4/3/22 “Love’s Fragrance” by Nancy E. Petty

Isaiah 43:16-21

John 12:1-8

Her name was Francine. The event surrounding our meeting is a tale of tragedy. By chance or fate, Francine and I were the first on the scene of an accident at the intersection of Hillsborough and St. Mary’s Streets. As a car attempted to turn right off of St. Mary’s onto Hillsborough St., the driver failed to see a young man and his dog crossing the street. Both the young man and his dog were hit by the car. As both were lying in the street, unable to move, Francine and I ran to the scene. After calling 911, I tended to the young man as Francine attended to the dog, a beautiful border collie. Within minutes, the EMS arrived and loaded the man in the ambulance. As he was being placed on the stretcher, he looked at me and Francine and said, “Please take care of my dog.

The dog was obviously in distress. She wouldn’t let anyone touch her. After a call to my vet for advice, we called animal control to come help us with the animal. Upon arrival, they asked us what we wanted to do. Now I didn’t know anything about Francine and she knew nothing of me. But I would later find out that she worked at NC State in the development office. And that would later explain why she immediately said to animal control, “Take her to the NC State vet school. I will follow you there.” Both Francine and I followed the truck to the vet school. Once there, we were told that we would need to give a $2,000 deposit in order for the vet school to care for the dog. I stood in astonishment as Francine pulled out a credit card and gave it to the attendant. I told her I would see what I could do to help with the cost.

The vet attendant told us they would call us when they had examined the dog and talk with us of next steps. Francine and I shared contact information and I left for Pullen and I assume she left for NC State. A couple of hours later, Francine called me to say that the dog needed surgery and it could cost up to $10,000. As I sat silently on the other end of the phone, she informed me that she had already set up a GoFundMe page to help with expenses. I remember her saying, “We can’t let this young man’s dog die. He has already suffered a tragedy.” With that, I again relayed that I would do all I could to help but it would be limited. She told me she was going to authorize the surgery.

Later that evening, we got word that the young man was going to be okay and would be released from the hospital the next day, and that his parents were on their way from Maryland. The next morning, Francine called me and asked if I had seen the GoFundMe me page. I replied that I had not. She forwarded it to me. I read with amazement how she had told the story of the young man and his dog. It became obvious that she was an excellent writer and very good at her job. Then I looked at the amount raised and I was in disbelief. The fund has already raised over $10,000. Then I began reading the comments. Some expressed gratitude for what Francine was doing. While others were quite sharp in their criticism. “How can justify raising this money for a dog when there are people starving?” was one of the softer criticisms. Those didn’t seem to bother Francine.

To jump to the end of the story. We would learn from the young man’s parents, the day we met them at the vet school, which he had just moved to Raleigh a month before the accident to begin a new job and his dog was the love of his life. His parents were overwhelmed with the generosity and care that had been shown to him in his time of need. Sadly, after the surgery the dog didn’t make it. And while the young man recovered, his heart was broken.

Some would say that Francine’s actions were wasteful, especially since the dog didn’t survive. Others, like myself, would say that her actions were that of an extravagant love that wasn’t wasted at all.

Our gospel lessons this morning is the tale of an extravagant love. Mary takes a bottle of expensive perfume, breaks it open and pours it over Jesus’ feet, anointing him. She kisses his feet and then wipes them with her hair, a scandalous act. How dare her to step outside her assigned role as a woman in her society. One could see her actions as a silent rebuke to the false teaching of her day. Her actions proclaimed that God’s kingdom was not for the proud; but for the poor in spirit. It is for those who mourn. It is for tax collectors and sinners; for the crippled and blind and lame. For the prodigals and prostitute’s. But she did not show up to refute false doctrine. No, on this day, her presence wasn’t an act of defiance, showing up just to break all the rules her society burdened her with. She simply wanted to love Jesus. And she did so in an extravagant, even dangerous act of love.

As Mary is offering this extravagant act of love, in walks Debbie Downer—Judas Iscariot. One commentary wrote of Judas’ entry into the story: “Everything smelled so nice, Lazarus wasn’t dead anymore, Martha was doing her OCD stuff around the house, and Mary was anointing Jesus’ feet with oil. What could be bad about that? Well, Judas found something. Why didn’t Mary sell the oil for money and then give it to the poor? What wastefulness!” (Josh Blakesley, Extravagant, Scandalous Love), he declared.

Bob Goff, New York Times best-selling author writes: “Extravagant love is never wasted.” I guess we could argue that point. But that would require judgments and possibly an ethical treaties on what love is and what is extravagant. In the aftermath of a young man and his dog being run over, is spending $10,000 on surgery for the dog an act of love? Is it too extravagant of an act? Is Mary’s act more ethical because her act was on behalf of a person? Because it was Jesus? Extravagant love is never wasted! 

