I first want to acknowledge today’s readings. We have a passage from the New testament, a couple of verses from a mystic in the Islamic tradition, an excerpt from an Arab-American poet’s essay about her father’s relentless hope that there would be peace - the absence of conflict- in the holy land and Jerusalem, and a blessing from the Carmina Gadelica a collection of works from the Gaelic-speaking regions of Scotland. It is wonderful that truth and enlightenment can resonate from all types of literary works, whomever the author and wherever the origin. 
I also want to recognize a peculiar intersection today. Here we are in the midst of a Taize focused on peace, where moments ago we rang our bell in a call of action against gun violence, we are wrapping up a month of recognition and celebration of our LGBTQIA+ siblings, and I am going to attempt to provoke our thoughts about peace. 
I’ve observed that the term peace in the English language is used in a number of contexts. 
● Peace of mind 
● Rest in peace 
● At peace 
● Laid to peace 
● Keep the peace 
● Hold one’s peace 
● Make peace 
● World peace 
● Peace on earth 
● Peace of Christ 
● God of peace 
● Nobel peace prize 
● Peace officer 
● Peacekeeper 
● Peacemaker 
So I think it is fitting to start with defining peace. A dictionary definition identifies peace as a noun stating that it is: 
● “freedom from disturbance” 
● “mental calm” 
● “harmony in personal relations” 
● “a time or state in which there is no war”, or 
● “a ceremonial handshake or kiss exchanged during a service in some churches” 
From today’s reading from Philippians, we get a sense that peace is an inner calm that is derived from God, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). The reading from Rumi also echoes the sentiment of an inner calm.
We have the dictionary definitions and some contextual clues from today’s readings, but to further our understanding of peace, I think it is important to think about what might be the opposite of peace. For some fear is the opposite of peace. For others, losing control is the opposite of peace. Or it is conflict. And yet for others violence is the opposite of peace. Consider images that do not represent or are associated with the opposite of peace - intimidation, blasting groups of people with a firehose, a sword(point to altar), burning an effigy, war, flags(point to the flags above), missiles, riot shields, tanks in the street. 
No doubt the images listed have caused a number of you to flinch or to have some sort of visceral reaction, just as I have had in reading them. However, I believe that we need to acknowledge the darkness that resides in our world now and in the collective human history, in order to move us toward the light, and in the case of our focus today - peace. 
So, how do we move ourselves towards peace? I would suggest there are two ways. The first is prayer. Now, you’ll need to bear with me as I discuss “prayer” as I think it is more than simply talking to God. I’m also not talking about (air quotes) “thoughts and prayers” being extended in times of horrific violence and tragedy. What I am talking about is spending time petitioning God to help us renew our minds, recognize our privilege, and empower us to be better human beings; reflecting on our thoughts, actions, and intentions; meditating and making mental shifts in our views of others, their value and our collective place in the world. 
Our reading from Philippians speaks of some things that could be meditated upon - . In the Gospels, Jesus continually presents new ways to think about how we go about life - “you have heard it said, but I tell you…”; and likewise, the apostle Paul speaks of “renewing our minds” (Romans 12:2). We all have mental work to do, in and through prayer. And for those of us who are not the praying type, or perhaps don’t believe God takes action through human prayers, I would still say an exercise in self-evaluation and reflection will make us better human beings. 
The second way we move ourselves closer to peace is through action. For this I want to draw upon Jesus’ teachings. In the book of Matthew, Jesus tells those that are gathered with Him, “Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be recognized as the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) As you may know, this verse is part of the Beatitudes which is a 10-verse section that begins Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, a lengthy teaching, in which he lays out radically different ways to live and conduct one’s life. In this verse Jesus uses the word “peacemaker” as opposed to the word “peacekeeper”, a word I mentioned a few moments ago. I think there is a stark difference between a “peacekeeper" and a “peacemaker”. A peacekeeper protects what is already established, some sort of peace. The position of peacekeeper is that of defender, one who is on alert to repel forces that might disrupt the “peace”. If you were to do an internet search for “peacekeeper” you would quickly find the results populated are links to weapons, including a US manufactured intercontinental missile named… yup, the “Peacekeeper”. I think Jesus' use of the word peacemaker is very intentional. Jesus lived under Pax Romana, Roman peace, and from what we know of history that “peace” came at a price - war. So for Jesus to speak of peacemakers, he is indicating a way of living our lives in direct opposition to the governmental powers and the norms of society. In his book Jesus’ Alternative Plan, Richard Rohr states, “...Jesus defines peace in a different way. We call this the Pax Christi, the peace of Christ. …
The Pax Romana creates a false peace by sacrificing others; the Pax Christi waits and works for true peace by sacrificing the false self of power, prestige and possessions.” Jesus wants us to make peace not keep peace. 
Being a peacemaker means we take action, we don’t wait for change to happen, we work to initiate it. We do this by drawing from our inner peace developed in prayer and passing it along to those we encounter. I know that this might seem like a large task, something that is unsurmountable, especially in light of the anti-peace examples I’ve stated so far and the turmoil that is currently in our world, but I don’t think Jesus is calling us to large-scale peacemaking, at least not on our own. His examples for peacemaking change were all individually based - turn the other cheek, carry the backpack an extra mile - they were from one person to another. 
So, passing our peace to others, how might we do that? What has Jesus demonstrated for us? 
In following Jesus’ examples of peacemaking we love one another, demonstrating value to those we encounter. We do this by supporting others in difficult times in their lives. We grieve with each other. We seek understanding rather than retaliation when we feel we are wronged. We learn about our micro and passive aggressions, and change the way we think, speak and act. We work to be active listeners, a less of “me” approach to those we interact with. We respect the differences in others even when their truth may not be our truth. We work to reconcile conflicts between ourselves and others. 
As a community we draw awareness to the plague of gun violence. We become inclusive and accepting, turning none away - all are welcomed at God’s table, no exceptions. We affirm our LGBTQ siblings, loving them and recognizing their value. We recognize that Black Lives matter and we work for racial justice and true equality. We work towards social justice and creation care. 
We might exercise our voting rights. We might sign petitions for legislation, change or protest. We might write to or call a government representative calling upon them to take action. We might peacefully march in protest for social change, for justice, and for peace. We might invite others to share a meal, sharing time and space together. We might choose to wear orange on the last Sunday of the month when we make a statement about gun violence. And in a few moments we will get a chance to practice “passing the peace”, so greet a person you don’t know, give a hug to a dear friend, a kiss to a loved one, move around the sanctuary to pass your peace. 
Becoming and being a peacemaker is not a popular choice in our society, but it is the way of Jesus. Having inner peace and passing it on - it is the way. As Rumi says, “Be a precious donor of peace and hope. Give love to all you meet, for so many in this world are being torn apart.'' The blessing from the Carmina Gadelica calls for “deep peace… to you”. 

