12/4 Lectionary Notes: Forever and a Day
Lectionary Texts for December 4, the Second Sunday of Advent
Mark begins his gospel by making a connection between Isaiah's prophecy and the person of John the Baptist. But John has a message for all people, then and now: "Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight."
The texts for this day all have themes of preparation, of action in the present with a view to the future. In our human experience, time is linear and we have very specific responsibilities for the present: repent, "strive to be found by him at peace," "lift up your voice...do not fear." While there are promises we long for (or ought to long for--oneness with God in eternity), we must not focus on those promises to the point that we are paralyzed for action in the present. For oneness with God is a reality for those who learn to serve God now; the reward is the desire of our hearts. From Isaiah:
his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead the mother sheep.
Isaiah, Peter and John the Baptist's messages to the people are not timebound. Rather, they guide the cultivation of an Advent spirit in all people at all times. In fact, Peter literally asks the question, "What sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God?" What does it mean to "prepare the way of the Lord"?
If we believe in the promise of "new heavens and a new earth" as the full and final realization of God's Kingdom, then perhaps making the path straight implies the immediate cultivation of a Kingdom reality--that is, striving for just economic policies, seeking unity while respecting difference in the Church, creating buildings that are beautiful and stewardly, affirming the dignity and worth of each creature, and so on. Likewise, John does not wait for the birth of Christ to call for repentance, baptize in the Lord's name and announce the Holy Spirit.
There is something amazing happening here that I can't quite wrap my mind around, but I feel at peace with its mystery. It's the perfect circular tension between measurable time and eternity, between preparation and experience. In the season of Advent we re-anticipate the historic event of the incarnation of God while also acknowledging our in-between place in time, which has many parallels.