Wednesday in Holy Week

Implicated in the Christian Life
Hebrews 12:1-3

We have just heard very familiar words from the Letter to the Hebrews. “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.”

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. Whenever I hear this passage I think of the saints in the windows that surround us every time we gather here for worship at St. John’s.

These words in Hebrews are meant to be encouraging. The witnesses are like “fans” at a sporting event. They are cheering for us, encouraging us in our journey of faith. When the author of Hebrews speaks of witnesses, he means the martyrs. Those who had witnessed to the faith with their lives. They encourage us as examples of faith and strength. They support and intercede for us. Especially in trying times, the martyrs who have gone before help Christians persevere.

But this year, this Holy Week, I’m thinking of another role that the cloud of witnesses play.

One of Dorothy Sayers’ early crime novels featuring Lord Peter Wimsey was titled “Clouds of witness.” Those witnesses were the sort that implicate a criminal in a crime. Witnesses implicate.

That word “implicate” has been with me all week.

The cloud of witnesses implicate us in the Christian life. The witnesses who surround us in the windows and in the pews implicate us in the Christian life.

We can’t wiggle out. We can’t shirk our full responsibility as Christians. Not with the cloud of witnesses—living and dead—surrounding us.

It’s tempting to do Christianity as a hobby. Even regular churchgoers often approach the Christian life like a hobby. They attend some of the meetings when they feel like it. Pursue the occasional idea or activity when it is particularly interesting. Christian activities are just one among many activities. Someone might be a Democrat, a bridge player, someone who loves bluegrass, and an intermittent participant in Christianity.

But the cloud of witnesses will not permit us to take Christianity lightly. By their presence, the implicate us in the full Christian life.

They share our celebrations and make them holy. Every time we gather here, they gather with us and their presence makes our worship holy. Even if our hearts and souls are distracted or indifferent, we are a part of something holy.

By sharing our prayers, the great cloud of witnesses gives our prayers the weight and authority of their lives, even when we offer them casually. Our casual prayers are carried to God by the martyrs.

The cloud of witnesses, by their presence, remind us that our sins and failures occur within the context of the Body of Christ. We cannot brush our failures away as individual lapses in judgment. Our sins wound the Body of Christ.

But the cloud of witnesses also show us that our forgiveness is part of the forgiveness which the whole church constantly experiences afresh as God’s gift. A great swell of reconciliation is mediated to us by these witnesses.

The cloud of witnesses implicate us in the fullness and seriousness of the Christian life.

We cannot claim Christianity is a casual hobby when we are in the midst of those who have died for the faith. It is the same faith.

We cannot say the Gospel is a slight thing when St. John the Evangelist speaks for us.

We sit in the pews among those who have given their lives for social justice and peace. We cannot claim our Christianity is less than theirs.

The cloud of witnesses implicate us in the Christian life. Thanks be to God.