I have learned over my years of preaching that sometimes sermons just appear if one is paying attention. This week, in my email inbox appeared a modern day story of extravagant love. It is a story of love’s fragrance. It is a story that captures the essence of Mary breaking open that costly bottle of perfume and pouring it on Jesus’ feet while tenderly kissing them and letting down her hair to wipe them dry.

The email begins. (I will be using only first initials for people’s names.)

Dear Friends,

So much has been happening for and with H and M, our Afghan refugee family. I thought it might be helpful to send out an update to those of you working most closely with them. 

Their new home is on Trinity Rd.

·       E and B assisted them with their move to their new home, and have offered days of support since as they have settled. 

·       They have a 6-month lease, which our pastor co-signed on behalf of Pullen.

·       Lutheran Services used funds from the US government earmarked for them to pay for the first 3 months of rent.

·       After 6 months they will transfer to a month-by-month lease. This will allow them to move if other educational or job opportunities arise.

·       The Green Chair project provided a home package free of charge which was delivered.

·       John helped to obtain a list of items for H and M.

·       They had a list of additional items that they would like to have for their home. A number of people have donated most of what was on their list. What is left they will be able to purchase themselves. They have several gift cards. 

·       Lutheran Services provided funds for utilities, including internet through March. ·       Shopping for food – T has been assisting with this task, but T’s partner is now under Hospice care. We will reach out to others to help out with this job, and we send lots of love and prayers to T.

·       M helped H create a resume, and that has been shared widely. M and S stayed connected with H, offering support as he applied for several positions at NCSU.

·       H has accepted a 3-month temporary job at NCSU in shipping and receiving at the Vet School off of Blue Ridge Rd. T will teach him a safe bike route to work. This job has the potential to be extended, or to lead to another position. H’s start date is April 1. 

·       I assisted with H’s on-boarding session at NCSU, which was quite impressive! He did very well and only needed my help twice!

·       The fact that this is a temporary job may work out in H’s favor as he explores ways to prepare for other opportunities that would engage his law degree. Iman Antepli, from Duke University, is helping H explore options.

·       L offered several ESL classes to M while H completed his level 6 ESL class at Wake Tech. 

·       M has now started a level 4 ESL class at Wake Tech with the help of Mary, Bill, and Bob, who assisted her with a laptop. 

·       Both H and M have had extensive dental work in the past two months. Thanks so much to all of our volunteers who have been taking them to dental appointments, waiting for them, taking them to the pharmacy to get prescriptions, and sometimes caring for their 6 month-old during appointments. What a great team!!!

·       It is important for H and M to begin the application process for Temporary Protective Status (TPS) and for Asylum. With the support of R S, we looked for pro-bono support, but were not able to obtain free support for them. H L has agreed to represent them for a reduced fee. 

·       We will be requesting $2000 from GEMS to help cover some of these costs. M will represent us at the M & O meeting when our request is considered. Additional fundraising may be needed for this work in the future. 

I give thanks every day for the gift of walking this journey alongside all of you! 

Peace, S

This my friends is a story of love’s fragrance. A story of extravagant love. Each person in that story broke open the proverbial alabaster jar of costly perfume—their time and energy and resources—to show extravagant love to those just like Jesus: refugees who faced persecution. Extravagant love is never wasted.

It was the prophet Isaiah that proclaimed: “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Do you ever wonder what this “new thing” is that Isaiah proclaims? I mean, what it is in our world today? I do, especially in these in-between times of a pre and post pandemic world. It seems everyone is talking about a new thing—a new way that life will take shape/is taking shape post pandemic. I listen to things people are saying about this “new” way of life. I read articles about this “new thing” happening in our society post pandemic. And yet, it seems to me that we are still in the in-between time, still trying to perceive it. Trying to figure out what the way through the wilderness will be; and where the rivers are in the deserts of 2022.

As hard as I am trying to perceive this new way of life the pandemic has forced upon us, I find myself most days struggling to see it. But one thing I am certain of and one thing I see happening in our church and in the world is this: the new thing that God is always doing, the way a path is made in the wilderness, the rivers that flow in the deserts of our world today is boldly and courageously defined in acts of extravagant love. Wherever you smell or sense love’s fragrance, there, God is doing a new thing. There is no waste when we share in God’s extravagant love for one another and for our world.

Our job, as the people of God, is to make it so others smell and experience love’s fragrance—like Mary and like Francine and like the team caring for our Afghan family. The text says that when Mary broke open that jar of perfume, the fragrance filled the room, love’s fragrance. And so, the word—the good news—this day and every day is that we do our job of spreading love’s fragrance in the world, for extravagant love is never wasted!