11242021 – Matthew 6. 25-33
It was a cold, crisp, clear Wednesday night in a big city. It was the night before Thanksgiving.
A guy was pushing an old, beat-up shopping cart along a back-alley way. It was filled with discarded clothes, old newspapers, some cardboard, and a couple of cans of food…it squeaked as it rolled.
He wore several layers of clothes, all of them filthy and full of holes. His hair was long and matted, he had a scraggly beard, and what little you could see of his face was covered in dirt and grease.
Nobody knew his name, but some started calling him “Crazy Mike.” He would wander through the street’s dumpster-diving and begging the odd quarters off of strangers. He didn’t bother anyone, so most people didn’t bother him.
That cold, crisp, clear night before Thanksgiving, “Mike” was just wandering through the alleys, looking for a corner where he could sleep that would shelter him from the cold and the wind.
But then, floating on the air, came the faint strains of a music playing music that was familiar to him.
He slowly pushed his cart toward the sound and found himself standing in front of a church of all places.
On the sign out front it said, “Thanksgiving Worship, Wednesday Night, 7:00 p.m.” He just stood there transfixed by the sound.
The Office was quiet. The lights were off. Except for a desk lamp glaring brightly in one-lone-cubicle. You could hear the quiet hum of the cooling fan in a computer, the clickety-clack of a keyboard.
Everyone had gone home for the Thanksgiving Holiday, except for Lily. She knew her boss wouldn’t be back until Monday, but if she could just finish this report and personally hand it to him on Monday morning, maybe she might get that promotion she’d been hoping for.
The strain on Lily’s eyes was getting to her, her fingers were cramping. She decided to go outside and take a brief walk in the cool November air before she finished the report. As the door to the office closed behind her, her cellphone rang. A child’s familiar voice said, “Mommy, when are you coming home?
As Lily walked along the street in front of her office building, she too heard the faint strains of music playing that she too, remembered from her childhood.
SLOWLY she walked toward the sound till she came to a church. She just stood there next to a guy who seemed transfixed by the sound.
Sai Ling had been raised a Buddhist and she was very faithful to its teachings and its traditions. But her parents had also taught her to tolerate and respect people of other religions. In a country that was “supposed to be” founded on “Christian values and principles,” people didn’t seem to take their religion very serious.
Here it was almost Thanksgiving, a holiday that was supposed to honor God for all his blessings. And yet her co-workers called it “Turkey Day.” And they bragged about how they would STUFF THEMSELVES with food and then sit in front of a T.V. and watch parades or football. And maybe drink themselves into oblivion.
But as she was walking home from the bus stop, she heard the faint sounds of music in the air. The tune was beautiful, but totally unfamiliar to her. Curiosity got the best of her, and she started to walk toward the sound.
She came to stand in front of a Church. She stood there, alongside of Lily and some guy, all of whom were transfixed by the music coming from within.
As the tune began to repeat, the music swelled. Lily recognized that the song was coming to an end. The three looked at each other, then back at the door of the church. Slowly they climbed the stairs together.
A man was standing at the door. He greeted them, took “a second look” at “MIKE,” then shrugged, smiled, and handed each one of them a bulletin.
He led them down the aisle to an empty pew where they could comfortably sit together.
Talk about worry. Talk about being anxious. Talk about feeling like a fish out of water. But they stayed. They listened. They observed. And they even found themselves bowing their heads in prayer.
They each reflected on their lives. What they had. Where they came from. All that they had experienced.
And all three of them realized that they had come this far by faith. They were alive. They were well. They each had more than they needed. Somewhere deep within they knew God had watched over and protected them.
This was their time. Alone time. Time with God. And individually they found many, many reasons to be thankful.
You have more than you know. More than you realize. Maybe a promotion isn’t everything. Don’t be so judgmental of others. Look at the gift that is before you. It is a gift. Long or short, you have been given MUCH. It is time. It is today. It is now. It is this moment.
And when the liturgy was over, Mike, Lily, and Sai Ling all found themselves overflowing with thanksgiving…as they walked out into cold, crisp, clear night air of November and each went their separate ways.
What are YOU thankful for this night?
Amen.