His last request: Please take my body home.
In the all-too-brief television miracle that was Firefly, there was a lot of excellence crammed into just 14 episodes. All fans have their favorites. So, in a sense, every episode was the best episode. One particular episode, though, appears on every short-list: “The Message.”
In it, the crew of the spaceship Serenity are asked to transport a dead man home to his family and his final resting place. They had served with him in the war; and in their memories, he was still Private Tracey. The request comes as a message he recorded in preparation for his death. They agree once they hear Tracey repeat a saying they know from their military past: “When you can’t run, you crawl, and when you can’t crawl, you find someone to carry you.”
In a similar vein, when The Hollies released their hit song “He Ain’t Heavy” in 1969, it was immediately appropriated by Vietnam veterans. It perfectly reflected their wartime experiences of carrying an injured buddy to a place where someone could help. But, the real story behind the lyrics (“He ain’t heavy. He’s my brother.”) goes back to Father Flanagan’s Boys Town and an abandoned little boy who had polio.**
I couldn’t help thinking of “He Ain’t Heavy” and that Firefly episode, especially that saying, when I read this week’s scripture from Mark. Jesus and team used a boat to try to get away (“to a deserted place”) for a little down-time. But, as they brought their boat to shore, the crowds found them, anyway.
As we know from previous Bible stories, many ill people were carried into the presence of Jesus. Their needs were so great, they begged permission to just touch “even the fringe of His cloak.” Apparently, they had all heard about the woman who was healed by touching the hem of His garment.
Was it true? Or was this just so much talk? Was that all that was needed to be healed, just to touch his garment? Did you have to sit through a sermon, first? Did He have to grab your head and shout? Was there a 12-step program to complete in advance? Was there a pre-interview? Perhaps a statement of faith to declare?
No.
Scripture tells us: "All who touched it were healed." They just needed to do as Private Tracey said, “When you can’t run, you crawl, and when you can’t crawl, you find someone to carry you.”
When it’s Jesus you’re going to see, you just need to get there ... any way you can.
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PHOTO (Medics carrying wounded soldier in Vietnam 1967):
** Info about the Boys Town statue: https://www.boystown.org/blog/Pages/story-behind-aint-heavy.aspx
Listen to The Hollies sing “He Ain’t Heavy” (Then, scroll down to the Hillsborough Charity performance. Stunning):
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SAVE THE DATE! We resume in-person Lectionary Breakfast on Friday, July 23rd at Our Breakfast Place (formerly the Egg and I), located at the corner of Franklin and New Road in Waco.
Join us Friday morning for an hour like no other. DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast meets at 8:00 on Zoom. We read, we pray, we laugh, and we discuss ... all while enjoying your breakfast beverage of choice.
Contact me for the Zoom link
NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera if you don’t wish to be seen and to mute the microphone if you don’t wish to speak.
Blessings,
Steve
SCRIPTURES FOR THE COMING WEEK
Find them here:
2 Samuel 7:1-14a
Psalm 89:20-37
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Psalm 23
Ephesians 2:11-22
Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 11 (16) (July 18, 2021)
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