A Cloud of Witnesses

Eric Lemonholm

April 13, 2011

Wednesday Lenten Worship

Hebrews 12:1-3

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, ²looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

³Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Faith is trust in God’s promises.

Hope for God’s future.

Confidence in Jesus’ proclamation, “the Kingdom of God has come near.”

We are members of a long and wide family tree of faith.

We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, living and dead, who trust in Jesus and follow Jesus.

We follow in their footsteps, we walk side by side.

As we travel our life journey, we learn from one another.

We encourage one another with words and deeds of love.

We challenge one another with examples of character.

We comfort one another with the good news of God’s love shown to us in Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the pioneer of our faith, blazing a trail of unconditional love and justice for us to follow.

I’m going to tell you two stories.

Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn’t famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed “Easy Eddie.” He was Capone’s lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie’s skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.

To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but also, Eddie got special dividends. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago city block.

Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him.

Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son whom he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object.

And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was.

Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn’t give his son; he couldn’t pass on a good name or a good example.

One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done.

He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al “Scarface” Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great.

So, he testified.

Within the year, Easy Eddie’s life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago street. But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay.

Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion and a poem clipped from a magazine. The poem read:

The clock of life is wound but once,

And no man has the power

To tell just when the hands will stop

At late or early hour.

Now is the only time you own.

Live, love, toil with a will.

Place no faith in time,

For the clock may soon be still.^[i]

Easy Eddie did not have to do the right thing, but for the love of his son, he did. He gave up the easy life of crime, took up the hard life of truth and honest living, and paid the ultimate price.

Second Story: World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lt. Cmdr. Butch O’Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.

One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship. His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet.

As he was returning to the mother ship he saw something that turned his blood cold: A squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet.

The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn’t reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger.

There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet.

Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 calibers blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another.

Butch wove in and out of the now-broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault.

He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly.

Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction. Deeply relieved, Butch O’Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier. Upon arrival, he reported in and related the events surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch’s daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.

This took place on February 20, 1942, and for that action Butch became the Navy’s first Ace of WW II, and the first Naval aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.

A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His hometown would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O’Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this young man.

So, what do these two stories have to do with each other?

Butch O’Hare was “Easy Eddie’s” son.^[ii]

Easy Eddie’s difficult choice cost him his life, but he gave his son a legacy of sacrifice for the sake of others that made all the difference.

We are members of the great cloud of witnesses for one another, for the children of our community, and for the generations to come.

The choices we make, the lives we lead, the faith we share, send out ripples of influence through time and space.

As we prepare for Holy Week, we will walk with Jesus on his road to the cross.

Jesus endured the cross for the sake of the joy set before him.

The message of the cross is that God loved us so much, that God gave God’s one and only Son to be Immanuel, God with us as One of us.

The reaction of the powers of the world was a violent hostility that ended with the cross.

But of course, the cross was not the end of the story.

Jesus was raised!

Jesus has taken his seat at the right hand of the Father.

Immanuel, God with us as One of us, is with God and among us, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, ²looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

³Consider [the One] who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.

Amen!