Stanford Memorial Church
June 27, 2010
If Not Now . . .
C. George Fitzgerald, S.T.D.
I suspect the phrase, “If Not Now” is readily recognizable. Further, if I asked,
“what word comes next,” most of you would not hesitate to reply, “When.” The
expression, “If not now, when?” readily came to mind as I thought about our scripture
lessons designated for today. Initially, I associated the familiar expression with the
demonstrations of the 1960s, especially in relation to withdrawing from the quagmire of
Viet Nam, or perhaps from a speech by Martin Luther King, “In not now, when?” Many
have associated the expression with Robert Kennedy, who is alleged to have said, “If not
us, who? If not now, when?” But no one has yet been able to locate it in any of RFK’s
speeches or writings.
In point of fact, “If not now, when?” has a long and honorable lineage. The
original version is attributed to Rabbi Hillel who is believed to have lived just a few years
before Jesus. The full text is one of the most remarkable, thoughtful and concise
expressions that I have ever read, something that would cause any reasonable person to
pause and reflect. In it entirety it reads: “If I am not for myself, then who will be for
me? If I am only for myself, then what am I? And, if not now, when?” Most colleges
and universities have a Jewish center usually referred to as Hillel House. And when you
think abut the attribution to Rabbi Hillel what text could possibly be more profound and
useful for reflection and contemplation? “If I am not for myself, then who will be for
me? If I am only for myself, then what am I? and, if not now, when?”
The If not now, when? question permeates both of the scripture lessons for today.
The Old Testament lesson describes a poignant scene between the aging, renown prophet
Elijah and his disciple, Elisha. For years Elijah had been a powerful prophetic voice in
Israel as he stood up to corrupt kings and warlords. Now he senses the end is near. He
will be dying and, hopefully, he prophetic work will be carried on by his protégé, Elisha.
But how can he be sure? Perhaps this is the question that lies behind their puzzling
interaction described in the scripture lesson. The story begins with the two prophets on
their way to Gilgal. After they arrive, Elijah instructs Elisha to remain in the city, as the
Lord is sending him to Bethel. But Elisha responds that he is going to accompany Elijah
to Bethel. The same thing happens again when they reach Bethel. Elijah asks Elisha to
remain there while he proceeds to the Jordon. Elisha protests and again declares , “I will
not leave you.” On the surface, the interaction does not make much sense. But when we
think of it as Elijah putting Elisha to the test, in effect he is seeking to determine if
Elisha’s actions will match his words. Has he gotten the message? Will he be faithful to
the prophetic call? If not now, when? At the Jordon, Elijah rolls up his mantle on his
staff, strikes the river, the waters part, and they cross on dry land. He then asks Elisha if
he can do anything for him, and Elisha responds he would like a double portion of his
spirit. In other words, he wants to be as fully committed to his prophetic calling as
Elijah, and Elijah wisely responds, “Well that is something only God can determine.” In
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other words, when we make a decisive commitment, when we say If Not Now, When?, we
entrusting the outcome into God’s hands. The story concludes with a spectacular vision
of Elijah’s death, and Elisha now strikes the Jordon, the waters part, and a company of
prophets observe the interaction from the shore. Again, when we say, If Not Now,
When?, the ultimate vindication comes from God, and that is often conveyed by a
supportive community.
When we turn to the New Testament lesson it is obvious there are some parallels
between this story of Jesus and his disciples and the narrative of Elijah and Elisha. The
primary difference is one of chronology. Whereas Elijah knew that the end was
imminent for him, the ministry of Jesus with his disciples was reaching a decisive turning
point. In terms of his overall ministry it might be described as a watershed moment. He
and his disciples were on his way to Jerusalem, the spiritual focal point of the land, with a
high sense of anticipation—yet tinged with a degree of apprehension. As they passed a
Samaritan village the disciples asked them to welcome Jeus, but they ignored him as
Jesus was determined to make way directly to Jerusalem. The disciples were incensed
and offended by the dismissal and suggested to Jesus that he “command fire to come
down from heaven and consume them” (Luke 9.54). But Jesus never had much of an
interest in such things as destruction and punishment. The focus of his ministry was
much more on healing, caring, comforting, and restoring individuals to wholeness. As
they passed the next village someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go”
(Luke 9.57). This was his if not now, when? moment. He was enthusiastic, filled with
high expectations. But his balloon quickly deflated when Jesus responded, “Foxes have
holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head”
(Luke 9.58). His enthusiasm quickly dissolved and we never hear from him again. His
quick departure reminds us that whenever we face an If not now, when? point of decision
we need to look beneath the surface, to try and anticipate some of the consequences of
our decision. Once Jesus mentioned that the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head, the
enthusiasm quickly fizzled, dreams of success went down the drain. Commitment and
resolve were replaced by excuses and rationalizations. One offered as his excuse the
need to go and bury his father, and some commentators have raised the possibility that his
father had not yet even died. Another opted out by emphasizing all the family
responsibilities he needed to address. In response to the excuses and failure of nerve,
Jesus exclaims, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the
kingdom of God” (Luke 9.62). In other words, if you are at a if not now, when moment
in your life, seriously assess what you are committing yourself to; and once you have
made the decision be prepared to follow through on your commitment. The ramifications
of this decision become evident in the next verses in the gospel of Luke, when Jesus
sends out seventy individuals to share his message to the towns and villages in the area.
