SERMON - July 31 , 2011
Rev. Kevin E. Johnston
In the Presence of "Other"
The Message
Whether it really happened to a specific person in a particular time and place within human history, or whether it’s a parable or a metaphor, the story that we just heard of Jacob wrestling with “the Stranger”, or “other” beside the Yabbok River is one of my favourites. It resonates deeply with me. Maybe it hits home with you, too. As one of the Bible’s classic tales, themes of struggle, conflict, and transformation lie within its imagery ring true-to-life for everyone at one time or another in our life journey.
As alluded to a moment ago, it may or may not be a factual and true-life narrative. It could also be seen as a parable, or a metaphor depicting the age-old human struggle with the Holy, with another person, or perhaps with the fears and life forces that lie deep within one ’s self. And if it isn’t a part of what we call history – does it really matter in the end?
Let’s suppose, though – at least for a few moments – that Jacob was a real person who lived thousands of years ago. His name means “heel-grabber” – one who takes the place of another through force, scheming, strategy, or deceit. And we know he was one from the get-go. Before he and his twin brother, Esau, were born, they apparently battled it out within their mother’s womb. On the day of their birth, Jacob wanted to get out first, his hand gripping his sibling’s heel, perhaps trying to pull Esau back so he could get ahead. A few years later, Jacob tricked his only-by-a-few-minutes-older brother into giving him the birthright that Esau was entitled to as first-born, and deceived their elderly, blind, dying father into giving him the family inheritance and blessing. And then, over the past few years before our story for today took place, Jacob himself had been deceived by his uncle, and father-in-law, Laban. But true-to-form, Jacob came back and evened out the score, increasing his own wealth and status at Laban’s expense. And it seems that, at this point in his life, Jacob had it made. He had arrived. His life spent wrestling for position, power, and wealth had gained him everything a person could want.
Yet for some reason, all this wasn’t enough for Jacob. He decided to go back to what once was – perhaps in hopes of finding there what he sought. The night before his planned meeting with long-ago deceived Esau, Jacob, sends his family and everything he had ahead of him across the stream. And he found himself at Yabbok, which means, “crossroads”, alone.
Have you ever been there – at a crossroads – or alone – at night, or what might seem like it? And if you have, did you find yourself in the presence of “other”? Maybe you’re at a crossroads of some sort right now. Perhaps you find yourself, at this point or stage in your life-journey, in the presence of “other” – whatever or whomever “other” might be for you.
It’s usually when we are alone in the stillness of the night – whether that be a literal or figurative “night” – similar to St. John of the Cross’ “deep night of the soul” – that we face our worst fears or deepest desires. And often, it’s at these dark moments that we discover – or begin to get a glimpse of, at least – who we really are. When we reach deep within ourselves, or call out to someone else for help and comfort, we often discern whether we are truly alone, or in the presence of “other” – whomever, or whatever, “other” might be. And that can be a positive, or not-so-friendly, experience.
Jacob, it appears, has finally reached the last stop of his homeward journey. But tonight – tonight he will take stock of where he has been, as well as who, and what, he has become. Finally ready to face the spirits that have haunted his waking and sleeping soul, he is determined – whether or not he has a conscious awareness of this resolve – to test his limits, defeat them, and integrate them into who he is.
We don’t know when it happened, but sometime during the night Jacob found himself wrestling with a mysterious adversary. Who, or what, was this “Stranger” Jacob suddenly found himself entangled with? Was the Stranger a person – another human being? If so, then who? A Bedouin thief, perhaps – a desert criminal violating the ancient laws of hospitality by preying in the darkness on unsuspecting travelers and fears the revealing light of day? And if it was another human, who started it? Jacob’s attacker? Or Jacob himself as he woke to find his camp had been invaded, and sought to protect himself?
Could the Stranger have been someone from Jacob’s past that he had deceived – part of his memory, or mind – that he’d not been able to make peace with for whatever reason? Like his dead father, Isaac, from whom Jacob had sought a blessing? Or his twin, Esau, whom Jacob had deceived years ago, and planned to face the next day?
