Walking in the Light

The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness
on them light has shined.
Isaiah 9:2

What has come into being in him was life,
and the life was the light of all people.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness did not overcome it.
John 1: 3b-5

The people of ancient Israel knew the absence of light in ways that most of us have never experienced. Outside of occasional ice storms that cause temporary power outages, most of us living in towns and cities and even rural communities to some extent do not know real darkness. Our night sky is polluted by reflecting lights from cities and such...so much in fact it may be hard to see the countless stars that remind us of the awesomeness of our Creator. I don't think Isaiah or John for that matter could have begun to imagine the world we live in today. Light Emitting Diodes bringing clarity to on-screen displays (I'm writing this using my new LCD monitor) and brightness to decorative and utility lighting with lower energy consumption would, well...blow them away! Tiny lamps filled with preciously conserved oil and left-over cooking fires provided the major source of auxillary light to that of the moon and the stars for Isaiah's hearers. We on the other hand live in a world of light, 24hrs a day, 365 days and nights of the year. For the early audience of Isaiah and John the dawning of a new light for the world, one that is not overcome by the darkness had a much more profound literal meaning than it does for us. Not only was God ushering in a new age of peace, but one of light and moreover abundant light with enough to give it away.

For us, light has become more metaphorical meaning truth, life, goodness, knowledge, certainty, and direction. And yet, having trillions of lights brightly illuminating our world does not mean that we see much of anything clearly. With all that light we still prefer to lurk in the shadows where all that destroys the abundant life of God waits for us. We still prefer to ration God's love for those we accept as lovable. We still stand back when injustice rears his ugly head in our midst. We still wander lost in the insatiable world of consumption.

My hope for all us this Christmas is that we will walk out of the shadows, say no to the deceitful ways of greed and jealousy, say no to the oppressiveness of exclusivity and say yes to life that is adundant, say yes to love that gives without reservation, say yes to the full inclusion of all of God's creation in the light of God's love and ours. May your Christmas be filled with bright warmth and love!

Come Lord Jesus! Come!

A voice cries out:
‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’

Isaiah 40:3-5

The gospel of Luke records John the Baptist quoting this vision of an all-inclusive salvation was the lectionary for the second Sunday of Advent. Here is an expanded version of the words I shared on Sunday...

Every valley shall be lifted up. No longer shall a person’s social inclusion be defined by the deep valley and stigma of disease they carry in their body. AIDS and differing abilities such as Autism will no longer be barriers for the full inclusion of persons in the love and grace of God and thus our love. The culture of fear that is fueled by the falacy of the scarcity of God's love for the world has excluded persons on many bases from being welcomed as full recipients of God's salvation just as they are. God's love is abundant enough for all to have a share and for no one to be left out.

And every mountain and hill shall be made low. No longer shall the mountains of usury and exploitation steal away the abundant life that Christ offers to everyone while those who profit the most blame those who lose the most. When so many people struggle to keep their heads above water economically while very few people control massively insane amounts of wealth, the path to living the full life that Christ proclaimed as good news to the poor is filled with mountains of debt. The abundant life of Christ calls for those who find themselves able to lend financially to be about building up the community such that all may share in the fullness of God's blessings together. Whenever profit is placed before people and communities, the death dealing ways of the world threaten to keep many from experiencing abundant living while they fear for their survival.

And the crooked shall be made straight. No longer shall the crooked paths of self-perception based on a false, retouched world bent on self-destructive behaviors in an effort to be someone we think we have to be.
And the rough ways made smooth. No longer shall the rough ways be allowed to crumble into impassable pathways because no one wanted to get involved, no one wanted to stir the pot or rock the boat, no one wanted to step outside the box of socially defined rules, because no one was excited about the Good News of Christianity. Evangelism is often defined in personal terms...personal transformation and membership and belonging in the church. Being saved, having a grasp on salvation is not just a concept or a warranty for your post-this-here-and-now-life! Being saved, knowing salvation is not just an individual private matter worked out between you and your specialized Savior!


Salvation is not private – salvation is the revealing of the children of God…the realization of God’s peaceful realm in our midst. Salvation changes us and changes the world through us. And, this happens when we choose to be heralds for the beloved community of God's love and grace, when we choose to act on our faith and stand for justice and righteousness, when we choose to reject the perpetuation of institutional and social tyranny (including those within the church) that destroys lives and communities. We must be the change for the world that God calls us to be.

So, come Lord Jesus, come! Come and embolden us to blaze new pathways and build your beloved community where there is enough love and grace to go around with leftovers to spare! Come and deliver us from the vicious lies of exclusivity that preach the scarcity of your love and grace! Come and grant us the strength to carry your good news into action for peace and justice! Come and transform our hearts from selfishness, possessiveness, jealousy, greed and exploitation that all may see the salvation of God!
Come, Lord Jesus! Come!