If not now, when? is a fundamental, existential call which we all confront, usually
several times in our life. It may have to do with such things as choosing a partner,
pursuing a profession, starting a family, changing a job—and so forth. But it may also
transpire in a highly significant historical context and affect the lives of countless
individuals. Next weekend, for example, we will be planning our picnics, waving our
flags, watching parades and fireworks—and all the other things associated with
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celebrating July 4th, essentially calling to mind when 56 brave souls said to themselves, in
one way or another, If Not Now, When? Over the years a popular, but apocryphal myth
has been prpetuated that everyone who signed the Declaration of Independence lost
everything, families were destroyed and many were killed. In point of fact, as Denise
Kierman and Joseph D’Agnese point out, in their recent book, Signing Their Lives Away,
many did go into hiding, several had their homes destroyed, and some were imprisoned;
but not one person who signed the Declaration was killed by the British. The great
majority of them went on to distinguished careers as legislators, governors, judges and
even presidents, and almost everyone recovered financially, But for everyone of them, at
the time of the signing, they had no illusions. At this If not now, when? moment, they
knew they were putting their lives on the line. Many of the individuals—John Adams,
Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin—are quite familiar to us. My
favorite is John Witherspoon, a Presbyterian and only minister to sign the document, and
the first president of Princeton University. But some of the others deserve to be heard as
well. For example, Stephen Hawkins of Rhode Island, and the second oldest person to
sign the document, indulged in a bit of gallows humor when he declared at the moment of
signing, “My hand trembles, but my heart does not” (p. 52). Abraham Clark, of New
Jersey, soon after signing the document wrote to a friend, “As to my title, I know not yet
whether it will be honorable or dishonorable: the issue of the war must settle it. Perhaps
our Congress will be exalted on a high gallows . . . I assure you, Sir, I see, I feel, the
danger we are in” (p. 83). He lost two sons, and possibly a third, in the war. Finally, the
well-known physician, Benjamin Rush of Pennsylvania, later wrote to his friend, John
Adams, “Do you recollect the pensive and awful silence which pervaded the house when
we were called up one after another, to the table of the President of the Congress to
subscribe what was believed by many at that time to be our own death warrants” (p.
128)? For each of them, If not now, when?
Or let us scroll down, almost to centuries, to June 18, 1940. The Nazis had
conquered France and were well poised to invade England. In this environment of almost
total despair, Winston Churchill uttered his famous speech, “Let us therefore brace
ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British empire and its
commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, “This was their finest hour.’”
It was indeed their finest hour, as the nation renewed its resolve to vanquish the German
armies that had overrun most of Europe. If not now, when?
Sometimes the question arises in the most unique and unexpected
circumstances—such as April 20th when a cascade of gas explosions crippled the
Deepwater Horizon oil rig. At the time the captain was hosting two BP executives on
board for a ceremony honoring the rig for seven years without a serious accident—a bit
of irony thee. As the fires and explosions surged out of control, the command process
appeared to totally disintegrate. Andrea Fleytas, one of 3 women in the 126 member
crew and a navigational expert, noticed that no one had issued a distress signal. It was an
If not now, when moment for her as she grabbed the radio and announced on the Caost
Guard channel, “Mayday, mayday. This is Deepwater Horizon. We have an
uncontrollable fire.” She was reprimanded by the captain for making an unauthorized
call. As the situation continued to deteriorate, she noticed the lifeboats being launched
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and people jumping overboard. When the captain failed to make an announcement,
Andrea had another If not now, when she turned on the public-address system and said
“We are abandoning the rig.” Finally, as the lifeboats were pulling away, she jumped
overboard and swam to a rescue ship. Three If not now, when moments in a row.
We all have our fair share of If not now, when moments, and they range from the
almost trivial to the quite momentous and challenging. Undoubtedly, one of the greatest
gifts we receive from God is the ability to have our lives transformed, as well as those
about us, as we confront, reflect on, and respond to the fundamental question, If not
know, when? Oftentimes social support—such as Elisha had with his fellow profits and
Jesus with his disciples—can be invaluable. But our ultimate support, as Jesus
exemplified, in found in God our creator and redeemer. So we may often find ourselves
putting our hand to the plow, as Jesus encouraging us, and realizing that God’s hand is on
the plow as well. If not now, when? Amen.
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