26 January 2025 #TisI
I am a Sherlock Holmes fan, perhaps borderline fanatic. When I hear his infamous statement, “My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work... I abhor the dull routine of existence,” my heart skips a beat and I know that they two of us would be fast-friends, drawn together by our ability to see what others do not. I enjoy Basil Rathbone’s portrayal, am mesmerized by Robert Downey Jr.’s take, while Benedict Cumberbatch is the epitome of Sherlock-esqueness. And then there’s the fictional “Enola Holmes,” in a league all her own. Enola is a make-believe character, the younger sister of Sherlock, in a Netflix film-series bearing her name. It’s a fan-favorite of mine and I am impatiently waiting for Enola Holmes 3 to be written and released. Director Harry Bradbeer and screenplay author Jack Thorne have a unique film/writing style: Enola Holmes will occasionally ‘break the barrier’ between the stage and the audience by looking directly at the camera. In an oft-repeated line while wearing a disguise, Enola looks you in the eyes and say, “Tis I.” You knew it was her all along, but to hear her confirm it brings a smile to your face. It’s a masterful piece of filmmaking.
In Luke’s Gospel thus far, Zechariah and Elizabeth have begat John, Mary has given her fiat and the world found warmth on a cold lonely night, and Jesus has been found by his parents in the Temple, the Holy Spirit in the Jordan River, and Satan in the wilderness.
His ordinary life has ended and something extraordinary has begun in Galilee and the surrounding countryside. Jesus preaches in the synagogues and is praised by everyone. Finally, he stands before a group of his peers, friends, and relatives, and after reading from the scroll of Isaiah, looks directly at them and says… “Tis I.”
Every single person watching or reading or experiencing God throughout the grand swaths of history - the simple unfolding of a life or the love of a faith community - are now one-with-Christ. We are all one body bound together over space and time with different gifts and charisms; this is the great news of Ezra and Nehemiah and Paul, so do not be sad but rejoice! “Tis I,” says the Lord.
People are always searching for something – or someone - who can bring hope to the poor, freedom to those held captive to Satan, sight to see all things visible and invisible as they really are, and to make sense of years-past-present-and-future. Some look for the remedy to what ails us in work or social media or politics or an addiction, but these are just distraction from the One who really can do all these things. “Tis I,” says the Lord
And then there are those times when we don’t see or feel Jesus’s presence in our lives. But a friend calls, a neighbor shovels the driveway, a check appears, a diagnosis was premature, or dinner appears on a dark and stormy night. Just when we thought to give up, we find the strength to get up and start again. “Tis I,” says the Lord.
But you knew all that, right? “Tis I,” says the Lord indeed.
#TisI