On the Last Day of Advent

So we have arrived at the end of Advent.  The preparations are to be completed and now we are about to experience the “main event.”  The last day of Advent is usually overshadowed by being called Christmas Eve, even though it is not evening yet, and some of the readings of today are sometimes overshadowed. But I believe to neglect them would miss some last preparations for our celebrations tonight.

In Baruch we are given a magnanimous invitation: 

“Look towards the east, O Jerusalem, and see the joy that is coming to you from God…take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem, and put on the beauty of the glory from God.  Put on the robe of righteousness that comes from God; put on your head the diadem of the glory of the Everlasting…For God will lead Israel with joy, in the light of his glory, with mercy and righteousness that come from him.  (Baruch 4:36-5:9)”   This is quite a different tone from the other books we have been reading during Advent. 

In the Gospel of Luke we actually hear of another birth taking place, not of our Lord.  We hear the “Song of Zechariah” as his son John is born:

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.  He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from old, that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.  Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, that we being rescued form the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

And you, child (John), will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins.  By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet in to the way of peace. (Luke 1:68-79)”

And if again we skip just slightly ahead to tonight’s Daily Office reading, not the lectionary, we get Isaiah:

“Truth is lacking, and whoever turns from evil is despoiled.  The Lord saw it, and it displeased him there was no justice.  He saw that there was no one, and was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm brought him victory, and his righteousness upheld him…And he will come to Zion as Redeemer, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression, says the Lord. 

And as for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord: my spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouths of your children, or out of the mouths of your children’s children, says the Lord, from now on and forever. (Isaiah 59: 15-21).

We are upon the Christmas Season and there will be plenty of sermons about the poverty of the Holy Family, and how that relates to social justice today.  Obviously, this is a good message, but for those who have been on the Advent journey: we have been there.  There will be talk on how we need to value every human life; that human dignity should be revered, and we should see in every child our Lord who was in that state.  Obviously this is a good message, but for those of us who have been on the Advent journey: we have been there.  Maybe it will be on God cares for the world and for human affairs...again...we have been there.  We have covered in great deal the call of the prophets and Jesus, and our need to repent.  So where do we go from here?

When I look at these readings what I get is something to the effect of: “Behold! The Lord our God is acting!  God is moving!  God is keeping God’s promises and is initiating our redemption.”  On the Last Day of Advent, the message is turning from “Repent!” to “Behold!”  We see God is moving in history.  That the climactic event of The Resurrection, which was caused by Jesus’ execution, which was caused by his teachings and life, which was initiated by John the Baptist’s Ministry, which was initiated by his birth in Gospel in Luke, which has its ties back through salvation history to the Covenant with Abraham…this all is initiated by God.  We see God has moved this story along; and in faith, we know God is moving!

“He saw that there was no one, and was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm brought him victory, and his righteousness upheld him.”

Tonight and tomorrow as many of celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, I think it is important to remember not so much the poor and marginalized for tonight (can you believe I am saying this?); but remember that we worship a God who is good; who initiates; who acts despite us; who acts as “prime mover” in the universe, the world and our lives.  The poor you will always have with you, but on this night, with the poor, with the marginalized, with our friends, with our family, with all humanity let us “Behold!”  God is about to act; with Advent-eyes are we ready for it?