Until now on this Advent journey, we have been focussed mostly on private, interior spirituality. This is only ever part of the story, because personal enlightenment is meaningless if merely used to boost to our individual ego strength. I do not mean to point the finger because we all fall into this same ‘me first’ spiritual trap.
In other words, we can find our selves drawn into a spiritual journey that might be described as ‘moralistic, therapeutic, deism‘, in which our spirituality becomes a lifestyle contract offering us a divine therapist in return for following certain cultural moral behaviour codes. There are many problems with this kind of ‘heavenly insurance’ approach, not least the fact that it is often tested to destruction by what life throws at us, but also because it can co-exist comfortably with western society norms that allow for the continuation of extreme social and environment injustice.
A spirituality that promotes ‘me’ and ‘mine’ at the expense of the other is simply not very Jesus-like. It is no Advent at all. You know this already.
What are we waiting for? What notable future event are we scanning the night sky for distant signs of?
The story of the first Advent might be instructive here, taking place as it did in a time of despots and child killers. Meanwhile, in a broken, invaded and troubled country, people longed for Messiah, the coming of the Prince of Peace who would set captives free.
These were people who lived in the shadow of the words of the great prophet Isaiah, who began like this;
The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?” says the Lord.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
14 Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals
I hate with all my being.Wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
stop doing wrong.
17 Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.[a]
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow.See how the faithful city
from Isaiah chapter one.
has become a prostitute!
She once was full of justice;
righteousness used to dwell in her—
but now murderers!
22 Your silver has become dross,
your choice wine is diluted with water.
23 Your rulers are rebels,
partners with thieves;
they all love bribes
and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
the widow’s case does not come before them.
Like the words of all prophets, there is much here that disturbs and even offends us still. But the angry words that Isaiah places in the very mouth of God (or God placed in the mind of Isaiah) have visceral, furious power…
Later on, we come to the passage quoted each Christmas. It is often divorced from the anger of the words above, as if the two are unrelated;
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.For to us a child is born,
From isaiah chapter 9
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
What is this Advent hope we are reaching for? If we take our cues from the first Advent story, we can not seperate the anger from our Advent.
The Shalom of God referred to here is not for personal private sanctified satisfaction, rather it is the call towards the restoration of justice in the fullest sense possible.
this fragile tent 