Easter Vigil: Home in the Desert

We have been joining together, all of us, telling this great story, remembering this story as we are remembered by it.

And we want to stop for a moment and focus in on one of the themes of this story, the theme of this year's vigil,

the theme that we see in Isaiah chapter 35 so beautifully delivered a few minutes ago.

Isaiah 35 · chapter mention

So, in one sense, Isaiah 35 is a beautiful poem about an ancient people.

It's a story of Israel and their wandering in the desert, their ongoing search for a home that goes unfulfilled,

their trial in the wilderness of their own making.

And yet the Bible tells us that the story of Israel is our story.

That it's the story of the world.

That it's the story of the human condition.

That we're all pilgrims.

And this world is a desert.

A spiritual desert.

And that this world is not our home.

Now, it doesn't look like a desert.

But when we see violence or racial injustice or exploitation,

or when someone we love is taken from us,

why do we feel in our bones that deep sense of wrongness?

This is not the way things are supposed to be.

When you look at our most enduring, most popular stories,

stories like Star Wars or Harry Potter,

these are stories that often tell us

that there's more to this world than we can see or hear or touch or taste.

They point us to an enchanted world.

A world full of cosmic forces.

And children and adults alike yearn to know that there's a world beyond the world of the Muggles.

That there is a magical, enchanted world.

If only we could discover it.

I think when we feel these feelings inside,

it's because some small part of us remembers

this is the desert.

This is not our home.

And yet many, many, many people have forgotten

that there is anything more than the desert.

Many people have forgotten that there's anything beyond this.

And when that happens,

when we begin to believe that this is all there is,

and there is nothing beyond this,

when we begin to believe that,

then we begin to do whatever we have to do

to make this world into a permanent home.

And that's when the good things in our lives

start to become ultimate things.

One example,

many, many, many people these days

are putting all of their hope in politics.

We believe that with the right administration,

we can turn the desert into a permanent home.

We can make it habitable.

Maybe even slurish.

So to quote Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sachs,

people to the right dream of a golden past that never was.

People on the left yearn for a utopian future

that never will be.

And yet people on the left and the right

are experiencing this longing

more and more and more

as a kind of religious longing.

More and more people are finding

their entire sense of identity

and meaning and purpose

in party affiliation.

And you know the litmus test

to know whether or not politics

has become a religion for you.

How do you treat people with whom you disagree?

How do you view people

on the other side of the aisle?

Are they merely people

who have different ideas?

Or are they heretics?

Are they blasphemers

who don't deserve to be heard?

Government is essential

and good leaders can make a tremendous difference

in the lives of many people.

Regardless of who you voted for

in the last election,

regardless of who you vote for

in the coming election,

no administration can turn the desert

into a gardener.

This is not our home.

Now, of course, many of you know this.

And you're tired of the political polarization.

You say, I know life isn't about politics.

And many people say,

I'll tell you what life is about.

Life is about love.

Love, love is what life is all about.

And of course, often we mean romantic love.

The passion of human love.

I think like politics,

love has become its own religion

in our society.

People say, if I could only find someone

to love for the rest of my life,

if only I could find somebody

who would love me,

then it would be enough.

And I wouldn't have this longing.

And I would be satisfied.

It's so tempting to think

that marrying the right person

will bring us contentment.

And so, you know,

some people never get married

because they never find someone

who checks all the boxes.

Some people are afraid

that if they never get married,

never have kids,

they'll never be complete.

They'll never be whole.

Some people wonder

if the person they're with

is the one.

Maybe some of you are here tonight

with somebody

and you're sitting next to that person

right now

and you're wondering,

is this the person?

Show of hands,

how many people are thinking that?

I'll let you work it out.

Maybe you're haunted by the fear

that you married the wrong person.

Or maybe you had a really good person,

but that person was taken from you.

It's so tempting to think

that marrying the right person

will bring us contentment.

But you know we have it

exactly backwards.

Marriage is not what makes

contentment possible.

Contentment is what makes

marriage possible.

Contentment is what makes

marriage possible.

All human beings are flawed.

Even the best people

will let you down.

Even in the best relationships

and the best marriages,

sometimes you still feel lonely.

And so we have to find

that contentment elsewhere.

If you look to your spouse

or your significant other

or your children

to give you contentment,

you will crush them

under the existential weight

of your need.

Because nobody

can meet that need.

As wonderful as human love can be,

it cannot change the desert

into a garden.

And this is not our home.

Now some of you know

that politics isn't the answer.

Some of you have maybe tried love

and maybe it's not all

it's cracked up to be.

And you say,

well love didn't really work out.

I'm tired of all the political

back and forth.

Well,

at least I have my career.

At least I have a job

that I can pour myself into.

