Musical Prelude and Service.

2 Timoty 1:1-14 & Luke 17:5-10
I have spoken about my distant cousin Jane Haining in the past, but her story came to mind again
while reflecting on these two passages of scripture this week.
For those who may not be familiar with her story, she was employed by the Scottish Mission Service
in the 1930s. She worked at a girl’s school in Budapest, Hungary in the 1930s, caring for Jewish
orphans. As World War II broke out, the Mission Service did the wise thing and called her and her
fellow missionary’s home. She chose to remain. She is quoted as saying, “If these children need me
in times of sunshine, how much more do they need me in times of darkness.”
She was eventually arrested by the Gestapo under charges of being a British spy, accused of weeping
while sewing Stars of David onto the clothes of the girls in her care and for listening to the BBC.
She died in 1944, apparently of diphtheria.
Her story is remembered by my family as a sort of example of strength and love, but here’s the thing
– I wonder on a regular basis if I could act with that sort of determination and courage?
What would I do, if faced with similar choices? God help me grow my faith.
So I can relate to the disciples who call on Jesus to help them grow their faith. Do I have what it
takes to answer the call Jesus seems to have put before his followers? You see, just before this
passage, Jesus is teaching them about forgiveness; calling on them to offer forgiveness again and
again and again. And prior to that, he offers the parable of the rich man and Lazarus and cautious
about the evils that can come from pursuing wealth.
Do I actually have wat it takes to follow this man?
Is my faith big enough or strong enough to resist these temptations?
And Jesus responds by saying, you already have what it takes. I’m not asking for giant acts of
courage or generosity. A tiny kernel of faith put to use can make immense differences. Just live with
that faith day to day. Practise your faith in quiet ways and live your life with love and mercy and
commitment and your faith will grow.
Be faithful to who you are. Practice what you already know to be loving and merciful and you will find
you have been provided that which you need.
I hope I am never faced with the terrible circumstances put before Jane Haining – to do what was
expected and return to safety in Scotland and find a new way of serving her church and her world.
Or to stand with the young girls placed in such peril and to offer her small seemingly hopeless act of
resistance.
I do not believe that Jane Haining’s actions and courage, her sacrifice, confer any honour or privilege
to me and my family. It is a story we are familiar with, and we can learn from and be inspired by.
But, in Roman society, her actions, would have brought honour and shame to all of her family.
In the Mediterranean society of the time of Jesus, and then Paul and Timothy, honour and shame
were very real values and conditions that were tracked by the whole community. So, when Paul
speaks about shame, it is not a personal sense of guilt or embarrassment that Timothy might be
feeling or experiencing. It is a judgment placed upon him by the whole community. It is matter of
public exposure. It affects his social standing and his ability to function within the community and
society as a whole. Honour in this context is a form of currency that brings with it connections,
standing, prestige.
As we read what is called Paul’s second letter to Timothy, we should keep in mind that the vast
majority of scholars believe this letter was written long after Paul’s death. It was written in the style
of Paul to trade on his reputation and to add to the community of those who followed Paul. It may
not be directly attributable to Paul, but we can still find wisdom in these words. We are told that
some members of the faith community have begun smearing Paul and Timothy’s reputation,
spreading lies or rumours and preaching a new message, tat the resurrection has already occurred.
Members of that community have begun to desert Timothy and follow these new voices who are
accumulating honour where Timothy has lost his through these machinations.
The author is saying to not let that shame stop him from preaching the Gospel taught to him by Paul
and by his mother and grandmother. Do not lose heart. Do not lose faith. Remember that Jesus has
gifted him with strength and courage.
Paul, who is in prison due to his work and his message, urges his student and friend not to be
discouraged. Being bound in chains could be a form of shame and is likely being framed that way by
those undermining Timothy’s standing within the community of Ephesus, but Paul is arguing these
human ways of measuring the worth and status of men and women is trivial in the eyes of God.
While this may not be an actual letter of Paul, this message is very consistent with messages found in
those letters we are certain are his. Do not measure our worth by earthly signs of success but keep
faith in a God who sees us and loves us and inspires us. Keep faith, trust in God and take strength
and courage in God’s presence. Be moved by God’s love and grace and God’s vision of a world of
mercy and peace. Live, now. Love. Act, with that love and that courage that God gifts us with.
As I visited the Wallace memorial where Jane Haining and so many other heroes of Scottish history
are honoured, I came upon the story of another woman. Mary Slessor. She was another missionary,
inspired by David Livingston. She lived in the late 19th century and died in Nigeria in 1915. She
endured and fought through forces of sexism and class assumptions to accomplish what she did and
to live a life of service to others in Africa, when others viewed those lives as not worthy of such care.
She lived a life of courage not bound by ideas of shame and honour. She is quoted as saying, “Don’t
grow up to be a nervous old maid. Gird yourself up for the battle outside somewhere and keep your
heart young.”
Live your life. Live with courage. Find joy in the gifts God has provided and share the love, that life,
that joy with the people around you. Don’t let yourself be discouraged by the detours, the anger and
those who preach fear and hatred. God offers you life, live it with joy and courage.
And on this World Communion Sunday, remember that you are not alone. You live in God’s world.
We are connected as part of the body of Christ.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Rev. Warner Bloomfield

 

Music provided with permission through licensing with CCLI License number
2701258 and One License # A-731789