The Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee



Holy Cross Day, September 14, 2008, Church of the Holy Cross Murfreesboro

“Now is the judgment of this world… "(Jo. 12:31).

A crisis can be clarifying; it can bring things into focus and make clear the course ahead. One example at a safe remove in history might be the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which brought American policy into sharp focus as the nation found itself suddenly at war. But a crisis is not necessarily clarifying, at least not immediately, as people respond to a crisis with different plans for action, and even different interpretations of what the crisis is. For instance, both political parties in this presidential election have used the language of crisis to describe this moment in American life, but it’s also clear that each conceives the crisis differently, and is offering a different plan. They are agreed that leadership is a key to dealing with the crisis, and here they are on solid ground; to which we might add wisdom and insight as well as we attempt to discern what the crisis really is.

It’s also a moment of crisis in our Gospel reading today. Jesus has come to a critical juncture in his life, but what is it exactly? He’s been in conflict with the religious authorities, in a struggle for leadership, but now in the moment of crisis Jesus is re-defining what leadership is. In John’s Gospel, Jesus has just entered Jerusalem in triumph, but now he begins to talk about his death. The People have expected God’s Messiah to lead them to freedom from the Romans, but Jesus teaches them that he must be “lifted up” in crucifixion. The Son of God is to be a “Suffering Servant”, as in Isaiah’s prophecy. It is the moment of judgment for the world (again, the notion of crisis), but only so that Jesus can draw all people to himself.

God’s People, in other words, thought the crisis was about one thing, but God’s Messiah teaches them that the crisis is about something else. In the division of light from darkness, the light comes from the Cross. To reconcile the world, Jesus has to offer himself, give of himself, sacrifice himself in order to overcome evil with good. Resurrection and new life comes through death on the Cross. There’s a stark contrast between worldly wisdom (destroy your enemies) and the wisdom of God (love your enemies) that cannot fail to judge all of us, and creates its own clarity. The crisis is rooted in human sin, and God’s response is the Cross of Jesus Christ, that draws all people to himself.

Our celebration of this Feast Day finds the Church of the Holy Cross in the midst of its own crisis. Yes, that’s right: “crisis”, though we don’t like to talk much about “crisis” in the Church. On “the Good Ship Lollipop”, the seas are always calm and the outlook serene. Well, we’re not on that ship; we’re on the Ark of Salvation, the Church, and our divine Savior didn’t shy away from a crisis or from calling our attention to one. There’s been division at Holy Cross, and this has created a new situation and a new reality. So now we look to the Cross of Christ for the lessons in leadership we need. If there is to be new life here (and there already is!), then we will need to embrace the Cross. We will need to be open and available to what God has prepared for us; vulnerable to the consequences of the faithfulness God calls us to; willing to sacrifice for the brothers and sisters here that God has given to us. If Jesus Christ is to draw the whole world to himself here at the Church of the Holy Cross, then we are going to have to lift him up, and look to the Cross.

Crisis creates clarity, if we are wise and discerning and faithful in our leadership. What clarity is emerging here? What new ministries are beginning to thrive? What new life is coming to birth? There’s no doubt of what God can do. New things are happening at Holy Cross: what do they look like to you? How will we respond to what God is doing through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ?

- The Rt Rev’d John Bauerschmidt, Bishop of Tennessee

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