“Repairers of the Breech”
Isaiah 58:9-12; Luke 10:25-37
Today’s service focuses on the mission and work of Habitat for Humanity. Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) is a Christian ministry that builds and renovates housing for families in need. HFHI was founded in 1976 by American philanthropist Millard Dean Fuller and his wife, Linda Fuller. In its first three decades, the organization built more than 350,000 houses for more than 1.75 million people. The group is active in some 90 countries and in all 50 U.S. states, Guam, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. HFHI maintains operational headquarters in Americus, Georgia, where it was founded, and administrative headquarters in Atlanta.
HFHI operates in partnership with the homeowners it helps. Those chosen to receive homes must put in 500 hours of sweat equity, working alongside volunteers as they build their new homes. Habitat uses money from grants and donations, material, and labor to build modestly sized houses, which it then sells at reduced prices to people in need. Recipients of an HFHI home are chosen on the basis of their need and their ability to make monthly mortgage payments. The homes are sold at no profit, and the monthly payments are used to build additional houses. HFHI homeowners must stay current with their mortgages to keep their homes.
I first volunteered at a Habitat work site in1996 in Moore Oklahoma after an F5 tornado wiped out entire communities. Since then, I have helped build homes in Sacramento, Fresno, Birmingham Al, Waveland MS, and here in the Rogue valley in Talent Phoenix, Medford, and most recently in Ashland. Each build has been meaningful, wonderful, and important to me. I feel like I am DOING something tangible about those who have no place to call home. It is an example of living out our faith and making a difference.
A roof over your head, a place to cook, a bed to sleep in- These are things we all take for granted, or at least, I often do. I certainly gave thanks to God for the roof over my head during last week’s snowstorm. But when I attend a Habitat for Humanity board meeting, or work on a build site, I am reminded how blessed, how fortunate I am, and how unfortunate so many others are.
Some statistics to consider: In America, approximately 17 people per 10,000 experience homelessness each day, which averages out to about ½ a million of our nation’s population living without a place to call home, or.02 percent. Here on the West coast, California, Oregon, and Washington have more difficulty helping people find adequate housing than most of the rest of our nation. The west coast has close to 50% of the nation's homeless. In Oregon, we have a little over 4 million people in our great state. From a report completed in 2021, an estimated 14, 476 of those Oregon residents are unhoused- that is they lack a permanent place of shelter, with another 8,925 unsheltered-which means they are exposed and have no shelter at all.
Governor Tina Kotek has a goal of creating 40,000 homes a year for the next 5 years to address this issue. Habitat for Humanity is part of that solution to help house people in our beloved state.
Many passages encourage us to help others in need. I have chosen two of them for us to ponder this morning. First, from the book of Isaiah. Isaiah sees the state of those who practice faith in God, and finds their faith is wanting. The prophet calls the people to loose the bonds of wickedness, to help the oppressed go free, to share their bread with the hungry, bring the homeless into their homes, and clothe those in need. Isaiah saw that the people of God were focused on worship and fasting, not seeing beyond the temple. Isaiah saw the needs of the world and called the people of God to a faith of action, not just focusing on temple worship. By addressing these needs, Isaiah tells us our light will break forth like the dawn, and God will be right there by our side, lifting us up, hearing our cries and concerns, and rewarding our faith by satisfying our needs.
Just as in Isaiah’s time, the people of the world are in need. God calls us to also be repairers of the breech now, and help people have a place to call home. God calls us to be a blessing to all the people of this world, so many of whom have so little. By putting our faith into action, we can bring lasting change to people’s lives, as was demonstrated so well this morning in the speech during Millard Fuller’s funeral service. We can reach out in love to our neighbor and bring a glimpse of God’s kindom to earth.
Vice President and recently converted Catholic J.D. Vance was asked to respond to that very idea of loving our neighbors in a recent interview. Vance presented his own take on loving our neighbors as follows. “There is … a very Christian concept that you love your family, and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country, and then after that, you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world.” The Vice President suggests that love of neighbor begins with those closest to us and then expands in concentric circles, forming a love hierarchy of sorts.
