“///This little light of mine
I’m gonna let it shine///
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine
///Everywhere I go, Lord
I’m gonna let it shine///
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine”
The words of this well-known spiritual were in my mind as I considered this preaching moment. Recently, a strong windstorm swept through the northeast of New York and the Berkshires. We were without power for four days. That first night, my wife and I were frantically trying to find a source of light. We found our first candle and lit it. Indeed, there was light, but with the quickly approaching night, it was, simply, not enough. That single light of a candle barely provided some reference to the more immediate space where it was located. We could barely use it to try and find other candles. Eventually, we found other candles and kept lighting them one, by one. One by one, the collection of single, perhaps insignificant flames, became a source of comfort, of reference, of assurance, in the midst of the darkness.
Matthew wrote to a community that was experiencing darkness in multiple ways. He was writing to congregations in Palestine, in the latter part of the first century. These congregations, made up mostly of Jews who had converted to the faith in Jesus Christ, were suffering with the whole region of Palestine the colonial occupation of Rome – with the economic, labor, social and political violence that came with it. In a more specific moment, these congregations suffered the experience of seeing the temple in Jerusalem defiled and destroyed by Roman troops – a psychological and political ploy to further subdue Palestinians to Roman control. Shortly after, Jews in Palestine were exiled from Jerusalem: their historic home.
For the Christians of this first-century Palestinian community, perhaps the single most important hope they held to in the midst of such a violent and abusive political, social, economic, even spiritual environment, was the hope of the coming of the Lord. It was written, read, and preached about throughout every Christian community of the first century. Such were Paul’s famous words to the Philippians, in the 4th chapter (5-8), “Let your gentleness show in your treatment of all people. The Lord is near. Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus.” The Lord is near… but where? When?
Matthew knew he needed to address question. His attempt at addressing the issue of anxiety at the increasingly difficult times his communities were facing, coupled with the deferred hope of the return of the Christ is found in the parables in chapters 24 and 25 of his gospel. They are, together, a sermon where Jesus discusses the level of readiness and what we ought to be doing as we wait for his return… what we ought to be do and be in the meantime.
The third of four parables in this sermon is found in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 25, verses 1-13 (CEB)
At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten young bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. Now five of them were wise, and the other five were foolish. The foolish ones took their lamps but didn’t bring oil for them. But the wise ones took their lamps and also brought containers of oil.
When the groom was late in coming, they all became drowsy and went to sleep. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Look, the groom! Come out to meet him.’
Then all those bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. But the foolish bridesmaids said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps have gone out.’
But the wise bridesmaids replied, ‘No, because if we share with you, there won’t be enough for our lamps and yours. We have a better idea. You go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ But while they were gone to buy oil, the groom came. Those who were ready went with him into the wedding. Then the door was shut.
Later the other bridesmaids came and said, ‘Lord, lord, open the door for us.’
But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’
Therefore, keep alert, because you don’t know the day or the hour.
It does not escape me that even when many of us heard good news yesterday on the US political front, many of us are also keenly aware that yesterday’s news was only a moment. And important moment. A historic moment even. A woman of African descent, of Caribbean and Indian ancestry, educated in an HBCU, already having achieved important academic, public service, and political accolades. Kamara Harris, a Black woman senator of Caribbean and Indian ancestry is on her way to occupy Number One Observatory Circle in the Naval Observatory as Vice President of the United States. Some of us are, perhaps, still in awe. But most of us know, very deep inside, know that yesterday’s news, although important, although historic, were just news of a moment.
We can argue all we want about the disenfranchising, oppressive, downright cruel policies of the Trump the White House. However, many of us know that disenfranchisement and oppression did not begin with his administration. The social, economic, and political darkness that many of us have and continue to experience, in whatever degree you want to measure it, is real. Even when the country has had a Black President; even when we are preparing to have a Black and Indian Vice President, and President of the Senate; we know that white supremacy continues to reign supreme in the social, political, and even religious institutions we occupy and rely on. It is still dark out there!
And much like the bridesmaids in the parable were waiting, we await the coming of the Lord. The hope that stems from that expectation encourages our faithful pursuit of discipleship and witness. Some continue to gather for worship. Others gather for Bible study and prayer. Others even find ways to be connected with the community in order to learn together and organize for the wellbeing of the spaces we are called to dwell and serve. But, how much longer? There are times when the circumstances around us – be that political decision by those in power, or my personal finances, or the health and wellbeing of a loved one – seem dark, and are gaining on the best of our perspective. How, then, do we remain ready and alert for the coming of the Lord in the midst of such darkness? What are we expected to do and be in the meantime?