And so we tell ourselves

that it's hard work now

and you haven't taken a day off

in 15 or 16 years.

But one day it will be worth it.

One day we'll arrive.

One day we'll succeed.

And then we'll stand

on that plateau

and enjoy the view

and look back

and say it was all worth it

because I've finally arrived.

And so it's worth

asking ourselves

what will that be like

when we arrive?

How will we know

that we've arrived?

What will that rush

of success do

to our souls?

Will it finally be enough?

I think of Jim Carrey,

the wise old sage,

who said this.

He said,

I think everybody

should get rich and famous

and do everything

they ever dreamed

so that they can see

that it's not the answer.

People are always saying,

go after your dreams.

There's that weird video

with Shia LaBeouf

who says,

just do it.

Chase your dreams.

Make them happen.

Does anyone have any idea

the existential catastrophe

that would come about

if you ever got

everything you dreamed of?

Because then you would be faced

with the massive quandary

of realizing,

that's not what I was looking for.

It's not enough.

The longing is still there.

Now what?

As meaningful

as our work can be,

no amount of work

no amount of success

can change

the desert

into a garden.

It's not enough.

This is not our home.

And so then many Christians

say,

well of course,

of course politics

isn't the answer.

Of course human love

isn't the answer.

Of course our career

and our success,

of course that's not the answer.

Put all of your trust

and your faith

in Jesus

and Jesus will satisfy

all of your longings

here and now.

And if you don't feel satisfied,

maybe it's because

you don't have enough faith.

And maybe if you believed more,

Jesus would satisfy you more.

That's not the Christian gospel.

That's what we might call

the emotional prosperity gospel.

Isaiah 35

tells us that this world

is not our home.

Which means

that we will never

be fully satisfied

here and now.

But then Isaiah 35

goes on to say

even though this world

is not our home now,

one day this world

will be our home.

One day

this will be

the place

where we are made whole

and satisfied.

In Isaiah 35

a miracle happens.

As the pilgrims

wander through the desert,

the desert

begins to transform

around them.

The wilderness

and the dry land

shall be glad,

it says.

The desert

shall rejoice

and blossom

like the crocus.

It shall blossom

abundantly

and rejoice

with joy

and singing.

And then the pilgrims

themselves

begin to be

transformed.

The blind

can see,

the deaf

can hear,

the lame

can walk,

the mute

can sing,

and then the pilgrims

come to a great highway.

And that highway

brings them

streaming

into the city

of God.

Verse 10,

And the ransomed

of the Lord

shall return

and come to Zion

with singing

everlasting joy

shall pee upon

their heads.

They shall obtain

gladness

and joy

and sorrow

and sighing

shall flee away.

One day

God himself

is going to turn

the desert

of this world

into a garden.

One day

the desert

of loneliness

will give way

to the garden

of communion.

One day

the desert

of racial division

will give way

to the garden

of one global

multi-ethnic

family

who all share

the same name.

One day

the desert

of violence

will become

the garden

of shalom

and one day

the desert

of death

and dying

will become

the garden

of eternal life.

this is the home

that we were

made for.

This is the home

that we long for.

And if you know this

if you know

that even though

we're in the desert

now one day

this desert

will become

a garden

and a great city

and we will be

welcomed home

if you know this

number one

you can give

this life

permission

to be imperfect.

you can give

your spouse

permission

to be imperfect.

You can give

your kids

permission

to be imperfect.

You can give

our government

leaders

permission

to be imperfect.

You can give

your job

permission

to be imperfect.

You can enjoy

them and celebrate

them for what

they are

without needing

them to be

something

they never

could be.

If you know

that one day

God will turn

the desert

into a garden

then you can

have more

hope than

you ever

thought possible

because you

know that

even the best

experiences of

this life are

just the tiniest

foretaste of

that which is

yet to come

and the best

is yet to come

by a long

shot.

And if you

know that God

will one day

turn this desert

into a garden

then you can

know that what

you do here

matters.

And it

matters for

eternity.

Because God

doesn't scrap

the desert

and start

over.

God

transforms

the desert

into a garden

and a great

city.

And so all

that is good

and true

and beautiful

in your life

and in your

work

will become

a part

of that new

creation.

And so

everything we do

matters.

matters.

And this is

why Easter

matters so

much.

And this is

why the bodily

resurrection of

Jesus matters

so much.

Because a

resurrected Jesus

is the first

sign of a

resurrected world.

world.

And to all

who ask

for Jesus

to forgive

you.

For all

who desire

to be

reconciled

to the

Father.

For all

who are

baptized in

the name

of the

Father and

of the

Son and

of the

Holy

Spirit.

You are

invited to

join in

to the

renewal of

all things

that is

already

underway.

In the

name of

the

Father and

of the

Son and

of the

Holy

Spirit.