This is not a good interpretation of Jesus’ parable read this morning. Yet it may be closer to how many of us live the idea out. It is difficult to have the kind of love for neighbor that Jesus speaks of- a love for others that is not limited or hierarchical, love even to bitter enemies. Let us take a closer look at this parable from Luke’s gospel to help us understand what Jesus meant by loving our neighbors.
Jesus shocked a lawyer seeking clarification on loving a neighbor with this parable of the Good Samaritan. Of all people, a despised Samaritan becomes the example and hero of the story- He who despite 700 plus years of bitter enmity with the Jewish people, was the example who stopped and helped this victim in incredible ways, demonstrating that anyone and everyone is our neighbor, and we are call called to help.
Back in those days, those who were Jewish claimed one of three identities: Either you descended from the priesthood of Aaron -the brother of Moses or were a Levite- a descendant of Moses’ ancestor, Levi, or you were an Israelite, -descended from the other sons of Jacob. Having a priest and then Levite mentioned as two who do not help the beaten man sets up an expectation for the third character. Despite the shock of hearing neither the priest nor Levite stopped, of course it was to be an Israelite who would stop and help the beaten man. Just like when we think of Trinity and the names “Father, Son, Holy Spirit” pop into our heads, so the order of “priest, Levite and Israelite” popped into the heads of Jesus’ listeners.
Yet the third person in the parable is the fully unexpected and much despised Samaritan. Theologian Amy Jill Lavine in discussing this parable says for the audience listening, “To go from priest to Levite to Samaritan is tantamount to going from Father to Son to Satan.”
It is also interesting to note that Jesus did not really answer the lawyer’s original question, “Who is my neighbor?” Instead, Jesus answered who showed themselves to BE a neighbor in a Biblical sense. The Samaritan, of all people ends up being an illustration of how to be a neighbor by helping a Jewish man. Biblical neighborly love does not ask the worth of the recipient. It does not consider which circle of relationship the recipient resides in. It only sees the need and acts in love and mercy.
Pope Francis sent a message on Tuesday, in response to the Vice President’s reworking of one of Jesus’ most important and sacred teachings. “Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups. In other words: The human person is not a mere individual, relatively expansive, with some philanthropic feelings! The human person is a subject with dignity who, through the constitutive relationship with all, especially with the poorest, can gradually mature in his identity and vocation. The true order of love that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the Good Samaritan, that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception.”
Coming alongside a family in need is one very tangible way we demonstrate Jesus’ teaching on loving our neighbor. It is also embracing the idea of having an active faith as expressed by the Samaritan as well as by the prophet Isaiah- That we become repairers of the breech, restorer of the streets to live on, that we reach out to our neighbors in need.
I quoted this author last week from a post a friend of mine had on Facebook. I found another meaningful quote which makes me think I really need to read one of her books!
American author Elizabeth Gilbert wrote, “Those of us who are warm, dry, safe, and well-fed must show up for those who are cold, wet, endangered, and hungry. That is a rule of life. Every ethical religious and spiritual tradition in the world agrees on this rule.” That rule is the love of neighbor.
We can demonstrate that love tangibly in taking part in building a home. I hope that those of you watching this morning from Central Point Presbyterian church might consider working alongside us on a build later this Spring. We would love to have you join the number of restorers of the breech. There are four more homes in Ashland that will begin construction soon. You may think you have not got the skill set to do anything. But you would be surprised at what you can do on a Habitat work site. It does not take any building skill to reach out in compassion and offer to help. There are amazing work site bosses that will teach you to do amazing things. All you need is the willingness to live out the rule of love of neighbor. Alleluia! Amen.
Closing prayer
Loving God, you made us in Your image and blessed us with wisdom, creativity, skill, compassion and love. Give us the sight to see our neighbors in need, the ability to hear your call to serve and willingness to be your hands and feet. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! Even the sparrow has found a home and the swallow a nest—a place near your altar, O Lord. Empower us with your strength and wisdom to build safe dwellings. Give us willing hearts, Lord, and inspire us to action. Amen.
