A Sermon in May

17.maj 2020

Danish church service at 10:00 a.m. 11 on Facebook

"May, larks and freedom."

Welcome: Today's service is about May, larks and freedom. In

In May, Denmark celebrated the 75th anniversary of liberation. In cooperation with the Danish priests in Canada and New York, I participated in a fine freedom greeting that we shared on Facebook. In this greeting we listened to the beautiful Danish song of freedom: A lark ascended. A beautiful text and a lovely melody that, like a beautiful fluttering lark, let us sing about a morning in May, about fluttering free larks and about that spring of 1945, when Denmark became free again after 5 dark years.

We begin this Danish church service by singing this lovely Danish song. We hope that you will sing along at home in the living rooms, kitchen or on the terrace. Let's sing with Mette and Rush about May, larks and freedom.

May, larks and freedom.

It's May, and we yearn for freedom. We long as larks to be able to fly freely, fling off out in the open. Fly out there where we can become quite dizzy with happiness: and once again fly far away to other homes, places, countries and missed relationships.

We long not to live with uncertainty, fear, and distance. We long being able to live freely again, breathe the air to the fullest without being afraid of infection, embrace the day with hope and especially to hug one another.

We long for freedom. We long to be able to reunite, as families, as neighbors, as friends and as churches.

At this Danish May church service, freedom will be the focus. Think for a moment what freedom means to you? Bearing in mind what freedom meant 75 years ago, and what freedom means now in 2020, when we are held captive by a world-wide virus and anxiety.

Gospel John 14.15-21

The promise of another spokesman

If you love me, keep my commandments; and I will ask the Father, and He will give you another spokesman who shall be with you forever: the spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. You know it, because it stays with you and must be in you. I will not leave you fatherless; I'm coming to you. Another short time, and the world no longer sees me, but you see me, for I live, and you shall live. That day you shall recognize that I am in my father, and you are in me and I in you. He who has my commandments and keeps them, he is the one who loves me; and he who loves me shall be loved by my father; i too shall love him and make myself known to him."

Sermon: May, larks and freedom.

"Susanne, if anyone starts saying anything, you know, and take my freedom away from me, then I'm completely lost, I tell you. I don't think I could survive without my freedom.'

These words come from a funny and satirical collection of poems about Gitte and her conversations with her friend Susanne in "Gitte Monologues" by the Danish writer Per Højholt.

"Gitte's monologues" were written in 1984 and I suddenly remembered Gitte’s monologues about freedom, when I thought about freedom, may and larks.

The late author Per Højholt's mixed lyricism and prose: and the author himself became world-famous in Denmark, when he travelled the country and recited these monologues and even went on national television, DR.

Gitte's monologues are about life's big and small issues: agriculture, the Social Democrats, nature, the garden, Denmark and not least freedom.

"Susanne, if anyone starts saying anything, you know, and take my freedom away from me, then I'm completely lost, I tell you. I don't think I could survive without my freedom.'

Gitte's freedom was mainly personal: to be able to control some of her time in her marriage to her husband Preben. He could spend time on his interest, and she on hers. That was her main concept of her freedom.

In light of Denmark's celebration of the 75th anniversary of liberation, and in the light of Gitte's hilarious monologue about freedom – well, the month of M ay 2020 is a good month to think about freedom.

What does freedom mean to you and me, to us? What limits our freedom, and what strengthens our freedom? Is freedom, freedom personal freedom without borders and considerations, or is freedom a more civic freedom based on responsibility and duty.

"Freedom is not constituted primarily of privileges but on responsibilities." the French philosopher of author Albert Camus wrote.

It may sound a little too intellectual and serious to us freedom-hungry 2020 Corona limited people, who really just long to be able to move freely between places and people fear of infection and disease. “My freedom, I don’t think I can live without it….”

But what if freedom, our high acclaimed freedom, actually first and foremost is conditional on the fact that we do our duty rather than simply enjoying our privileges? What if freedom is as the Danish priest and proverb collector Peder Syv emphasized: “He is free, who does not as he pleases, but as he ought."

