The Rev. Canon Anne E. Kitch
Luke 15:1-10
Why do we call them “dust bunnies”? You know, those little balls of dust and dirt that gather under beds and in corners of most homes. Are they “dust bunnies” because they multiply like rabbits, or because they move so quickly that just when you think you are about to capture one it scurries further under the bed and eludes you. Wikipedia, the online dictionary, proffers this, “Dust bunnies (often one word, dustbunnies) are little clumps of fluff that form under furniture and in corners that are not cleaned regularly.” It says nothing about where the term comes from. My daughter reminds me that Wikipedia is not a reliable source. So, another source of information available is Dust Bunny Facts at www.durtbunnies.com, which tells us that dustbunnies have been around for centuries and are an “untouched resource of easy-care pets for our busy life styles. They have lived quietly along side us and have already been domesticated.” Further internet research reveals Dust Bunnies, Inc. in Irving, TX which provides housecleaning and janitorial services. You can find them at www.dustbunniesinc.net.
None of these sites gives us a clue as to the origin of the term, but they aptly describe (even humorously) the dust and dirt that collects in our everyday lives. There is always “stuff” that eludes even the most diligent of housekeepers. Furthermore, I am convinced that spiritual dust bunnies have invaded our souls as well, cluttering them with who knows what. And there are also all those small items that get lost amongst the dust, as if the dust bunnies keep them as treasures: lost pencils, lost game tokens, and lost coins.
When Jesus was questioned about the kind of company he kept—you may remember that many people were concerned about him hanging out with the poor, the least, the lonely, and the lost—in typical fashion, he tells a story. He describes a woman who loses one of ten coins. She lights a lamp, sweeps the house, and searches carefully until she finds it. Once she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together to celebrate. Right. When was the last time you threw a party after you finally found that missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle you couldn’t finish last winter? What an incredible story Jesus tells.
But sometimes what is lost is much more important than a missing puzzle piece. I believe we can be lost amongst the dust and darkness of our inner lives, in profound ways, but also in everyday ones. When have you been lost in the darkness and dust of your own house, of your everyday life? We cannot keep our spiritual lives clear of clutter at all times. What if we have a God who is a diligent woman bringing light into the dark places of our lives? What if we have a God who industriously sweeps away all the dirt and dust and then searches to bring us out into the open? What it, once we are found, we are also brought into the community to celebrate with friends and neighbors?
That is exactly the kind of God we are loved by, and knowing this brings us hope. Hope is something we can give as well. Our Diocese and our Bishop have made a commitment to bringing hope to others. In a moment we will hear in a letter from Bishop Paul about our New Hope Campaign. This effort reaches out to those who are lost in their everyday lives of struggle and poverty. The New Hope Campaign affords us the opportunity to bring light into their darkness and sweep away despair. It compels us to search diligently for whoever may be lost and, once we find them, to then bring them into community. Better yet, we can become a community together, surrounding one another as friends and neighbors so that we can all celebrate!
God may be the diligent woman who searches for what is lost, but perhaps we can be the light or the broom or the neighbors who rejoice. When we are poor, or least, or lonely, or lost, God searches for us diligently, leaving no corner unswept. And once we are found, God welcomes us into community with all of those whom God loves. Knowing a God like this fills us with hope. When those around us are poor, or least, or lonely, or lost, we can also bring them hope. New Hope. New friends. New life.
Amen.
Copyright © 2007 Anne E. Kitch
