Chapel: Lisa Peoples

Good morning. I'm so blessed and honored to be here today to share a few minutes

with the staff, faculty, and you the student body of this prestigious

University. I count it an honor and a privilege. I'm so grateful to Dr. Brady

for the invitation, of course to Dr. Oliver for having me here, and of course to

all of you for being willing to sit and listen to me here today. I have a myriad

of great friends and acquaintances here at this University, all of which are

making me even more nervous this morning, but I am excited to be here. When

I was first invited to speak, I was under the impression I was coming to talk

about ARM, Area Relief Ministries, which I could do in my sleep all the time, but

then I got the email that said we want the title of your text and your message

or sermon, and I was like, sermon? So, I'm a Sunday school teacher and a Bible

study teacher, as you heard. I run a non-profit.

I'm an executive director, and I'm in no way a pastor or a prophet or a preacher,

but I am, however, a servant. So, when you send for me, that's what you get, a servant.

And since it's hard for me to pull that off, because I do that every day, then I

decided not to try to. So, every day, as director of ARM, which is a faith-based

social service agency here in Jackson, I get to live a life of service and love.

Serving and loving the wonderful people that

God sends through our path, and sometimes where they are at their lowest point.

It's an opportunity to be a part of people's lives, and we're reminded each and every

day that we live in a broken world and a broken society. A world where people

experience hurt and injustice sometimes at the hands of those who have power and

authority, and sometimes those with the power and authority are the ones that

fill pews on Sunday mornings.

Those who pass

laws and ordinances that tend to benefit the already haves in our community, or those who

are property owners that may have rental properties to those who are in poverty that don't have

sufficient wiring or plumbing or even something as simple as a smoke detector that would warn

precious sleeping children that fire is lapping through their home, ready to take their lives.

Yes, we live in a broken world. Systems are broken and people are broken. And what is the

answer to all of this brokenness? So remember, I'm a Sunday school teacher, so I like interaction

and I go to a black Baptist church. So turn to the person next to you

and say, you're the answer to the brokenness.

So we, the person that's next to you on both sides, and we collectively are the answer to the

brokenness in the world, those of us who are lovers and followers of Christ. And how is it that the

world is going to know that we're lovers and followers of Jesus Christ? You ask such good

questions. Is it because I attend church regularly and go to Bible study all the time? Look at that

person next to you again and say, nope, that's not it.

Is it because I attend a private Christian college?

Tell them I'm sorry, but that's not it either.

It's because they see me carrying my Bible with me everywhere I go.

No, that's not it. How will this broken world with these broken people be able to peer through

their brokenness to see a Jesus that's able to heal them of their brokenness? Only through us

and through you.

Thank you.

And only through the lives that we lead. So I'm here to share with you today that the answer to

this brokenness is our love for each other. And the fact that we show that love. In the Gospel of

Mark, chapter 12, verses 30 and 31, Jesus is approached by a lawyer of that time. And he

asked the question, what is the most important commandment of all? Those of you who know about

Hebrew law and Old Testament laws know that there's over 600 of those laws.

And the lawyer wants to know, out of all of those laws, what is the most important of all?

Jesus answers, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul

and with all your mind and with all your strength. And the second is like unto it.

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

There is no other commandment greater than these.

In 1984, yes, I'm dating myself, the great Tina Turner penned a song entitled,

What's Love Got to Do With It? What's love but a secondhand emotion? What's love got to do with it?

Of course, it's a secular song with secular meaning. But as Christians, the answer to this

question is everything. Love has everything to do with our walk with Christ and our life here on

earth. Paul confirmed this in Corinthians when he says,

If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and I have all faith

so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

And the second is like unto it. Love your neighbor as yourself.

What does that look like? Loving our neighbor as ourself. Well, I love myself.

I want the best for myself.

I don't like it when my

self suffers. I don't particularly care when my self has to do without something.

My self likes to eat three meals a day, at least. My self sleeps in a nice warm bed at night in a decent home.

My self likes for my children to have what they need and some of the things that they want.

My self likes the fact that I was able to get a college education and work in a professional environment.

My self likes the fact that when I get sick,

I can go to the doctor and pay a copay because I have health insurance.

I love myself. Listen again to the words of Jesus.

And the second is like unto it. Love your neighbor as yourself.

There are many people who love themselves

and claim Christianity and wear it proudly. If asked if they love God,

also, they would of course say yes.

When my teenagers, who are now 14 and 15 years old,

were toddlers. There was a big purple dinosaur on the TV that seemed to have more power over

them than I did. Some of you may be familiar with our old friend Barney. And as Barney would end

every episode, he would belt out this familiar tune. Sing it with me. I love you. You love me.

We're a happy family with a great big hug and a kiss from me to you. Won't you say you love me?

Good job. Praise and worship. Barney wanted us to say that we loved each other. He wanted me to say

that I love you too. So I'm saying I love you.

But I don't want to live in the same neighborhood as you. I'm saying I love you, but I don't want my

children to go to the same school as yours. I'm saying I love you, but I prosper off your poverty

when I rent substandard housing to you. We declare Christ's love with our mouths, but we must

demonstrate it with our actions. And the second is likened to it. Love your neighbor as yourself.

Who is that?

