Category Archives: Advent

Advent2014, Biblical Reflection, Meditation, Prayer

City Life

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Psalm 79; Micah 4:6-13; Revelation 18:1-10

 

Micah 4:6-13:“You shall go to Babylon. There you shall be rescued, there the Lord will redeem you from the hands of your enemies.

Revelation 18:1-10: Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her (Babylon), my people, so that you do not take part in her sins, and so that you do not share in her plagues.”

 

Babylon was a beautiful city, but its many charms were lost on the Jewish exiles brought there in 586b.c. They were prisoners of war, forced from their home land, and no golden city could ease their sorrow. But it is from this city of famous hanging gardens that the Lord will redeem them. It is here, surrounded by architectural wonder and living among cultured captors, that God will come for them.

In a vision of the end of all things, a voice from heaven calls the faithful out of the new Babylon – Rome. Redemption can’t be found in the city, all that’s there is a quagmire of human greed, abuse, and power.

How can anyone hear God’s voice when the pulse of the city changes the very beating of the human heart? It’s too easy to ignore God’s call because life in the fast-paced city is so very captivating. And that’s the point: it’s captures the human heart so completely that it is easy to forget who created all things. Everything centers on city life, not on God – it’s worshipping the cosmopolitan lifestyle rather than God. The old-fashioned word for that? Idolatry.

So what are we to make of it all? Is the city where God comes for us, or is it temptation incarnate? It depends on where our souls reside. Are we at home only with God, or do we belong to the city wholeheartedly? Jesus wasn’t born in a palace, and he didn’t live an uptown life. He wept for Jerusalem not because it was evil, but because so many sold their souls to its life. God’s presence is in every human dwelling, so enjoy the beauty and variety Babylon offers. Just don’t mistake it for your permanent home or your heart’s desire.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come.

Offered on December 2, 2014

 

Advent2014, Biblical Reflection, Meditation, Prayer, Theology

Learning War and Peace

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Psalm 79; Micah 4:1-5; Revelation 15:1-8

In the days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised up above the hills. People shall stream to it, and many nations shall come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths…”

He shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more…

War has always been with us, and there isn’t any sign that it’s in danger of extinction. Some say that’s just the way it is. In a world with limited resources, clashing cultures, and breathtaking technology for creating such efficient killing machines, how could it be otherwise? It’s not a good reality, but it is a constant reality, dependable through time and geography.

Micah reminds us that war isn’t natural the way floods or earthquakes are: War is taught and war is learned. It’s a creation of language and fear, weapons and greed. It doesn’t exist, can’t exist, unless our human community accepts it, teaches it, and learns it by heart.

With a change of heart, a refusal play our parts in the strike first/strike back cycle of violence, war can be unlearned. This unlearning is painful and costly. People who teach peace on the global stage usually fall in a hail of bullets. How can anyone find the strength and courage to teach peace and unlearn war? I can’t say what the particulars might be in any given time or place, but I know this: it won’t happen until we enter the house of the Lord. Not just one person, one community, one country, one religion. When I come before the door, I hope I have the presence of mind, the strength of character, and the common courtesy to hold the door for those who come behind me.

Prince of Peace, enter my heart. Come, Lord Jesus, Come.

Offered on December 1, Advent 2014

Advent2014, Biblical Reflection, Meditation, Prayer, Theology

Potter/Clay

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Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; I Cor. 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-32

Yet, O Lord, you are our father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8

Pottery clay is stiff and unyielding. To form a pot, you must work the clay, kneading in the natural oils, strength and wisdom of your hands. Without these, a lump of clay dries out and crumbles. It takes a lot of work, time, skill and care to turn a lump of clay into anything useful or beautiful.

God and us, a potter and clay. Who knows what shape we will take?Rest assured, it’s the shape we were meant to have. Rest assured, it will be more than useful and beautiful: it will be holy.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come.

Offered on November 30, 2014