Luke 7:36-8:3

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him-- that she is a sinner." Jesus spoke up and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." "Teacher," he replied, "Speak." "A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?" Simon answered, "I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt." And Jesus said to him, "You have judged rightly." Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little." Then he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" And he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

 

Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the

kingdom

. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.

 

Let us Pray

Praise to you, God, for all your work among us.

Yours is the vigour in creation,

Yours is the impulse in our new discoveries.

Make us adventurous, yet reverent and hopeful in all that we do.  Amen. 

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New Zealand

Today I am going to talk about my recent “vacation” as a Roadie on AIDS LifeCycle 6.  For those who have been around this was my seventh time participating in the bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to raise money for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the LA Gay and Lesbian center’s Jeffery Goodman clinic and HIV services and prevention activities. This will also be my seventh sermon focused on the events of the ride.  Some may wonder how a fundraising event can rate as a topic for a sermon.  But, for many, the AIDS LifeCycle event is much more than a fundraiser.  It is a little bit of heaven on earth. 

Let me start by giving a few of the statistics.  This year we had 2333 Bike Riders, an increase of over 400 riders from last year, and over 450 “Roadies”, as the volunteer crew members are called.  Our oldest rider was 78 and our youngest was 18.  Participants came form 43 State, 3 Canadian provinces and 10 nations.  The riders rode an amazing 545+ miles in seven days from the Cow Palace in San Francisco to the VA center in LosAngeles .  Together we raised an astonishing $11 million dollars.  An increase of almost 3 million dollars over last year.  Money for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, their affiliate Pangaea Global AIDS Foundation, and the HIV/AIDS Services at the LA Gay and Lesbian Services for prevention and care.  Critical money at a time when federal government money is decreasing. During the week the Roadies sat up and took down a mobile city with bike parking, medical and message facilities, food service and hot showers, and more, in six different locations to care for the riders.  We had gay people and straight people, we had men and women, we had bothers and sisters, moms and dads, nephews and nieces all riding and crewing to help people living with HIV/AIDS and to spread awareness through the communities we pass through. 

But the ride is more than numbers.  It is more than awareness.  It is about healing and support.  It is about giving people space to freely express grief and to give thanks for lives lost.  It is about people giving thanks for lives still being lived when society has already written them off.  People, who like the woman who anointed Jesus feet in our Gospel reading today, are judged by today’s Pharisees! 

This year I, along with my partner Jon, were members of the bike parking crew.  Our basic day on the ride went something like this:  Wake up a 4:30, get dressed and go to breakfast, brush teeth, pack, take down tent and lug everything to the gear truck. Go to bike parking by 5:45.  Make sure the Gatorade is made, and get out the Route sheets for the day.  The riders start arriving by 6.  Between 6 and 8:30 we hand out route sheets, keep the Gatorade and butt balm tables stocked and reassure the riders that there bike really is still where they parked it (and help them locate it when they can’t).  At 8:30 bike parking is closed and we load any remaining bikes on a truck to be taken to the next camp.  These are usually riders that for medical reasons are unable to ride for the day.  We then drop the racks, load the trucks and go to the next camp.  Once there we set up the racks and the rest of the area and start checking in riders.  By this time it is usually about 1 or 2:00 in the afternoon.  About 3:00 we would take a break to set up our tent and retrieve our gear.  We would then go and check in riders and welcome them into camp. Once we welcomed the last rider into camp for the day we had our crew debriefing, ate dinner, showered, and went to bed. Repeat for seven days.  One thing that is unique about this ride is that it is the LAST riders who get the biggest welcome into camp.  Not the first.  In fact the fastest riders sometimes get to camp before there are really anyone there to cheer for them. 

