SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT A

[cappie]

“ Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand!” This is the cry of the prophet out in the wilderness of Judea. John, who wore   a garment made of camel-hair with a leather belt round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. has strong words for the religious leaders who have come to be baptized: “You brood of vipers!” He calls them to repent with the ominous warning that the ax is ready to cut down every tree that does not bear good fruit.  But our readings today remind us that God is the God of repentance, and God’s vision of peace, hope, and restoration is always bigger than our own.

 Today’s readings remind us that God’s image of peace, hope, and flourishing is bigger than our own. In the Isaiah reading, the prophet paints a portrait of a world where natural enemies, predator and prey, will sit peacefully side by side: the wolf with the lamb, the leopard with the kid, the calf with the lion, and the cow with the bear. Even the snake will not harm the innocent child.   This image is a bigger kind of peace than that which is possible through human will, skill, or ingenuity.

  Paul speaks of steadfastness and encouragement,  Everything that was written long ago in the scriptures was meant to teach us something about hope from the examples scripture gives of how people who did not give up were helped by God.  Yet we are reminded that what brings us to hope is not human effort, but has always been God.   This idea of hope is bigger than we realize, and it comes from nothing we can do, but from God. God is the God of hope. 

What does it mean to worship God as the God of hope? Whatever we hope for, we must remember that our hope belongs to God. We all hope for different things. And as we are filled with joy and peace in believing, that hope can be transformed and aligned with the things God hopes for. When we embrace God—by embracing each other, even amidst our differences—the substance of our hope is transformed to align with God’s ever-expansive vision.

Yet, in the here and now, we still hope for different things. There is a corresponding urge within us to call others to repent, to convince others that our way is better, our hopes are holier, and that God is only on our side. But Paul’s message to the Romans urges us not to force others to align with our own viewpoint. Rather, he writes that when there is joy and peace within the community, then hope can abound. For Paul, peace is not some kind of inner tranquility; it is concord and harmony between people who actively disagree with each other. His is not a message suggesting “let’s all just put aside our differences and get along.” Instead of hoping that others will conform to our way of doing things or seeing things, we catch a glimpse of a bigger, cosmic story. When believers live in harmony, joy, and peace, hope is transformed. God’s story is a story bigger than we can imagine. God’s story is bigger than anything we can do on our own.

 This Advent, as we light our candles of hope and peace  remember that God is the God of Advent, which means the God of hope. When we attune ourselves to lives of harmony and peace with each other, our hopes can be transformed. The call to repentance is not a bludgeon of judgment over who’s in and who’s out. Rather, the call to repentance is an invitation to remember that God is God. The call to repentance is an invitation to investigate within ourselves where we are obstructing peace and joy. The call to repentance is a call to remember John the Baptizer’s full message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” The Kingdom of God is  is bigger and more expansive than we can possibly conceive. It is a Kingdom where any power we have is to be used to help those with less.

 The hope and joy of Advent is that the Lord’s judgment will see the birth of a community of hope, where we might experience the joy of being with one another, both now and forever.  

This community is at the heart of the first and second readings. Isaiah speaks of a new life for God’s people on returning from exile – renewed relationship with one another and all creation. While Paul speaks of hope in the scriptures and following the example of Christ and our forebears in faith, the building up of a community where we might all give glory to God. In this way we ‘prepare a way for the Lord’: it’s what we’re called to do.