I speak to you in the name of Source, God, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, mother of us all.
I am going to take you on a trip down memory lane.
One of my many gigs before becoming a Deacon was working with women state legislators in Washington, DC. I was fresh out of college at this time, so about 20 years ago. We would train these women to expand their portfolio of talking points and get them comfortable debating on topics other than “maternal topics”, such as healthcare & education. We taught them how to run for Congress and which earrings not to wear that could be distracting in front of the camera or during debates.
In January 2007, when President Bush, Jr opened his State of the Union address, he shared, “It is my distinct honor to introduce you to Madame Speaker Nancy Pelosi.” There was a bipartisan standing ovation from President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and the entire US Congress & Supreme Court Justices,stood proudly. Earlier that month, I attended a reception honoring this historical moment in our nation’s history. Madame Speaker shared a story. You see, typically, every week, the minority and majority leaders of both Chambers of Congress go to the White House to meet. When she sat at the table, she shared that her chair felt crowded from all the women sitting with her at the table of power.
Part of my job was overseeing operations of a conference held every two years, where these women advocated on issues crucial not only to their district but to the country as a whole. We had to pick a new theme, and it dawned on me that we should choose “women at the tables of power” and give out chair pins.
We hear this quote quite a bit. How can we take” our seat at the tables of power? Are we to be given a seat at the tables of power, or are we to be kindly invited? And once we get into those positions of power, are they given back or taken away? This reminds me of my favorite day in the liturgical year, Maundy Thursday, when Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. The teacher demonstrated to the student, that there is no power at the table, there is no one less or more than anyone else at Jesus‘s table.
Today’s from Pauls letter, and the reading in the gospel of Luke is about the persistent widow, who begs for justice from a judge —really, she is seeking vengeance— from an adversary. And the judge only gave in because, quite frankly, he was exhausted from hearing this widow beg time & time again. I am sure some of us can relate. But Jesus clearly states, in the beginning of the reading, have faith, and pray, be persistent in your pursuit of justice.
It got me thinking about women’s ordination. It’s very timely since I was ordained a Deacon last week, and we are also showing the documentary on the Philadelphia 11 later this afternoon. Think about all the times that men, women, and any of God’s children did not have a voice at the so-called tables of power?
We know of the stories of those who were persistent and kept showing up to those tables, kindly asking and trudging the road to gain access to those tables of power. So many stories throughout our history remind us of these so-called people who fought so hard to gain access to sit at that table, whatever table that might be.
Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm famously said, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair”. This quote from the first African American Congresswoman, and presidential candidate, got me thinking….what if we have authority at the tables of power, do we invite others to be at our table? And what if we don’t have access to those tables of power? How do we have the patience and persistence to ensure all of God’s children’s voices are heard?
How much patience do we need to get through each day when witnessing so much injustice in the world? Or how much patience do we need when loving our neighbors? How much patience do you think we should have to gain the wisdom necessary to walk forward in our faith? I know that this, too, shall pass. God will show us the way; there is hope, and the sunlight of the spirit is all around us. Patience is a virtue, they say.
What injustices are going on right now that we need not turn a blind eye to, that we need to rise up like the widow?
We are taught, by Job, Daniel, and other Prophets in the Old Testament, not to try to figure out God‘s plan. That requires patience and a great deal of heart-centered faith. Yet, while we are patiently awaiting, there are thousands of children dying of starvation; a child dies every 10 seconds from going hungry. Thousands are dying because they’re being poisoned either by their food, the air that they breath, or the water that they are consuming in their communities. In the U.S. alone, 2.2 million Americans live in homes without running water or basic plumbing. Which leads me to my last stark fact, that over 40% of Americans have medical debt.
None of these souls asked for this life of despair and trauma. Luck of the draw, huh? Then I think, how lucky am I… To be born in a first-world country, with my needs being met, and I go to bed feeling safe. You would think that I have patience & faith since I am so blessed. We are called to have faith and to have hope. To show mercy to our neighbors. Fighting for justice and centering our ministries on the most vulnerable is our mission.
Yet, there is so much suffering in the world. Must we have patience waiting for someone else to take care of these human sufferings? Should I stand by and do nothing? Do we stand by and watch as the suffering continues? How do we trust that God will take care of us, take care of them, take care of the world?
It is overwhelming at times. But then I remember the parable of the persistent widow. I remember that moment in our country’s history, where there was bipartisan efforts made by the judicial, executive and legislative branches celebrated the leveling of tables of power.
In Paul’s letters, and at the beginning of our reading today from Luke, Jesus tells his disciples to pray and not to lose hope in prayer. To not dim the light of justice by disconnecting with God in some of the most challenging times. To not let our ego get in the way, to allow ourselves to be vulnerable, and to ask for help from, yes, God, but maybe also from others that alleviate chains of suffering. We are called to pray for justice and focus our attention outwardly, rather than living in worry, fear, and anxiety that shades us from God’s love. We are called to invite everyone to our table and the tables of power.
In these times, I have to remember that there have been many King Herods, there have been plagues, World Wars, civil wars, slavery, the holocaust, and the world survived. God’s Kingdom survives only when we learn from one another, lean on God, and patiently pray with one another for justice to prevail.
The widow was not only persistent in her call for justice against her adversary, but she also had to step out of her place in the world to ensure justice was served. She, a widow, was left behind in society, an afterthought. The widow gained enough courage to ask the judge for help, support, and a kind gesture to spare her more anguish, pain, and suffering. He denied her over and over again, yet she persisted.
We are called to find faith in the darkest of circumstances. We are called not to lose hope. We are called to find hope in our siblings who do not have faith themselves or believe in God. To shine our light so bright that all will see the love, grace, and compassion we have to share with the world.
As we reflect on how we can empower one another to sit at the tables of power, offer up a seat at the table, or even to bring a folding chair, I ask, how can we step it up a bit offering up a seat?
How can we continue to lean into prayer, lean on others, work towards justice, show mercy, and share grace in all bountiful gifts, so all know the love of the Kingdom of God?
Rev. Christina Cernansky