The Healthiest Person in the World

Last week as I was driving in my car, tuned to one the public radio stations, the announcer invited everyone who was listening to participate in a rather interesting contest, by submitting the name of the healthiest person we know, along with our reasons why. I don't remember there being a sponsor for this healthiest person contest, like a health food store, or a health club, a hospital or a yoga association. I got the impression that it was simply somebody's bright idea at the radio station, an idea for a contest that had never been tried before that might generate a lot of interesting entrants. As I thought about the radio's invitation further, I wondered who the judges would be. And on what basis would they rank a person's health? Would they just consider a contestant's physical health, or would they somehow try to evaluate their mental, moral, emotional, physical, financial, social and spiritual health as well? And if so, how would they prioritize the various dimensions of health? Would they be equally weighted, or would they, for instance, give more weight to spiritual health than to physical health, more to mental health than to financial health?

That announcement also prompted me to think about my own health as well as those people I know whom I consider to be healthy. And is there anyone among that group that I would consider worthy to be nominated for such a healthiest person in central Florida contest?

This contest reminded me of Bishop Howe's judgment, following one of his visitations, that we were the happiest and healthiest congregation in the diocese. I certainly felt that way last Sunday as we gathered for our annual Christmas banquet and pageant, preceded by warm and refreshing wassail and a hand bell concert in the courtyard, witnessing how Chip and Melody, Elaine and Kay, pulled our pre-Christmas parish celebration all together, coordinating many volunteers to make the evening completely satisfying and uplifting. I don't know if the radio station would accept a corporate entry, but their contest reminds me how healthy we are, thanks be to God.

Our lesson from Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians could serve very well as the basis for judging that healthiest person contest. Listen again to what Paul says to them: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." I think we could all agree that anyone is able to do that, to continually rejoice, pray and give thanks, is certainly very healthy. The healthy person recognizes that health is a gift, a gift of the Spirit, who is the source of all life and health, so if one wants to be healthy, one does not put out the fire the Spirit. Health is a cooperative venture between ourselves - our spirits, souls and bodies, all that we are - and the Spirit of God. Paul prays that every Christian might be sanctified through and through by God who is the author and source of peace, a peace that is so much more than the absence of conflict, which can debilitate us and rob us of our health, but a peace that is also the positive fulfillment of our physical, emotional, mental, moral, social, financial and spiritual potential as we serve others in reaching their own healthy potential.

Paul prays that the Lord Jesus Christ himself, the healthiest person who ever lived, the one who defines for us the one and only perfectly healthy human life, will guard and keep us, our spirits, our souls and our bodies, sound and blameless. Paul reminds us that we have answered the call of Christ, recognizing that he has saved us from sin, the sickness that leads to death. We follow him because when we do, we get healthier and healthier. Like a divine trainer, Christ disciplines us so that we may all qualify, not for an earthly contest, but for an eternal inheritance.

On this third Sunday of Advent, we light the pink candle to symbolize the coming of Christ, not to condemn us, but to make us healthy and whole: to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, to comfort those who mourn, to give us a garland instead of ashes, a garment of praise instead of a faint spirit. The LORD, in effect, comes to take his vengeance on anything and everything which may rob us of our health so that we might become oaks of righteousness, standing tall and strong, deeply rooted in Christ, capable of building up others in the health of the LORD.

Who would you nominate for the healthiest person you know contest? Retired evangelist Billy Graham, in spite of his age and inevitable physical decline? Or Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow? Or Anglican Archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu? Or entrepreneur and philanthropist Bill Gates? Or the valedictorian of one of our military academies? Or somebody else? The good news this morning is that Jesus has come into the world not only to nominate each and every one of us, but to enable us to be healthy like him with the gift of his Spirit, no matter how weak or sick or out of shape we are when he finds us. Let us cooperate with that Spirit and trust that his Spirit is keeping us and will keep us - spirit, soul and body - sound and blameless, in the best of health, until his coming again. AMEN.