Encountering God on Racial Justice Sunday

When was your last ‘wow’ moment, when you saw or heard something that not only got your attention – but your awe! Perhaps while watching sport, or listening to music, or when you saw that cake in the bakers: ‘wow’.

‘Wow’ moments are not just reactions to cakes or music or sport but can be religious too. Perhaps at evensong or in quiet prayer or when a Bible text speaks directly to you. Do you know that kind of moment? In today’s readings we have two ‘wow’ moments, the 1st when Isaiah sees the Lord in the temple: ‘wow’ & the 2 nd when Peter sees a miracle and recognises who Jesus is. Each of these moments then led to action.

Today, as we leave Epiphany and turn our attention towards Lent, I want to ask you, when was the last time you had a ‘wow’ moment with God – and what action did it lead to? And on this Racial Justice Sunday – I will highlight a connection between St Mary’s vision to be a House of Prayer for all People, our Diocesan vision for a racially just Church, and finally, a vision of our future in heaven.

1st wow moment – Isaiah meets God in the temple. Isaiah’s ‘wow’ moment comes in a vision of God. In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. I’ve said it before and will say it again – thanks to all who open and close this Church every day. Our biggest congregation is the one that comes during the week - in 1’s and 2’s - to sit, to pray, to light a candle. This is a place where people encounter God. Wow! And while we do not need to be in Church to meet God, when we choose to come to Church to hear God’s Word and to receive the Sacrament, God speaks in special ways. So be careful. Being in worship is a conscious seeking of God – a God who wants to be found.

In Isaiah’s ‘God encounter’ there is smoke, angels and a shaking temple. Isaiah responds: Woe is me! I am lost, I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet I have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’ An angel touches his lips with a hot coal, saying ‘your guilt has departed, and your sin is blotted out’. Isaiah’s vision ends with a question from God: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Isaiah replies, ‘Here am I; send me!’ We may not have a vision like Isaiah’s, but God does

continue to reveal himself today. If God does reveal himself to us, I pray that we will also respond: Here am I; send me!

Like Isaiah, we can meet God in the Temple.

A 2nd ‘wow’ moment is Peter meeting God at work. This 2nd ‘God encounter’ is in a much more ordinary place – at work. It is an example of God speaking to us – in the ordinary places of life - when we least expect it. Peter is doing what he does best, fishing, except he has not had a good night fishing. He is tired, embarrassed, ‘they had caught no fish’, and probably irritated when Jesus asks him to cast his net on the other side.

In this miracle Jesus reveals himself to Peter who then calls his friends ‘who fill both boats with fish, so they begin to sink’. Peter then does an interesting thing: he falls at Jesus’ feet saying, ‘Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ Like Isaiah, Peter has a ‘wow’ moment – he realises who Jesus is. Have we realised who Jesus is yet? Have we had our ‘wow’ moment, a recognition of God? Peter, like Isaiah, realises he is sinful, that he needs to be forgiven. Which is why he says, ‘Go away from me Lord’. Peter does not yet realise that the God who blesses him with fish, loves him and forgives him. Peter will make a habit of needing forgiveness, yet Jesus makes a habit of forgiving Peter, and us. Peter encounters God at work.

On this Racial Justice Sunday – a Sunday when we have celebrated the diversity of our communities and

Churches for 30 years - the idea of meeting God in each other takes on a special meaning. C.S. Lewis writes: ‘It is a serious thing to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be tempted to worship. There are no ordinary people.’ Lewis continues: You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations - these are mortal. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit.’

Our Diocesan website says ‘We delight in the diversity of our area. Brent is one of the most culturally diverse boroughs and Harrow one of the most religiously diverse’. And our 2030 Vision is that every one of these Londoners will encounter the love of God in Christ.

In Isaiah we read that God wants ‘a house of prayer for all nations’ (Is 56:7). At Epiphany we celebrated the Magi (the foreigners) recognising the Jewish Christ. At Pentecost, we saw everyone ‘hearing each other in their own language’ (Acts 2). And the Bible ends with a vision of ‘the multitudes from every nation’ Rev 7: 9, worshipping God. On Racial Justice Sunday it is good to remind ourselves that God creating every tribe and nation to know and worship him. It is a big and ambitious vision – and yet a very simple one – to love God and each other. So, we meet God in each other.

In conclusion Our OT and Gospel readings today describe encounters with God - Isaiah in the temple and Peter in the boat. We can meet God in Church or at Work and everywhere in between. Racial Justice Sunday also reminds us that we encounter God in each other – we are all made in God’s image.

What struck me about Isaiah and Peter is when they met God – they realised they were sinful and weak. This is our experience too, as we say in our penitential prayer ‘we have sinned against you and our neighbour’.

Yet, both Isaiah and Peter were restored. God does not come to condemn us but to give us life.

Isaiah responded by volunteered to go where God sent him ‘here am I send me’. And while Peter went onto to deny Jesus at the crucifixion, he was again restored after Christ was resurrected.

I pray that as we encounter God, in Church, in life and through each other, that we will know God comes not to condemn but to restore. And having been restored, that we will act, being willing to be sent and to serve.