“He was just an iceman”
When George Marion Mason died in the mid 1940’s the crowd spilled out onto the street in
front of the mortuary. When they drove
to the cemetery, there were over 150 cars in the processional and at least that
many at the cemetery when they arrived too.
Worth was a young man among those mourning and he was asked
by a stranger passing by, “who died?”
To which he answered, “Uncle Fats.” The stranger continued, well who was he? Was he rich?
Was he a senator or a movie star? He must have been important!”
Young worth answered simply, “he was just an iceman.”
Later, Worth heard a quote that he connected to Uncle Fats, even to this day. “It is nice to be important, it is more
important to be nice.”
How was it so many people came to mourn his passing? Uncle Fats was in the ice delivery
business. He was neither wealthy nor
famous. He worked hard every day, bearing massive and heavy blocks of ice to
house after house. But uncle Fats chose
to be in a different business too- one that did not earn him a paycheck but did
earn him respect. He was in the soul
business. He asked after them and
invited into kitchens all over San Diego, this man became like family to each
household. He cared about people.
We are getting close to the elections and of course, I
cannot resist the fodder for a sermon.
You didn’t think you would get through without some reference did
you?
Politics are unavoidable.
Even then, in a room with Jesus, James and John were making a political
play for power. They knew how things worked in this world and they knew they needed
to get the vote early on. And of course the other disciples got riled up. If
they were all focused on the real purpose of being there none of them would
have gotten upset, but we see that every one of them did. They ALL had politics
on their minds too.
Jesus takes this moment though to remind them that this fame
has a price. This political office they yearn for is going to cost them
everything and will be nothing like they can imagine.
The book of Mark doesn’t have the beatitudes listed, but we
can take a moment to pick them up and look them over again. What if we were to put these into the light here with this reading? When
we read them it occurs to many that this is a list of the ideal long suffering
servant.
The Beatitudes are more than a list of honey-do’s from
Jesus. They are an application to our
hearts, to do more than feed the body of the poor, to protect more than the
body of an orphan or widow. No, we are
called to serve not just the product here of faith and Christian life, but we
are called to serve their hearts.
How do we take this lesson then and apply it Uncle Fats
style? Does it have relevance to us not
only as individuals but as a whole? Of
course.
The relevance is that Uncle Fats brought the product to the
people where they were. He did not meet
them half way, he went the whole way. He
met them on their terms and he was consistent. You might argue he had to do that for his
work. But he only had to deliver ice consistently. If ice men were all buried the way he was
more people might have been clamoring to be one. He was the epitome of a servant, because he
served more than the product, he served the spirit of each customer too.
Uncle fats went further and gave of himself in true servant
fashion even when he did not have to.
Just because we cannot expect secular society to be held to
Christian standards does not mean we cannot or need not hold ourselves to those
standards. Just as Uncle Fats took his
caring of people to work with him, we can do the same in our lives. What would the church look like if we really
saw every person in our paths and “cared” for them? What if the words of “how are you” were
really asking and wanted the true answer, not the polite one?
In law, when speaking of federal and state law there is
terminology that applies here. You can
always add to Federal law with state law, but you can NEVER take away from
Federal law by state law. Jesus has
given us instructions- and he is encouraging us to do more than the basics, to
add to the law by action of our hearts and minds, just as he did. He did not
want blind or thoughtless action, he wanted and still wants, our hearts.
This is relevant now because we as a body must learn a new
way to meet the people where they are.
Last Sunday we had evening service out front because people brought
animals. We did not expect them to be
in the sanctuary- it was not reasonable and I think the custodian would have
had our heads. Instead, the service was
brought to us outside- to where we needed to be. If we had called people to do this service
inside, the animals, for whom the service was as well, would not be able to
join us comfortably. Isn’t that why some
people don’t come to church now?
Now I am not calling us to stop service in the building-
please let me be clear on that one. But
I am calling us to consider how to take the BODY of Christ, which is the true church,
with us in our everyday and fully be the servant we are called to be. Let’s recall our baptism and the cross in
mundane moments and share those. It is
not easy- it will not be easy. That is
exactly what Jesus told them- that cup to drink, it will carry bitterness and
sorrow.
Uncle Fats could have just been a nice guy but I don’t think
people would have lined up like that were he not serving more than their ice
each time he trudged into their kitchen.
Delivering the word of Christ is more than a physical act, We
as the bride of Christ are in the business of serving the spirit in a way where
we bare who we are in order to let Christ shine through.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
