Today we find ourselves in this fourth week of Lent continuing to think and reflect on the role of illusion both

h in theology and in this book Julie Otsukas The Buddha in the Attic as we partake in the One Book One Philadelphia campaign. These last few weeks we have heard stunning witness from Alan and Richard to the danger of illusion. They have warned us about the evil, detrimental nature of illusions that affect our self-worth, illusions that separate us from others illusions that separate us from God. My task this morning is to talk about the Escape from Illusion. In Otsukas book we read about the ways in which illusion affected our society allowing for an entire generation of peopleJapanese Americans to be treated as less than American citizens. As we can see these illusions have real effectsthey alienate us from our brothers and sisters AND they allow for fear and resentment to grow instead of love and respect. They teach us to build walls to build glass houses to keep ourselves safe to keep others out. And perhaps most damaging to ourselves they put us in our place affecting what we think we deserve and who we think we are. How do we even begin to see our way out of this mess? In our Gospel today, we hear this rich, complicated story of the prodigal son. A man has two sons. One consistently does the right thing. The other, takes his inheritance and runs spending it on things that are temporal even shameful. And finally, when the second son has nothing left when he feels and others would agree that he is worthless -- because he squandered his inheritance. Because he showed no honor to his family. He finds the courage to go home. Father, I have sinned before heaven and against you I am no longer worthy to be called your son. The belief that he does not deserve forgiveness or that his father would not love him are illusions. And they kept him separate from his father, from his family, for too long. His father shatters his illusion.

His father does not even give a moments notice to his sense of unworthiness before he breaks it open. He puts a ring on his finger, sandals on his feet and to begin the celebration for what was dead is alive and what was lost is found. There is nothing he could do absolutely nothing that he could do for which this loving father would not forgive him. Jesus tells this story because the Pharisees are accusing him of hanging out with an unsavory crowd. A crowd that is marginalized and oppressed a crowd that might have some shared experiences with the Japanese-American women we read about. Not all the parallels are straight and clean theyre not identical situations at all but both groups of people knew what it was like to be invisible. Both were deemed less valuable than others. Both were often seen and not heard a voiceless population paid little attention. And yet. Like the prodigal son we escape our illusions when we speak them aloud. We escape from illusions when we name them to other people. We escape from illusion when we pray when we offer them to God, our loving Parent who waits desperately for us to come home. Godthis is where I am. This is what I see. Help me to see what you see. The prodigal son would never have known his illusion to be such if he had not found the courage to go home and the grace to speak up. His father would never have had the chance to correct him to show him love and mercy. We, too, escape from illusion when we go home when we come to church, when we share in the work of the Gospel and when we pray. And like the father in this story, God shatters our illusions of unworthiness in Jesus Christ promising us that there is nothing we can ever do to prove ourselves unworthy of Gods love. There is nothing we can ever do to receive anything but this welcome from God when we come home.

No matter how many times we come home with new stories, new illusions new lies that the world has told us even when, like the prodigal son we have made mistakes of our own accord -It is in our coming home our praying our seeking after God that we find this radical welcome a celebration for what was dead is made alive again and what was lost is found in the love of Jesus Christ. From now on we regard no one from a human point of view. If anyone is in Christ there is a new creation. One that is always sacred. Always valuable. Always beloved. We must learn to see past our fears past our illusions we must ask God to shatter them for us so that we no longer see anyone from a human point of view from behind the false safety of our glass illusions. So that we see the divine that lives and breathes and shines in all of us that calls us to respect the dignity of every human being no matter where they come from, what kind of job they do, how they talk, what they look like, or who they love. The world has taught us many ways to look through each other. Woven many illusions into the lives we live that keep us from God and each other. So, like the prodigal son, we have to go home and speak these things out loud. We have to pray. Together. And alone with God. Because Jesus Christ came to shatter your illusions. Jesus Christ came to teach us how to be together and how to be with God. There is no room for illusion. Jesus Christ came to shatter the illusion that you are self-dependent. To shatter the illusion that you are not connected to everyone else. To shatter the illusion that you do not deserve something. To shatter the illusion that there is no forgiveness for your mistakes. To shatter the illusion that you are alone. Whatever they are your dearly beloved illusions that allow you to build walls and shut people outthat allow you to feel youve protected yourself from other people AND from God. And Jesus Christ came to shatter your illusions. To show you the truth.

Because we know that in Christ there is no Jew nor Greek no slave nor free no male or female but One Body. And the Body of Christ is not complete without everyone. We are meant to be together to have meaningful relationships. And so we know that any story, any prejudice, any stereotype any racial profiling, or demonic lie in community that separates us from each other is in fact an illusion and it is our job as Christians to root them out. These illusions separate us from each other and they separate us from God. And the escape from illusion happens when we come home. When we allow Jesus Christ into our lives by coming here by going to God in prayer. When we struggle together for justice. Our illusions are shattered in worship in this space as we ask God to come among us and teach us heal us be with us. We are saved from illusions when we learn together in adult forums. When our children learn about Jesus in Sunday school. When we gather for parish potlucks. In happens whenever we faithfully do the work of the Gospel together. We are better able to identify the illusions woven into the fabric of our lives when we stand together for peace and justice. We are better able to see what separates us when we listen to the stories of others. And we are better able to hear and resist the seductive song of individualism when we are strong enough to admit our dependence on God and each other. Make no mistake --The Escape from Illusion is a prayerful one a faithful oneand it requires both discipline and commitment. It requires time and faithfulness. Ears to listen for God and the willingness to participate in the holy mystery that is the Church. There is no other remedy. There is no other cure in this world for the isolation, lies, and pain that are created and told and inflicted by the illusions this world will offer you.

There is no other balm than this one- the One God who loves you. And who waits like this father to welcome you homeagain and again and again. What distant land are you in? What glass house do you live in? What walls have you built? Where do you feel alone? Unworthy? Who do you not see? Take it home. Pray about it. Ask for help. Ask for God to shatter these illusions. And God will break them into a million pieces. We dont so much escape from illusion as if by some power of our own. But we are rescued from it. Saved from it. Lifted out of it. Loved through it. And forgiven for it by the God who created and redeems and sustains you. The God who waits to put a ring on your finger, sandals on your feet, and celebrate with you. All you need do is make the journey. And when you found youve strayed again youve made a mistake youve found new illusions youve built new walls Know that God waits again to anoint you and welcome you in. Again and again. And forever. Amen.