When You Can’t Get Out of It…
Christ the King – Narrative Lectionary 4
November 26, 2017
Grace, Mankato, MN
Jeremiah 29.1, 4-14; John 14.27
Theologian, writer and speaker Parker Palmer tells of an experience he had visiting Outward Bound. The mission of Outward Bound is to “change lives through challenge and discovery.” Though this challenge and discovery can take place anywhere, it is often in a wilderness setting, where Palmer found himself. He was to rappel down a rock face and after gearing up he began just fine making it down one leap. But that first rappel something happened to him that he had never experienced: he froze. No amount of instruction or encouragement helped. He could move. That is, until one of works down below said something he never forgot: “We have a saying at Outward Bound, Parker: ‘If you can’t get out of it, get into it.’” That simple phrase unlocked something inside him and he was able to complete the exercise.
The Jewish people from the Southern Kingdom of Judah find themselves in a paralyzing situation. Formerly a vassal state of the Assyrians, who have obliterated the Northern Kingdom of Israel, they foolishly rebelled against the Assyrians against the advice of Jeremiah only to be conquered by the Babylonians. Many of them have been exiled to Babylon, known as the First Deportation, and they are getting bad advice to continue their rebellion. Jeremiah, still in Jerusalem, sends them a letter telling them these are false prophets, that God intends for them to remain in exile for quite some time, and they are to get on with their lives.
Like Palmer and the Jewish people, we all experience dislocations in our lives, both small and great. Dislocation happens when we encounter an unfamiliar situation and don’t know what to do about it. Dislocations often follow loss, such as loss of job, home, loved ones, marriage, and health. But there can be other disruptions in our lives as well, leading to a sense of “What do I do now?” Though it sounds simplistic, Jeremiah’s answer is, “When you can’t get out of it, get into it.”
Yet, Jeremiah’s encouragement is more than just some self-help, psycho-babble, “get up and get on with your lives” kind of advice. In a promise that is counter-intuitive to the exiles, Jeremiah says “You’re not getting out of this anytime soon, but remember that God is in it.” And that promise will unlock something in them, allowing them to flourish. Until their dislocating exile, they never dreamed that God could be anywhere other than Jerusalem because middle easterners believed that their gods were tied to their particular country. But now Jeremiah is telling them that can not only can God be with but God is with them wherever they go.
That’s important for us to remember as we go through our times of dislocation and disruption. Today is Christ the King Sunday and we tend to think of the Kingdom of God as some future event. Indeed, there is that dimension, but Jesus is pretty clear the Kingdom of God comes with his presence. In Christ, the future breaks into the now, into our dislocations, to unlock our paralysis, so that we are able to live in hope. The reign of Christ says death has been defeated and new life is coming, even if you can’t see it right now. So, my sisters and brothers in Christ, when you encounter those times “when you can’t get out of it” remember that God is in it, bringing the peace only God can bring. Amen.
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