“Hope,” wrote the poet and former president of the Czech Republic, “hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense regardless of how it turns out.” As a dissident and political prisoner during the years of Soviet control of Eastern Europe, I tend to think that he spoke from experience as well as commitment. “Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense regardless of how it turns out.”
Perhaps the Syro-Phoenician woman in today’s scripture had a similar thought. She could not know for a fact that Jesus would heal her daughter, but it made sense to go ask. She had hope, the commitment to do what makes sense. But that would be where her similarities to Vaclav Havel end. She was not a polished intellectual or well-spoken politician.
There’s not much about her at that suits polite middle class behaviors:
- She’s pushy. Jesus seems to have been trying to get a little bit of down time and she just barges in.
- She’s an outsider: stigmatized by what we might call mental illness in her family, a woman showing up alone to speak to a rabbi; an ethnic outsider and traditional enemy; she’s a “dog”—shameless and impure.
- She doesn’t go quietly away after basically being told to be quiet.
- She demands attention and assistance that others think she doesn’t merit.
- She doesn’t mind rocking the boat.
She might challenge our sensibilities and comfort zones if she showed up at our doorstep. Even so, I would like to suggest that she’s worthy of admiration. She may even provide a helpful model for us. After all:
- She acted out of passion for her daughter’s health and well-being.
- She knew exactly what she wanted and she was ready to argue for her cause
- She was bold enough to transgress social boundaries and conventions
- She risked failure and disappointment, doing what made sense
All because she loved.
In this scripture the Syro-Phoenician woman stands in the gap.
This phrase evokes the image of an ancient city surrounded by a wall. If there was a breach or gap in the wall, attackers could make their way through, so defenders had to stand in the gap. In modern usage, a person who stands in the gap is a defender or protector or someone who prayers and pleads for someone else.
If you ever have fervently prayed for a loved one, you have stood in the gap.
If you ever have defended someone from a bully, you have stood in the gap.
If you ever have challenged stereotypes and prejudice, you have stood in the gap.
If you ever have attended a march for others’ rights, or acted on behalf of peace, you have stood in the gap.
Defending the defenseless. Standing strong and resolute in the face of overwhelming injustices. Doing what is necessary, regardless of how it might turn out. That’s standing in the gap. That’s hope, according to Havel.
The woman in today’s scripture stands in the gap for her daughter.
Today, mothers all across the world stand in the gap for their children, not knowing if they will ultimately succeed. But definitely knowing what loves asks of them…what love summons from them.
Mothers in the Ukraine.
Mothers in Palestine.
Mothers in Yemen.
Mothers at our own southern border.
Mothers seeking to assure access to clean water for their children.
Mothers advocating for their children in impersonal schools systems and unjust courts.
Love calls forth from them anger and insistence, tears, impoliteness, boundary-breaking, risk-taking, authority-challenging. The woman in today’s scripture is only one of millions whose love leads them to act.
Most of the time, I hold up Jesus as one who loves. But in today’s scripture Jesus is having a fully human moment. He’s grumpy. He sticks at first to established divisions and prejudices, refusing to care for an outsider he callously dismisses as a ‘dog.’ (Don’t underestimate the offensiveness of that label). The woman’s insistence eventually changes Jesus’ position and he extends healing. Many modern commentators say that the Syro-Phoenician woman prompted Jesus to expand the scope of his ministry and those it incorporated.
By standing in the gap for her daughter, by interceding and insisting, the Syro-Phoenician woman influenced Jesus himself. His ministry was changed and her daughter’s suffering ceased.
Our own awareness of suffering begins with ourselves and our circles of family and friends. Illnesses. Struggles. Debilitation. The diminishment of aging. And we look for ways to be of use, to do what is necessary.
If we find the energy to pay attention (as we are called to) we’re also aware of other peoples’ suffering, from the street corners of Kalamazoo to the bomb shelters of the Ukraine. Places of poverty, oppression, and war abound.
That can feel overwhelming. Still, the world’s mothers—the world’s lovers—stand in the gap, not knowing how it will turn out. Love calls forth courage, action, persistence, the willingness to discomfort others. Hope.
In a crisis-filled (and also joy-filled) world, we all can find some small way to stand in the gap.
- Perhaps there is a child who needs an advocate
- Perhaps we can learn more about racism, transphobia, xenophobia and learn better how to counter ignorance and hatefulness when we encounter it
- Perhaps, if we’re lucky, we have funds to support and equip others who stand in the gap, on the ground, all across the world. Doctors Without Borders. Christian Peacemaker Teams. The Poor Peoples Campaign.
And if nothing else, we must pray. Fervently. Sacrificially. Persistently. For peace. For hearts to be transformed. For leaders to work for justice. For compassion and wisdom to prevail. For guidance in our own actions and thoughts.
It all matters. Even if we don’t know the outcome. Love and hope matter.
In former years, If a city wall was breached it took many people to defend it. Many stood in the gap together.
And so may we remember that we do not stand alone and that each of our small efforts to alleviate suffering and challenge oppression matter. We may even once in a while help change someone’s mind, teach others as the Syro-Phoenician woman taught Jesus through acting upon her love, and insisting upon doing what was needed. May we follow her example of hope.
-Rev. Ruth Moerdyk
Scripture: Mark 7:24-30
Message: “Standing in the Gap”