A Breath of Fresh Air

April 11, 1999 John 20:19-31 Second Sunday of Easter "A Breath of Fresh Air" Take a minute and just listen, take it all in. Even though it is still a little chilly today, spring is in the air. It's like a new wind that blows throughout everything, making all things new. The fresh airs of spring are a perfect way to think about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Now that we are in the Easter season, we are celebrating the healing presence of Christ in our lives. When we feel that winds of spring blow across us, we know that Christ is indeed here with us. In the gospel lesson for today, Christ has comes to the disciples. During the passover, a place was given to them in order to have to last supper. During the season of resurrection, they once again come to the upper room. This time they have to come to remember, for their Lord is no longer with them. They must have sat together, mourning, crying, licking their wounds. And if you notice in the story, the door is locked. Isn't that what most of us do when we are hurt. We lock the doors, turn off the lights and refuse to let anybody in. We don't want to talk to anybody about it. we don't want anybody to try and help us. We just want to sit in a dark upper room and feel sorry for ourselves. But wouldnt you know it, the scripture says that Christ was able to make it through the door anyway. It was almost as if he knew that even though the door was locked, that he would be a welcomed guest. And he was. He gives them the typical middle eastern greeting, Shalom be with you. Shalom is one of those things that can mean a lot of different things at once. It can mean God be with you, it can mean may you be saved from trouble. But I think Christ meant far more than that when he greeted them. I think that he meant for them to have peace in their hearts and their minds. That was something that they needed to hear. There were no more dispirited and unhappy people in the world at this time, than these discomforted and frightened group of broken disciples. On the one hand they had failed Christ, sadly and inexcusably. We have all had those times when our plans have failed and our expectations have fallen short. Our minds are sore, and our self-respect is raw and wounded. But you know, far worse than that, Christ had failed them. He had made all of these grand promises of what he would do for them and for the world, and now they were just cheating words with no body or substance. This Lord to whom they had pinned their faith and for whom they had risked everything had proven himself an imposter. He said that nothing would destroy him, and the real powers that be, had nailed he and his kingdom to the cross. At this point, shalom was something that they sorely needed. Perhaps that is why he said it to them three times. But you know what, as quiet as it is kept,we have all had those days. Days like the second sunday of Easter, when the party is over. Days when we have lost sight of the point of the resurrection. We have all had dark and gloomy days when we see no light at the end of the tunnel. Those are the days when we need to listen for that small still voice, a voice which says peace be with you. We too are Christ disciples as Christ is ever with us. Peace is not something that you get and you keep just for the sake of having. Once you find it, you are responsible for passing it on. I heard a story recently of a lady whose son had died and she was in great pain. she went to her pastor and asked him what she could do for relief. He told her that she should go to others and listen to their stories. So she went, and started to visit the members of the church. she loved her job, she loved the stories that she heard. It was not much time later when she started to learn to she was able to bring comfort to others. she was able to help others with thier pain. A year later she went back to her pastor to tell him that she had indeed worked through her pain. by helping others work through their pain, she was healed too. If you will notice, Christ does not let his disciples sit in that dark, closed upper room for too long to feel sorry for themselves. Much as the pastor asked for help from his parishioner, Christ startles the disciples out of their doenheartedness and belittling of themselves by asking for their help. He tells them to go out into the world and to make disciples of others. "As my father has sent me, so I send you, greater works then mine shall you do. the dream has not faded away. The promise of eternal life has not been broken. It has just been transferred into you. Christ left his hopes and dreams into the hands of those who believe. We have not chosen the way of Christ, Christ has chosen us for a task. So it is important for us to remember that when things appear to be at their worse, Christ is with us. He has full confidence in our ability to do the work he has given. He equips us with the peace of mind to get it done. In the upper room, Christ gives his disciples another precous gift that they cannot do without. In that dark stuffy room, he gives them a breathe of fresh air. he breathes on them and tells them to receive the holy spirit. Now there is no doubt that when the gospel writer, John tells this story he is thinking way back to the creation story. Genesis tells us that when God formed humanity out of dust, he breathed life into his creation so that it would have life. This is the same act that ezekiel speaks of when he speaks of God blowing life into the dry bones of the valley. Today, Christ does that for us, as we have become accustomed to the deadness of winter. The spring winds bring a breathe of fresh air to revive us and get us started once again. when the holy spirit comes it recreated the whole church for its task. the holy spirit is the spirit of God in the world. Before he was human, but now Christ is divine. Before they were too caught up in their own tragic experience, they were too confortable with themselves and with what they thought was possble that they were not willing to change. But God was able to use a broken spirit and an awareness of being an insifficient human to help them recieve all of the beauty that life in Christ can give. And what has the church been empowered to do for the world? If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; If you retain the sins of any, they are retained. In order to save the world, we are called to forgive. Forgive whatever, and whomever it is that has locked us up in that dark, stuffy , locked upper room in the first place. In 1955 the humanist society was formed at cambridge. The founder explained that it was formed in order to help people cope with their environment without having to think about God. He believed that within the next humdred years that the idea of God would be totally out of date with the expereince of others. One day, a scientist of cambridge addressed this group, and he needed to tell them that he was indeed a Christian. "I was brought up in a chirstian home with my brother". Even though my parents were deeply religous, my brother and I had no time for religion. We thought that religion was all right for old people, but we were scientist. Then my brother was killed. My parents had the resources to deal with the loss, but I had nothing. One night, brokenhearted and with all of my proud science in ruined uselessness at my feet, I knelt down. I did not know how to pray. I had scorned prayer but I put out my hand and I found it grasped. I knew that someone was coming to my help and somehow I knew that it was Christ. I have been a Christian ever since and no one or nothing will take Christ from me anymore. Doesnt that story sound similar to the way that Christ came to the disciples even in spite of a closed door? Can you remember a time when Christ has come to you? Have you ever had a time of darkness when you felt there was on light? A time discenscion when you felt no peace? a time of doubt, when you found no faith? For the disciples, Christ was able to make it through the door because he had bee transformed. Even though he had been give new life, he was able to ease their fears by showing them the nails in their hands. My final point for today is that many of know the name of the Apostle Thomas bec