The parable speaks of 10 bridesmaids that were called on to wait for the groom in order to accompany him to the wedding. A traditional way to celebrate weddings in the first century, Palestinian Jewish culture, the invited bridesmaids were expected to bring lamps as part of their waiting for the groom. Their light would be essential in guiding the groom into the wedding. The parable describes 5 of those bridesmaids as wise for they not only brought their lamps but also brought flasks with oil. We know how the story devolves. However, as I was thinking of the challenges that lie ahead for people of color who are also people of faith, the question that came to mind was, how did the 5 wise bridesmaids know to bring a flask of oil?
2000 years later, here we are, followers of Jesus seeking, wanting, yearning to be faithful in our waiting, and in our work in the meantime. Are we ready for the waiting and for the work in the meantime? The wise bridesmaids knew to bring additional oil to the waiting for the groom. But, how?
My late grandfather, who was a world war II veteran, taught me that voting was not a right, but a civic responsibility.
My late grandmother taught me that I should never pray for patience because patience is produced in trial. She taught me I should always pray for wisdom.
My late godmother taught me that in our joys, we have to pray; that in our sorrow, we have to pray; that in our pain, we have to pray; and when everything else seems to be ending, we have to pray because Jesus is always there.
My late great grandfather taught me that life is not about working to be able to eat, but about eating to be able to work.
One of the most important legacies of my late grandfather and of my father is a work ethic that begins and ends with family.
One of the most important legacies of my mother and her mother is the awareness that no matter how distant or how different when push comes to shove, one can and will always count on family to see you through.
Do you know where I’m going with this? How did the five wise bridesmaids know to bring additional oil? They knew because of the knowledge of their elders and their ancestors.
People of color know that yesterday was a day to celebrate. We also know that we were only celebrating a moment because of the knowledge and wisdom we have received from our elders and our ancestors. We know that the road that lies ahead is long and perhaps treacherous because we have been forewarned by the stories and experiences of those who are ahead of us in years, and those who have gone into the Church Triumphant gave us. We have been made ready by multiple experiences with the community, and in the intimacy of family relationships. We have been made ready by our listening to the hopes, needs, aspirations, challenges, and troubles of those with whom we worship and work together for the betterment of the community. We Are Ready… for the waiting and for the work in the meantime because we know that much work has to be done to be ready for the coming of the Lord. We Are Ready because we know to bring a lamp AND a flask of oil.
And even when we have all it takes to be ready, it is ok to ask – how long?
“Not long,” said Martin Luther King, “because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. How long? Not long, because mine eyes have seen the coming of the Glory of the Lord.” (MLK, 1965) It might not be here yet, but we are standing on the shoulders of our ancestors whose words, actions, and witness are propping us up and giving us a perspective of the present, one they could only dream of. We Are Ready for the present time because our ancestors have told us what is needed to be ready. Do you remember the words, works, and witness of our ancestors? We Are Ready!
"I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." It might not be here yet, but we can join the psalmist in that affirmation because we have all it takes to be ready. We are Ready! And because we are ready, we can see those whom we love, and those whom we overlook, and even those who intentionally overlook us, and invite them to join in the work for goodness and justice for the present time. Like the psalmist would finish the song on Psalm 27, we can invite folks near and far, “Be strong! (To let their) heart take courage!” We Are Ready for those words.
“I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” There are times when we may not feel these words, but we all have it takes to be ready to join the Apostle Paul (Romans 8) in this affirmation of faith. We have the witness and testimony of folks who are near. We are also surrounded by the great cloud of witnesses that make up the church of the ancestors. We Are Ready! We might be able to only bring one light. But all lights of folks ready for the long haul will become a source of comfort, of reference, of assurance, in the midst of the darkness of our days.
We Are Ready! When you think you are not ready, remember two things:
the journey toward the coming of the glory of the Lord, to seeing the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, is not a lonely journey. You walk alongside a faith-seeking community.
This community is far greater than that which you may see with your human eyes. Like Elisha told his servant, “Don’t be afraid, because there are more of us than there are of them.” (I Kings 6.16) Scripture tells us that when the servant’s eyes were open, the servant saw a host of ancestors filling the mountains that surrounded them. We Are Ready! We bring our own light, but we do not shine alone!
The 5 wise bridesmaids knew to bring a flask of oil because they had received the wisdom for readiness from their elders and ancestors. They were ready!
The good news today is, So are We! We Are Ready! And because we are ready, we also face a call to discipleship, to share the lessons seen and heard from our ancestors to their descendants, to the next generation. Are you ready for the work ahead, and for sharing your knowledge with the next generation? Are you ready to bring your light, and to encourage the light of others?
We have been made ready by our ancestors.
Let us acknowledge that we are at the ready, and how we have been made ready.
Let us commit to prepare the next generation to be ready.
We Are Ready!
This is a reflection based on a sermon titled, “We Are Ready”, shared with the congregation of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Presbyterian Church (Springfield, MA) on Sunday, November 8, 2020 - the Sunday after the general election in the United States. You can watch the worship service here. The sermon begins at 32:02