Sermon preached by the Reverend John E

The parable of the seed growing secretly seeks to inculcate trust on the part of Jesus' disciples that the kingdom, already hiddenly at work in Jesus' ministry, will in God's good time become manifest and be consummated[1].

In other words, Jesus’ audience would have understood it to be God at work, making the seed grow into a plant. Thus, metaphorically, it is God at work and we are the vessels, the vehicles, for the fruition of God’s work. This may sound like the abdication of personal responsibility. That is not the case, and if you bear with me, I will show you why.

Some of you may recall a Washington Post story at the time of the Fiftieth Anniversary of Jackie Robinson's historic breaking of the color line in Major League Baseball[2]. The Post story revolves around Robinson, but he is not the focus. This story is about Jackie's teammate, a Kentucky born shortstop known as "Pee Wee" Reese. Here is an excerpt from the article.

[The story] took place in Cincinnati during a game in which Jackie Robinson was having an especially hellish time. The stadium scene was ugly, and Robinson, true to his pact with Dodgers owner Branch Rickey, couldn't fight back. He was standing on the field just taking it from the fans and the opposing dugout. As the abuse mounted, the Dodgers' captain, Pee Wee Reese, walked over to second base and put his arm over Jackie's shoulder, showing the crowd where he stood."

Among other things, this gesture was to be the beginning of a lifelong friendship between these two men. The writer (Colbert I. King) continued:

Robinson's place in history is secure. He was a fighter, a pioneer, a believer. He stood tall. Robinson remains an inspiration for generations to come. But Pee Wee Reese deserves more than an honorable mention too. In a way, he served us too, by becoming a living lesson of how we should behave.

In the context of racist attacks and attempts to demean Jackie Robinson, Reese's gesture spoke volumes. Contained in his action was a glimpse of the kingdom of God manifest and consummated on earth. In an interview, Reese did not talk about the larger social and political implications of his action. In his eyes, it was "simply ... a show of unity for a teammate." Reese was certainly aware that Jackie Robinson was the first Black major league ballplayer. To me, Reese’s understatement in the face of such racial vitriol, reveals a deeper vision of Robinson’s humanity.

So, I wonder how God had been working in Pee Wee Reese all the years before the Cincinnati incident; and, I wonder whether he was aware of it. I wonder what people and forces had quietly and subtly influenced Pee Wee in ways that made him step forward without regard for what might happen to him. For me, the particular answers would be interesting, perhaps revealing. However, through my particular lens, the most significant aspect of this story is an affirmation of trust—trust that God is working out God's plan of salvation. For me, the Pee Wee Reese story and others like it are important glimpses of God's kingdom manifest and consummated. Stories like this and the insight of the parable help me to pray the most frequently used prayer in the Prayer Book liturgies:

O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; by the effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquility the plan of salvation; let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN[3].

Today's second parable focuses on the "... the mustard seed ... the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs ..." (Mark 4: 31-32). I see a strong relationship between this parable and this to the Pee Wee Reese story too. As the Post writer put it so eloquently,

Not too many of us will have a chance to be the first to cross a line, or to carve out new directions for others to follow, or to be remembered as one of the greatest of anything. But all of us—black, white, yellow or brown, male or female, straight or gay—have an opportunity to be a Pee Wee Reese.

In those worst of days, Reese had the chance -- as most of us have now -- to hang back and play it safe. He could have joined the other ballplayers who wanted to shun Robinson or laughed along with the fans who taunted Robinson with slurs of `nigger' and `snowflake'. He could have watched from a safe distance to see if Robinson would fall on his face. But Reese weighed in. His personal declaration against prejudice and ignorance didn't stop the venom from flowing. But by standing with Jackie Robinson, Reese did strike a blow at the moral cowardice of the silent majority, who by going along or not trying to stop what Robinson had to endure, helped to keep it going.

In his quiet way, Reese made his public stand, disassociated himself with the forces of bigotry and evil, and aligned himself with the values and power of the Kingdom of God. To me, Pee Wee Reese's gesture was a mustard seed action that made the Kingdom of God manifest and consummated.

Most of us have watched on the news or read in this week’s newspapers about the shooting at the National Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. Since the gunman has been identified, the media has spent a lot of time and energy speculating on what motivates someone to commit this kind of heinous hate crime; and why he did it at that particular moment, and in that particular place. It is good that the media and law enforcement have launched investigations to determine what happened, and to discern how to prevent similar incidents. I do not in any way want to excuse the alleged perpetrator, nor do I wish to dilute the outrage at the evil he did. However, I want to suggest these inquiries are looking in the some of the wrong places. I want to suggest there have been far too few Pee Wee Reeses in the lives of the alleged murderer and those who hold similar views—far too few people willing to publicly disassociate themselves with forces of bigotry and evil, and to align themselves with the values and power of the Kingdom of God. There have been far too few willing to take mustard seed actions that make the Kingdom of God present and real. The Holocaust, of course, is the prime example of what can happen when good people are silent, and do not stand up for the values and power of the Kingdom of God in the face of bigotry and hatred.

Quoting again from the Washington Post article:

The Reese example begs the question of us all, regardless of where we work, sleep or play. Pee Wee Reeses come in all sizes, shapes and colors. Each of us gets a chance. That moment comes [for example] when someone in the comfort and security of the office or barber shop or dinner table decides it's safe to tell an anti-Semitic joke. That moment comes when someone decides in your presence that its time to start having a little fun at the expense of gays or lesbians. That moment comes when the ever-so-subtle form of class, racial or male snobbery begins to rear its ugly head as the bosses get down to deciding who's going to be hired or get moved up the ladder, or when we catch a glimpse of immigrants being treated like refuse.

Few of us are called and "gifted" by the Holy Spirit to be Jackie Robinsons—great figures in the sweep of history. Pee Wee Reese demonstrated we can all play a part, and that all parts are important. All of us are seeds in which, whether we are aware of it or not, God is working. Within us is the potential and possibility of showing the world a glimpse of the Kingdom of God made real and present. Within us is the potential for gestures and actions, which make a difference, and in the symbolism of the parable, have the potential to flourish into "the greatest of all bushes" (Mark 4: 32). The shooting at the National Holocaust Museum is a reminder, a call for each of us to witness to the values and power of the Kingdom of God, and to make present and real God’s Kingdom on earth. As people of faith, do we trust that God is at work within us? Confronted with opportunities, do we refrain or do we make witness publicly to the values and power of the Kingdom of God? It seems to me, our ability to trust that God is at work in us is the difference between potential and possibility on one hand, and mustard seed actions on the other.

In the words of the Psalmist (92: 12):

"Those who are planted in the house of the Lord*

Shall flourish in the courts of our God."

AMEN.

I Samuel 15: 34 – 16: 13; II Corinthians 5: 6-17; Mark 4: 26-34