Isaiah 65:1-9; Psalm 22:18-27; Galatians 3:13-29; Luke 8:26-39
The Rev. Drew Brislin
A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to serve on staff at Sawyerville. For those who may not be familiar with this ministry of our diocese, it is a day camp that the Diocese of Alabama has hosted in Hale County for more than 25 years. It began in the small rural community of Sawyerville and, as it grew, was moved to Greensboro, where the Hale County School system now allows the diocese to use the local elementary school to host the camp.
If you’re unfamiliar with this part of the state, it is located in west-central Alabama, just south of Tuscaloosa. Hale County is one of the most economically deprived counties in the state, so you can imagine that resources are limited. In addition to the day camp, the diocese also runs the Sawyerville Summer Learning Program, which works with rising first through sixth graders to help close learning gaps in reading and math.
The day camp offers a wide range of programming: science projects, arts and crafts, journaling, sports, and other activities. Typically, there is also pool time. Part of the day has traditionally included loading the children onto school buses and driving to Marion Military Institute to swim in their aquatic center. This year was a bit different—due to renovations at the aquatic center in Marion, pool time was significantly reduced. To make up for it, the camp hosted a “Water Day” featuring inflatable water slides and a slip-and-slide. It was a muddy mess, but the kids and the counselors seemed to have a great time.
Along with breakfast, lunch, and a snack being served, what always impresses me is how the youth staff (ages 16 through college) work so hard to pour love into these campers. The day begins with greeting and high-fiving kids coming off buses or going to greet them as their parents drop them off for the day. Each kid is escorted to his or her camp’s gathering site and attention is immediately paid to them. It’s also impressive that this program is part of our diocese’s work on racial reconciliation. The staff is made up not only of young people from around our diocese but also local teens from Hale County. The work is truly collaborative, and the counselors quickly grow bonds with each other. Watching these young people come together with a shared sense of purpose is inspiring, to say the least. Not only are connections made between staff, but the connections made between the campers and the staff are real and meaningful. A testimony to these relationships is the fact that many of these campers will return one day to serve on staff themselves.
Witnessing the youth of our diocese and the local youth working side by side, lifting one another up, and showing these children what love looks like was a profoundly uplifting experience. It is this spirit that has led to the camp’s motto: “It’s all for the kids!” These staffers are doing the essential work of reminding the campers that they are, above all, beloved children of God—just as Jesus reminded the possessed man in our Gospel reading this morning.
Anne Kimzey and I were talking Friday after Morning Prayer, and I told her what our Gospel reading was this week. She reminded me that this was our first encounter with “deviled ham.” While the canned sandwich spread seems to have a much longer shelf life than the swine in our Gospel reading, both leave us feeling a bit empty this morning. Stories of exorcism can sometimes leave us puzzled. We wonder what to do with them. Maybe it’s because of the movies—images of someone levitating above a bed while a priest prays. It all seems far-fetched.
This might lead us to associate exorcism with mental health, which I believe is problematic. Mental illness is simply a health issue, and to frame it as spiritual can diminish a person’s dignity. But demons are real. In fact, we have a book in the church called The Book of Occasional Services, which contains a section titled “Exorcisms.” It simply says that if you believe one is needed, contact your bishop. I have no idea what happens after that!
More often than not, I believe demons are those things that interfere with our relationships—with God, with family, and with friends. They tap into the addictive tendencies we all have and try to sever the connections we all need to flourish. The man in the Gospel has been cast out of society, living among tombs, which are considered ritually impure. When Jesus asks for his name, he replies, “Legion,” indicating that he is possessed by many demons. Jesus goes to work restoring the man’s identity by casting them out. He not only restores the man’s name but also his birthright as a beloved child of God.
Accepting healing and salvation through Jesus might sound simple, especially from a faith perspective, but how often do we resist it? Human instinct often drives us in the opposite direction. We cling to the familiar, even if it hurts us. I’ve been asked before what the opposite of faith is, and the best answer I’ve come up with is certainty. To walk in faith is to risk what we know for the chance to grow in love and grace.
Every time I’ve had the chance to serve at Sawyerville, I’ve watched youth staffers take this walk of faith. Many of them have no idea what challenges the week will bring, but they know they will experience what it means to serve and love unconditionally. They may not know much about the campers’ about their home lives or the challenges they may or may not face, but they know they get to create a space where children are loved, where they can play and learn.
For three weeks in June, these youth and campers show us what the Kingdom of God looks like. They give us a glimpse of heaven on earth. For those three weeks, we witness what it means to have our identity restored—as beloved children of God, made in His image and created to be in relationship with Him.
Amen.