Let me leave us with one more quote about peace and peacemaking, this comes from the journal of Etty Hillesum a murder victim at Auschwitz, 
“Ultimately, we have just one moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace, and to reflect it toward others. And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will also be in our troubled world.” 
Amen.

​

​Nearly a week ago Spring officially started here in the Northern Hemisphere signaling the time of year where new life and new growth begin for the created world around us. Flowers begin to bloom, trees bud and many of the living creatures are participating in new life. When we look at this morning’s lessons and Gospel we can see that God is very Springlike, and Spring mimic’s the Creator’s nature in bringing about new life.

In the passage from Ezekiel, the prophet’s vision is ultimately of God’s renewal. Ezekiel receives a vision of a valley full of dry bones, which symbolizes Israel’s disconnect from God(verse 11). Israel has “died” and is without God’s spirit. Israel is in a dark place, in death, in the grave(verse 12). However, despite the disconnect from God, as symbolized in the vision - the bones separated from the sinew, sinew from the flesh, and the flesh ultimately from the breath - the Spirit will be put within them. God will restore Israel, bringing a newness to their state(verses 13,14).

In Psalm 130, we see again a renewal take place, in this case a change in mindset. The psalmist is in the depths and looking for deliverance. The psalmist is in “darkness” and waiting for the light, specifically the morning light, a light at the end of a time of darkness. The psalmist seems to reflect on God’s nature and while waiting is reminded that there is redemption. The psalmist knows that this redemption, this newness is not just on an individual level but also collective and corporate as they call on Israel to acknowledge God’s mercy and “plenteous” redemption.

In the lesson from Romans, we see a juxtaposition of flesh and spirit. This has similar imagery to the passage from Ezekiel, but Paul brings slightly different connotations. For Paul the flesh, while metaphorically connected to the body in this case, equates to living selfishly in sin and apart from God, not focused on Godly things. We might liken this to Israel’s condition in Ezekiel and the separation the Psalmist feels at the beginning of Psalm 130. Whereas the spirit in Paul’s description indicates living righteously, focused on God and Godly things, with God’s Spirit dwelling inside of us. God brings new life to our fleshly state
through the Spirit. We have access to newness because the Spirit of God raised Christ from the dead.

