Podcast: 

homily20100117.mp3

The musical “Avenue Q” is here in San Jose; 
it is a rather interesting musical if you have ever seen it
but it is a rather unorthodox musical.  
While it is about Muppets, it is really not for children, 
I can assure you of that.  
But the story line goes pretty much like this
—the young puppet, Nikki, a person just out of college, 
rents a house on this Avenue Q.
The musical touches on thee ordinary stuff 
that happens in people’s lives.  
At first it is a little bit disturbing but if you let it unfold, 
it actually has a deeper message, 
actually, a rather profound message at the end.

At one point early in the musical
there is a song about how we are all a little bit racist.  
Okay, ahh—one gets a little bit uncomfortable with that.  
The song speaks of how we laugh at those bad jokes,
whether it be Jewish, Black or Asian or Polish or whatever;
we need to admit it, says the song, we all do it.
Then the play introduces another song called “schadenfreude.” 
It is a German word that means 
to take pleasure in other people’s misfortune.  
I know that sounds really strange 
but the song goes on, 
“I didn’t say it was nice,
But everybody does it.
‘Dya ever clap when a waitress falls
And drops a tray of glasses?”
Then the song goes on and says:
“Right now you are down and out
And feelin' really crappy.
And when I see how sad you are,
It sorta makes me happy.
Human nature-
Nothing I can do.
It’s Schadenfreude
Making me feel glad that I’m not you.”
It is a strange song and not so good if we do it.

Yet often we really do feel better 
when we find out how our life is
when we compare it to others.  
We realize that the lives of others 
are so much worse than ours 
and that we settle ourselves for:  
“oh, gosh I feel better already.”  
Thankfully the musical doesn’t stop there
and goes on to the end when it talks about how 
Nikki gets to the point where he gives 
because of the other’s need, 
to fulfill the other person’s dream 
and in the process of giving, he feels wonderful.  
Then he goes around convincing everybody 
to give because really it is all about
––generosity towards others that really makes us feel better;
that’s the real purpose in life. 

The story line itself somewhat depicts 
the way the Christian journey is for us.  
There is a part of all of us 
where we stay sort of in our own little community 
and maybe the term is racist isn’t appropriate
but we are inclined to think just about ourselves.  
And then we expose ourselves to a larger community and realize, 
“Oh, gosh, I thought we were doing badly, 
until we see their lives and I feel better.”  
But I would hope that we do not stay 
in the first part or the second part for long
but that we move on to the last part 
of the true Christian journey, 
which is ‘I give because it is the right thing to do 
and when I give I realize I am fulfilling my purpose in life.’

This is the message we hear today in the scripture: 
Paul is writing to Christians in Corinth 
who are discouraged by the lack of societal support 
to live out their Christian way. 
While we live in a predominantly Christian community and country, 
we find ourselves with the same struggle.
Society does not support the Christian way of life 
and we too need to listen to Paul’s message.
Paul reminds us we were all given gifts, 
each one has different gifts but they are all from the same Spirit.  
And one person is given a gift for this reason, 
another person for that reason.  
Each one is given it individually.  
But here is the part that is really important that Paul goes on to say.  
Each is given gifts individually but for the good of all.  
In other words, my gifts are not mine solely.  
They are mine to share.  
Your gifts are not yours solely; 
they are yours only insofar as you share them.

The reality is, whatever we get in this life,
we leave them behind when we die.  
And so the challenge for us, as mature Christians, 
is to move from that “schadenfreude” that says, 
“Oh, thankfully, I am better off than that.”  
And being a little bit more mature and 
doing something about it, 
not out of “because I am better off than you” 
or that “I am lucky to be better off than you” 
but because I am blessed and 
I am compelled and impelled to do 
the Christian duty of sharing what I have.

Is there any one among us here today 
who does not know of the horrendous things 
that are happening in Haiti as a result of the earthquake?  
And the suffering that is going on?  
How many of us have reached into our own hearts out of pity 
and out of genuine concern for them? 
 And there is a tinge of, 
“Oh my gosh, I am glad the earthquake did not happen here” 
but we have to cycle through that very fast, 
and move to the more mature understanding 
which is that we ought to help them 
not because we are better off 
or that we are lucky to have not been hit by an earthquake 
but because it is our Christian duty.  
It is what we ought to do.  
That we bundle together as humanity, 
and help each other get through these difficult times.  
But we must stop there; 
we need to ask how can a country like Haiti
be so poor in the western world?  
How did it ever get there?  T
hose questions cannot be asked now 
but we must continue to ask them afterwards. 

And then we must ask ourselves 
how can we affect the poor in our own area?  
How is it that we can have poor and homeless in our own City?  
And we start to ask those questions 
and then we start to ask other questions 
as to how we can reach out to others
in our own community and in other communities.  
Not because we are better off.  
No.  We are called to do more than that.  
We are called to be generous
 because we have all been given gifts 
and those gifts are given for the good of all, 
whether it be time or talent 
or as in the need in Haiti right now, 
need of treasure and donations to reach the people who are desperate. 
Where ever it is that we are on the journey, 
we are called to complete the journey, 
to go to the mature end of the Christian journey 
and find within our hearts a generosity 
because that is our purpose in life; 
to follow Christ and Paul spoke well of it today.  
Each one is given a different gift 
but it is the same Spirit for the good of all.