I had a wonderful, memorable experience that I want to share with you...
Kent and I were with the rest of the group in Bigfork, Montana several days ago, we were exploring this great little art studio/gallery... the Buffalo Trails Gallery. The studio was filled with outstanding bronze sculptures of animals and hunters as well as Native American pieces. Each piece was priced way out of our price range, anywhere from a few thousand to over twenty thousand dollars. I asked the woman behind the desk if it would be ok for Kent to touch the pieces of art, and she said that would be fine. So around the gallery we went, from this piece of art to that, from buffalo, to hunter, to horses to pack trains being attacked by grizzlies, to fisherman, all kinds of sculptures. Some were pretty simple and easy for Kent to figure out... in fact I was amazed at his ability to identify each piece. Some were more difficult and involved, in fact near impossible, I don’t know how Kent did it...
There were moments when the teachings of Jesus were difficult to grasp. The lesson from the gospel of John reflects one of those moments. Jesus is claiming something that strikes his listeners as strange. This teaching comes on the heals of the feeding of the 5,000. He says that he is the bread that has come down from heaven just like the manna that God provided in the wilderness that sustained the ancient Israelites. His teaching is that he, somehow, is food from heaven.
There are those who had been following Jesus for some time, who found this particular teaching strange and difficult. And the gospel of John tells us that these followers quit following Jesus. Some of the disciples, quit following Jesus when they heard him speaking metaphorically about his existence and purpose here on earth.
It was difficult for them to understand all of this talk, so difficult that they gave up.
I was in the process of helping Kent explore a particularly complicated piece of artwork that was created on two different levels. It had a group of Native Americans standing around an opening on the top level. They were all looking down through that opening into the middle of the piece. Underneath was a huge herd of bison traveling in a circle.
Kent was exploring this piece with his hands and figuring it all out. He was doing wonderfully, when I discovered that there was a story that went with this particular sculpture. The story was written on two bronze tablets on either side... so I started to read the story. I hadn’t gotten too far into it when an elderly fellow came up to us, seemingly out of nowhere and interrupted my story... he asked if we’d like to hear the story of the piece. I have to admit, I was a bit put out... who was this guy to just walk up and take over my storytelling. I was doing just fine! Would we like to hear the story??? I was already telling the story - buddy!!!
The author of the book of Hebrews talks about the various ways that God had attempted to communicate with human beings. Through the law, through the prophets, through nature... but, the author says... in these last days, God has chosen to communicate with us through the son... Jesus.
So, anyway, this fellow - short stalky, bearded fellow, in his 80’s - starts telling the story that I had started. I was still a little perturbed at this fellow, and then as I listened I realized he was telling the story with a difference. He wasn’t reading the story from the bronze tablets, he was telling the story from his heart. He knew this story.
He would take Kent’s hands in his and move them to different parts the the sculpture as he explained the story. A story that involved a Native American legend about where the buffalo had gone.
The story started to come alive through this man’s telling.
Jesus turns to the 12, after the other disciples had abandoned him, and asked if they, too, were going to be leaving him. Peter, in one of the most beautifully moving moments of the gospels says... to whom would we go? To whom would we go? We believe that you are the one sent from God, you are the Holy One sent from God... you are the one who has the words of eternal life.
Jesus had come as a gift from God to help us understand more fully the depth of God’s grace and the intricacies of God’s ways. Through Jesus we get an awesome glimpse into the mystery of God. Through Jesus we hear the eternal words of truth and wholeness.
It wasn’t too far into the story that I realized this man knew the story inside and out. The way he talked about this piece of art was more than just a retelling of an empty story... it was the story that gave birth to the art itself. This man knew what he was talking about. We were captured by his enthusiasm and his love for the art. He spent the next 45 minutes moving with us around the studio explaining this piece and that piece. Telling us how bronze works, how the castings are made, how he envisioned this and that.
Kent and I were captured by this man’s enthusiasm and stories. We were walking for a few moments with the creator of all this wonderful art. The man’s name was Bob Stayton, the same name that was signed on every piece of art in the gallery.
Those who had a difficult time accepting Jesus were similar to me when this man first walked up and offered his insight. I thought I had all the tools I needed to tell the story of the artwork. I resented this interloper. I had my bronze tablets and I was telling the story. Don’t add to it, I’m telling the story here, I can see all the words, I can tell the story. It took me a while to realize that this man had more than bronze tablets, he had the story inside.
Jesus had the story inside. He didn’t have to rely on the ancient stories, he lived the stories. He didn’t have to rely on rules and regulations, he lived God’s truth.
The man’s name was Jesus. And in the beginning the word was with God, creating all we know, all we have.
Bob took Kent’s hands and helped him understand his creation.
Jesus is like the hands of God, come down to guide us into a deeper understanding of God’s creation.
Whenever you get confused, whenever things just don’t seem to fit right in your existence, whenever you hear things about God that don’t seem to jive with your experience and understanding. Look to Jesus. Look to the hands of God come down to guide us and show us a way of love.
There are times when we just try to make things too complicated, look to the hands of God come down to guide us.
There are times when life leaves us ragged and sore... look to the hands of God.
There are times when we feel like we’ve lost our way... look to the hands of God.
In fact, I can just imagine Jesus... taking your hands and moving them about this crazy complicated piece of art called life. I can just see Jesus taking all the time necessary to explain and tell the story. A story that comes from the heart. A story that lifts our spirits and opens our hearts to the God of creation and love.
Kent and I both walked away from that gallery and had the same reaction... Wow! That was cool!
I’ll never forget the lesson of having to move over so the creator could tell the story... having to stop reciting a story that I didn’t know well, one that I was just reading and move aside to make way for the author.
When Jesus came and shared God’s story, there were those who had an investment in running the faith community the way it had always been run. They had a difficult time getting out of the way. There are moments when God begins singing a new song or moving in a new way. God’s spirit seems to be directing us towards more inclusive, more affirming ways towards people who have been traditionally excluded and marginalized. It’s difficult for us to recognize that what we’ve held dear may no longer be the way of God.
Jesus comes into our lives and tells a powerful story of grace and acceptance.
Sometimes we just have to get out of the way, and let grace happen.
Amen.