Jesus said: ‘If you keep on being faithful right to the end, you will be saved.’ May I speak in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Our readings today tell us about the end of the world. The language is poetic, it is symbolic, but it nevertheless announces a time of judgement, a time of great distress, but also a time of great deliverance.
The language can be surprising and we can find it a bit shocking, but sometimes, only such language will do – it’s words like these that give people a wake-up call and pulls them up from a state of fear or apathy into a state of hope and action.
Let’s look at the words of Jesus: ‘These buildings that you find impressive, they’re nothing compared to what is to happen. Every one of them will be thrown down… There will be wars, earthquakes and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.’
Why such strong words? Well, when the Gospel of Mark was written sometime around the year 70 AD, its listeners were a tiny band of Jesus’ followers. Their very lives were at risk because of their faith, and their hopes for the return of the Son of Man – the great Saviour who would finally deliver them from oppression – were dimming daily.
Mark’s community was living on the margins. When he wrote his Gospel, there was a great social upheaval in Jerusalem, and it was one of the worst eras of Jewish history. Poverty was on the rise, especially among the Jews, many of whom were becoming destitute. There was a Jewish revolt, violence increased, and crosses started lining the highways from Rome to Jerusalem.
Such were things under the reign of men. But what would they be like under the reign of God? Remember, the end of the world would mark the beginning of a new time, when God’s own life would come to permeate the world in which we live.
Heaven would come to earth. Under the reign of God, people would be free, through the teachings and miracles of Jesus. All people, whatever their class, gender, race, age, or physical condition, would be received and valued by God and taught to create a new, fair, inclusive community. That’s what Christians believed.
The people who walked in darkness were going to see a great light indeed.
But what light is on the way for us today? What hopes and possibilities?
It is easy to despair today. The Church is undergoing an upheaval. On this Safeguarding Sunday, it is perfectly legitimate to wonder how many more scandals will come to light, how many more victims of abuse we will hear of, how many more bishops will have to resign until we have leaders who actively apply a zero-tolerance policy on abuse.
But zero-tolerance is not only the duty of leaders, it is ours also, collective and individual. Woven through Christian Scripture, the Holy Trinity commends to God’s people a trinity of God’s special concern: widows, orphans, and strangers. In the Bible, there are more direct and indirect references to helping these vulnerable groups than there are to tithing, communion, and baptism.
In fact, there are over 2,000 references to matters of justice and injustice in the Bible, in which the principles of safeguarding are included.
I brought with me today my favourite Bible: the poverty and justice bible. What I love about it is that every single verse in the Bible that wakes us up to issues of poverty and justice is highlighted. Our chapters from Daniel, Mark, and Hebrews all have highlights today.
We have a trinity of God’s special concerns, and we also have a trinity of action in what is called the theology of safeguarding: a mandate, a motivation, and a mission.
The mandate is clear: every generation must play its part in caring for vulnerable people and indeed each other, as parts of creation, as children of God.
Now ministry to vulnerable people can often focus only on practical help. Of course, it is essential to provide food for the hungry and support for the lonely, but we are also called to adopt a holistic approach which includes spiritual well-being and protection from harm.
We have heard of the horrendous physical abuse perpetrated by John Smyth and others. But it was the climax of other abuse, psychological, emotional, spiritual – a seriously toxic set of behaviours including seduction (grooming), control, manipulation, abuse of power, and coercion. Manipulation (and what is called ‘gaslighting’) is a very common form of abuse, very pernicious. It’s a way of twisting reality, instilling doubt in the mind of someone, and paving the way for more control and abuse of power. It is commonly practised by people in authority, including priests.
The good news is, we can all call it out. And that’s one of the main teachings from Jesus, everyone has agency. Children have agency, people of all ages have agency. Their views are to be heard and respected.
We all have ears to listen to others, eyes to see how they feel, mouths to bring comfort to them, and to alert our safeguarding officers that something does not feel quite right.
Now the motivation. Every leader must pursue God’s purpose and priorities for vulnerable people. Every minister, person in authority, and their teams have that duty. And it is the duty of all God’s people to hold leaders accountable. We are all needed to call out what we think is unjust, unfair, unhealthy, and unacceptable.
As for the mission, every means must be employed to keep vulnerable people safe, heard, and noticed. It is perfectly alright for each and every one of us to demand the proper measures, means, funds, to ensure the safety of all. The legal means too. And let us be clear about who the vulnerable ones are today: of course, the poor, the widows, so dear to God. But also students, pupils, elderly people, disabled people, people of middle age seeking a fresh understanding of life and opening up to faith.
All, whatever the reasons and situations for their vulnerabilities, must be safeguarded. The basis for their vulnerability must be understood, and when we can, it must be actively challenged.
Jesus said ‘the end is still to come’ and he spoke of birth pains. He also said ‘do not be afraid’. The birth is that of the kingdom. The kingdom is closer than we think. And let us live without fear, because God is working in the world as we speak, God is always working, and He brings love and joy, light, and truth. Let us live with hearts full of compassion, doing the work God calls us to do.
To help us, we have the Trinity of love. The Father who created us, the Son who redeemed us, the Spirit who sustains us. Since we have a great priest over the house of God, says the letter to the Hebrews, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings. Let us hold on to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on, toward love and good deeds, encouraging one another in the faith, for the good of God’s vulnerable people.
Amen.
M L-R