Sermon for the 4th Sunday of Easter

Sunday 17th April 2005

Preached by Rev Paul Hewitt

It was about this time of year that Mr and Mrs Green received a letter from their daughter Julie, who had started university just the previous October. And it went like this:

Dear Mom and Dad,

I just thought I’d drop you a note to let you know what’s going on with me. I’ve fallen in love with a guy named Brad. He’s really a neat guy but he quit school a few years ago to get married. That didn’t work out so he got a divorce last year. We’ve been going out for several weeks and we’re thinking about getting married in the autumn. Until then I’ve decided to move into his apartment. By the way, I think I might be pregnant. And I dropped out of university last week so that I could get a job to help to support Brad. I might get a chance to finish college later on….

Then there is a brand new paragraph which begins-

Mum and Dad, I just want you to know that everything I’ve written so far in this letter is a lie – none of it is true! But, Mom and Dad, it is true that I got a D in my first exam and an E in my second! And it’s also true that I’m really short on cash. Could you please send me a £100? Thanks a bunch,
Love Julie.

Two days later Julie received a cheque in the post!!

You’ve heard that one before!

So Julie played it smart. She knew that she could make bad news seem like good news if it were seen from a particular perspective. Our perspective on life often counts for so much; a distorted perspective gives us distorted values on things.

I’ll never forget the footballer, Gareth Southgate who went to take the penalty for England in that Euro ‘96. A long time ago, but it has stayed in the memory, because I saw it in front of me. On centre stage in Wembley Stadium and literally millions of other people watching on their TV screens. Southgate missed one of the most important penalties he perhaps ever had to take. He let down his side and his country. Could you ever feel worse than that?

Some time later in an interview he spoke about his experiences, and ended by quoting that other famous football guru, Bill Shankley, who said that ‘Football isn’t about life and death. It’s more important than that.’ And Gareth Southgate said “Well, he’s wrong…it’s not that important – there are things which are much more important, like mothers and children and relationships.”

When Gareth Southgate missed that penalty, it was as if the world had come to an end, but it took that experience for him to look at football in a whole new way – indeed from a whole new perspective.

There is no doubt that we are living in a world which has mis-valued the really important things of life. Who was the famous philosopher who suggested that it’s as if someone has gone through our world and switched the price tags on everything? We find people working and slaving and spending their money and their time and worrying over things that really don’t matter, and ignoring things that do! We are constantly distracted by what is of really little consequence, while ignoring that which is most deserving of our time and energy – isn’t that true? Our perspective on life is often quite distorted!

It’s time to rediscover what is really important in life.

I love that Good Shepherd passage we read from John 10 this morning, and especially when it comes to verse 10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”. The RSV puts it this way, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” or “more abundantly” the AV has it! Life here is on offer, in all its fullness.

Maybe it’s old age setting in, but when you look around at your televisions and read your newspapers, do you not think sometimes, ‘Has the world gone mad?’ What kind of screwed-up perspective do some people have on life? Even as Church people, have we sometimes forgotten what is really important?

The wealthy Baron Fitzgerald had only one son and heir, who sadly died after leaving home. This was a tragedy from which his father never recovered. As his wealth increased, the Baron continued to invest in paintings by great masters and when eventually he died, his will was found to call for all his paintings to be sold. Because of their quality and artistic value, messages were sent out to museums and collectors, advertising the sale.

When the day of the auction came, a large crowd assembled and the lawyer read from Fitzgerald’s will. It instructed that the first painting to be sold was that of ‘My beloved son’. The portrait was by an unknown artist and it was of average quality. The only bidder was an old servant who had known and loved the boy. For a small sum of money he bought it for its sentimental value and the memories it held for him.

The lawyer then read the next part of the will – “Whoever buys my son, gets all. The auction is over!”

Isn’t that the will of the Father today? Whoever takes my Son, gets all. He has come so that you may have life, and have it more abundantly. Isn’t that his gracious will for everybody on this planet? If we truly believe that, then why can’t we get own perspectives right?

I am sure that some of our perspectives on life need to change on many levels. When we met last Friday evening in front of Bangor Town hall, the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY rally reminded us of that very fact; when 30,000 children die of extreme poverty every day while we believe in a God who came to bring us life itself in all its fullness for evryone. The whole movement presents an exceptional set of opportunities to say enough is enough on extreme poverty.

Our view of reality is always a matter of perspective. We need to start holding precious the things which are really important and realise the things that are not.

The gospel gives us a true perspective on what is truly important.