2023 01 22 Sermon

Finding Your Voice
Epiphany 3 A
Matthew 4:12-23; 1 Corinthians 1:9-18
Rev. Karl-John N. Stone

A common phrase people say is “I’ve found my voice.” This doesn’t mean that “I’ve just learned how to talk”, but that “I am able to be who I’m meant to be, and to act in a way that is authentic to my true self.” This is often easier said than done. Maybe that’s because we often fear that our true self will not be accepted, and so we sometimes find it easier to embrace a “false sense of self”. And this can lead us astray in all kinds of ways.

You can find examples of this in the news just about all the time, but a recent one is the story of the newly-elected Congressman from New York, George Santos. As he ran for congress last year, many regarded him as an ideal candidate. He had an impressive resume with excellent credentials from college and employment experience. He had a compelling life story and family history, and he was even a stylish dresser. As it turns out, however, everything—from his religion, to his family history, to his education and work experience—was all made up, in an attempt to make himself into the most appealing candidate possible for his district. Today he may be physically present in the halls of congress, but his colleagues say they don’t know who he truly is—and perhaps George Santos doesn’t know who he truly is, either.

This is an extreme example, but the desire to simply be someone you are not is a common desire. There is a well-known Franciscan brother by the name of Richard Rohr. He’s about 80 years old now and lives in New Mexico but grew up in Kansas. He tells a story of when he was younger and would meet with a spiritual director. “All I really want is to be just like Saint Francis of Assisi,” Richard would say. Who wouldn’t want to be like Saint Francis of Assisi? He was one of the most beloved, humble, compassionate, and wisest saints of Christian history. Eventually Richard Rohr’s spiritual director basically told him, “God doesn’t want you to be like St. Francis of Assisi. God wants you to be Richard from Kansas. That’s who you can offer the world. Don’t try to be someone you’re not; become the true Richard from Kansas.” As it turns out, Richard from Kansas has made quite an impact in the world.

We see a similar dynamic, of the impact of being your true self, in today’s gospel. Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, where he saw two brothers (Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother) casting their net into the sea—for they were fishermen. He said to them: “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” Immediately, the left their nets and followed him.

Notice that when Jesus calls them, he honors their vocation. They are fishermen. Jesus doesn’t tell them, “follow me and you’ll never fish again” but “follow me and you will fish—for people”. Jesus accepts them for who they are—fishermen—and now that they’ve chosen to follow Jesus, they are still fishing—just applying it in a different way.

It’s different to fish for fish than it is to fish for people. Fishing for fish involves forcing the fish out of the water. You can’t fish for people by force. This is why the disciples left their nets when they went to follow Jesus—not because they were giving up fishing, but because they would learn a new way of fishing—fishing by listening to, and giving voice to, the deep concerns of people’s lives. As they followed Jesus, the disciples would learn how to fish by sharing the good news of God’s kingdom: the assurance that God is near and loves you for who you are; that healing is available for your woundedness; that forgiveness is offered for the hurts you’ve given or received; that salvation is open to all by the foolishness of a Messiah who went to suffer even on the cross in solidarity with our human weakness; and that new life and resurrection is possible in partnership with Jesus and with the people God puts in our lives.

This good news, this kind of “fishing” not only offers the grace of God to people who live in a hurting world, but it also changes you. Because following Jesus will change you, the more you surrender yourself to him in trust.

We have a word to describe the experience of Jesus calling each of us to follow him: “Vocation”. This comes from the Latin word for “voice”. Your vocation is the way you use your God-given voice in the world. And you do this by repenting; in other words, by surrendering your “false self”, offering up to God that person you pretend to be or who the world tells you to be—and by grace, through faith, you learn to become more truly who God has made you to be.

And Jesus has a calling, a vocation, for everyone—not just for pastors, not just for the disciples by the Sea of Galilee, not just for religious people, but for everyone! Ultimately, your call, your vocation, is a gift God has given you; a gift that God created inside you when he put you on this earth. And, like those fishermen from Galilee, you can learn to apply your God-given gift in different ways.

So, what is the gift that resides [here] inside your soul? the gift you have to offer that will help the world?—or even help just one other person in the world? Look for that gift—it is the gift of who you are. Embrace that gift, knowing that God in Christ has already given it to you. That is how your vocation will be revealed. That is how you will find your voice. Amen.