This is the first week of the season of Advent in the liturgical calendar. During this first week of Advent we light the Candle of Hope and reflect on the hope we have in Christ who came on Christmas and is coming again. The scripture readings for this week are:
These readings given for us this week continually show us of how we can place our hope in the ways of God, in a way nothing else can fill. The season of Advent reminds us, if it was already clear, that we often live in a dark world. A world in waiting, a world seeking something. Romans 13:12 teaches us that we are not called to stay or to live into this darkness around us, but as followers of the Light of the World, we are called to BE the light. “The night is nearly over, and the day is near; so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” (Rom. 13:12)
How can we discard the deeds of darkness when that seems to be what we see all around us all of the time? In the book of Isaiah (one of my favorite books in the Bible) God speaks through the poet and prophet by showing us that to overcome the darkness and sinfulness around us, we must learn from God, we must walk in God’s paths. “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us about his ways so that we may walk in his paths.” (Is. 2:3) A lot of people have opinions about what God’s path is, but I think Isaiah spells it out quite clearly here in this chapter. “They will beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not take up the sword against nation and they will never again train for war.” (Is. 2:4). God’s path is not one of violence, destruction, of brokenness. If the path we are walking on is creating that, then maybe it is not the path of the Lord. God takes what brings death and remolds them into gardening tools. Tools to bring life, to grow creation. Our God is a God of the Garden, the God of Creation, the God of Hope, the God of Life- not destruction.
As we are in this season of waiting, I keep asking myself: what in my life do I need to lay down before God? What is bringing brokenness and destruction to my life, to my family? Am I willing to let God reshape those things to bring life and goodness? I think of myself in this phase of mothering a young child. I am in a season of waiting in multiple ways. What am I struggling with in motherhood, in my parenting? Am I dealing with impatience, rage, shame, trauma, sleep deprivation creating chaos, struggles in marriage, or people pleasing to the point of fear? During Advent will I allow myself this time of waiting to be filled with sitting in our world’s darkness that only perpetuates these things, or will it be a time for God’s love to be forming me? Will I be willing to take the journey to God’s mountain, to let God’s hope be where I reside, instead of the fear and brokenness of this world? Will I boldly pursue God’s hope in what many believe to be a hopeless world?
Saint Augustine in his sermon on Isaiah chapter 2 preached these words, “Approach the mountain, climb up the mountain, and you that climb it, don’t go down it. There you will be safe, there you will be protected; Christ is your mountain of refuge.” (Sermon 62A.3).
That is our Advent hope. God is our refuge, a refuge that creates and shapes the world in light. God is a refuge of hope, a refuge we can rest in this Advent. God is a refuge we can trust to form us by God’s love into a new creation.
Charles Wesley wrote many wonderful hymns during his lifetime but the lyrics in his song, “Jesus, my Strength, My Hope” are so fitting for this week: “Jesus, my strength, my hope, On Thee I cast my care, With humble confidence look up, And know Thou hear’st my prayer. Give me on Thee to wait Till I can all things do; On Thee, almighty to create, Almighty to renew.”
Praying you have a blessed week filled with God’s Hope!
-Maddie