In following the order of the lectionary today, we are brought to the passage from the Gospel of John. I would like to take a moment or two in order to acknowledge some of the complexities with this passage. I do not wish to cheapen or simplify it by nonchalantly connecting it to the theme that I see present today. 

At this current moment in time, here today March 26th, 2023, we are one
Sunday away from celebrating Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and approximately two weeks away from the events of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

In the chronological context of John’s gospel, which is different from the synoptic  Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, this account with Lazarus, which also does not appear in the Synoptics, is a week before Passover and the crucifixion of  Christ.

In the literary construct, this passage is smack dab in the middle of John’s Gospel. 10 chapters before, 10 chapters after. Within the first half of John’s Gospel, the author highlights 7 “signs” of Jesus, one of which was part of the lectionary last week, and a few of the others appear in other lectionary calendars. 

This account is the last of the seven “signs'' recorded in John’s Gospel. It is the sign that broke the camel’s back; pushed the religious leaders over the edge; it is the breaking point. Today’s Gospel selection stops a few verses short of the religious leaders escalating their plot to kill Jesus. (Uh, didn’t Jesus just raise Lazarus from the dead and now the leaders want Jesus dead?!?)

So now the raising of Lazarus.

On first take, Lazarus is sick, Jesus is sent for, Jesus comes (cough “late”), gets an earful from Martha and Mary, and then raises Lazarus. New Life!

This depiction of God, in Christ, bringing new life has some further implications for us as we dig deeper.

First, the sisters’ pleas. If Jesus had just come quicker he could have healed Lazarus of the sickness and he wouldn’t have died, yet they express faith that Jesus could do something. Jesus is met on the road to Bethany first by Martha and a discussion ensues about Lazarus’ resurrection. Martha assumes it is a delayed event saved for the day of the resurrection, but Jesus, in His cryptic way, seems to imply that it will not occur as Martha envisions. Jesus is the resurrection and the life, as He was on that day with Martha and as He is today with us. God’s resurrection is accessible in this life.

Second, this event gave God glory, and Jesus, who was and is one with the Father, knew this to be the case. He stated to the disciples when they received word from the messenger, when they were running “late” and He reminded Martha right before calling Lazarus out of the tomb. Furthermore, according to Jewish belief the spirit leaves the body three days after death, so here on the fourth day when Jesus showed up, Lazarus was dead, like dead dead. To those that traveled from Jerusalem to mourn and pay their respects, many if not all, would’ve counted Lazarus a lost cause. God is the giver of new life, which, for human expectations may seem delayed but right on time for bringing glory and leading people to an encounter with God.

Lastly, we see that Jesus is affected emotionally by this situation, as it is
described that “Jesus wept.” The emotions of Jesus are minimally represented in the Gospels. In the garden at Gethsemane found in the Synoptic Gospels: Matthew, Mark and Luke; the clearing of the temple found in all of the Gospels, and now here in John chapter 11. We don’t know exactly why Jesus is weeping. Perhaps he is an empathetic crier. He sees the sisters and others grieving and mourning, he feels the weight of the situation, and in empathy, in solidarity, he too weeps. Or perhaps, as it is stated in the Gospel, Lazarus is one whom Jesus loved and Jesus is heartbroken and wrecked at this momentary loss, and I say
momentary because Jesus has already indicated that Lazarus has “fallen asleep”. Or perhaps, Jesus knows that what he is about to do will set in motion his betrayal, execution and resurrection. Whatever the reason, the image of Christ, God’s son, incarnate deity, embracing the emotional state of humanity is powerful, reassuring and hope inducing. God the giver of new life has experienced our life.

So what might all of this mean for us, here today?

For some of us here today, we are looking for and want to encounter the
newness that God can give. We may be waiting like the Psalmist for the morning light. We may be like the dry bones of Ezekiel, needing the components of life to be regenerated so the breath of God can inhabit our being. Or perhaps we are feeling more like Lazarus - dead dead and need God to resurrect us. Whatever it might be, may Jesus’ words to Martha bring us comfort,
“I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”

For others of us here, we have experienced God’s newness. God’s Spirit dwells in us. We are sharing that newness of life because we have encountered God at some point in our lives. We are like the psalmist calling others to “wait for the LORD”, to find that “there is mercy” and “plenteous redemption”. 

And there are some of us that are in between. Neither dead, nor feeling full of
God’s newness. However, if in faith we send for Jesus’ healing touch like the sisters did, or go to meet Jesus on His way to us, we will find “the resurrection and the life”.
Amen.