Second Sunday of Easter – C4

Second Sunday of Easter – C4

Years C
John 20:19-31

"Put a finger here."

"Where?"

"In a wound."

The Body of Christ is not just a congregation or denomination of faithful believers. The Body of Christ, in the beginning, was with G*D, as "Word", bringing forth evening and morning, daily. Wherever there is a wound, Christ calls us to find belief by putting our finger there and to energize that belief with a life lived to reveal what is behind the wound.

Iraq is a wound of Christ that needs a finger of belief that there is a peace greater than any war or all wars added together.

AIDS is a wound of Christ that needs a finger of belief that there is healing behavior to avoid it and deal with it - eventually binding us together.

Starving children are wounds of Christ that needs a finger of belief that a feast can be set today with more than enough for all.

Negative campaigns are wounds of Christ that needs a finger of belief that honesty is the best policy and cutting a corner to be in a power position cuts that very power from being used from underneath one.

Homophobia is a wound of Christ that needs a finger of belief that love is possible beyond cultural rules and regulations.

Global warming is a wound of Christ that needs a finger of belief that caring for Earth is care for self.

As an individual I don't have enough fingers for all the wounds of Christ, but between us, we do. As we move our fingers toward a wound we find what we believe - that we are more than we believe. We are also what we doubt and what we love and what we envision. Just being in the presence of a wound stimulates us to move beyond assent that something ought to be done to participation in a resurrection oriented toward healing.

In this morning's New York Times Harvey Fierstein concludes an editorial regarding the wound of hate-speech, "...you cannot harbor malice toward others and then cry foul when someone displays intolerance against you. Prejudice tolerated is intolerance encouraged. Rise up in righteousness when you witness the words and deeds of hate, but only if you are willing to rise up against them all, including your own. Otherwise suffer the slings and arrows of disrespect silently."

= = = = = = =

Tinkerbell asks us to believe
it is a healing force
as Thomas believes
Jesus' wound shrinks

each time a finger
points toward a wound
in Gaia's ozone
Jesus' wound shrinks

each time a finger
points toward a wound
in justice denied
Jesus' wound shrinks

each time a finger
points toward a wound
in peace broken
Jesus' wound shrinks

each time a finger
even begins to waggle
a difference is made
Jesus' wound shrinks

each time a finger
points toward our own wound
wholeness comes and goes forth
Jesus' wound shrinks

each time a finger
joins a finger
community arises
Jesus' wound shrinks

each time a finger
becomes a hand
Jesus' wound heals
no second coming

each time a finger
becomes a hand
Jesus' wound heals
paradise again

Jesus' wound heals
each time a finger
raises a question
about a world's wound

Jesus' finger greets
each wounded soul
mine yours our
peace be with you

each time our fingers
join Jesus' fingers
sparks fly out
peace settles in