Matthew 25:1-13 “Be Prepared”
As a Boy Scout our motto was, simply, “Be Prepared.” This means that we would have the training, the skills, the supplies, and the right clothing for whatever situation we could find ourselves in. When we go out to the lake we have appropriate swimwear, we pack a towel, and maybe some water shoes. When we go for a hike we have a backpack, bear spray, extra water, and shoes that will provide ankle support and toe protection. When we go rock climbing, we wear a harness that will keep us safe, a helmet to guard from falling rock, and those extremely uncomfortable shoes that help our feet grip the rock. But what does it mean for us, as Christians, to be prepared?”
It’s often been said, “It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.” Well, I know all too well what it feels like to need it and not have it. I recall one of my first camp-outs as a Boy Scout. We went up to D-Bar-A Scout Ranch in the Upper Half of the Lower Peninsula. We were to go rock climbing, exploring, and finish the day with a big Thanksgiving dinner! Oh, and, yes, we were tent camping in November and in the snow. We arrived at D-Bar-A Scout Ranch on a Friday night, and as soon as I stepped out of the car, I realized that I was not prepared for the cold. We had gone roughly four hours north and the weather was noticeably frigid. We unpacked our cars in the dark and put up our tents. As we huddled around the fire hungering for warmth, I noticed that my tent-mate wasn’t around. “Where’s Alex?” We searched up-and-down the large group site, until my Scout Master took me aside. “Alex is on his way to the hospital. We think he has Hypothermia.” Hypothermia, of course, occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce it. When your body temperature drops, your heart, nervous system, and other organs can’t work normally. It is a very serious condition.
With the weight of this news upon my shoulders, I went to bed. I knew I was in trouble when I first stepped into that tent. To my alarm, the tent was poorly insulated. I could see my breath in the air. Lacking the body heat of my tent mate, I was concerned about the night to come. By the time I laid out my sleeping bag, arranged my pillow, and set out my clothes for the next day, I discovered that my sleeping bag was not rated for the 20-degree night that would ensue. My first attempt at sleep was short lived. I could not stop shivering. I finally got up and put on every article of clothing that I packed. I wore three pairs of underwear, socks, shirts, and sweatshirts. I could not get warm. That night was one of the hardest I would experience as a boy scout. I can still recognize the feeling of the biting cold creeping through my bones. I was ill-prepared for the circumstances that came my way, and the experience was so bad, that, I promised myself that I would that this would be my last camp-out ever.
As dawn broke, I finally felt a moment’s relief. My frigid night of horrors was over. As we made breakfast and prepared to go rock climbing, I was afraid to talk to anyone. I was embarrassed that I didn’t pack the right gear and, as a younger scout, I didn’t want to get made fun of. Along the way to the rock-climbing tower, I finally worked up the courage to tell my dad what happened. He listened with sympathetic eyes, patted me on the back and said, “Let’s see what we can do.” His words put me at ease and helped me to enjoy the activity before me. When we got back to the campsite, my dad stepped up. He gave me some of the warmer clothes that he had. I fondly remember the warm grey Michigan Wolverines sweatshirt he gave me. He went out and bought me and the other campers hand warmers. He made sure that I was staying hydrated so that I wouldn’t get hypothermia. When I needed someone, my dad was there. By no small miracle, I went to bed that night and slept.
I believe that this is at the heart of what it means to be prepared and our role as the church. We, the church, are the body of Christ and ambassadors of reconciliation. We, the church, are called to be a commonwealth—a people serving and seeking the well-being of our neighborhood. We are to be a people where status distinctions between us fall away. Where we do not exist over one another, but with and for the good of all. Us being Christians does not make us above all, but for all. Our distinctions are not in status from the rest of the world or each other, our distinctions are the individual gifts, callings, and experiences that shed light on the gospel. We are the ones who look out for one another, who provide warmer clothes, who are a safe listening ear for those who are struggling to talk, and who sit with our neighbor to make sure they’re alright. Our task to keep awake, be watchful, and always prepared is as spiritual as it is physically tangible, social as it is personal, cosmic as it is human. It is being wise. It is being kind. It is in keeping the faith. For our actions matter, our beliefs matter, and our character matters.
God has invited us into the healing, reconciling, and resurrecting work that is present and ongoing through the church. While we are grateful for the good work we did yesterday, we incline our ears to the work of the Holy Spirit today and which is ongoing. We are a people who stay prepared knowing that God is alive and at work in our neighborhoods, in our town, in our county, and in our world. The Holy Spirit continues to embolden us to proclaim and share in the mission of God. This mission that came before us and will continue long after us, is a symphony that needs our harmonies of praise. This mission of proclaiming and pronouncing Jesus is waiting for your notes of prayers be they soprano or bass, tenor or alto. This is the body of Christ, with all its voices and harmonies, and this is who we are: a people proclaiming the good news through our love. Even as the days grow shorter, keep watch for signs of resurrection. Even as the sun goes down at five o’clock, keep your lights alight especially when all around you is dark. Even in these times we hold out hope, knowing that God is never far.