I Will Not Be Silent!

The 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today’s Readings: Isa 62: 1-5; Ps 96; 1 Cor 12: 4-11; Jn 2: 1-11

When I was home for Christmas, one of the presents my brother got was a DVD set of the first season of the TV show, Boston Legal. For several evenings, we sat and watched multiple episodes of this very funny series.

In two of the shows, the Reverend Al Sharpton made a guest appearance and came bursting into the courtroom in the middle of trials. In one episode, he spoke passionately about how a young black girl was being denied her rights and dreams by not getting chosen to play Little Orphan Annie in a stage play.

Then in another episode, he argued just as powerfully on behalf of a transgendered woman who was fired from her job because she made her coworkers uncomfortable.

Of course, taking on the evils of the system and the status quo are things that Al Sharpton is famous for in real life. Some people may think that guys like him just ham it up for the cameras or for political gain—but the truth of the matter is, it takes a lot of guts to speak out publicly when people, especially minorities, are denied their civil rights. It takes much courage to organize marches, practice civil disobedience, stage protests or do other activist things to try to right injustices. We all well know that our world frequently rejects and ridicules the justice seeker. Sometimes, in fact, activism can cost a person their life. We remember that tomorrow on Martin Luther King Day.

Maybe that’s why I have a lot of respect for the people who aren’t afraid to really stand up for their beliefs: the Al Sharptons and Martin Luther Kings and Cindy Sheehans and so many others. It’s funny: I may not always agree with the person’s viewpoint or politics, but I do greatly admire their passion and courage.

Where does a person’s passion come from—their “fire,” if you will?

We hear it spoken by the prophet Isaiah in the opening line of our first reading today: For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet?

And it goes without saying that Jesus himself never hesitated to speak up when somebody was being bullied or discriminated against, no matter what the cost to him.

To take on a fight against injustice, a potential martyr or a would-be agent of change needs spiritual empowerment. When you’ve got those spiritual resources, then you can go forward in confidence, knowing that God is on your side to make things happen. That’s exactly how Isaiah goes on in our reading to promise victory, vindication, glory, rejoicing?

So: how do we go from being average, don’t-make-waves people into spiritual dynamos? How do we hunger for, and then find, spiritual empowerment so we can work for justice and full inclusion in the world of the people who are stepped on, put down or marginalized?

Actually, Mary shows us how in the gospel today.

It’s the famous story of the wedding feast at Cana. Jesus’ mother uses this occasion to jump-start his ministry. Remember, this is the time of Christ’s first public miracle: changing water into wine.

We don’t usually think of Mary saying, “Jesus, honey. Be a love and run to the store and get some more wine”—but this is sort of what happens here.

In Jesus’ day, weddings were very much community events. They laid the foundation for your future. Wine was particularly symbolic, so running out would have been an insult to the community and an extreme embarrassment for the hosts.

This wasn’t just a matter of everyone having a glass of bubbly to hold during a toast. No, this was about life itself. Before drinking, in fact, people would say: “L’ Chaim!”—“To Life!” And who among us hasn’t needed a miracle to get where we are in life? I know I have?

Today, many people in the larger community—the world—need such a miracle. They need acceptance. They need inclusion. They need affirmation and belonging. In other words, they need life itself. Because if you’ve got this, then every other problem takes care of itself.

Mary told the servants in the gospel, “Do whatever he tells you.” She says the same to us: “Do whatever my Son tells you.”

Jesus, in turn, tells the servants: “Fill the jugs with water—and love fully as I lead you.”

For the servants, it probably didn’t make a lot of sense to put water in the wine jars—but they did it out of obedience, on faith.

We, too, don’t know exactly what’s going to happen tomorrow, next week, or even later today. But somehow, trusting the Lord is going to be the key to our success, our victory, our vindication—our spiritual empowerment.

Very simply, Christ teaches us constantly to love one another, to build each other up, to stand up for our neighbor, to help those in need, to practice the Golden Rule. If we immerse ourselves in his teachings, how can we not speak up? For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet?

If we speak up, and maybe even act up, will the Lord be there at our side? Are you willing to find out?

Yes, go out these doors into the world and be holy troublemakers. Shoot your mouth off for the Lord.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied? Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.