Maybe the Stranger was his own shadow self – that part of each person that Carl Jung said is unconscious, repressed, undeveloped and denied dark rejected aspects of our being, with positive undeveloped potential that we don’t know about. Apparently, confrontation with our Shadow is essential for our self-awareness, and we’re not able to fully know ourselves unless we face that “one” – our doubts and fears that, only by integrating into ourselves, assist us on the road to wholeness. Perhaps Jacob was wrestling with himself.
Or was this Stranger a form of the Holy, of Source, or God? Perhaps it was what some might call an angel? Maybe this was the only way YHWH could get through to – to reach – Jacob in order for him to become who and what he was dreamed to be.
Could Jacob even represent the community of long-ago, perhaps the nation of Israel herself?
When we find ourself wrestling in the night with a Stranger – with “other” – do we have any idea who, or what, we are struggling with? If you do, does that awareness come right away? Or is the identity revealed in the midst of the process? Perhaps we don’t discover with whom, or what, we’re wrestling. And in the end, maybe it doesn’t really matter. I don’t know. Only we have the answers within ourselves.
Regardless of who, or what, this Stranger was, Jacob seems to have been a worthy match. For “When the Stranger saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, the Stranger struck Jacob on the hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint…”. Why the Stranger did such a thing, we’re not told.
However, since the Stranger demanded to be released from Jacob’s grip, perhaps Jacob’s hip was injured as his adversary tried to get away. Maybe Jacob’s opponent knew that no one would emerge the victor, but that the wrestling – the struggling – would go on and on and on, and there was no other way to end the conflict but escape. The Stranger seemed to be pretty intent on finding release. But Jacob held on for what he, it seems, had always wanted. “I will not let you go unless you bless me”, Jacob replied.
When you wrestle with something – with someone – do you seek a blessing in the midst of struggle? Or are you content just to “get it over with”, overpowering “other” in order to be the victor? Is it more important to win over? Or would you rather be recognized and affirmed the way Jacob sought after? Maybe that’s the lesson in the struggle.
It seems as if the Stranger – as if “other” – knew exactly what Jacob’s deepest yearning really was. Asking Jacob to name himself – “heel-grabber” – one who takes the place of another through force, scheming, strategy, or deceit, the Stranger turned the tables on Jacob. “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel. For you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed”, the Stranger replied. “You, Jacob, have slugged it out with nature and with your neighbour, and have succeeded at every turn. Therefore, Jacob, your new name will reflect your character – “Overcomer of God”.
Overcomer of God? With Yahweh? The Holy One? Overcomer? As in a fierce competitor? Of God? “Oh, please tell me who you are. What is your name?” Jacob replied.
But the Stranger – for some unknown reason – instead of self-disclosing, blessed Jacob – granted him what he desired and sought all along. And it seems as if it somehow all made sense to Jacob now, in a strange kind of way. “I’ve seen God. I’ve been face-to-face with the Holy One. I’ve been in the presence of Other – and I survived! My life is preserved,.” He exclaimed.
And as the sun rose, Jacob continued along his way – the same person who set everything aside the night before. But then again, he was a different person too. Whomever – whatever – it was that he’d spent the night wrestling, struggling with, striving to overcome, seeking recognition from – it didn’t really matter as to who won or lost. What was important was the process – as Jacob stayed the course and didn’t give up. It seems as if prevailing and persisting may be the lesson here. For so long as he didn’t give up – even when it must have seemed as if the night would never come to an end – he emerged with a new name, a new identity, a new character. And even though he was injured, somehow Jacob was a stronger person because of his courage and determination to hold out for what he sought – even if he may not have had any idea what that was when he set up camp before he and the Stranger began their struggle.
