.
. .for repentance. Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la.
It
is not the message we typically expect at this time of year. In fact, the
cultural message is quite the opposite. ‘Tis the season for excess
everything. ‘Tis the season for self-centeredness. ‘Tis the season
for indulgence. Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la.
And
yet the Advent message is something quite different. “In those days John
the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ‘Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven has come near.’” (Mt. 3:1-2) ‘Tis the season for repentance;
now, while the kingdom of heaven is so near.
We
prepare to celebrate some of the best news ever announced. Things are on
the verge of dramatic change. Isaiah puts it this way.
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a
branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the LORD shall rest on
him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. His delight shall be in
the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by
what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide
with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod
of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the
calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead
them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down
together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child
shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on
the adder's den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the
sea. (Isa. 11:1-4,6—9)
God
offers peace, justice, and reconciliation. All we have to do to
participate is give up the other things. I guess it comes down at the end
of the day to which we’d rather have. The kingdom has drawn near.
Nothing stands between us and it but repentance.
+Stacy
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