Evangelism Chairs

Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

I will admit that sometimes we get a reading and it needs to be run through a translator.  Not just from Hebrew or Greek into English, but also to translate it from a very different time and a very different culture. Sometimes the Scripture uses lingo from the time or even intentionally coded language that needs to be unraveled. Sometimes it just seems to be impossible to make heads or tails of any part of it.

But that’s not what we get today in that lesson from Hebrews is it? It very clearly translates into English and it is free from innuendo, cultural winks, nods, or coded language. It just says flat out, “Let mutual love continue.” Boom! Done! Continue doing what is in the other’s best interest. That’s it. Just do it. Oh and that the “mutual” part reminds us to take our turn gratefully receiving that sort of love too.  Both giving AND receiving that sort of love is critical. It’s really just that straightforward. Let mutual love continue. Good idea!

The same is true of “showing hospitality to strangers.” Not exactly some sort of hard-to-grasp theological concept. It’s not like we’re trying to wrap our minds around the mystery of the Trinity here. It really is just, “Show hospitality to strangers”… just that. Somebody drives by you wave. Somebody stops in you invite them to sit down and find them a drink and a snack. This Scripture looks, at first glance, like it’s about sharing snacks with people. Turns out… upon further research... IT’S ABOUT SHARING SNACKS WITH PEOPLE! Again… good idea!

Then “remember those who are in prison and being tortured.” This really is just telling us to close our eyes, imagine we are in prison or being tortured and wonder, “what would I really appreciate if that were me?” Then try to do that thing you just imagined! No symbolic dragons or mysterious numbered beasts here. Just a straight up call to use human empathy. This really does just say, “Empathy… GOOD!”

After that you get to the marriage bed part. That too… not coded language. Sleeping around… not good for anyone and NOT what they meant by the “mutual love” thing. Then there’s the part about avoiding a “love of money” which very clearly says it’s the LOVE of money that’s the problem. LOVE is something we share with God and others.  Money, clearly being neither a god NOR a people, is not something to love. We can earn it, buy things with it, give it to others, thankfully receive it, but Love it? That’s a clear “NOPE”, there.

And the last part of that lesson just makes an already really straightforward lesson even more straightforward. God is always with us. Fact! Look for people who have lives that look full of meaning, purpose and contentment and try to live like they do. Smart! Remember that the love of Christ… that unconditional, all inclusive, radically forgiving and welcoming love of Christ… does not change. What it LOOKS LIKE to share that unlimited, unconditional, all inclusive love of Christ in our actions and in our words might change with culture and time… it might require a little work… maybe even some sacrifice... but loving others the way Christ loves us? THAT, doesn’t change and THAT is what makes God happy. Happy God? Again… Good!

It’s crystal clear. It isn’t culturally or linguistically or historically impossible to understand. It is, in fact, DIRT SIMPLE… and I for one, continually insist on trying to make it harder... all... the... time! More research. More books. Get a consultant. Attend a workshop. Organize a meeting about it. Form a new organization. Write a grant, hire an intern, write a doctoral thesis. At the VERY least we need to form a commission or a task force, write a resolution for Synod Assembly AND Diocesan Convention and memorialize all of this to the national church bodies for them to consider at their Triennial Conventions so they too can begin a decades-long study on it as well! Right?

OR, the Holy Spirit gently suggests, you could just put a few chairs along a trail or in front of the church, sit down, and see who stops by. Get them something to drink. Maybe a snack. Listen to their story. Hear their joys and sorrows, hopes and fears. Close our eyes and imagine how they might be feeling and do whatever pops into your mind to make their sit just a tiny more comfortable.  Really? Yeah, I suppose we could do that.  

It dawned on me this week, with the subtlety of a 2x4 to the noggin, that in the last couple of years, I have connected with more “strangers”… done more successful “evangelism” if you want to use that dirty, scary, church word… simply by sitting outside in a chair than I ever have using any other sort of program or scheme or even highly researched church growth solution! More than all the other more complicated “strategies” combined, just SITTING and letting mutual love continue and showing hospitality to strangers… THAT’S THE STUFF THAT ACTUALLY WORKS! Could it be that this very clear, very straightforward lesson from Hebrews really IS just that straightforward? Just that clear? Could it really be that letting mutual love continue and welcoming in the stranger… all while sitting in a folding chair or a rainbow colored Adirondack chair, REALLY is as complicated as it gets!?

I know, believe me, I know! It sounds WAY too easy. But I’ve seen it happen! Just this week I saw it again! Right out there on the lawn! But I know me, and maybe you’re a bit like me.  So, it’s very likely I will soon try to make all of this more complicated. But in the mean time, I think I’m just going to sit out there, let mutual love continue, welcome the stranger. Maybe  entertain an angel... who knows? And if you want to give it a try, it really is just as simple as sitting outside in a chair.  Amen.