A-Call-to-be-a-doorway-for-mercy-and-compassion

Just so we know our bearings in the liturgical calendar, we are still in the season of Eastertide, the 4th Sunday of Easter to be exact. We have been exploring what it means to live as people who believe in new and abundant life through Jesus’ resurrection. We also went through Typhoon Sinlaku and survived it, but many people, especially those in Saipan and Tinian, are still trying to pick up the pieces of shattered lives and dreams.

Our readings describe what that abundant life looks like. In the first lesson from the Book of Acts 2, the first followers of Jesus devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers. The followers of Jesus didn't just gather for prayers and holy communion, what is most important for us to hear is that they practiced what they were learning from their gathering, by sharing their life and resources with those in need.

Psalm 23 gives us a beautiful image of the shepherd leading the flock to green pastures and streams of living water, which is critical for the sheep's life.

Our second lesson from the first letter of Peter tells of Christians who had gone astray like sheep but have now found their way back to the shepherd and guardian of their souls.

And in our gospel lesson, we hear of Jesus as the gate for the sheep toward abundant life. My favorite verse in this passage is John 10:10 where Jesus said “I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly.”

I invite you to be energized by these words from the scriptures providentially assigned for us at this time. These are the words we needed to hear as we come together as island communities, united by the ocean, to reach out, help and make a difference.

A couple of days ago, I went to Saipan and brought the donations we collected, along with financial assistance from Episcopal Relief and Development. My first day was spent visiting our folks. Most of them live in tin-roofed dwellings, not by choice, but because that is what they could afford. Some live in semi-concrete single-family homes that served as multifamily units; two families live in concrete apartments. All suffered flooding from water that came from blown-out or leaking roofs and windows. One family was trapped for a few hours inside their apartment because a concrete wall collapsed and blocked their door. The house of one of our members totally collapsed. The worst story I heard was from the couple whose source of livelihood is raising animals and vegetables. All their animals died and all the vegetables were wiped out. That is just one story. That could be multiplied. Thankfully, power was restored at the hospital but most villages still lack power and running water. It takes 3 to 5 hours to line up for drinking water. In the first few days after the typhoon, it took up to 6 hours to line up for $30 worth of gas. Not only is the gas rationed, but other basic items such as bread are also rationed. The few drive-through restaurants limit food to 2 per car. To aggravate the situation, it is very hot in Saipan because the trees and vegetation were wiped out. Saipan is dry, very brown and very hot.

On the second day, St. Paul’s gathered for a Thanksgiving service, fellowship and outreach in one of the open pavilions on Beach Road. We distributed the funds allotted by ERD to 26 families and 8 individuals. People also helped themselves with the clothes you donated, and the baby wipes, flashlights, lanterns and battery-operated fans that Jadine and Lauryn purchased here on Guam. It was very moving to see the joy on the people’s faces, some even crying, as they expressed their gratitude for this unexpected gift. Most of them hadn’t heard of the Episcopal Church before. This tells something about the work we need to do because, as our Lord Jesus said, the world will know that we are followers of Jesus by our love, not by our big, beautiful buildings, theology, liturgy, Facebook page, website, or big signs. This means we need to do more loving work.

All this is to report to you what we have done so far in response to the impact of Typhoon Sinlaku. We were able to do this together, with our partners from ERD, Bishop Bob, churches and individuals from the Diocese of Hawaii, and from our own community here in Guam.

Before I end, let me circle back to our first reading from Acts, because it models for us what it looks like to be a community that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. The first followers of Jesus after the resurrection gathered to be fed and nourished by the Word of God and the sacrament of Christ, and having been nourished, they were empowered to share their resources with those in need.

There are 47,000 people in the CNMI. Let’s say we reached 70 individuals last week. That is a small number. It is overwhelming. I have to intentionally look for inspiration to lift my spirit as I look at the intense need and suffering in Saipan. It so happened that as I was scrolling on social media, I listened to Malala Yousafzai’s Ted talk. Malala is the Pakistani girl who survived a Taliban attack at age 11 and became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Prize Laureate in history for her activism and advocacy for girls' education. My attention was caught by her words, and I am paraphrasing her: we have to create our own hope and not wait for hope to come to us. I needed to hear that, to remind myself that I must not surrender to despair, or wait for hope from outside. I need to create hope for myself to stay motivated, even when what I can do is a small thing compared to a huge problem.

Jesus in our gospel said he is the gate for the sheep and all who enter can go in and out and enjoy the green pastures he offers. It conjures up an image of generous welcome, of openness, of sharing. It invites us to do the same: to be a doorway for mercy, compassion, solidarity, faith, courage and food for the journey to recovery and to resurrection. Amen