Sunrise People…

I would not usually consider myself a sunrise person. There is a lot of work involved in being a sunrise person. You normally have to wake up very early, go to a faraway spot, stay awake while waiting in the darkness, and hope that all the effort was worth it. It can be hard to be a sunrise person, and it can be hard to be a Bartimeus.

For me, the hardest part of being a sunrise person is having to wake up so early. Once I am up, I am normally good to go, but it’s the getting up before the bird begin singing that is so difficult. With that being said, you can imagine my joy and excitement when our Thailand travel group was told we would be leaving camp at 4:30 AM so we could possibly see the “Talay Mog”- translated roughly in Thai to the “Sea of Clouds”- and watch the sunrise in the northern Chang Rai mountains near the border of Laos and Thailand. I knew this would be a once in a lifetime opportunity, but I must admit, waking up that early was difficult, particularly considering we had been awake well into the evening the night before. I was able to wake up, and Rachel and I met with the group for our ride to Phu Chi Fa. Our ride was a small two door pickup truck which had a row of bleacher seats installed on either side of the truck bed. Two people were able to squeeze into the cabin with the driver, while the remaining ten squished our way into the back of this small truck which would drive us high into the Phi Pan Nam mountains. The air was crisp and cold, and that was before the truck even began moving. By the time we were rolling, winding up steep hills around potholes and obstacles in the road-sometimes at speeds that were very questionable- I was getting a face full of cold harsh wind.

After about a fifteen-minute ride into the mountains, the truck parked and we all made our way out and back onto solid ground. We had made it- to the sign that indicated “Phu Chi Fa” overlook- forward 1.2 kilometers, with an arrow pointing to a muddy, ill-defined, mountain foot trail. We began making our way up, and the trail became steeper and more slippery from the morning dew as the time passed, and to make matters worse, it was completely dark. Every step was fraught with the possibility of slipping into the mud, or worse. This was getting difficult. Should I stop here and hope to see something by morning? Should I turn back and just sleep in the truck? We’ve come this far with the hope of seeing something amazing- no turning back. But the trail certainly didn’t become any easier. We continued to climb as the dew made each step more and more treacherous, people were regularly falling, even some in our group. We could still barely see, and the situation was turning from challenging to dangerous. As we approached the final and most challenging incline to the overlook, we could hear the birds chirping and we knew the sunrise was close. It was still difficult to see as we made it to the top of Phu Chi Fa. And after all that effort, all that time steadying ourselves, diligently and carefully making our way up the hill, it was still too dark to see anything on the horizon. Had we wasted our morning, risked our safety, and muddied up our clothes for nothing? We would have to wait and see. So, we began to wait, and wait, and wait. Being a sunrise person can be difficult.

It can be difficult to be a sunrise person!

Our Scripture reading this morning talks about a blind beggar- Bartimaeus. I would consider Bartimaeus a sunrise person. We don’t know much about this man- we are told about his lineage, and that he possibly lives in or near Jericho, but other than that, we know very little. He is a man who has likely faced numerous struggles in his life prior to his encounter with Jesus. We hear he “regains his sight”- what tragic occurrence has caused him to lose it? How long has he been forced to beg? How long has he been waiting? Can GOD heal him- can GOD hear him? How dark is his night, how steep is his hill? He is waiting for mercy, and it seems by the way those nearby initially respond to him, mercy is hard pressed to find. Bartimaeus faces all sorts of challenges leading up to his encounter to meet this proclaimed Messiah- Jesus, the Son of David. But Bartimaeus is a sunrise person. Bartimaeus knows what people have been saying about this man named Jesus, and he has faith that this is the one foretold by the prophet Isaiah- the one who will open the eyes of the blind and hearing to the ears of the deaf. He cries out in hope to be healed. But those around him, rather than help him or show him compassion, scold him and tell him to quiet down. It can be difficult to be a sunrise person. But Bartimaeus continues to cry out to Jesus, “have mercy on me”- and as he cries out GOD hears and is still. Christ offers himself as a servant- “what do you want me to do for you?”- and restores Bartimaeus sight. And amid all of the struggles, all of the difficulties, all of the questions and wondering if now is the time to hang back, quiet down, or turn around, GOD’s glory is wonderfully and beautifully displayed- in Bartimaeus’ faith and in Christ’s amazing love.

