A simple, gracious ‘thank you’ helps build relationships (Luke 17.11-19).
Context
- ‘Thank you for the music’ – in a series of recent interviews, Abba’s Björn Ulvaeus tells of how the group almost never met.
- ‘Thank you to my professional partner’ – whenever a celebrity contestant leaves the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing they are asked what they’d like to say to their partner.
- ‘Thank you for the wall’ – President Trump returns to his theme of building walls between neighbours.
Reflection
Whatever happened to being gracious to our fellow human beings? To hear both UK and USA politicians recently we’d be forgiven for thinking that our leaders are hardly setting a good tone. Jesus, however, sets the right example. Build bridges, not walls! Between Galilee and Samaria. Between those who are healthy and those afflicted with leprosy. With no agenda, Jesus sets about bringing healing to individuals and to nations. Today’s Gospel passage reflects the relative simplicity of God’s healing grace in a world determined to muddy the waters politically and religiously.
‘Thank you’ is a great bridge building phrase – two simple words which have the power to build and grow relationships, when used genuinely. When contestants on Strictly Come Dancing are put on the spot at the end of the Sunday results show each week, it can sometimes seem a bit awkward in the closing interview as they are asked what they would like to say to their partner. Most of the time these tearful farewells involve genuine thanks from two people who realise just how much they’ve grown from the experience. In Luke 17.11-19 a Samaritan leper is overwhelmed by just how total his healing is, following his encounter with Jesus. His heartfelt ‘thank you’ only seems to go further in emphasising the extent of this wholeness through healing.
Abba’s Björn Ulvaeus came across his future song writing partner, Benny Anderson, when they each playing in separate bands as part of the Swedish folk scene. The two bands met at a festival, where Björn invited Benny’s band to join them at a party, with the hope of talking about song writing with Benny. However, that fateful meeting nearly didn’t happen as it seems that Benny had misheard the location of the party and travelled to Lidköping, instead of Linköping, where Björn was waiting for him, 135 miles away. Fortunately, upon realising their mistake, Benny and his band turned their car around, drove through the night and as a result, like the Samaritan leper returning to Jesus, caused their relationship to be taken to the next level. When they finally got together, the pair sat out under the trees in the park all night singing Beatles songs until the sun came up. (That’s Björn and Benny, not Jesus and the leper – although that would make a good band name!) And the world is a better place thanks to that meeting. So, Abba, ‘thank you’ for the music!
Saying thank you for the building of a wall between Mexico and the USA is perhaps something that many of us would never consider saying. As President Trump seemingly renews his commitment to the whole wall project, there will be many people hoping that this will never come to fruition. We read in our Gospel passage today that Jesus was journeying through a border region between Samaria and Galilee, an area separating two peoples with longstanding grudges. This would likely be a region that many would try to avoid, unless they were either intending to stir up trouble, or were part of a peace keeping envoy aiming to bring healing in a much broader sense than is initially implied by the text.
Jesus does what he does without any agenda and without needing a ‘thank you’ from the recipients of God’s healing grace. Yet that simple ‘thank you’ from the Samaritan leper obviously made a difference to the relationship between both parties – what about the other nine? In 2 Timothy 2.8-15 the writer reflects on the power of the Word of God in Jesus Christ. Yet despite the writer’s exhortation on the inadequacy of human words, sometimes a simple ‘thank you’ can seem to change the world and allow people to feel appreciated. Whether it be with your dance partner, your singing partner, or your political partners, we all need a little appreciation sometimes.
Prayer
God, the great giver,
help us to act according to your agenda,
not our own.
May your will be done,
not ours.
We know that it is better to give
than to receive.
We also know what it feels like to be appreciated.
Teach us to be gracious enough to offer thanks
to those who give to us in so many varied ways.
Teach us also not to expect thanks in return.
But when it is offered,
genuinely,
may we accept it with a grace that comes from you.
And may our thank offerings be used
to build bridges,
heal communities
and restore faith in living.
May our faith make us well.
Amen.
Questions
- Although he wasn’t in it for the thanks, what do you think the Samaritan leper’s words and actions might meant to Jesus?
- What are the situations in our world, country, local community, church or family this week where we need to pray for God’s gracious healing?
- Who are people in our world, country, local community, church or family that we ought to be offering words of thanks for?
All-age activity
Politicians and civil servants seem to be having a rough time in the press at the moment. Wouldn’t it be nice to be more positive by saying ‘thank you’ to local government workers for something good happening where you live? Together, come up with a list of people who serve your local community and why they deserve a particular ‘thank you’. In groups write some short ‘thank you’ letter from your church to each person on the list.
Young people
Some years ago, a gentleman named Bill, who was in his eighties, decided after many years of service to our daily church community coffee bar in our town centre that it was time for him to retire. Bill wasn’t an outgoing kind of guy and most people who came through the doors of our coffee bar probably hadn’t realised he was there. But, day after day Bill would be in hidden away the kitchen simply washing up. Although he did this role simply out of the goodness of his heart, like so many other volunteers, I decided he needed a ‘thank you’, even though I knew him as the kind of person to shun attention or gifts. So I decided to get him a bunch of flowers. It was kind of a bromance moment when I presented them to him. At the end of the morning shift I very quietly returned to the kitchen when no one else was around. Without the need for many words, I knew it was a touching moment for both of us. Bill simply said: ‘No one’s ever bought me flowers.’ Sometimes a simple ‘thank you’ can mean more than you ever intended.
Together, think of ways you might say and offer a ‘thank you’ to those who do so much, yet who go unnoticed in your church or community.
Tim Lowe is a minister of the United Reformed Church, serving with St Andrew’s Roundhay, in Leeds. Tim is interested in all forms of visual media as expressions of exploring what we believe. He has recently completed a sabbatical, entitled ‘IN-CAR-NATION’, reflecting on cars as places of sanctuary and hospitality, and their role within our daily life and faith.
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