Bearing Witness: Remembrance and Solidarity | Jan Naragon

Sermon by Jan Naragon

St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, Borrego Springs

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, that he might bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness to the light.

Recently you've read about a leader in a much-contested part of the world who felt insecure in his power. Desperate to maintain the status quo, he cast a wide net to rid himself of the threat, killing thousands of children in the process. I am speaking of King Herod. This year, the Feast of the Holy Innocents falls on a Sunday. Holy innocents were the babies that were slain by the order of Herod after he was hoodwinked by the Wise Men.

Shortly, we'll say a prayer of lamentation to commemorate the thousands of innocent children whose lives were lost in the conflict between Hamas and Israel, more than 20,000 since October of 2023. Loss of potential, unimaginable anguish of so many parents. Yes, it's more than terrible. Maybe we want to do something, but what?

John's gospel offers an action item for us today in the Baptist bearing witness to the light. What is this bearing witness thing? The Ten Commandments speak of bearing false witness against one's neighbor. What about true witness? Bearing witness is an act of intentional remembrance. It is an act of etching something important into our oral history that can never be destroyed.

Our Bishop Susan recently was in the news for bearing witness, standing in solidarity with immigrant detainees outside of a federal courthouse. An organization of Palestinian Christians called Sabeel has been bearing witness weekly in the absence of press coverage of the events in Gaza and the West Bank. Listening and being present preserves the crucial historical moments that may fade with neglect, time, and juicier news.

How many of you have been in a situation where you felt powerless, where you could not act upon a perceived injustice and said, "Well, that's all well and good, but we know what really happened." Well, that's bearing witness.

John the Baptist knew what really happened. His ministry was the first step in making sure that Jesus got remembered, that the word was the light of men and women. That no matter what happened later, the darkness would not overcome the light.

Bearing witness doesn't require physical prowess or good health. It is an act of coming alongside to ensure accurate memory, to express solidarity, and to reinforce the equality of every child of God. Bearing witness does not cancel out the need for forgiveness. It brings the need for forgiveness into sharper relief.

Bearing witness begins with prayer. Every week, we pray for our distressed world. Remembering and expressing compassion through prayer opens the door of our awareness, bit by bit. Perhaps remembering and lamenting can lead us to speak truth to power.

A quote from Chris Tumulty: "In a season when many feel powerless, the act of gathering in prayer brings solidarity and strengthens the resolve of those working toward justice, reminding us that suffering should never go unacknowledged or unanswered."

Dame Jane Goodall said, "The big problem today is that so many people feel insignificant. They feel that the problems facing the world are so huge that there's nothing they can do, so they do nothing. And as an individual, maybe there isn't really that much, but when you get thousands, and then millions, all doing the best they can every day for other beings, then you get huge change."

Bearing witness when and where we can is in God's image, is Emmanuel, God with us. There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every person. We are all keepers of the light.

Let's close with an excerpt from O Holy Night. Truly, he taught us to love one another. His law is love and his gospel is peace. Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother, and in his name, all oppression shall cease. Amen.