"We have to start over again?"
"Always."
"But I thought we had come so far."
"We did. And we have."
"Then why are we back where we are now?"
"Because each good thing must be done not only once, but over and over again."
Where, and between whom, do you imagine this conversation happening right now? You can pick a country -- almost any country, and realize that some of the lost ground and resurrected demons that are the reason for conversations like this, are truly frightening.
"We have to start over again?"
"Always."
"But I thought we had come so far."
"We did. And we have."
"Then why are we back where we are now?"
"Because each good thing must be done not only once, but over and over again."
This is also the conversation of Advent in Christian churches around the world.
Since last Christmas we have journeyed through a whole liturgical year
- seeing Jesus be born (Christmas) and the light of Christ enter the world (Epiphany),
- confessing that we and the world resist it (Lent) to the point of death (Holy Week and Good Friday),
- celebrating that God's light returns (Easter) and then even becomes part of us as we allow ourselves to be aware of it (Pentecost),
- so we then actively become part of the light, spreading all through the world (Ordinary Time),
- towards Earth coming to show the fullness of the kingdom (Reign of Christ Sunday).
"We have to start over again?"
"Always."
"But I thought we had come so far."
"We did. And we have."
"Then why are we back where we are now?"
"Because each good thing must be done not only once, but over and over again."
This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent -- time again to open ourselves anew to the promise of Christ, the hope of the kingdom, and the continuing transformation and liberation from evil -- stage by steady stage, step by painful step, year by holy year, of ourselves, humanity and all Earth.
On Sunday the choir presents its annual choral worship -- this year around the theme of not losing, but rather re-finding Christ at the heart of Christmas.
And surely this is a good place for us to start.
The world's religious traditions are not just a nice add-on to human life on Earth. At times, misinterpreted and mis-used, they are a big part of the world's woe. But today we especially need the people of all religious traditions to rediscover and reclaim the real central core of their faith, and to begin to live more vigourously and co-operatively than maybe ever before the real and true core of what all religious traditions most truly teach and enable -- a life of love for all that is, of right relations, of peace and well-being for all.
And we are no exception to this call to return to the start. It's what Advent is.
"We have to start over again?"
"Always."
"But I thought we had come so far."
"We did. And we have."
"Then why are we back where we are now?"
"Because each good thing must be done not only once, but over and over again."
And ... if you feel like a little more reading, a personal rendering of Isaiah 2:1-5:
In a time when the people were anxious and afraid --
when all they had built up, as a society,
when all they had trusted in, as a nation,
when all they had begun to hope, as a race
was corrupted and collapsing,
and they were afraid for the future,
God sent them a messenger, named Isaiah, who said:
There will come a time -- do not worry,
when the word and ways and wisdom of God
will be revered;
when people of all nations will know
their need of wisdom and a way,
and people of all kinds will be ready
to be taught.
Then those who have let themselves be taught shall teach,
and the wisdom of God shall be sown in the earth.
God's ways shall become the ways of judging conflict,
might shall no longer over-rule right,
tools of peace will be valued over weapons of war,
and people will be taught to make peace, not violence
in all their relations.
So come,
you who are willing to struggle with God through the night,
let us walk by the light we are given by our Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment