It was late at night and our caravan of cars was driving back to the camp where we worked in northwest Wisconsin. I was probably 20 or 21 years old. We’d been to Duluth for our “end of the summer” camp-staff banquet. My good friend, Brent was driving, I was riding shotgun, and 3 other camp counselors were riding in the back seat.
Near the town of Danbury, Wisconsin, we were stopped to make a left turn when we were hit by a drunk driver in a Chevy Suburban, doing 70 miles per hour. The Suburban actually hit us and crawled up on top of our car, and pushed us down into the left ditch, where it rolled off and our momentum popped us back up onto the highway. Our car spun about 100 feet down the road before dropping nose first into the ditch on the right.
Our car was pretty-much crushed. And the five of us crawled out of the broken windows. Miraculously, beyond bumps, bruises, cuts and scrapes, none of the five of us were injured.
But my most vivid memory of the accident was what happened inside the car in the 10 to 15 seconds after the suburban hit us.
- I remember that everything went into a kind of this surreal slow motion.
- I remember the incredibly loud, shrieking noise as the car spun, the metal from the wheels scraping along the concrete roadway.
- I remember broken glass, and parts of car, flying everywhere.
- And I remember the strangest thing…while we were surrounded by the violence of the car being hit and then partially crushed…I remember that inside the car…even thought it was just a few seconds, I had this incredible sense of being protected. It felt like we were inside a bubble, looking out at the destruction happening around us. But inside the bubble…it was weirdly peaceful. I remember this.
I am convinced, that we were being protected. 100%. I really believe that the bubble of safety we experienced, was God… protecting us.
I have never publicly told this story before. I think it’s because I’ve never been sure just how to tell the story. How do you describe an experience like that without people looking at you like you’re crazy.
But it is true. And it is a part of my story. It’s actually an important part of my story. And I want you to know it. Because it has helped to shape the way I think and believe about God. When I am up here in the pulpit, and when I talk about how God is present during chaotic times… when I talk about the God who protects…well, I mean it; because I’ve experienced it. Now, this story is just one of many that has helped to shape my faith; and my theology. It is just a small part of my story. But when you understand someone’s story, you begin to understand them.
This week we conclude our five-week Lenten sermon series on “The Walk.” And we are focusing on the idea of “sharing” as a faith practice; something we do to grow deeper in our faith.
When we think of sharing, we think of dividing something between two or more people. Like when Lori asks on a Sunday morning “do want to share a donut?” (The answer to that question, by the way, is always “no.”…share a donut?!? Who does that?!?)
No, the sharing I’m talking about is something completely different. It is to release, or to reveal something to another. When I share my story with you, (like I just did)…my story is not divided in half…like a donut would be…no, because you’ve heard it, my story is now doubled.
Sharing is about storytelling. It is talking with someone else about profound or meaningful experiences, or people, or relationships. Sharing is telling the stories of our lives…it is about sharing the things that God has been doing within us.
In our Gospel reading for today from Matthew 5, Jesus is speaking, and he is really, really clear.
Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. You are a city on a hill…and you cannot be hidden. People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket. No, they put it up…on a stand and it gives light to all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine in people’s presence so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
When we think of Jesus’ teachings, we usually think of them as being instructional…or aspirational. As in “you should do such and such,” or “you should become this or that.” But that is not what’s going on here. Our Gospel story today is not aspirational. Jesus is not saying to his followers, “you should be light.” The verb in the sentence is present tense. Jesus is saying to his followers “you are light…you are a city on a hill…you are salt for the earth…” You are these things…this is who you are. No if’s, and’s or but’s.
And why are you light? Well, it’s because when you were baptized, God planted the story of Jesus’ love and grace for you…into your heart. And you carry this story…and other stories that are meant to be told. You’ve had experiences…things have happened in your life where God was at work, just like my story of the car accident in Wisconsin…you all have your stories.
And stories are transformational. Stories change lives. That’s why throughout the Gospels, when Jesus wanted to teach a lesson about what it is to live as people of faith…he told stories.
In his book, The Walk, Pastor Adam Hamilton talks about a flight home to Kansas City. The flight attendant asked a bunch of Kansas City residents on the plane for a restaurant recommendation for good barbecue. The passengers got very animated talking, and then arguing about who had the best barbecue in the city. Pastor Adam said “It struck me that my fellow passengers were all witnessing or testifying to something they loved.”
He goes on to say “An interesting thing happens when we talk about something that we love…the very act of sharing our positive feelings about the person, place or thing actually increases our positive feelings.” When we share our feelings for something we love, our love for that thing actually grows.
The same is true when it comes to our faith.
- As we talk about our experiences of God’s love;
- As we talk about being a part of a church;
- As we talk about the impact our faith has on our lives;
we find our faith in Christ deepens and becomes more real to us. It is in giving away our faith, sharing it with others, telling our story, that our faith and our love for God actually grows.
We sometimes hesitate to tell our faith stories. There are good reasons for this:
- Sometimes, we are afraid that we might impose on someone else. We don’t want to be pushy.
- We may not be confident that our stories have meaning for others. We think “why would they want to hear my story?”
- We may think that we wouldn’t be good at telling our stories…and we don’t want to look inadequate.
I get all these things. I have felt them.
But here is what I want you to know, and to remember: People need to hear your story. While we want to look and act like we’ve got it all together, we know that this is not true. There are people…lots of people…in our community, in the places you work, even here in worship this morning, who are looking for meaning in their lives. Together, we are trying to figure out life. Together, we are trying to figure out faith. And your story…as significant or insignificant as you feel it might be, could be exactly the word of grace that they need to hear.
And not only do people need to hear your story…you need to tell it. It is how you take the next step in your walk. It is how you grow. If doing this feels like a stretch for you, you can start small: Tomorrow at work, tell someone: “Yeah…I went to church at Trinity yesterday. There are some nice people there. I had a donut. It was all good.” Start there…small…simple…and work your way up.
- You can do this when you remember that God is the author of your story. And your story is the story of God’s love and grace made real within you.
- You can do this when you remember that God is right there with you in the midst of it.
- And you can do this when you remember that you are not responsible for what happens within someone else’s heart once your story is shared.
Trust that when you share your story, the Holy Spirit will do its work.
Share your story. Talk about your faith. Talk about your church. Share the love you have experienced. And trust God to take your story and use it to mold the lives and the faith of you, and of those around you.
Let us pray: Lord, thank you for your love for us. Thank you for the people you have brought into our lives, who brought us to you. Thank you for giving them the courage to live their faith, and to tell their stories in such ways that we saw you through them. Bless them for the blessing they have been to us. Use us, Lord, as you used them. Let us be your light that pushes away darkness. Let us be your witness every day. Let us be people who allow others to see a reflection of you. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
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