Dear Jaxon:
Darkness is not dark to you, the night is as bright as the day; darkness and light to you are both alike.
This is a line from our psalm for today—psalms are poems written to God. Today’s is like a love poem to God. You see for God, there isn’t any darkness at all. With God there’s only light. That’s why we have that big candle lit next to the baptismal font today. The candles and the water and the prayers of baptism are all outward and visible signs of this amazing grace within you---a grace that is full of truth and light. A grace that was given to you by God at your birth---with God’s kiss of grace you were filled with light and love and truth and peace. It’s a good thing that God fills us with such things at our birth, because the world that we’re born into? Well it isn’t always full of grace and truth and light. Sometimes, Jax, it’s full of doubt and fear and encroaching darkness. Your mommy and daddy, your Godparents, your big brothers and this whole community of faith will do everything in our power to keep the darkness from affecting you, but sometimes, in this world, in this life, it seeps in and overtakes.
But DON’T WORRY! It’s ok, that’s what this whole baptism thing is about. Your baptism…the actual pouring of holy water over your head, the vows your parents, godparents and all of us here will take, the other promises we’ll make, they’re all designed to surround you with a safety net.
Kind of like when you were born. You were born in a hurry and needed help and support to get used to being out in the world instead of safely in the womb. There were all sorts of people there for you—not only your parents, but doctors, nurses, technicians---all working to help you get used to being here. All making sure that nothing bad happened to you.
That’s what baptism is all about---we promise, as a community of faith, to protect you, help you, encourage you, support you, pray for you. Forever.
It’s pretty cool!
But there’s more!
You see not only are we committed to protect, help, encourage, support and pray for you, forever, but SO IS GOD, and all of the saints in heaven and on earth. Everyone who loves God also loves you.
Yep, it’s true. We can’t LOVE GOD without also LOVING EVERYONE ELSE, including, and today most especially, YOU.
Our first reading is all about this wonderful man Jacob who had a really weird dream one night (I’m not surprised that he had an odd dream, after all his pillow was a ROCK, that couldn’t have been too comfortable). Anyway in his dream he saw this ladder---it extended from earth all the way up to heaven and on that ladder was a whole gaggle of angels, running up and down...
reaching down to the earth and back up to the heavens.
Over and over again God is sending us help—reinforcements, friends, companions for the journey. Why? Because God never wants us to feel alone.
God says it to Jacob right there in that dream, “Know that I am with you and will keep you, wherever you go…I will not leave you…
Jaxon, God will never leave you, and neither will we. Whether we see you regularly for the rest of your life or not, we will always be with you. Since 1888 A LOT of people have been baptized here, hundreds, thousands of people have had the sacred waters of baptism poured over them right here, and you know what? Each and everyone one is part of this family. We’ll always be here for you. Always, always, always. We, just like that army of angels on Jacob’s ladder, will be here. For you. Forever.
But..there’s still more!
As a baptized Christian, which is exactly who you’re becoming today, you not only receive a lot, but you’re expected to give a lot. Of course, you’ve already given A LOT. You’ve brought untold joy to your parents, grandparents, aunts uncles, godparents friends…even your brothers! But, there’s more for you to do. There’s more for all of us to do ---the joy, peace and light that fills this place today is very threatening to the forces of darkness in the world. OK, “forces of darkness” sounds pretty ominous and scary doesn’t it? Some people will call the darkness the devil, others will call it the Evil One; I just call it darkness. There’s a big fight happening in creation--- the joy and peace and light of God is forever challenged by the fear, anger and darkness of Not God. Your job, as you grow, is to always and forever remember that you’re a beloved child of God and that as this beloved child of God you, too MUST share the joy and peace, light and love of God with all whom you encounter.
That’s what that silly story Jesus tells in today’s Gospel is all about---God loves us all, no exceptions, but some of us can’t accept that love, we just can’t let it fill us and surround us and grow between us. It’s up to us---all of us, you included, to love the world so much, to love God so much, to love everyone so much, that the weeds of darkness, the weeds of the fearful, the weeds of the naysayers and the weeds of the angry are all swept away by and through our faith, our hope and our joy.
Welcome to this good and holy work Jaxon. We’re so glad you’re here.
Amen.
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