The Seventh Sunday of Easter – Mark S. Winward
The Strength of the In-Between
Jesus said, “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:8
“But, but…and there goes.” Now what?
If you have ever been in an ongoing crisis or known the struggle of a terminal disease, you’re all too familiar with that “in-between” place. It is the space that lies between our current reality and the uncertainty of the future. During those times, the small things we used to worry about suddenly seem petty, and life takes on a whole new meaning. I want to suggest to you that character is generally not made in the heat of crisis; rather, it is in those in-between places that character is grown.
The Forge of the Mundane
We are often inspired by those who face crises with clarity, grace, or courage. We admire the person who bears a devastating illness with poise, the advocate who stands resolute against injustice, or the hero who risks their life for another. But before any of these individuals faced the moments that would define them, their character was forged in the mundane moments of life—the quiet hours spent waiting for a time of testing.
Alfred Hitchcock famously said that movies are “life with the dull bits cut out.” We tend to view our own lives like films, judging our journey by the peaks and valleys: births and deaths, weddings and divorces, successes and failures. But our character isn’t forged in the midst of the rapids so much as it is in the calm eddies between them. Crisis demonstrates our character, but the calm between crises is where we build it.
Complacency vs. Expectation
It is easy to become complacent in the quiet of the in-between. Complacency lulls us into a false sense of security, fosters malaise, and leaves us unprepared for the challenges ahead. Expectation, in contrast, prepares us for the trials of life. It encourages spiritual fitness and gives us confidence that, in the end, right will prevail.
This Sunday’s readings in Acts find the apostles suspended between Christ’s Ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. As they stared up at the sky, they were undoubtedly asking themselves, “So, what do we do now?”
Luke, the author of Acts, usually describes the faithful as returning home glorifying and praising God. But here, the tone is different. Things looked grim for Jesus’ followers. While Christ had conquered death and was risen, they were now alone without their teacher, dogged by the authorities, and short one disciple who had betrayed Jesus only to take his own life.
A Transformation of Character
Perhaps the greatest testament to the truth of the Resurrection is the fact that the Church survived at all. A dramatic change occurred in this ragtag band of peasants. They were transformed from men who abandoned and denied Jesus into an organized, determined force with a missionary zeal to change the world. Something changed their very character.
Character building is one of the greatest challenges we face in society. Character is defined by doing the right thing for the right reason, even when no one is looking. Unfortunately, character is preciously rare in a culture that demands results now, wants things its own way, and seeks self-interest regardless of the cost to others.
When I served in the military, entire curricula at the service academies were dedicated to character. It is the essence of our core. The challenge, however, is that we can teach people the right thing to do but we cannot teach people to actually do the right thing. That quality begins at home and in places like this. It is the foundation of a life reinforced by making the right choices daily. Eventually, making the right choice for the right reason becomes a habit. Character grows in those mundane daily choices so that, in the moment of crisis, it can be displayed.
The Legacy of the Apostles
The disciples hadn’t displayed much character up to this point. By any earthly measure, the likelihood of the Church’s survival was dim. Yet, the same cowering band of turncoats we see in the Gospels eventually went to their graves proclaiming, “Jesus Christ is Lord.” With the exception of John, every one of the apostles died a martyr’s death, refusing to deny their faith. As a result, by the close of the first century, Christianity was spreading throughout the Roman Empire like wildfire.
The only reasonable explanation is that their character—the very foundation of who they were—was transformed by an encounter with the risen Christ. Rather than falling into complacency, their lives became characterized by expectation. Day by day, despite the uncertainty and the odds, they remained focused on their mission. Their daily, faithful expectation that Christ’s Church would prevail created heroes whose courage still shines today.
Heroes Among Us
Heroes sometimes shine in a blaze of glory—but they don’t have to. There are heroes among us in this very parish: people whose faithfulness to God and our community is displayed in the quiet courage of their daily lives.
- They are the ones who volunteer with no expectation of recognition.
- They are the ones who silently endure hardship without complaint.
- They are the ones who suffer disability or grief with grace.
Whether heroism is displayed in a moment of glory or in silent faithfulness, these individuals all share a common thread: they do the right thing for the right reason when no one is looking. They keep on keeping on despite the odds. And they expect, in the end, that good will prevail. Look around this place, and you will see that there are heroes among us.