Our world has challenges. Our nation has challenges. Our communities have challenges. War and national hostilities continue to undermine world peace. Tensions are at an all time high with a consequential and heated election day approaching. Gun violence continues to plague our city. We face difficult challenges as a community, but we also face steep hills in the darkness as individuals. Difficult medical diagnosis, the loss of family members and friends, struggles with mental health and addiction- there are circumstances that make it difficult to be a sunrise person- even when we may want to be. Bartimaeus didn’t know that Jesus would be passing by- it is in his response, in his faith and hope, where the full witness of GOD’s glory is displayed. When he is told to quiet down after calling out for Jesus, he persists in declaring GOD’s faithfulness- “Jesus, Son of David, have MERCY on me.” Bartimaeus declares GOD’s mercy in his calling out. GOD’s glory is displayed in how we declare and bear witness to the love of GOD through Christ- GOD’s glory is revealed in how we live out our faith. As we climb the hill to see the sunset, our faith to keep going, to continue moving upward, to continue crying out displays GOD’s glory. Our willingness to understand and recognize the challenges and still say “We’ve come this far by faith leaning on the Lord- can’t turn around!” displays the hope we live into. The hope of seeing the sunrise- the hope of the end of the darkness- the hope of regaining lost sight.

As we climb the hill to see the sunset, our faith to keep going, to continue moving upward, to continue crying out displays GOD’s glory.

Bartimaeus kept going after his sight was restored. Jesus instructed him to “Go- your faith has made you well” and he joined the crowd that followed Jesus to witness other miraculous works in the city of Jericho. The hope found in his faith gave him the assurance that he would continue to bear witness to the glory of GOD displayed in the world. And though not as richly blessed, we, like Bartimaeus, saw what we had hoped for. As the first light from the sun began to creep up over the horizon, we saw the “Talay Mog” as the low hanging clouds covered the ground below and spread out as far as the horizon. And then the sun rose, creating a beautiful landscape above the mountains, and revealing something amazing at the gathering space at the top of Phu Chi Fa. Our group was intermingled with hundreds of other people, many of whom we had seen taking a break or moving slowly along the way up or who had visible mud stain signs of the challenging climb. Their commitment to see the sunrise was displayed in their conviction to make it to the peak. The challenges of the hill told them to quiet down, but their conviction told them to carry on. We have come this far by faith- can’t turn around. Well, that’s not entirely accurate, because in our case the way in was the way out, and unless you wanted to take a 5,000-foot flight down, you did have to turn around. The descent down the hill was markedly different than the ascent. There was frequent laughter, people smiling and hugging, we even ran into a local playing a homemade Khaen horn, and there was much less dew. Like Bartimaeus, our hopes had been met and our faith fulfilled, and everyone seemed to be experiencing a new type of joy and energy. There were still challenges in getting down the hill, still spots that were slick or challenging, but it felt like a different hill after experiencing the beautiful sunrise.

The challenges don’t define us- how we live out GOD’s love amid them does.

Whether we are on the ascent and waiting, at the summit and witnessing, or heading down the hill and proclaiming, we bear witness to GOD’s glory in how we respond and in how we live out our faith and show GOD’s love and mercy. The challenges don’t define us- how we live out GOD’s love amid them does. Our faith defines us, and GOD’s unwavering mercy claims us. This is the faith that has brought us this far, this is the faith that brought Bartimaeus to his encounter with Jesus, and this is the faith that will carry us on. We’ve come this far by faith- leaning on the LORD- can’t turn around, because we’ve come this far by faith.