About 14, 15, 16 months ago, thousands and thousands of people in our country joined in a mighty chant of, "Yes, we can." Now, I know that history will judge whether Barack Obama becomes a good president or not, but that chant of "Yes, we can" did inspire multitudes of people. And, indeed, it has distinguished great leaders all down through history.

As Christians, we, of course, place Jesus in that category of great leader. But long before His time there were women and men who made a huge difference, not only to their contemporaries, but indeed to all who followed them. They really, truly affected the course of history. Women and men who were not Christian, who never heard the Gospel, but who heard God's word in their heart. And this word of God that later became incarnate in Jesus Christ gave them a vision of a world that would be at peace, a world that's reconciled to God and where people are reconciled to one another, a world of justice, truth, peace. And that would make a lasting impact on society.

To take religious leaders alone, you open your Bible, and one of the great figures that immediately stands out is Abraham, a non-Christian, a Jew. And he heard this word of God speak to him in his heart to leave his own country, go out to a totally foreign land, a strange country, and there establish his clan, his tribe who would worship one God. Amid all the pagan countries around worshiping many, many gods, this would be that small group who would worship one God.

And of course the effect of that has lasted to the present day. He made a huge difference in his own time and ever since. He was followed by outstanding people like Moses, seeking a better land and again upholding the teaching of one God; and people like Miriam, David, Solomon, Esther, Deborah, all convinced of that one God and giving evidence of that in their own lives, convincing people of it, making that impact, that difference in the world. You could imagine them all echoing that chant "Yes, we can," we can make a difference.

Thousands of miles away from them -- thousands of miles -- in India, a young prince was born, called Siddhartha Gautama, later to be known as the Buddha. He was born in great wealth and opulence and an easy, comfortable lifestyle. But there was something gnawing at his heart. He wasn't satisfied. There was something that he needed, that was empty in his heart. And so he went out to find it through meditation, prayer, self-sacrifice, penance, and then he came to that enlightenment. And so since then he is called the Buddha, which means The Enlightened One. Millions of people have followed in his footsteps all down through the centuries, following that teaching of reverence for every form of life. Every form of life.

That was brought home to me very strikingly a few months ago. One of my doctors is a Buddhist from Sri Lanka. And he told me that he was really conflicted in spirit by the fact that there was a civil war in his land. The Tamil people were fighting his Sinhalese people. He was Sinhalese himself. And he was really conflicted and tortured by that because he felt that his government was right in trying to suppress the Tamil Tigers; but on the other hand, as a Buddhist, he couldn't agree with his government killing people. And it was just tearing him apart. The impact of that man that lived thousands of years ago, the Buddha, influencing the present day, had an impact.

My own favorite non-Christian of modern times who made a difference is Ghandi-ji. And that little suffix ji is an honorific saying an honorable person. Ghandi-ji. He's perhaps judged by many, many people to have been a political leader because of his involvement in winning independence for India from the British Empire. I believe he is better seen as a spiritual figure. And, indeed, that is why he's called Maha Atma Gandhi. Maha Atma is two words, Maha Atma, which means a great spirit, a great soul. And he was known for his own personal holiness and, of course, for the doctrine of nonviolence. What an impact that man has made on our world. What a difference he has made; thousands and thousands and thousands of people since then walking in his footsteps of nonviolence.

Then of course in last Sunday's readings and in today's Gospel, we meet that other towering figure, a non-Christian, a Jew, John the Baptist. What a difference he made, going out preaching and telling people that they needed to change their lives, that they needed to live in truth, and honesty and justice, and telling people the Messiah is a coming, it's near, it's about to happen. Huge difference he made in his own lifetime. And of course ever since we know him as St. John the Baptist.

All of these great figures from the past, all of them non-Christian, had one thing in common. They all had a dream of a better world, a world where God's values would prevail, a world of truth and justice and peace. They believed that they could make a difference and that those who followed in their path, in their way could also make a difference.

But they also believed that if people were to make a difference they would have to change their lives. They would have to recommit themselves to the values of their god. And they understood that simply chanting "Yes, we can" does not bring change in people's lives; that action -- action! -- is needed. Hearing the word of God, hearing the Gospel does not by itself or in itself make a difference. We have to act on that word. We have to try to live out the Gospel message, the good news, in our daily lives.

So before we can make a difference in the world, we may have to make a difference in our own lives. We may have to change something. And, you know, the truth about ourselves is not easy to accept. We can become disheartened when we see so much about ourselves that needs to be changed. And when we see what change will cost us, not in dollars, but in effort, we may feel that it is simply too much, that we're too set in our ways, that our addictions are too strong or too pleasurable for us to change.

St. Augustine had somewhat the same feelings. One day he was speaking to God and he said to God, You showed me that what You said was true and I was convinced by that truth, but my answer was those dreary words: Soon. Soon. Presently. Presently. Or, leave me alone for a little while. But my present became no present and my little while became a long time. It took him a long time to change his life. It does not come easily.

However, in the first reading today from the prophet Zephaniah we hear the wonderful words: Fear not. Fear not. Do not be discouraged. The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty Savior. St. Paul echoes that same sentiment in his letter to the Philippians when he says, Rejoice in the Lord always. Have no anxiety at all. The peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord. Yes, we can do all things in Christ Jesus.

And during this season of Advent I think we're called to have a renewed faith that God took flesh in Jesus Christ and in so doing made a difference; indeed, made the greatest difference that this world has ever seen. And, you know, that difference was brought about by a non-Christian, a Jew called Jesus Christ. Don't forget, He was born a Jew, He lived as a Jew, He died as a Jew. His preaching, his effort was to renew Judaism, to reform Judaism, to show a new way of approaching God, honoring God and honoring people. His followers are called Christian, and they are called, we are called to hear His Gospel, to hear His good news, to hear His word, and to go out and make a difference. And, yes, we can. Amen.

(Congregation) Amen.

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