Included in the Prayer of St. Francis is the prayer, “O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand.” This prayer offers much to consider when listening to the story of Lazarus.  Consolation and understanding are big factors in how the relationships played out among the characters.

Consider for a moment the deep friendship Jesus had with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus – and the difficult circumstances that arose surrounding Lazarus’ death.  The two sisters and brother were very much within Jesus’ circle of caring. Yet, consolation and understanding were difficult after Lazarus’ death.  To console and to understand takes a great deal of courage and vulnerability. 

Walter Wink, in his book, “Walking Jesus’ Path of Peace,” and referencing author “James Garbarino in his book “Lost Boys” (New York, Free Press, 1999), describes a “moral circle,” a circle of people or things we care about. 

He says, “For most of us, some living things lie within our “circle of caring,” and some fall outside the circle.  Some people have very small circles.  Some have very big ones. Wink challenges us to think about our circle of caring by way of drawing a circle – and writing the names of those animals that are inside or outside your circle of caring.  For instance, where would you place worms, mosquitoes, horses, cows, pigs, deer, cats, dogs, spider, rats, dolphins, any endangered species – like a redwood tree?

The next exercise is to think about groups of people or people with different backgrounds or experiences – where do they fall in your circle? Your family, your mom or dad, a bully, a Russian leader, a Ukrainian refugee, an immigrant from El Salvador, an inmate on death row, a teenager who is bullied, the president, etc.

Why do some people fall outside your circle of caring while others fall within it? What happens if you move a person or group of people from the outside to the inside of your circle of caring? 

The point of the exercise is to stimulate reflection on our personal values or characteristics of ourselves and how those values or characteristics influence our perception of others. The reality is that there are some people or creatures we would just as soon stay on the outside of our circle of caring.

Yet, by expanding our circle of caring, there is a chance we might find greater understanding.

Now, let’s look at the story we just heard about Lazarus.  Among several significant things that happened in the story, two things are eye-catching.  First, let’s consider that Lazarus had been dead four days.  In those days, it was a common a belief among Jews that after a person died, his or her spirit remained with the body for three days – and so complete death did not take place until the fourth day. 

The second thing is that dead bodies stink – and a social norm for families was to anoint the bodies with spices to reduce the stench.  No family wanted to have the reputation for not properly anointing the body of a loved one and chance permeating the air surrounding a tomb with a stench.  Martha was quite aware of this – and she strongly reminded Jesus of it.

As much as Martha hated to accept the death of her brother Lazarus, she knew it was true and final.  In a very real sense, though she still dearly loved her brother, he was now outside the circle.  He was in a different realm.  He was dead.

So, what does Jesus do?  He does what he always does.  Jesus is sad, too.  He is deeply disturbed.  His emotions are on edge, perhaps a bit frazzled by all the commotion, by both sisters chastising him for not coming sooner.  So, what does he do? 

First, let’s look at what he did not do.  He did not respond to this situation from a position of fear, of unnecessary anxiety, of self-pity, or self-preservation (making excuses).  No, Jesus responds from a position of faith.  He becomes vulnerable and expands his circle of caring to one who is dead – and new life begins.

With a loud voice, he cried out, “Lazarus, come out!”  And Lazarus came out of the tomb.  Jesus restored him back to the community.           

Isn’t that what we’re called to do?  Are we not to follow Jesus’ lead – calling out for people to join us in our “coming in” party by calling them to come out, while we invite them into our circle of caring?  Or do we revert to a posture of fear – viewing those whom we have categorized as outside the circle as a threat, instead of taking a leap of faith.

Now, some would say that this is naïve.  After all, what if those outside of our circle are really a threat to our safety?  Well, there is that possibility, but let’s look at the big picture.  Let’s really look at why we are so afraid of others in this world.  Most of the time, it’s because we are afraid of their differences – not because they wish us to do bodily harm.

Several years ago on my aunt and uncle’s ranch near St. Regis, MT it was calving season.  Unfortunately, one of the young cows died while giving birth to a calf. 

My cousin tried to get some of the other cows to adopt this poor little fella, but they just bunted it away.  He was worried it wouldn’t survive.  Then he had an idea.  A couple days earlier one of the cows had given birth to a stillborn calf.  My cousin cut the hide off the dead calf, wrapped and tied it around the orphaned calf and introduced it to the sad momma cow.  Immediately, she sniffed and nuzzled it and finally adopted it, allowing it to start sucking the nutrition-laden and life-giving milk.  He named the calf Lazarus, for in so many ways new life had been forged from death.

The sad momma cow had accepted the orphaned calf into her circle of caring – but not necessarily of her own volition.  It took someone else to introduce her to a new way of acceptance. 

God calls us to listen for opportunities to unbind those who are bound up.  God has already redeemed them and calls on us to listen and look for ways to become partners in resurrection life. God calls us to be partners in circles of caring.

AMEN