Are you wrestling this morning with something – someone – but you quite don’t know who, or what, it is that has you up against a wall and totally overwhelmed? Are you struggling with something you are very much aware of, but aren’t sure if you have what it takes to see it through? Maybe you’ve reached the place where it really doesn’t matter any more, because you don’t care – you’ve lost interest – and you just want to stop the merry-go-round and get off, please and thank-you-very-much.
This story can also speak to us not only as individual seekers, but as a faith community as we journey together toward who we are dreamed to be, struggling and wrestling with many forms of “other”.
Perhaps we have been, or continue to be, struggling with a part of our tradition or practice that may no longer be working – or not as well as it once did, or could now. Maybe it’s a long-held-to belief or principle that no longer holds any water, and doesn’t make a lot of sense as it once may have. Could it be a stance, or stand, we’ve taken, that “others” within the community-at-large, or within our community even, cannot understand or accept or agree with us? Are we perhaps a bit nervous of the new situation-at-hand – a new person has joined us in our ministry, and we’re not as “on board” as we’d like to be, or as everyone else appears to be? Someone who isn’t “like us” may begin coming to worship and want to become a part of “us” – and we’re not so sure we’re ready for such a person. Or possibly Spirit – the Holy – is calling us forward to something new and foreign and different and out-of-the-box, and for the life of us, we’re not able, at least right now, to see beyond the walls of whatever that “box” might be for us, let alone into the yard or even down the street. And we’re not sure we really want to, either.
These, and many more situations, are very real to, and for, some of us. We might be nervous, anxious, a bit frightened perhaps. And you know – these are all very real, very natural, very common feelings. It’s okay to be bothered. If we weren’t, we wouldn’t be human, would we?
One of my on-line ministry colleagues once noted that,
So often, we hear the 'gospel of the big easy – no difficulties, no struggles, no questions' if one only gives their life to Jesus. Grace is translated into a life with no difficulties; hope is the promise that every wish, every desire will be fulfilled; blessing is the assurance that we will never want for anything; joy is that happy, clappy sentimentality sold over the airwaves.
Yet, for Jacob, and for most of the psalmists, for Jesus and the disciples, for Mary, Sarah, Hannah, for just about everyone else in scripture, when one encounters [“other”], one goes away bloodied by the encounter. I can almost imagine Jesus limping towards Jerusalem. Yet, bruised and limping, Jacob goes to be reconciled to his brother; Mary goes to Bethlehem to give birth to her son; the psalmists say over and over "Praise the Lord"; Paul says that in every experience, particularly the rough ones, he is able to rejoice.
So, is the question for us - do I go through life blithely believing that following God brings pre-packaged happiness; or do I limp through life, having discovered that meeting God is, more often than not, more than I expected or wanted, but is what prepares me, enables me, strengthens me to continue on the journey?
T.M. Shuman, Midrash@joinhands.com
It appears that as, or when, we wrestle with, and are in the presence, of “other” – whomever or whatever that “other” is or might be for us – holding on with all we have within us and not give up, especially when a part of us may feel out of joint, we will – though it may take longer than we’d like – we will be blessed, and affirmed. We will receive a new name – recognized with a new identity – become a different person – as was Jacob. And even if we come out of the wrestling, the struggle, maimed and limping and not as spry as we perhaps once were, the sun will still rise upon us, too. Yes, we will be blessed. But sometimes the blessing also comes with a limp. Maybe every time. As well, it is in the wrestling that we are kept from being complacent and lethargic.
It seems as if all that Jacob supposedly needed was right there within himself to get through the struggle. Yes, his hip was maimed – like whatever it is within us that may end up out of place and disfigured. But that which was broken, was blessed – by “other” – by that with whom Jacob wrestled.
And just like Jacob’s journey, we may not end up where we think we’re going or plan to be – at least, not the same people, the same community, we are now. That’s a guarantee. But that’s okay. So long as we remain faithful to what, in the presence of “other”, we are called and dreamed and invited to wrestle with and become, our journey will be more than we might ever imagine.
I’m excited to discover what “other” has for me – for you – for us as we pilgrims journey together over the next many years. I hope you are too. May it be so.