Who is my neighbor? The stranger, the homeless, the gang-affiliated teenager,

the family who lives across the bypass.

This kind of world-changing love from Christians is nothing new.

For centuries, Christians have changed the world by living out this kind of love.

In the third century, Tertullian wrote that the Christians of his day gave generously without

compulsion to a common fund that provided for the needs of widows, the physically disabled,

orphans, and the sick, those in prisons, and even the release of slaves. History tells us of a pagan

soldier in Constantine's army named Pahumus who was deeply moved when he saw Christians bring food

to fellow soldiers who were suffering from famine and disease. Curious to understand a doctrine that

would inspire such generosity, he studied Christianity and was converted. It's been the

influence of Christians in society that has built hospitals, halted genocides, and made the world a

better place. The world around us can't see our inner faith, but it can see the good works that

flows from our faith, motivated by love. That's why Jesus plainly said,

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which

is in heaven. Good works? You mean my debating scripture? Or my pious dress and modest lifestyle?

No.

James wrote in his book The Description of Christianity that says that religion pure and

undefiled before God is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction. Visit

actually implies being close to, being in fellowship with, being in the same space with. Perhaps you don't

know any orphans, but there's a child you may know that needs a little extra attention, that may need

tutoring in math or science.

I happen to know a child who needs a little extra attention. I happen to know a child who needs a little extra attention.

I happen to know a child who needs a little extra attention. I happen to know an awesome after school program that always

needs volunteers for that. They'll be glad to have you. Perhaps you don't know any widows, but there's a single

mother, maybe that needs her yard mowed, an invitation to dinner, or simply a listening ear. And the second is

likened to it. Love your neighbor as yourself. The poet Edgar Gadsden once wrote, I'd rather see a sermon than hear one

any day.

I'd rather one will walk with me than merely show the way. The eye is a better pupil and much sharper than the ear. Your fine counsel may

confuse me, but your examples are always clear. The lectures you deliver may be very wise and true, but I'd rather get my lesson

by observing what you do. And the second is likened to it. Love your neighbor as yourself.

But there's so much to do, you say, so much hurt and darkness in the world.

How is that little old me can make a difference?

So you may not be a famous preacher or a worldwide humanitarian or evangelist,

but Dr. Martin Luther King said famously,

everybody can be great because anybody can serve.

You don't have to have a college degree to serve.

You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve.

You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics and physics to serve.

You only need a heart of grace and a soul generated by love.

This is played out in a scene in the Bible with Jesus and his disciples at supper

when their argument breaks out over who is the greatest.

Jesus, instead of telling his disciples about servanthood, simply shows them.

The Son of God took a towel in a basin of water.

And began washing his disciples' dirty feet.

Jesus showed his disciples that the nature of greatness is humble service.

Can you imagine anything more embarrassing than to be proclaiming one's greatness

right before the Son of God washes your smelly, callous feet?

That's why Jesus was truly great.

There was no pretense or presumption about him.

He led by example, putting others before himself.

And loving without measure.

It's perfectly clear that Jesus wanted his disciples and wants us to be like him.

He's not calling us today to perform the same act of servanthood that was custom in his day.

Instead, he's calling me and you to be people that are not above serving and not above loving others.

So yes, you can serve.

Serve your neighbor.

Love your neighbor.

The child who needs a mentor.

The felon who needs a second chance at work and to have a job.

The homeless man who needs shelter.

And the second is likened to it.

Love your neighbor as yourself.

There's an infinite number of ways to serve and love our neighbor.

Some of the ways we can plan, and those are the easy opportunities.

More challenging can be those situations that we don't plan.

Those divine appointments that God might arrange.

Like encounters with desperate people in desperate situations.

And such.

In those situations we find people longing for someone to serve them like Jesus would.

In those situations, we find the world hungry not for religion

but for the love of Jesus.

And the second is likened to it.

Love your neighbor as yourself.

As Christians, our identification is our love.

Just as firemen or policemen are easily identified by the uniforms they wear,

we as Christians are identified by our love.

Jesus reminds us of this when he says,

By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.

Christians aren't known to the world because we all dress the same,

we all comb our hair the same, or even vote the same.

We are known by our love.

And the second is likened to it.

Love your neighbor as yourself.

So I challenge you today to join me in the love revolution.

Let's love as Jesus loved, not just in word, but in deed.

Sacrificially putting others before ourselves.

With this love, we can change our city, we can change our country, and change the world.

So I leave you with this, a satirical writing based on Matthew 25,

when Jesus tells of the final judgment based on how we have served him by serving the least of these.

Just imagine Jesus.

Just being with us today and saying these words.

I was hungry, and you formed humanities clubs and discussed my hunger.

I was imprisoned, and your big companies created policies that said

even though I served my time, I would always pay for my mistake

and wear the scarlet letter of felony, and I would never again know the dignity of work.

I was naked, and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance.

I was naked.

I was sick, and you decided health care was only for a select few.

I was homeless, and you preached to me the spiritual shelter of love.

I was lonely, and you left me alone with a promise to pray for me.

You seem so holy, so close to God,

but I'm still very hungry, very sick, very lonely, and very cold.

And the second is likened to it.

Love your neighbor as yourself.

Thank you.