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SERMONS Sean Gilbert — 16/3/08 One of the common misconceptions about theology, is that it bears little resemblance to reality, or worse still, it has no obvious application to life as we know and experience it to be; a sort of free-floating, nebulous source of complex information, and that’s about as far as it goes! Well, this certainly wasn’t the assumption, nor the practice of the early church. Making good theological sense of the Jesus event in relation to the mystery of God and everyday life, was of tremendous importance so far as the practical Christian life was concerned. In fact, good theology and virtuous practice went hand in hand. For it not only informed or guided individuals and communities, it also inspired them, perhaps the most significant theological function of the lot. I make mention of this, because St Paul in the letter to the Philippians bases his whole exhortation to Christian virtue/charity on the basis of the following theological premise: that being, the act of Incarnation – God being in the person of Jesus the Christ - is but a profound expression of self-giving, to the point of self-emptying, if that were in any way possible. Or as Charles Wesley so wonderfully put it, “Emptied himself of all but love.” And so what we have before us is a living model- not simply a good example, or a living archetype - of how it might also be for us. “Let the same (common) mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus …” the same disposition, the same character, the same spirit, the same humanity; a humanity known for its generosity of spirit certainly, to the point of self-sacrifice, yet not to the point of self-diminishment or self-obliteration. “Give out of your abundance”, St Bernard once wrote, not out of your self-neglect or self-abasement. For surely that is not the humility of Christ, nor is it a helpful understanding of humility for anyone else. If we know one thing for certain, that which sustained Jesus throughout the passion experience was a very strong sense of self and call; a strength of person and vision that beggars belief really given the dark circumstance, but a strength that in no way limits his ability to give freely, deeply and broadly. And
in this context, the passage from Isaiah is all the more remarkable
and challenging in the way it frames a suffering redemptive love. Only such a highly graced and ennobled soul could ever begin to take such a self-giving path as this. And to be candid, this is the path we are all summoned to take. As one writer has put it, “it is a privileged place, fertile and fruitful, as well as exquisitely painful.” And at that point, even given the softening adjective, there seems to be no way we can dress up the Christian faith, or present it without the reality of a conscious, lasting and at times painful cost. The drawing vision through is that we “spend” genuine love, however difficult and complex that is at times to express or even to feel. Critically though, this will never be felt or expressed out of a sense of shame or personal disparagement. Jesus makes his own redemptive journey because at core, at base, he is valued and loved – this is his full reservoir for a self-emptying life. We also make our various human journeys, hoping also to be small bearers of a redemptive, healing life, because we are loved and valued by God. For in the valuing, in the acceptance, in the sheer grace of it all, lies our vocation to be and to do, and truly such gifts will never arise or be freely offered out of a shamed or self-neglected soul. They will be a shadow or but a hint of what they might otherwise be. So, as the song we’re about to sing suggests, this is a demanding path of passion, and one to consciously take, yet to be taken with our heads held high, freedom being our song. For as difficult as it is at times, this is ultimately a path of genuine redeeming, healing love. It is to be trod gently, carefully, yet also with great purpose, hope and perseverance. Let us take a few moments …
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