It’s been a busy couple weeks around the Anglican world – here in the Diocese of California – the diocesan convention just concluded last night, about 240 of us on Zoom on Friday evening, and a few more in person at Grace Cathedral yesterday, working through elections, resolutions, and an overview of how the diocese continues its ministry together. Many of us had a ‘good’ feeling of new directions after the two days of listening, reading, reflecting, and praying. Our bishop, Austin Rios, shaped a process by which some of the primary areas of concern were discussed and reflected on, and the 7-fold strategic visioning decisions have much that is good in them as the diocese moves towards greater collaboration and cooperation.
It’s also been a busy couple weeks around the Anglican communion; after waiting months and months and months, a new Archbishop of Canterbury has been named (the Rt. Rev’d and Rt. Honorable Sarah Mullally) and along with this history-making shift, (the first woman in its more than 1,400 years), the inevitable fury of GAFCON – (Global Anglican Future Conference) who object to women in any leadership, who object to any hints of inclusivity that might include LGBTQ+ Christians, and who object to any suggestion that Anglicanism is not sola scriptura (the approach of finding authority only in scripture). The schism is underway (and, in reality, it has been underway for a while). It is a sad (but expected) break in being in communion as a global church. Being in communion is not just a nice thing – it is mandatum, a commandment of Christ – “be one, as the Father and I are one…” And we have failed in that commandment…
Then there is the matter of secular divisions – in the US, between the US and many countries, in many other countries. Violence continues where we had hoped it would not, climate disasters mount – last week a horrible environmental disaster along the far West Coast in Alaska, pounding rain, high winds, high tides, and massive flooding destroyed many villages and many people are still missing. In light of these events (and many others) many of you took part in protest marches yesterday – good for you, make your voice heard for justice for all! But reflecting on these urgent disruptions in our lives in these days, I often read through the scripture readings assigned for a particular Sunday and wonder – “what has this to do with anything in our lives?” But, inevitably, the Word of God does have much to do with us – in the first century, 1,400 years ago, and in 2025.
Let’s start with the peculiar story recorded only in Luke – not found in Matthew, Mark or John. The judge and the widow. The judge is difficult to summon any sympathy for – he “neither feared God nor had respect for people.” I’d say these days that might be a type of judge we would recognize… Then there is the widow who “kept coming to him and saying” “grant me justice against my opponent.” What’s the story? We never hear what the issue was…just that one very exasperated judge finally gave in because he was worn down…So the moral of the story is that if we just nag everyone, things will go our way?? The awkwardness of the less-than-model-judge and the nagging widow doesn’t seem to present very helpful role models in either case…but, let’s look closer…
The widow: in a world where prayer and mercy for widows and orphans was a common plea, we would be wise to remember that widows had little to no standing in society. With no man to do the public interaction, with no one to earn money, with no one to plead her case – she is one of the most vulnerable people in society, she is – under certain Roman regimes – not fully a human being, but rather property, or at least problematic until remarried (widows, orphans, and refugees – again and again in scripture – are those to be cared for). She had no choice but to argue again and again for justice “against my opponent” and justice was granted, perhaps a reimbursement? Land stolen and returned? It was likely, for her, a matter of life and death.
And the judge – fairly despicable – relents, a sort of “bad people can do good things”, even if not for the right reasons.
The story must have also sounded bizarre to the community of Luke too, because it comes with an interpretation at the very beginning of the story – perhaps in its first version no one could figure it out!
“Jesus told his disciples a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart…”
Oh, that’s what it means…! We are meant to see ourselves in that widow, we are meant to understand her lesson for us, don’t give up!
“…will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night?” Persevere – don’t be wimps in prayer, don’t ask once and when nothing happens, give up – no, keep praying. Jeremiah echoed this in his prophecies, saying, on God’s behalf: Listen: “I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Listen, I am your God, and you are my people. “I will forgive, I will remember sin no more…”
By the time of the second letter to Timothy (early 2nd century, we think), the first (and even second) generations of Christians had died – 2nd Timothy is meant to encourage those who are finding Christianity a difficult slog – there are persecutions, there are false prophets, it’s easy to follow the newest thing – to follow the religious trend without knowing which is the source of divine truth:
“…for the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths.”
How do we know who is right? You know the “sacred writings” – you know the teachings of reliable leaders: continue in those teachings: “proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching.”
Persevere – we prayed in the opening prayer just a bit ago that God preserve us in mercy so that we, the church, “may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of God’s Name…” At the beginning of the second century the letter to Timothy concludes by telling us to “do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.” The gospel of Luke tells us to persevere…we profess in our creed that we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come…and we pray in our eucharistic prayer that the Holy Spirit may sanctify not just our gifts of bread and wine but also us – “that we may faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy and peace, and at the end, be brought into the joy of your eternal kingdom” – with all the others, the widow, the prophet Jeremiah, the confused disciples, perhaps even that annoying and annoyed judge.
Do not lose heart, do not be discouraged – persevere – pray, “endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.”
