GERARD HUGHES:

GOD IS A GOD OF SURPRISES

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Tuesday in the First Week of Advent is, “Gerard Hughes: God Is A God Of Surprises.”

GERARD HUGHES

A month ago – in England - November 4, 2014 – Gerard W. Hughes – the Jesuit died.

Back in 1985 he came out with a book entitled God of Surprises. It’s still selling and it’s still having impact on people.

Interestingly – this theme – the God of Surprises is a favorite theme of Pope Francis and various other people – including myself – of course.

TODAY’S READINGS

 I began thinking about this when I read today’s readings – and then working on this homily.

The first reading  - from Isaiah 11: 1-10 - talks about the surprises of God.

I can see Isaiah spotting a stump in the ground.

It’s dead – how can it give life.

So he talks about qualities a king needs: wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge and fear of the Lord. He urges that the king not judge by appearances – nor decide by hearsay. He urges the king to judge the poor with justice – and decide what will help the afflicted. He shall prevent and block the ruthless and the wicked about taking over.

If the king does all this, then the stump of Jesse will blossom.

I’m sure this text was chosen for Advent, because Christians applied this text from Isaiah to Christ.

From the stump of Jesse – from this tribe – which was filled with promises - new life comes – Jesus – who shows up in Mary – who shows up in Nazareth – who shows up in carpenter shop – and then in the synagogues and marketplaces and roads of Israel. He shows up in the person of Jesus – to announce justice and peace.

Buds blossom – buds burst up and flower from the side of the tree stumps.

Buds will blossom from the wood of the cross – dead wood – which becomes the tree of life.

There is always hope. There are always shoots shooting out of chopped down trees.

Hear Isaiah’s poetry: the wolf will be the guest of the lamb. The leopard will lie down with the kid goat. The calf and the young lion will graze together. The cow and the bear will be neighbors. The little kid will be able to play near the cobra’s nest.

Isaiah is painting a picture in words of the Peaceable Kingdom – hopefully the dream of everyone. Hopefully, we want to be surprised by beauty, by peace, not death and the ugly. 

I’m sure we’ve all seen pictures of  “The Peaceable Kingdom”  by the Pennsylvania Quaker preacher and painter: Edward Hicks. Starting in 1820 he painted 61 versions of that scene and that hope from Isaiah 11.

GERARD HUGHES BOOK: GOD OF SURPRISES

Gerard Hughes presented hope to lots of people in his books and his talks. He gave hope to our world and to our church – in images – stories – comments - that were quite surprising.

For starters he stressed not being afraid to question. He did. He told listeners and readers that it’s real to have doubts.

In his obituary I read, “His book God of Surprises (1985) sold nearly 250,000 copies and was translated into more than 20 languages. For many readers, the book became a spiritual lifeline that kept them within the church at a time when they were thinking of leaving.”

He described his book, God of Surprises as “a guidebook for the inner journey in which we are all engaged”.

That’s a key message for Quakers – to go within – in search of Inner Light.

Gerry Hughes talked about the inner life of folks – both the dark and the need for light. He would tell listeners on his retreats that he and his father suffered at times from depression. Two of his sisters committed suicide – and he would say he had this worry for himself at times.  

He saw life as a hunger for inner peace – not war within.

He saw life as a search in a field for buried treasure – and that field is in oneself.

At times Church authorities in both England and Scotland tried to silence him. They put him on hold. He would come back – re-instated – and then be squelched again.

He wrote spiritual reading books – while at the same time warning people about spiritual reading books that didn’t challenge people to think – and be introspective.

In his obituary I read that he told someone who was interviewing him in 2014 “that too many spiritual books were ‘destructive’ and ‘an easy way to make money’. ‘There are lots of beautiful words. God is here and Our Lady is there, so all will be well. “Just trust,” they [readers] are told. Trust in what? “Just trust in what I am telling you” is the message. There is very little attempt to encourage people to listen to their own experience, to discover things for themselves.’”

He warned people with Martin Buber’s warning about religion: “Nothing so masks the face of God as religion.”

His mother warned him, after deciding to become a Jesuit, “Don’t become odd like so many of them.”

As I read several obituaries about Gerry Hughes – I couldn’t help but see why Pope Francis – liked the story and the comments and messages of a fellow Jesuit: Gerry Hughes.

CONCLUSION

Let me end with this comment.

Gerard Hughes taught and worked in both England and Scotland.

At the same time there was another Jesuit – with the same name.

Both were the exact opposite of the other.

One was for war and the other was for peace.

Fellow Jesuits distinguished them by the letter of the middle name. But those who really knew them called one: “Bomber Hughes”; and the other “Peace Hughes.”

I would think that Gerry Hughes is challenging us to go into our homes, work places, circles, bringing peace and not dropping bombs. Amen.