Stay agile in your faith/MLK Jr.

Good afternoon. Today we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He fought for civil rights and equality for people of color—for ALL people, actually—in the late 1960s, a time when discrimination, segregation, and outright persecution was pretty rampant, especially in the south. At a time when those on top were comfortable with the status quo and most religious leaders advocated for peace and order, Dr. King was seen as a rabble rouser, a social irritant, a disruption. He made people uncomfortable. He challenged us to do better, to BE better, tirelessly crying out and demanding justice for ALL // not just for some, and not someday, but NOW. And ultimately, he was martyred for it. So regardless of your politics, much of the progress we made in improving equality in this country can be traced to the work and legacy of Dr. King.

Growing up in the era of Dr. King’s ascent though, I think the biggest problem most people had with him was that he disturbed their sense of order. He challenged their status quo, and the comfort of their daily routines. Regardless of how well off you were, there was comfort in the routine ebb and flow of life. It’s how we’re wired. And that desire for comfort carries over into our faith lives, too.

One thing I’ve realized over the past decade is that I’m kind of a liturgy nerd. I love the rubrics, the forms, words, smells, of the Church. And I take great comfort when they're done correctly—when everyone follows “the rules.” I think most of us are a bit like that. We embrace Church teaching, the Sacraments, and Scripture because they help bring us closer to God. And we love the order. We don’t like change, noise, or disruption to the order of our lives—at home or in our Church. And that’s a trap we need to avoid.

That’s the message of our Gospel today. When called out because his disciples weren’t following the rules, Jesus reminds the Pharisees that there’s something greater than the rules, the rubrics, the traditions here. Because Jesus, God Himself, is there before them—the Bridegroom of a New Covenant, something that does not and will not fit the old forms. And if you try to fit the new into the old, it won’t work. New cloth can’t mend a tear in old—it’ll make it worse. New wine can’t go into old wineskins—they’ll burst.

So here’s our takeaway. Everything we love about our Church, our liturgies, and our traditions is all about bringing us closer to God. But God is ever at work in us, calling us to a new understanding of his plan, and what he wants us to do. And we’re always called to do MORE – to get out of our comfort zone and put our faith into action.

Faith that’s not evolving, not growing, is a faith that’s dying. Our faith needs to be flexible and open enough to grow in the face of discernment and new revelation from God. It’s not about the rubrics or the rules, much as we love them. They’re just a means to an end. And that end is to help us grow ever closer to Jesus, and bring our faith to life.