THE DIVINE NOVELTY

HOMILY FOR THE 5^TH SUNDAY OF EASTER

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

We enjoy novelties. We strive to be ever anew. Novelty has charms that our minds can hardly withstand (cf. William Makepeace T.). For those in the world of learning, students and teachers love to discover and to be taught new things. For those in politics, governments strive to introduce some novelties so as to be reckoned as successful. For those in the world of fashion and modelling, artists seek to appear in something new and appealing; and by so doing, introduce new ways of appearance, and are recognized in the fashion world. For the business world, new products mean a lot to them, as re-branding old ones to appear new is an important strategy. For the technocrats, the desire to discover and invent new machines and equipments never dies. For the priests and preachers, of course, the struggle to spread and approach the one good news of salvation in different directions and with a multiplicity of new approaches so as to speak to the modern world in a language she understands remains unending. We cannot totally avoid the strive for newness and new meanings. Novelties help to spice up our lives; without novelties, life becomes boring, stagnant and lifeless. I stumbled at a quote somewhere attributed to Roland Barthes that “ the new is not a fashion, it is a value.” Oh! The value of newness. This picture of the struggle, the value and the love for novelties can indeed help us now to understand the novelties and innovations God injected into human history. And should we not be right to say that God’s passion for novelty did indeed infect human beings?

THE NEW MISSION

However, we must know that the birth of the new constitutes a crisis. In the first reading (Acts 14:21-27), Paul and Barnabas, who had come back from their missionary journey narrated their mission experiences to the other disciples. The culmination of these experiences hinges on the new thing that God did by opening up the door of faith to the Gentiles. In the Church at Antioch where many disciples lived as a community, Paul and Barnabas were set apart by the Holy Spirit to go for mission (Acts. 13:2b). The new mission would not go without some struggles. This plan to go to the Gentile world would be something totally new; even though that there had been some missionary presence done in some Gentile towns by some disciples - Peter in Caesarea in Acts 10, and Philip in Antioch in Act 13. Paul and Barnabas encountered series of oppositions and persecutions as they moved from town to town, from Seleucia to Cyprus (where they encountered the opposition of the magician), from Cyprus to Antioch and Iconium (where they still encountered persecution), from Iconium to Lystra and Derbe (where Paul was almost lynched).

This was the crisis associated with their mission experiences. This is why, Paul in the First Reading which has the story of their return to Antioch, encouraged the faithful in Antioch by the saying: it is through persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God. That new way and new move met some oppositions. Could this not be a lesson to us that no matter the opposition and persecution we might face as a result of the Christ-like novelties we bring into life, that we should not give up? And psychologically too, should this not tell us that oppositions must come at every new thing or level we find ourselves; such that when they come, they are not meant to make us give up?

THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH

The novelty of God continued to unfold before us as we move into the Second Reading (Rev. 21:1-5a). The revelation of the new heaven and the new earth, coupled with the marvellous new things that God would effect in such a new world and state ended with that most consoling and gracious statement: behold, I make all things new. Newness presupposes the old. But imagine when the old was shameful, unpalatable, distressing, discomforting, and darkened by grief and strife; and then from somewhere came that amazing new thing that we are proud of, very tasteful, uplifting, comforting, and lightened by love and forgiveness. Imagine how appreciative people would become, how life is enlivened, youthfulness animated, and hopes restored. This is what the new heaven and the new earth does. This is what the Church does. The Church is called in as the new earth that passes us over to the new heaven. God makes all things new.  

Sometimes, past experiences and former impressions we might have made on others might be regrettable, that we desire to be seen and recognized in a new way and with a better impression. Sometimes, weariness can overwhelm us in our jobs and vocation that we desire new jobs and careers. Sometimes, stress and boredom can lead us to desire to change material things around us such as cars, houses, home furnitures, utensils, and even our clothing just in search of something new that would have a new meaning to offer; and I do not mean to say that getting new cars, new houses, new clothes and new furnitures are signs of weariness and stress. Surely, as human beings we might sometimes desire something new. Have we asked ourselves: why this madness about newness anyway? The simple answer is this: God has predisposed us to hunger for this new heaven and new earth. He makes us to desire for newness that we might easily desire the new thing he effects in us. Our daily lives are filled with numerous opportunities to grab this new thing that the Lord has given us. The ball is in our courts.

THE NEW COMMANDMENT

In the Gospel (John 13:31-33a, 34-35), Jesus tells us the constituent of the new heaven and new earth. He captures our minds with yet another marvellous novelty - the new commandment: love one another. This is the summary of all the commandments. With this new commandment, the disciples of Christ wear a new identity of love. This becomes the new identity of the Christian in the new light of Easter. Can the world really be habitable if there is no love amongst us? As those who have been purified through obedience, love one another deeply from the heart, Peter said (cf. 1 Pet.1:22). No one has ever seen God, but as long as we love one another God will live in us and his glory will be complete in us (1 John 4:12). How can we love deeply, if not to start simple? Great things and positions may indicate skill and capacity, but small services suggest the depth of one’s consecration and love.

A Scottish minister once told a story of a certain dream he had. In this dream, he died, and was immediately brought before St. Peter’s gates. He was then refused entrance into heaven, until he could present his credentials. Proudly, the minister articulated the number of sermons he preached, but Peter said: no one heard them in heaven. He said a lot about his ministry and how popular he was, but Peter repeated: heaven does not know about it. The discouraged minister was then about to leave when Peter said: wait a minute, are you the man who once fed the sparrows? Yes, the minister replied, but what does that have to do with it? Come in, said Peter, the master of the Sparrows wants to thank you. We need not overlook those simple ways to love. Our today’s assignment then as Christians is to discover a new but simple way to love one another. Remember, novelty charms the mind. Try then to charm another person through your novelty of love this week. Happy new week. God bless you.