Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25:1-10; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 21:25-36
Year C
The goal of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement was clear — freedom from oppression, segregation, and racism. African Americans had a vision of what this freedom could and should look like and worked toward it.
Before civil rights protestors marched, they gathered in churches to sing hymns and spirituals about the future God desired for them. This clear vision of promise strengthened them to nonviolently endure water hoses, attack dogs, and the beatings of police batons. Of these marches, Martin Luther King Jr. said, “We just went on before the dogs and we would look at them; and we’d go on before the water hoses and we would look at it, and we’d just go on singing ‘Over my head I see freedom in the air.’”
The lectionary texts for the first Sunday of Advent lift our eyes to the horizon, to the promised future for God’s world, each text a tile of a larger, unseen tessellation.
“The days are surely coming” declares Jeremiah, for the fulfillment of God’s promise to redeem and restore the house of Israel and Judah. This promise will manifest through a branch of David’s lineage, someone whose reign will be characterized by “justice and righteousness” leading God’s people to “live in safety.”
Until this manifestation, the author of Psalm 25 says we must wait, trusting in God as teacher and leader in the way of steadfast love and faithfulness. Waiting is difficult, though — the psalmist prays for God’s help in this “in between,” “not yet” time.
Waiting doesn’t mean doing nothing, though. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul celebrates the joy of his relationship with them and encourages them to build upon that love with each other. Paul prays that the church increase its love to prepare for Christ’s coming.
“The kingdom of God is near,” Jesus tells us through Luke 21. Near in time. He’s coming soon! Be on guard! Be alert! But also, near in location. God is among us, within our lives, our hearts, our communities. Pay attention to the signs of God at work among and within us, so we will recognize Christ when he appears on the horizon.
Have you ever participated in a group project or an organization where the goal was unclear? Where efforts were frustrated because people were working at odds with one another, each going in the direction they thought best, each interpreting the group’s goal in light of their own perspective or personal agenda? Lacking a clear focus, a common mission is the way many great efforts and organizations fail.
The goal of Advent is clear — Christ is coming, and we need to prepare ourselves for his disruptive, world-changing arrival. Having a better understanding and a clearer picture of what Christ is bringing, the kind of world he will create among us, will help us in our preparation and strengthen us for the present work.
Questions for reflection
- What thoughts, feelings, ideas or images came to your mind as you read these passages?
- If Christ were to remake our world today, what would it look like?
- Christ calls us to help build our world according to the vision of God’s Kingdom. In what ways do you participate in this building work? What tools do you use? How does your church contribute?
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