Rosa Parks was already sitting at the back end of the bus, in the coloured section and when the bus became full the driver commanded her to give up her seat to a white passenger. She refused and the rest is history.
After being shown such injustice the black community of Montgomery, Alabama, boycotted the bus company for a whole year. Rosa Parks teamed up with a new minister in town, The Revd Martin Luther King, and eventually she became known as the Mother of the Modern Civil Rights Movement.
Rosa Parks wanted to keep her seat on the bus, she wanted to be treated with respect and to participate in her community’s life as a full human being.
She reminds me of on of my favourite bible characters whose story is told in Sunday’s gospel reading. We don’t know her name, but we do know she met Jesus. She’d heard so much about him that when he passed through her town she asked for his help, she longed for him to bless her daughter with healing and wholeness. But, well, it was like she was sitting in the wrong end of the bus. She was a foreigner, so at first it looked as if Jesus and his disciples thought a blessing could not be given to her.
This Canaanite woman in today’s story just didn’t give up, she even seems to remind Jesus that he had people from her nation in his family tree. It’s as if she actually helps Jesus re-assess the Kingdom of God, this way of living with love and justice as a message without boundaries, open to all as our expression of one humanity under God.
Just like Rosa Parks, the nameless woman in today’s gospel helps us see the world differently. It’s a process; and because it involves people changing their minds it can sometimes take a long time, yet it’s so worthwhile. It’s an important part of our faith, to look at our world and lives and continue to ask the question: in the light of God’s Kingdom, God’s way of love and justice, is this how we should live?
In the end Jesus blesses the Canaanite women’s daughter with his healing and wholeness.
And in the end, in 2005, when Rosa Parks died, President Bush ordered that every American flag be lowered to half-mast for a women Time Magazine described as one the 20 most influential people of the last century.
And, in a highly symbolic gesture, from the day of her death to the day of her funeral, the Montgomery Bus Company ordered that every bus in the city reserve the first two seats and drape them with black ribbons – in memory of a woman whose greatest wish was simply to be treated with dignity and have the freedom to sit in any seat of her choosing.
We thank God for all who teach us what it means to live with the best characteristics of our humanity.
Church Life Focus
…We are thankful to Michael, Bob and Matthew who have now made it possible for us to use both the prayer desk and pulpit microphones, alongside the one at the lectern. These now pick up sound both for the church service and the video recording.
…We recorded the August edition of Manse Talk last week and that’s now available on the church website.
…Next month we hope that a number of the sub groups of the Elder will be able to meet again, such as the Finance and Property Committee and the Partnership in Mission Committee. The later will be looking at how we might continue to support the charities who have already been nominated for this year’s communion offerings. We don’t want these charities to miss out
…And finally we look forward to Sunday 23rd August 2020 when Erna will be our preacher both on the Audio Recording and the 10.30 service.
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