigrants of all kinds.  That we discourage violence and cruelty towards people because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender diversity, language, challenges, cultural practices and so forth.   Being a laborer for the peace of Jesus Christ means recognizing that the Bible is not God's penal code, but the story of the truths about how much God loves all of God's people.  


May we like Channing Moore Williams be among the laborers that Christ commissions to help bring peace to a violent and dark world.

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Collect for the First Sunday of Advent, Book of Common Prayer, page 211).

Almighty and everlasting God, we thank you for your servant Channing Moore Williams, whom you called to preach the Gospel to the people of China and Japan. Raise up in this and every land evangelists and heralds of you kingdom, that your Church may proclaim the unsearchable riches of our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for Channing Moore Williams, Holy Women, Holy Men, Celebrating the Saints, page 97).

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one God, to whom be dominion and glory, now and forever. Amen. (Prayer for Peace, Book of Common Prayer, page 815).