The Lazarus Sunday message began with reading the story of Lazarus from the Gospel of John followed by clips from the Lance Bangs documentary “The Lazarus Effect.”
“This illness does not lead to death.”
As we gather this morning around the story of a man named Lazarus, it is my prayer that this is a gathering of hope. Over the next two weeks, Christians around the world will journey again into the story that is at the center of our faith: the death and resurrection of Jesus—the one that we call Savior, Lord and Christ. It is a story that pulls every one of us down into the grave, only to be called forth into new life. It is a story that does not ignore the reality of death, and in doing so, finds a hope so powerful that death is defeated.
As we gather around the tomb of Lazarus today, this story wants to have a meaningful impact on us
This story is hoping, begging, pleading to actually mean something to us. It wants to be more than words that we read. You see, we can gather here and read a good story about resurrection, or we can gather here and be resurrected ourselves. We can gather here and participate in the resurrection of others. It all comes down to whether the Bible is your storybook or your story.
And there is a lot at stake, my friends. The world we live in has no need for stories about resurrection; the world we live in today needs to experience actual resurrection. The world needs people that have been given a hope bigger than death.
Just a few years ago, it appeared that the grave would have the final word for too many in our world. HIV had taken hold of the continent of Africa and appeared unstoppable. 20 million lives have been lost. I can’t even fathom that number: 20 million lives. Entire communities destroyed. Children orphaned. People watching everyone they loved dying, one at a time. Babies born without a chance of living.
And, to be honest, the world was slow to respond. To be even more honest, the church was even slower. I remain convinced it was because AIDS was connected to the gay community and too few Christians and Americans had the courage to respond. I say that not as an accusation, but as a confession. The only finger I’m pointing is pointed right at myself. May God and the millions who suffered have mercy on me.
Thankfully, however, that was not the last chapter of the story. The story does not end with the words “Lazarus is dead”. The presence of God among us, the living presence of Jesus has already promised that “This illness does not lead to death, rather it is for God’s glory.”
God has been on the move in the last ten years. The next chapter in our story has been written. It is a story that has unfolded in laboratories as new antiretroviral medicines have become a reality. It is a story that unfolded in clinics established across Africa—people going to the ends of the earth to not only bring treatments, but to take on the massive task of setting people free, not just from this disease but from the vicious cycle of poverty.
In 2002, treatments were available, but they cost nearly $10,000 per person annually. Even so, 50,000 people were being treated—a massive achievement, but only the beginning. Today, we are living in a world where what seemed impossible just a few years ago Is unfolding around the world at this very moment. Treatments that cost $10,000 per year in 2002, now cost only $140—that’s less than 40 cents per day to save a person’s life. The 50,000 that were being treated have become 4 million.
"This illness does not lead to death."
This new chapter is a story that has also unfolded in the halls of power, around the world and here in the United States. It became possible because people all over the world insisted that this is not simply an opportunity for charity. People all over the world began to insist that this is a matter of justice—a matter of fairness. Nobody’s ability to live should be determined solely by what part of the world they are born in. Where you live should not determine whether you live. As people saw what was happening and insisted upon justice, the leaders of our world took notice and did the right thing. President Bush created the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The United Nations created The Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.
God has been on the move. Scientists and doctors and nurses have been on the move. Presidents and senators and governments have been on the move. Business leaders and humanitarians and musicians have been on the move. And, yes, since God has been on the move, God’s people have been on the move. People motivated by the love of God, living out their faith in the world, have been active in every part of this new story being written. Today, for example, there are over 1,500 other congregations joining with us for the sake of the poor and the sick on this “Lazarus Sunday.”
And now it’s time to write the next chapter in this ongoing story. With millions of lives already being saved, millions more are still waiting. Today, however, they are not waiting to die, they are waiting to live. They are not waiting for the grave, they are waiting for resurrection!
We have the treatments that will save their lives. We have the right strategies and resources to reach them. We only need to maintain the will to make it happen.
This is why millions around the world have joined the ONE Campaign. This is why many of us have sent emails, made phone calls, & written letters. To remind our leaders that these promises must be kept even as they work to keep our budget in check and economy moving forward. This is why a group of five of us were thrilled to spend nearly an hour last month talking with Senator Toomey’s advisors about this important story while encouraging them to identify good solutions and respond. We also delivered over 3,000 signatures from Pennsylvania ONE members.
The same has been happening across the nation in the offices of elected leaders of every political stripe. This is not about any political agenda or political party. This is about saving lives. This is about every one of us living like people who believe in resurrection. This is about refusing to treat the Bible like our storybook. This is about writing our story…our part in God’s unfolding good news.
All of our faith, all of our prayer, all of our worship, everything that we call sacred and gather together around—all of it amounts to nothing if it doesn’t change our reality and send us out into this world to bring new life. Resurrection means nothing if it remains locked up in our churches or closed up in the covers of a dusty old Bible. It only matters if it springs forth like Lazarus—if we step out of our own graves and make the same possible for others. That’s the only good news that is actually good news. That is the only way the gospel can exist in the world today.
There’s a few things that I want you to do today. Don’t leave here today without adding your voice to the ONE Campaign. I want every one of us to be a part of this. Go to www.ONE.org to become a member.
I also want you to watch “The Lazarus Effect”. It’s a wonderful story. It’s only 30min long. You can watch the whole thing at the bottom of this post.
Be a part of a worldwide gathering of hope. Let the story of death and resurrection truly define your faith and life. If you don’t have 30 minutes right now, please take a moment to watch this short video clip that shows the amazing change made possible by getting antiretroviral treatments to those who need them. Thank you for reading this far!
And here's "The Lazarus Effect" (30 min.)
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