But what if my freedom and my happiness is directly connected to and depending on the freedom and happiness of others?

What if true freedom of life and the deepest happiness of life are precisely found in being bound in love, in honesty, in decency and in society? Maybe our duty and our responsibility makes us free?

After all, freedom is not always the freedom from something, but even more freedom for or to something.

There is something liberating in doing your duty, the Danish psychology professor Svend Brinkman states in his book: "Standings – 10 old ideas for a new world" . He argues that our duty is the key to true liberation and true freedom.

For Svend Brinkman, Albert Camus and for Peder Syd, freedom is first and foremost a responsibility and a civic duty. Our answer to the obligations to be a human in the world with others.

With these thoughts of freedom, we listen to today’s gospel from John and at the first reading from Peter’s Letter

Jesus said to His disciples "Do you love me, so keep my commandments; and I will ask the Father, and He will give you another spokesman who shall be with you forever: the spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. You know it, because it stays with you and must be in you. I will not leave you fatherless; "

Jesus shows the disciples the truth and the way and the life — by referring to the commandments as the means and ways to a good righteous life. The commandments set us free, to live as we should.

The disciples were not left fatherless, unattended, - as the spokesman, the holy spirit, the very spirit of God, was sent so that they could be guided, encouraged, strengthened, and set free to live the life for which they were created and called.

And then we listen to Peter’s letter:

"Live all in unity, and show compassion, brotherly love, mercy, and humility. On the other hand, not evil or scolding with scolding, but rather with blessing, for you are called to inherit blessing.

He who will love life and see happy days,

he shall guard his tongue for evil

and his lips to speak fraud.

he shall stay away from evil and do good, seek peace, and strive for it."

My freedom, our highly acclaimed and precious freedom, is the freedom to live with others in respect, in consideration, in compassion, in peace.

When the Danes celebrate the liberation 75 years ago with the beautiful song about the beautiful larks and the lovely freedom in May, it was not just a celebration of my personal precious freedom, but our fundamental civic freedom. Our freedom to live in peace. Our freedom to live in a democracy, in a just society which does grant us freedom to think, gather and be, but even more gives us the responsibility to protect these rights for others and protect the weak.

In this Corona era, where we all yearn for freedom: long for open doors and open arms, unlimited touches and hugs, - in this day and age we can so easily focus on our personal freedom and forget the responsibilities of that acclaimed freedom.

Yes, freedom is to be able to live your potentials, to be able to travel and move freely, to be able to express oneself, to vote and to gather freely. But in times like this we should never forget that true freedom is, after all, based on duty and responsibility.

“He is free who does not as he wants, but as he ought.”

It's May and we yearn for freedom. We long as the larks to be able to fly freely out in the open.

Fly out there where we can become quite dizzy with happiness: and once again fly far away to other homes, places and countries and missed relationships.

We long not to live with uncertainty, fear and distance.

We long to be able to live freely again, breathe the air to the fullest without being afraid of infection, embrace the day with hope and not least each other with loving hugs.

We long for freedom. We long to be able to reunite, as families, as neighbors, as friends and as churches.

But until then, until we can again open the doors wide open, open the distant virtual embrace to a heartfelt hug, it is our responsibility, as free people, who are fortunate to live in a democracy and in a civilized time, to think first and last with responsibility. Not just for myself. But for my neighbor who is also created in the image of God.

And we are not left fatherless or discouraged. God's holy spirit is with us and among us, and we pray to have new hope, renewed faith, and kind love in our hearts and mind to live as we ought: to live as free responsible, caring people, created in the image of God.

Amen

The last song to be sung today is one of the most beautiful spring and summer songs from the High School Songbook. It was written by Alberte Vinding and Aske Benzon, and many of you have probably heard the fine song. Perhaps you have heard it sung by Danmakr’s Radio's Girl Choir or by the lovely Sing a long, which is on DR during this time.

It's a beautiful melody and a beautiful lyric about the bright nights that come again, about the light pouring in and the house that's full of wind. Open doors, vision and outlook, love, longing and freedom.