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.’
‘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!
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!
No comments:
Post a Comment