Several years ago, there was this movie, The Godfather. I think many of you have watched it. It is a movie about the life and activities of a Mafia family. The scene that was so shattering to me in that film was the baptismal scene. The head of the family had just died, passing along control of the mob to his young son. Other crime families were making moves against the new Don, and he had issued contracts on a number of his “enemies”. He wanted them killed. At the same time, he consented to be the godfather for his new-born niece. The church where the baptism took place was majestic. Organ music filled the great church, and the priest conducted the formal ancient rite with expected dignity.
The director of the movie used a film technique to make his point. He repeatedly fast-cut from the baptism scene to the activities of the mobsters and their violent actions. As the priest made the sign of the cross on the infant’s forehead, the cut was on the gangster caressing his gun. As the priest placed salt on the lips of the child, the scene suddenly went to the gunman oiling his rifle. As the question was asked of the godfather, the head of the mob, “Do you renounce the Devil and all his ways,”the answer came from the godfather: “I do renounce him,” and the parallel scene was the executioner pumping shotgun shells into his victims. The scene went on, seemingly interminably; all the time the organ was playing, and the priest’s voice conducting the baptismal service continued.
For me, this scene reflects ] what is going on in our world. We see people using violence to get things done and in solving problems. If you have read the newspapers lately, you will see that violence is used to settle things. And this includes settling disputes in families, and even in our schools.
Into this kind of world, we bring our gospel for today. In John 3:16-17, the writer tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
In spite of who we are, God continues to love us. There are times when we are made to believe that Jesus did something which changed the attitude of God to us from condemnation to forgiveness. But this text tells us it was with God that it all started. It was God who sent his son, and he sent him because he loves us. At the back of everything is the love of God.
Our lives are broken in many ways. We do not measure up to what we would like to be. We have dreams, but they often turn into nightmares. We have an image of ourselves, but somehow we do not live up to who we want to be.
Paul expresses this in another way in his letter to the Romans: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
As we come together to this place of worship, we are more like a ceramic jar with chips and cracks all over. And then in our midst, comes a friend who is ready to take us even with our cracks, faults, and all. The writer to the Ephesians explains that “we are broken, bent, rusted and cracked–but we are saved by grace.” This is not our own doing; it is a gift from God.
There is a humorous story about a man who stormed into a newspaper office holding a copy of that day’s edition of the paper, and demanded to speak to the person responsible for obituaries. He was referred to a cub reporter to whom, with much agitation, he showed a column that contained his own obituary. “You can see that I am very much alive!” he complained. “I demand an immediate retraction.” The reporter replied, “I never retract an obituary. But I tell you what I’ll do. In tomorrow’s edition, I’ll put you in the birth column, and give you a fresh start!”
That is what Christ is offering to us–a fresh start. There is a word in the New Testament that speaks of this. That word is redeem. It is a term that comes from the slave market. In the olden days of slavery, slaves were brought into the public square or plaza, and auctioned off. Certain buyers would bid for them, pay the price, and then set the slave free. The slave was redeemed from the auction block, bought, freed and given a new life. That is who we are.
Yes, we fall short of the glory of God. But God has redeemed us. God’s love is so great that God is willing to take us in spite of our weaknesses. That is grace.
According to one writer, “Grace is looking at life very clearly, admit it is sometimes all wrong, and still know that somehow, in the center of your life, it is all right.”
One time I visited a friend who introduced me to his wife. His wife was really pretty. Her face is like a doll, her skin flawless. But my friend is not good-looking. He has pockmarks on his face, etc. It really surprised me. I could not help myself but ask his wife, “Why did you marry my friend?” Her answer was simply: “Because I love him.”
When we personally realize that God loves us, that God gave his son for us–we, too, can be more loving and be more forgiving. We reach out to others in God’s name because God has reached out to us.
The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is a reminder to this. God has accepted us with all our cracks and dents. Because we are loved, we are asked also to share that love with others. Come to this table and feel the love of God so that we too can love others as God has loved us.
