December 7, 2014
Second Sunday in Advent
Rev. Amy Welin:
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances . . .
Today is the third Sunday in Advent. In the early church, today was called Gaudete Sunday – (Anglicans call it Rejoicing Sunday because we don’t use a lot of Latin). We are more than half way through the season of Advent, when we remember that God came into the world (advent means to “come into”). This Sunday is set apart for special rejoicing, because we know that the Lord is near. And so we light rose colored candles on Advent wreaths, and some priests put on rose colored vestments, as a visible sign of an invisible reality.
It was not the best year to celebrate any sort of religious holiday. It was a time of economic uncertainty following a time of war. The people were depressed and their cities were in shambles. Religious rituals may have seemed empty, spiritual relics from an earlier age when they were more sure that God was present. But it seemed as if the blessing had been withdrawn, and now they were on their own. And it was terrible.
Although I am speaking of the sixth century BC, the era when the Chosen People were exiled in Babylon following the Assyrian conquest of Judah, the experience of desolation that our lesson from Isaiah addresses evokes our own era, doesn’t it? And we can wonder, as they did, where shall we put our hope now?
Where, indeed.
Where can we place our hope when so many things go wrong? In order to move forward in difficult times, we need to focus on hope. Remember, hope is not the same as optimism. Optimism means that we expect that the future will be good, because of the evidence we can see. Hope means we anticipate that all shall be well, because we trust in the promises of God.
Hope is not the response of the weak or the naïve. Hope is strong and informed. Hope is a little defiant. Hope is tenacious.
The prophet Isaiah proclaims a word of hope to the people of Judah in exile. More often in the prophets, the word from God is a tough-love sort of correction, complete with name calling and threats. The prophets always call the Chosen People back to God, reminding them that God is the only true source of hope and salvation. Today, the prophetic voice is filled with consolation and compassion, promising restoration and nurturance. God declares that their time of separation is over, and that the glory of God is about to be revealed among them.
Over five centuries later (half a thousand years being like half a day to the Lord if we take the words of the epistle to heart), the beginning of the gospel – literally the good news – of Jesus Christ is anchored in the same prophetic tradition, combining Isaiah’s “prepare the way of the Lord” with the prophet Malachi’s image of a messenger going ahead of the Holy One (Mal 3.1) . John the Baptist is that messenger. John’s prophecy was so unique, so innovative, so full of hope for a desperate generation, that it is no wonder that Jesus refers to John as the greatest of the prophets. John pointed the people to a new hope, a hope that God would dwell with them and among them, cleansing them from their sins and transforming them, through the life-giving work of the Holy Spirit, into new creations.
We are not alone in our struggle. We are beloved. When the powers of this world betray and abuse us, God is waiting to redeem our suffering. Through Christ, God offers us the promise of eternal life. That is good news in a world of woe! That is a word of hope that people still need to hear today.
Hope is the work of the church. Hope is what we are about.
I experienced several wonderful hope-filled moments this week. The refugee mother who hugged me after I gave her a coat for her toddler and a donation from a parishioner for diapers. The young man who came for consolation after his brother’s murder in New York, who committed himself to compassion and not revenge. Standing in line at the toy store when the Waterbury cop came in, asking for help picking out a gift for a needy child. I give thanks for these moments. They have helped me to remember that goodness and God are very present in the world, that love will conquer grief and sin. I imagine that each of you could share a reason for thanksgiving for hope-filled moments this week.
At the same time as we offer our own personal thanks, there are other people who give thanks for the ministries of the church. Think of the food. The Christmas gifts. The building projects. There are not many institutions that offer hope to people in the wilderness. And hope is our business.
We are the people who have heard the word of hope. Because of that, we are able to stand in the footsteps of the prophets. The prophets and John proclaimed the coming of God’s Kingdom, a reign based on love and not on power. We have received the same word from God, and it is up to us to share it with the world. How shall we show the world where we put our hope?
My friends, hope is a gift from God, but it is made visible by the work of many. Are we are willing to prepare the way for the Lord by sharing in divine work? Are we willing to participate in the joy of being a blessing and occasion of hope for others?
Advent reminds us that we need to reorganize our lives and re-think what is most important to us. We are going to celebrate the birth of the Messiah. The Christ. The one who took away the sins of the world and the one who has given us eternal life. Life is often difficult and the headlines are usually depressing. And we have every good reason to be hopeful.
Not optimistic. Hopeful.
How shall we show the world where we put our hope?