Sermon for February 9, 2025 - The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
Sunrise over the Sea of Galilee from the Oasis d'Emmanuel – Tibériade. By LMorland - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=82224362
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of embarking on different pilgrimages, different sacred journeys. Whether it was to the Holy Land to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, England to delve deeper into our Anglican heritage, or even to the jungles of Honduras to assist in rebuilding a road to a small rural village and mission, all of these sacred journeys have brought me closer to God. In the Holy Land, standing in the Sea of Galilee, as the disciples did this morning, I felt as if the world vanished, and in that moment, I could have been with Jesus. It was a narrow space, a thin space, a liminal space where the boundaries between heaven and earth, between me and God, seemed to dissolve. Standing in Canterbury Cathedral was another such space, as I felt a connection with generations of Christians, particularly fellow pilgrims, not only because it is the birthplace of Anglicanism but also because of the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket, who was martyred within the Cathedral in 1170.
We encounter these thin places, these sacred spaces, in various locations. They may not even be associated with our faith or tradition. Perhaps you discover that the separation between you and God vanishes when you leave the city behind and are surrounded by the vastness of God’s creation. We don’t need to travel across the globe to find these thin places; it’s about tuning our hearts and minds to the right frequency to perceive God more clearly in our everyday lives. You might even find a thin place within your daily routines, such as exercising or gardening.
One such sacred place that’s still on my pilgrimage bucket list is an hour outside Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. Perhaps best known for Robert Mugabe’s long and tumultuous rule, Zimbabwe is also home to another famous son, a missionary and committed disciple of Jesus, Bernard Mizeki. Now, if you’re like me, I had no idea about him or his life until one Wednesday in June. But it wasn’t until I spoke with my colleague, Fr. Sherpard Gwende, the rector of St. George’s Crescentwood and who’ll be with us here next week at All Saints, that I truly learned more about Bernard and the culture of pilgrimage that has emerged around his shrine. Unfortunately, the information provided by For All the Saints about Bernard is lacking, but I was able to piece together his story using other sources. So, let’s delve into Bernard’s life and explore what his story might have to offer us on our own faith journeys.
Bernard Mizeki
He was born Mamiyeri Mitseka Gwambe in Portuguese East Africa (now Mozambique) and was raised in a traditional manner. As a boy, he worked in a store owned by a Portuguese trader and learned some Portuguese. Between the ages of ten and fifteen, he moved with a cousin to Cape Town, Cape Colony (now South Africa), where he adopted a new name, “Barns,” and took on various jobs as a labourer and house servant. As he grew older, he left his home and continued working as a labourer, living in the slums of Cape Town. However, he witnessed the devastating consequences of drunkenness among many workers in the slums and firmly refused to drink alcohol, remaining largely immune to the negative influences of his surroundings. After his daily work, he attended night classes at an Anglican school. Under the guidance of his teachers, particularly those from the Society of St John the Evangelist, commonly known as the Cowley Fathers, he embraced Christianity and was baptized on March 9, 1886. In addition to the core curriculum of European schooling, he excelled in English, French, High Dutch, and at least eight local African languages. Eventually, he would become an invaluable asset to the Anglican church when it embarked on the translation of sacred texts into African languages.
As a catechist among the Mashona people of Zimbabwe, he began his work missionary work in 1891, focusing on education and spiritual formation. When the Mashonas revolted against the British five years later, he had ample opportunity to escape. Instead, he chose to remain with his congregation. Tragically, on the night of June 17, 1896, he was brutally assaulted and mortally wounded by warriors from the village where he served. Despite his injuries, he managed to crawl to a nearby hillside to hide.
Early the next morning, as Bernard’s wife and another woman approached his hiding place, they were startled by an eerie sound, akin to the wings of numerous great birds, and a dazzling light that moved towards Bernard’s resting spot. When the two women finally found the courage to visit him, Bernard’s body had mysteriously vanished.
From that day forward, Anglicans from across southern Africa and beyond have made pilgrimages to the site of his martyrdom, offering prayers and petitions in the house of such a remarkable witness for Christ. However, Bernard’s legacy continues to inspire people in South Africa as well. In 1973, a church dedicated primarily to migrant workers in South Africa was named after him. The Bernard Mizeki Men’s Guild was established to promote and encourage the participation and nurturing of men’s leadership within the Anglican Church. Composed largely of migrant workers, these guilds have spread throughout South Africa. Guild members wear purple waistcoats and a special badge, symbolizing their shared identity as fellow migrants who sacrificed themselves for Christ. Many guild members aspire to make the annual pilgrimage to the Mizeki festival in Zimbabwe.
So, what does this story tell us? It reminds us, like the disciples in the gospel, that we too are called to follow Jesus. Did the disciples fully comprehend the implications of their decision? Did they harbour fear and apprehension about leaving their past behind to embrace Jesus’ teachings? While we may never know for certain, I can empathize with their thoughts and emotions because I would have been an indecisive mess. Yet, they still chose to abandon everything to follow Jesus, to learn from the teacher, and become active agents of God’s light and life-giving love. Like Isaiah they answered God’s call on their hearts to be sent.
And like Bernard Mizeki, we have the privilege of making a profound impact on the lives of others through our faith and actions. Like the disciples, like Bernard, we come together to strengthen our hearts so that we too can be sent out into the world to not just to seek and serve Christ in all whom we meet, but also to seek God in our midst; to seek a deeper connection to God through the thin places around us. Where do you encounter God? How does that experience resonate with you? How will you follow in Bernard’s footsteps and share that experience with others? Are you ready to say, “Here I am Lord, send me?” In these turbulent times we must continue to bear witness to God’s love, so we must hold fast to our faith and hope that the light and love of God will overcome the evil of this world. Amen.
