A short sermon on Fourth Sunday after Epiphany;
Some parts are based on the material published by the Council of Christians and Jews and Churches Together in Britain and Ireland:
[II Tim. 1:7-10; Mt. 14:22-33]
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Those of us who don't believe in sin might wish to watch the news from time to time or read a newspaper.
Humankind has a mind-boggling capacity for evil and destruction -more often than not self-destruction- and an enormous capacity to constantly come up with new ways to break every one of God's commandments.
Every Holocaust, every past and present genocide and war and its aftermath raise seemingly unsurmountable challenges for individuals, peoples and nations.
How do we respond to unimaginable suffering and death?
How do we rebuilt and go on after such devastating traumas?
Can justice ever be served after such horrific events?
The Jewish holocaust-survivor and Nazi-hunter Elie Wiesel said: "For the survivor death is not the problem. Death was an everyday occurrence. We learned to live with death. The problem is to adjust to life, to living. You must teach us about living."
As Lutheran Christians we teach that people aren't just sinners, they're saints as well.
People in all their sinfulness have a great capacity for evil, but they also have a terrifically wonderful capacity for love and kindness, heartfelt compassion and genuine interest.
We've been set free by grace alone so that we can love our neighbour as ourself, we've been given this extraordinary opportunity to be co-workers with God for the good of all Creation.
Our world's concerns, our fellow human beings' pains are also our concerns and pains.
We shouldn't be timid about this calling, God's Spirit empowers and assists us in this task.
When we feel that the world is literally pulling us down into darkness, down into a watery grave, God comes to us and pulls us up, pulls us out from death to life, just as at our Baptism.
When life's winds are literally howling around us, God's voice will drown out the noise; 'Don't be afraid, I've heard your plea, and even if its fraught with doubt I'm here for you, holding on to you!'
Then the winds do die down.
We're guided and encouraged to do the same for others!
In everyday encounters with the stranger, in relationships with loved-ones, even in large-scale horrors like genocide and war, we're confronted with a simple question: all God has done for you, will you do the same?
God teaches you life, every single day, will you dare to walk on water, pull the other up and teach them to live also?
And the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.