Last Saturday, 15 folks from our church joined more than 5,000 other Minnesotans at the event “A Light in the Storm.” The purpose of this gathering was to prepare us to organize and resist authoritarianism. One of my favorite parts of the day came at the very beginning when ordinary people shared their stories of leadership—people from across the different coalitions that make up ISAIAH. A leader from the manufactured home collective described how those who own the land are seeking to drive them out by raising their rent to exorbitant levels. This existential threat motivated her organize her neighbors. Spent her weekends knocking on doors for 9 months straight—she knocked on 10,000 doors. A leader from the Black Power project said, “I haven’t given up at age 86. I have hope, the kind of hope you have to work for.” A Muslim leader acknowledged that within ISAIAH we do not agree on everything. He pointed out that a coalition of completely like-minded people would be very small. What brings us together, he said, is that “we are committed to each other.” A Buddhist leader shared a saying from her tradition, “a single candle can light a thousand other candles without losing its flame.”
In today’s reading from the prophet Isaiah, God urged King Ahaz, “ask a sign of God; let it be as deep as Sheol (the land of the dead) and as high as heaven.” In other words, use your imagination! Imagine something big and bold. Don’t let fear and cynicism run your life. Ask for what you and your community need, your heart’s deepest and highest desire. Don’t worry if what you hope for seems impossible. Imagine. And ask. Now, Ahaz, the King of Judah, wasn’t interested in the power of imagination. He was in a tough spot and he didn’t see the value of trusting God or his neighbors. He refused to join an alliance with the other small nations that surrounded Judah. Instead, he decided to pay tribute to the Assyrian emperor, seeking safety in acquiesce to oppression.
Ahaz’s unimaginative strategy was a total flop; the neighboring Kings threatened war and the Assyrians attacked anyway. Amid this disastrous leadership, God continued to speak through the prophet Isaiah, revealing a sign that was both ordinary and amazing. “O house of David”, God addressed Ahaz, reminding the wayward King that he wasn’t given power for self-promotion, but to tend the well-being of the people under his care. “O house of David, God will give you a sign.” The sign itself was pretty straightforward. A young woman would have a child and, improbably, this little family would survive all the threats to their lives. Even as the nation endured war and exile, this child would grow and flourish, would be weaned and eat solid food, would get big enough to tell the difference between good and evil. Scholars agree that when Isaiah speaks of this growing child, Emmanuel, he’s probably pointing to King Hezekiah, who was, in contrast to Ahaz, a good and faithful leader, one who listened to God’s prophets and honored God’s people.
In today’s reading from Matthew, Joseph, too, was asked to use his imagination. Joseph believed that he must (kindly and humanely) divorce Mary and release her child. The angel challenged him instead to imagine what it would be like to release his fear and embrace his chosen family. To image that Mary could be his wife. That he could receive the child she carried as a gift from the Holy Spirit. To imagine that he, Joseph, would be the one to name the boy, Jesus, to adopt this baby into the lineage of his ancestor, King David. The angel urged Joseph to imagine that this child was joining a long line of prophets, teachers, healers, and community organizers, to imagine that his son would embody the story God’s people passed down through the generations – the story of Emmanuel, the embodied promise of “God with us”. And finally, to imagine how this coming child would liberate his people from their sins, would set them free them from their failure to trust God and neighbor and their acquiescence to earthly rulers and their reigns of terror.
At “A Light in the Storm” every single person who registered received a badge to wear around our necks. Surprisingly, the badges did not our have names on them. They simply said “leader”. The point was, in these extraordinary times, when all that we love is under threat, we have an opportunity and a choice. For those who haven’t thought of ourselves as leaders to this point, we are being asked to re-imagine that assumption. We don’t all need to lead in the same way. We won’t all be on the front lines marching or getting tear gassed or hauled off to detention. And yet, we can all say “no” terror and violence, and “yes” to each other. We can all organize and mobilize people we know. We all have spheres of influence. We all have access to relational power.
In the coming critical months, will you join me in taking risks to reach out to our friends and family, neighbors and co-workers, to invite them to join this movement of resistance? This is the way that 5,000 leaders can become 50,000 or 500,000 or 5 million. This is how we will resist authoritarianism and reinvigorate our democracy. This is how we can cultivate the beloved community for which we long. One invitation at a time. I’ve been focusing on this relational leadership work among my colleagues for the last couple of months, and I’ll tell you, it stretches me. I’m more shy than you think. I get really anxious about picking up the phone. And yet, I am motivated by a vision of what is possible if we come together. And I am committed to doing what is uniquely in my power to do. So I make myself dial the phone. And I do my best.
Emmanuel. God is with us. We wear this badge too. God is with us in our Hebrew ancestors who trusted new life was possible in the midst of oppression, war and exile. And God is with us in the holy family—in Mary, who reminds us that the world is pregnant with divine possibility. in Joseph, who models how to show up with courage, how to keep each other safe and embrace one another as chosen family. and in Jesus—prophet, healer, teacher, and community organizer. And God is with us in our own leadership, in our building of beloved community. Emmanuel, our light in this storm. Amen.