Sunday ~ January 19, 2014

The Very Rev. Anthony R. Pompa, Dean & Rector
The Cathedral Church of the Nativity
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

In the Spring months of 1993, Amy Biehl, a young American woman, a Fulbright Scholar, was killed by four black youth in South Africa.  Amy was there working on behalf of the cause of justice and working there with others to try to help end apartheid.  Caught up in the midst of what was the sinfulness of that oppressive system, a system dripping with sin based upon oppression and in justice and racial mistrust and hatred, Amy Biehl, a young idealistic woman, found herself killed. 

Some years later her parents, Linda and Peter Biehl, would find themselves with the opportunity to return to South Africa and to appear before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in that country.  Let me remind you that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established by Nelson Mandela after the transfer of government, the power of government, and you will remember that our own Archbishop Desmond Tutu sat on that Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  You will remember that this Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established so that those of all races and those of all experiences of the dripping sin of the experience of living in apartheid South Africa could come to a place without fear of retribution and tell their truth.  Two of the four young men who took Amy Biehl’s life that day were appearing before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  Amy’s mother Linda writes about that experience this way.

“We took our strength in handling the situation directly from our daughter Amy.  She was intensely involved in South African politics.  And even though the violence leading up to free elections had caused her death, we did not want to say anything negative about South Africa’s journey to democracy.  Therefore in 1998, when the four men convicted of her murder applied for amnesty, we did not oppose it.  At the hearing, we shook hands with the families of the perpetrators.  Peter, my husband, spoke for both of us when he quoted from an editorial Amy had written for the Cape Times.  She wrote:  ‘The most important vehicle of reconciliation is open and honest dialogue.’  He continued, did Peter Biehl, before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, by saying:  ‘We are here to reconcile a human life which was taken without an opportunity for dialogue.  When we are finished with this process, we must move forward with linked arms. 

Linda Biehl continued in her sharing of that experience by saying this:

“I have come to believe passionately in restorative justice over and against punitive justice.  It’s what Desmond Tutu calls Ubuntu—to choose to forgive rather than demand retribution—a belief that my humanity is inextricably caught up in yours.”

One can only imagine or begin to imagine the grace that would need to take place for parents of a murdered child to say those words.  Mr. Easy Nofemela, one of those four black young men who had committed this crime against this family, wrote this of the experience before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. 

“Not until I met Linda and Peter Biehl did I understand that white people are human beings too.  I was a member of the APLA the armed wing of our resistance.  Our slogan was “one settler one bullet”.  At first I didn’t want to go to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to give my testimony.  I believed I was selling out.  But then I read in the press that Linda and Peter had said that it was not up to them to forgive, it was up to the people in South Africa to learn to forgive one another.  So I decided to go and tell our story and to reveal to them my remorse.  Amnesty was not my motivation.  I just wanted to ask for forgiveness.  I wanted to say in front of Linda and Peter face-to-face, I am sorry.  Can you forgive me?  I wanted to be free in my mind and in my body.  It must have been so painful for them to lose their daughter.  But by coming to South Africa and not to speak of recrimination but to speak of the pain of our countries’ struggle, they gave me back my freedom.”

You can read this story and many stories like this when you visit the website that is entitled “The Forgiveness Project”.  It is the website of an organization backed and supported by our own Archbishop Desmond Tutu.  It tells of the radical stories of people in real time and in real life and of their being able to find freedom, salvation through forgiveness and radical reconciliation.

Today in the Gospel according to John, we are invited into the drama and poetry that is John’s particular way of inviting us to come and meet this Jesus.  John the Baptist himself from the beginning has told us in the Scriptures that he himself has not come to be the light but to come to witness and testify to the light.  In our Scriptures today, John the baptizer accomplishes his task as the signpost—pointing clearly to this Jesus who in his revelation of who he is and what he is about would cause the train reaction of those who would dear draw near to his presence.  And, through their witness of him, would learn that Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed One, the Lamb of God, the Messiah—the baptizer pointing the way to he himself who could only bring such a powerful word so that others might find the grace and the courage and the mercy even in situations dripping with sin to find a way toward freedom.  Freedom from hatred and from violence.  Freedom from discrimination.  And freedom from the hurts that we, when we are lost in that sinfulness, inflict on one another.  It is John the Baptizer who tells the tale of the Spirit descending upon Jesus, so that those who are near and could hear, particularly Andrew and Peter, who would come near to this Jesus and profess him as the anointed one, the Christ.  So much so that they would come to Jesus and say, “Where are you staying?”  In other words, can we abide with you?  And Jesus says to them, “Come and see.”  Come and see the light of the world.  Come and see the Lamb of God.  Come and see the teacher of the road less traveled.  Come and see the Christ.  The one who will set us free. 

It is most appropriate I believe on this weekend where in our society and our culture, we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. and the work of those who dare to follow the dream that that individual found in his relationship in Jesus Christ.  And it is once again time to hear the good news.  That as followers of Jesus who are invited to come and see that we might find another way in the midst of darkness.  That we might find that the most powerful force in the world is love and forgiveness.  Some of you lived it—the Civil Rights Movement here.  As if we’re not still living it now.  Some of you live it.  Live the opportunity to find when you have dogs biting at your heels and the oppressor literally hosing you down into submission.  To find the grace and courage to rise up.  And, in peacefulness, as opposed to retribution and revenge, look for the path forward.

Imagine South Africa and its transition—not perfect.  In its transition without a truth and reconciliation commission.  Imagine that country and the hatred and the violence done to one another across racial lines.  Imagine it moving forward in retribution as opposed to in the spirit of reconciliation.  Imagine.  And isn’t it quite miraculous?  Isn’t it quite miraculous that it moved and moves the way that it has?

Martin Luther King, Jr. says, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness only light can do that.”  John the Baptizer in the wilderness said, “I have come to testify to the light.  Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Hate cannot drive out hate.  Only love can do that.”  John the Baptizer said, “Behold the Lamb of God who comes to take away the sins of the world.”  Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Forgiveness is not an occasional act.  It is a constant attitude.”

It is the preacher’s task in all times and in all places when preaching the Gospel to ask the question and proclaim it, “What is the good news?”  Our good news is that in the light of the world, the Lamb of God, the Rabbi, our Teacher, the Son of God, the Anointed One, there is a powerful force.  And that force is forgiveness.  And reconciliation.  And, oh it is a road less traveled.  God knows it’s a road less traveled.

So I’m guessing somewhere along the way, that this good news for you may be experienced at different times and in different places and in different ways.  And that some of you may not, like our friends in the stories from South Africa or in the civil rights struggle, some of you may not have experienced quite the depth or the harshness of the sin that comes from abuse and from misuse of power.  But, I’m guessing some of you have.  But regardless s of your experience, my guess is that something is true for all of us this day.  That there is something out there or someone out there, or some experience of life either outside of ourselves or maybe even inside of ourselves that could stand a bit of saving.  That could stand a bit of liberation.  That could stand a little bit of forgiveness.  And could stand a little bit of reconciliation.  And so I’ve got good news for you.  Behold the Lamb of God.  Come and see.  Amen.