This reading from Luke’s
Gospel today is frontloaded with names of the ancient world’s rulers and
powers. For those first disciples listening
to Luke’s version of the Good News of Jesus, they are being reminded just who
is in charge. Who has the power. To whom they are to obey: “Emperor Tiberius,
Pontius Pilate Governor of Judea, Herod ruler of Galilee, Philip ruler of
Ituraea and Trachonitis, Annas and Caiaphas, high priests of the temple.”
And then, in comes John the
Baptist. In comes John---marching right
through the thicket of all these names of worldly powers and rulers---and John
proclaims: I say someone else is in charge.
I proclaim that there is a greater power, another way, something else to
whom we obey and listen, another One who is coming, for whom we are to prepare. Make way, John professes, make way and
prepare. Our redemption is near.
Our redemption is near; it is
time to prepare. Prepare for the
coming. The coming of Jesus; this is
what this season of Advent is all about.
Oh, I know we see preparations all around us: decorations going up,
Christmas carols on the radio and over the muzak. We get excited, and rightfully so, about
casting beauty upon our buildings, our homes, and in our neighborhoods. We attend parties and gatherings. We buy gifts and wrap them. We plan beautiful music and worship for
Christmas celebrations. This is all
good, all right, all proper.
But, I do not think this is
the preparation to which John the Baptist points us. These “pre-Christmas” activities may be fun,
important, and enjoyable, but they are not preparing the way. What God really desires is for God’s
disciples to prepare the way within themselves.
To prepare our hearts and make room in which the Christ can dwell. Jesus is coming. Coming to our hearts, our minds, our
Spirits. Will there be room? room at this inn within us?
Will we have done the hard
work of reconciliation and forgiveness---sweeping out the cobwebs of
irritation, animosity, and fear? Will we
have carved out those nasty, dark spots of our hearts where we have held onto
our anger and woundedness instead of forgiving someone? Will we have focused on the life and way of
Jesus in such a way that our hearts are softened, our behavior transformed, and
our surrender to God’s will is strengthened?
Jesus is coming. Will there be room? Room in our daily lives for prayer and
reflection? Room to hear, read, and
discuss the Gospel with other disciples?
Time to give thanks to God? Space
in our calendars to greet our brothers and sisters just as they are, loving
them simply because we belong to one another?
Jesus is coming. It is our actions and our choices that make the
paths straights. It is our words, our
systems and our policies that fill the valleys and make the mountains low. God desires the playing field to be leveled,
so that all of humanity equally might know the abundance, the grace, the
compassion and the love of God.
Yes, John the Baptist is
pointing us to the way of Jesus that demands we work on our social structures,
systems and political ways of being to make sure that the playing field is
leveled because all people are equally worthy of having enough---enough food,
enough clean water, enough shelter. But
John specifically points us to an inner conversion---an inner metanoia---the
conversion of our hearts, minds, and spirits through forgiveness,
repentance. Turning away from
self-preservation and retaliation and turning toward the Good News of living
and seeking the common good. The Good
news of reconciliation---letting go of our practices of avoiding those who hurt
us or anger us or discomfort us and embracing the Truth of Jesus---that there
is no us and them, only us. We are all
bound to one another in our imago dei---the breath and image of God blown into
us at our Creation.
As a church, we are in a time
of discernment. We are seeking God’s way
forward for us as we desire to flourish in living out Jesus’ redeeming work, as
we desire to be a community of disciples who build up other disciples. Some may say this is a time of crisis---not
simply here at Intercession---but throughout Christianity and in all
denominations. But I believe that every
critical point is really an opportunity.
An opportunity to choose, to choose the life-giving way of Jesus so we
and those we meet, those we find, those we seek, might know and experience the
love and grace of Jesus.
It is day 340 in the year
2015; there have been 355 mass shootings in the United States since January 1st. Now is the time. All around us, people desire
refuge. People ache for peace. People are seeking wholeness. Many are searching for God, the divine, the
holy. Humanity longs for a new way. Like the John the Baptist, let us march
through the thicket of the world powers, and proclaim something new. Let us
process through the smoke of warfare, gun violence, terrorism, economic
distress, poverty, disease, and bloodshed, and let us declare something
different, let us assert we know another way, another rpower, another King. Let us---in our lives and from our
lips-----proclaim Jesus.
Jesus is coming. We are to
let go of what is not of God in order to embrace more and more of Jesus. Let go of hearts of stone and receive the
hearts of flesh God gives to us---Christ dwelling within us—By this we are
empowered and equipped to live as God’s people who are agents of God’s Kingdom.
If we as a community speak
the authentic Word of Christ, if we live this authentic Word—putting into
practice compassion, forgiveness and mercy---turning our schedules over to
God---making room and space in our individual and communal lives---taking this
authentic Word and these Jesus practices out into the world, then People will
join us. People will join us because this
is what we all long to hear and know: God’s authentic Word of Love. We are all hungry to see it lived out in
flesh, in community---We wish to be in the presence of the HOLY.
It’s true that sometimes we
can find this peace and this presence in buildings and spaces. But any building is temporary. No temple made of stone or wood will
last. It’s not meant to. God’s plan for a permanent living space never
included buildings. That is, and always
has been, our plan, not God’s.
From the beginning, and in
the Coming of Christ, what we are promised, what is foretold, is that God will
dwell with us, within humanity. We are
God’s temple. The prophet Malachi
reminds us today: the Lord is coming to the Lord’s temple. We are called to so much more than simply
preparing our buildings, our homes, our neighborhoods for the birth of Christ. As
disciples, as the Beloved, we are to get ready. Prepare. Make Room. In our hearts, our minds, our
spirits. God, who has begun a good work in you, in us, God will bring this good
work to completion. Will God get what
God wants? Our hearts. Our minds.
Our whole selves. Jesus is
coming, beloved. Will there be room?
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