We are called to be Arc Benders.....

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”  This statement is affirmed in Scripture—in the Gospel. After all, even Jesus didn’t bring about the completion of the kingdom, right? Jesus didn’t say: “Well, God, nice idea about Kingdom living, nice vision you got there, but it’s never gonna happen in my lifetime, so I think I’ll just sit this one out.”  No, Jesus was an arc bender—living a life of justice so that we would follow in that way. Knowing it wouldn’t happen in his lifetime, but arc bending nevertheless.

But, it’s hard being arc benders. It’s the long, slow work of God, and we would like some immediate results, thank you very much. Because being an arc bender means you have to live in the tension. The tension of already, but not yet. The tension of the conflict that arises because to bend the arc toward justice is to change the status quo. It is to move progressively toward new life, new possibilities and to move away from what has been because what “has been” is oppressive. Maybe not to us or for us, but oppressive for our siblings or for Creation, so that means as People of the Way of Love—we must choose to become arc benders. Because as Christ followers we believe that injustice for anyone is injustice for everyone.

But, Beloved, living in that tension—and the anxiety that comes with the “not yet”----is exhausting. It can become absolutely debilitating. I think the people Jeremiah is talking to in today’s reading understand this well. In case you didn’t know, way back in the 10th century BCE, the people and nation of Israel became divided. The people were divided about who was the legitimate king, who they wanted to be their leader. Sound familiar?  So they split up—the Northern Kingdom, often known as Ephraim, following one leader, and the Southern Kingdom, known as Judah–or sometimes just Israel, following another.

Then 200 years later, in the 8th century BCE, the Northern Kingdom, Ephraim, was conquered by Asssyria–with many folx getting exiled and all folx living under oppression. Another 200 years later, in the 6th century BCE, the Southern kingdom, Judah, was conquered by the Babylonian Empire—many of those folx also sent into exile.  And that’s when Jeremiah comes in. Jeremiah lived in the years leading up the Babylonian exile and into the time of exile itself. And it is at this time that Jeremiah declares this beautiful promise that God has for God’s people:

God says to us: You will be restored, my people, you will be gathered from all directions.  From the division you have built between you, from the exile and oppression that resulted from that division, you will be restored. God declares that this gathering for restoration will include all people—the most weak and lame, the blind and those who do not understand; but also, among the gathered will be the ones who will give birth to new life, those who will do the work of resurrection and rebirth. The restoration of God’s people requires the entire breadth of humanity.
Okay, great. That sounds great. So, when you gonna make it happen God? How long, O God, how long?
Beloved, let me remind you of our origin story in the book of Genesis.  God created all things—six days of Creation work. But then, on the seventh day, God rested. God stopped. Not just because the Creator and Source of all Being needed a nap. No, because the Creator’s work was done. Done. Beloved, God no longer intercedes in Creation—-at least, not alone. What our Genesis story tells us is that God now intercedes in Creation, on behalf of Creation, THROUGH HUMANITY. Through the arc benders, those pregnant with justice who push back on the oppressive status quo and help humanity and Creation to progress into a fuller life with more abundance for all of Creation.
We hear this truth in the Gospel story today as well.  Here’s this blind man, Bartimaeus, who cries out to Jesus—this blind man knows who Jesus is, what Jesus offers, so this Blind man cries out.  Son of David, have mercy on me! Those closest to Jesus try to silence him, stop him, thwart him, but he will not have it. He continues to cry out. Jesus stops. Stands still. And asks for the Blind man. This man then throws off his cloak—as a blind beggar he would have been homeless; this cloak is his only shelter, his security, his home—but he throws it off and jumps up and goes to Jesus. Because Jesus has stopped still, the man is able to use the sound of Jesus’ voice and his stillness to come to Jesus. And the man is made well. He is given back his sight—which in Scripture is also always about his understanding, his worldview.  He gets “woke,” in other words. 

But did you notice, Jesus did nothing to restore him. In this story, there’s no mud put on the man’s eyes, no spit. It was simply the efficacy of his faith—his trust and belief in Jesus, in love, this Way, this Truth, and this life—that saved  him. His faith has made him well.  God intercedes in Creation through humanity. Miracles are wrought through humanity. Restoration comes about through humanity. Resurrection happens through humanity. Yes, of course, inspired by Love (aka God), inspirited by Love (aka God) but not without the intercession of humanity—shown and modeled to us by the one we call Jesus the Christ.

​When I was teaching high school, every hour when the bell rang to end class, I would always send my students off saying: Play well with others; make a positive difference in the world; always choose joy.
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” And Beloved, we are the arc benders. Use your vote to be an arc bender. Let us move toward the Kingdom, knowing it will not be completed within our lifetime, but we shall not be the ones to send us backward nor to stymie the progress of justice and love. Let us intercede on the behalf of all Creation.
Using the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Let us pray:
Lord…We thank you for your church, founded upon your Word, that challenges us to do more than sing and pray,
but go out and work as though the very answer to our prayers depended on us and not upon you.
Help us to realize that humanity was created to shine like the stars and live on through all eternity.
Keep us, we pray, in perfect peace.
Help us to walk together,
pray together,
sing together,
and live together
until that day when all God’s children
- Black, White, Red, Brown and Yellow -
will rejoice in one common band of humanity
in the reign of our Lord and of our God, we pray.
Amen.