"Dealing with Dragons on our Life Journey to Freedom and to God"
Char Madigan
Sunday, June 27th 2004

Today’s readings surely call us to consider journeys and liberty. I added dragonslaying. as I think god sent Jesus because humans were trapped in old behaviors that weren’t working. I think Jesus was talking not just individual. He knew that community and national journeys and dragons weave their threads through our individual stories – for better and for worse. I think St Joan’s turned Hope has been a story of change as we realized our solutions weren’t working. See what you think.

Like Jesus, on our journeys, we’ve each made some choices, gone thru doors to convents, marriage, jobs. Or things happened: illness, rejection, losses. I suppose our life journeys have all taken us toward a couple Jerusalem’s by now, and we have accompanied a few other loved ones up that hill. As we’ve traveled we’ve met some dragons. And dealt with them as best we could. We’ve experienced some hints of heaven and hell. So we all bring our own wisdom to this holy place, this holy time, these holy readings. We each bring our eyes and ears. What’s to learn, to change, what’s to keep the same?

To start with the dragons: (it’s a delicious joke god is playing here at Joan of arc this morning. Are those dragons outside the doors? Or are we the dragons they are praying for? What’s to learn?) Historically, killing dragons (or at least excommunicating them) has seemed the sensible way to behave. Medea shows Jason another way.

Like Jason dealing with the terror of his day, and learning from Medea to reevaluate his behavior, even so, the disciples hear from Jesus, whole new ways of seeing and behaving on their journeys. Like Jason, the disciples were trapped in thinking and behaviors that didn’t work.

In today’s gospel. Jesus is having more than a bad hair day. He’s on a journey. He knows he will be rejected in Jerusalem. The Samaritans reject him, too. His closest pals (despite his teachings to the contrary) want to fire bomb the enemy. Several other followers talk the talk, but have things to do before they can walk the talk. Jesus sounds more than a little exasperated. Could it be because he has spent years planting seeds of the kindom of justice, nonviolence and peace, only to see his followers continuing to do things “as we always have.”

In the journeys of our lives, to Jerusalem or wherever, how can we tap the spirit’s wisdom to end the tragedy of sticking with solutions that don’t work. I’ll talk a little about how Hope has tried listening and changing. In the early days here, when Hope was just St. Joseph’s House, people came, homeless or their home not safe. Some were desperate, even terror stricken. Wounded so by the weapons of domestic violence: force, intimidation, cruel debasement, isolation, they fled. The guy, of course, had used violence to “keep” her. It didn’t work. He felt tortured. He tortured. She tortured, too. Violence seemed the only solution. Instead it multiplied the dragons. Despair came, seeping life away. No energy even to do the basics, like eat, talk, clean. We aimed to be an oasis or sanctuary of sorts. A safe place, welcoming, where all who came were kin, had worth; a place and time to heal a little.

Then drugs came. Our safe house wasn’t safe anymore. Terror came to our block. We anguished. It was torturous. What to do? Call the cops. Ask them to kill these dragons? As you know, we went another way, thanks especially to our present leaders, Deanna and Mary. What will really keep us safe? Community we said and hope. A community where all are safe because all count and all are accountable. Beauty reigns. Kids are safe. Well-kept housing is safe and affordable. Neighbors are the leaders. No violence allowed. Dragons tame down or move on. Justice is.

We changed because like the disciples and Jason, solutions we were trying didn’t help. Here’s a story: It’s Christmas time 1984. Lunch with Laura, one of the founders How’s it going she asks. Great! Lots of food, money, toys coming in. and suddenly I am weeping. It’s not good. It’s what we could muster but what she needed was her own place, buy her own groceries. That meant living wage jobs and affordable housing. Thich Nhat Hanh’s metaphor says so well what we learned. If you want the tree to grow, water roots not leaves. Get at underlying spirit and causes.

*community and dignity are the antidotes to violence here at hope. We water them

*prisons water leaves. So do Santa anon, shelters (how we began)

90 units of housing, near 200 more in the works on our corners. Rents: $2-300 a month below market rates. Though some market rate rentals will have to happen across the street. (gov’t regulations) Our tenant’s income range: $5,300-$38,000. 40% of them come to us homeless. 90% at least stay and thrive. Some move on to ownership. Beautiful physical space shows and evokes respect and pride. Flowers, gardens, green space, playgrounds. We listen. 1000 neighbors engaged in small group dialogues about their community. hopes, needs. Action comes and changes. Education comes. Hopes learning center has classes in ESL, pre college math, English, computer, writing, work readiness. We have Kid’s time – daily: a mix of fun, education, art, leadership training, field trips, We’ve got a basketball team. *we water the roots, we keep learning and changing. Thank god for Joan of arc roots, and connections and support. That’s a huge need. Community. We are not alone. The challenge is enormous. Way beyond individual solutions. Whatever you can do to influence political and economic and religious systems will help. Dragon slaying doesn’t work. As Hope grows, we need more and more people like you.

I look out on you with such a tenderness. Your parish has dealt with dragons for years. And created alternatives: grace house for one. Not to mention your journey this past year. Cheers for you. I look out on you with such a tenderness. Joan of Arc has been with us since day one. You’ve journeyed with us from red house to Children’s Village Center, supporting our visions because they match your visions. Besides annual parish gifts, at least 200 families of you have volunteered money and time for years, getting your friends and relatives mixed up with us, too. For you others who are willing to get more knowledge or involved with our efforts at alternatives to dragon slaying, I’ll be in the back between masses with some info.

Did I say, it’s children’s village center because of a basic desire for kids. Deanna uses the metaphor of canary in the mine shaft. Children are the canaries in the mineshaft of any community. If kids thrive, the mine is safe. Just as my biggest heartbreaks have been around kids, so my biggest thrill is seeing the kids thrive, and their parents thrive.

Because I am also so mixed up with the peace movement, I thought I could end with another story on myself. And a lesson Jesus’ spirit sent me on Pentecost last week or so. I was at the cathedral, rainbow sashed, to publicly support the glbt community who have been so publicly condemned by some. Having sidestepped the ushers kneeling to protect god from us, I returned to my pew with tears in my eyes, and some anger. The spirit in me winked and I realized this is how we wed. am Alliant protesters must look to some Alliant workers. Self righteous, condemning. Far from my fine words about communion. What’s to learn?

In summary: my take is that the age-old answer: find dragon, slay him, doesn’t work anymore. Replace domination with communion. I can’t demonize men, drug dealers, Bush. Keep finding and watering the roots. Be radical. Just like Joan of arc, just like Hope.

Thanks for listening. Thanks beyond words for staying neighbor. Let us continue to pray for each other and for our wounded and precious church, country, earth. amen