This
is the sixth day in a row in which we have heard a reading from Paul’ letter to
the Church at Philippi. Philippi was an ancient city in northeastern Greece, founded 4 centuries before
Christ’s birth and named after Philip of Macedonia, the father of Alexander the
Great. It
later became an urban center in the Roman empire where Paul founded a Christian
community on his second missionary journey. Paul
was imprisoned when he wrote this letter, but he heard about discord in that
community and wanted to write them a letter of encouragement and advice.
We
might think of the ways we look to our mentors or our elders for advice when we
are struggling or going through a difficult time. Paul,
in fact, holds himself up to be an example for them to follow on their journey
of faith.
F. The
fact that he is writing this letter from prison and is the one offering
encouragement and hope to them is a testament to Paul’s strong and joyful
faith. Paul
saw some in the community who were false imitators of Christ, who clung too
much to the things of the world and did not keep their eyes focused on our true
homeland, on God’s heavenly kingdom. I
remember when I was serving as a missionary in Ecuador, one of the Peace Corps
volunteers in the area came looking for me in the mission site. One
of the villagers told him – Brother Lincoln is not here – he has returned to
his patria – to his homeland. The Peace Corps volunteer thought - Wow – Lincoln didn’t tell him he was going
home to California to visit his family. The
villager explained – Oh no, he did not go back to the United States, rather he
went to the homeland here in Ecuador – to the village of San Francisco – when he
goes every weekend and were he has so many projects going on. It
was an honor for some of the villagers to see me having a homeland there in
Ecuador, where I definitely put a lot of my heart and soul. Where
would others see us having a homeland?
Is our homeland in God’s kingdom, or is it in the things of this world?
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