One of the fastest riders is Ben.  Ben frequently beat me to camp and I drive from camp to camp in a big truck!  Ben does get a head start on us but still it he is an amazingly strong rider and always the first in camp.  But Ben is more than a fast rider.  Ben gets to camp every day sets up his tent and showers.  After that Ben does something special.  Ben comes back to the finish line and spends hour upon hour cheering the riders into camp.  I found out this year that Ben is also a training ride leader in San Francisco

during the year.  A number of riders credit Ben with their success.  When Ben is training other people he stays with the slowest rider of the day and helps them along the way and makes sure that no one is left behind.  He teaches them that they can make it up the big hills and that they will make it from San Francisco to Los Angles .  They may not be as fast as Ben on the ride but the slower riders who train with him can be guaranteed that Ben will greet them with a big smile and loving welcome at the end of each day.

Then we have Tom.  Tom is an HIV positive rider.  This year was Tom’s 14th ride.  This year was the worst year for Tom in terms of miles actually on the bike.  But for Tom the ride is about more than just riding.  It is a safe place for him.  A place where there is no stigma associated with being HIV positive.  Even when Tom can’t ride he helps us in bike parking and supports his fellow riders in little ways that go almost un-noticed.  But this year Tom found out that people do notice.  One of our Roadies is the fabulously outrageous drag queen name Rick, whoops, sorry, Ginger Brewlay.  Every year Ginger gives the “ginger award” to the rider who quietly goes above and beyond what is required in supporting the other riders.  This year Tom received the Ginger Award.  Oh, the award is fun, it is a retired pump from on of Ginger’s fabulous costumes.

The ride is full of amazing people who care for each other in so many ways.  On day 6 one of the riders came to me absolutely terrified about going down Gaviotta grade, that long hill on highway 101 that goes down to the Santa Barbara coast.  He was so afraid of another long hill that he did not know how he could possible ride down it.  You see, for some people it is the ride down the hill that terrifies them, not the struggle to get up the hill.  A couple of his fellow riders heard him talking to me and came over and gave him “pointers” on how to ride down safely and tried to reassure him.  When it was clear that words were not going to reassure him one of the riders said that he could ride down slowly with him or another rider for support.  This seemed to be the ticket.  So with a big hug I sent him off to conquer the downhill.

The ride also gives people a safe place to mourn those they have lost.  We have many people riding with pictures of their lost loved ones.  They ride in their honor and to remember.  They ride so they can tell the stories that made these special people with out the fear that the mere fact that they died of AIDS will shut down peoples ability to hear. 

On our last night in camp we hold a candle light vigil on the beach.  It is a very moving and cathartic experience to have close to 3000 people with candles gather silently on the beach in a large circle.  There are no speeches at the vigil.  It is silent with only the sound of the waves crashing into the shore and the occasions sniffle to be heard.  It is a place where people silently offer the memories of their loved ones, both those they have lost and those still living with HIV and AIDS to their God.  It is a place of prayer.

I could go on and on with stories from the ride.  There are amazing stories of what the money has enabled the benefiting organizations do do Globally to help stop the pandemeic.  How the Pangia Global AIDS Fondation is working in China and Uganda on AIDS prevention and service.  How the La Gay and Lesbian center provides housing for run away or thrown away youth and to top it off  I haven’t even talked at all about “Red Dress” day yet!  I hope I have given you a since of why I keep doing this ride.  Why I find a little piece of God’s loving Kingdom while participating in helping others.  In today’s Gospel we here that Jesus did not shun those whom society shunned.  We hear how he healed people and how they followed him.  Jesus’ healings, in the Gospels and today are not always physical but his grace filled love also heals the great psychological hurts that society so often inflicts.   The Ride too offers healing So, am I participating in the ride again?  You bet.  Jon and I signed up on day 5 to crew again next year.  It is one week where we can help people in a very real and outward way.  The ride provides funds for prevention, treatment and outreach but it also allows us, and many others a place to celebrate life.  To celebrate the living and those we have lost. 

I invite you to look for the little ways you can help.  They are many.  Participate in the laying on of hands for healing.  Listen to a neighbor’s grief.  Smile with someone when they share their Joy.  Cry with someone when they share their sorrows.  What we do matters.  God calls us to love him with our whole being and to love one another.  I invite you to discover new ways to sow God’s love in this hurting and hurtful world.

Amen.