The 3rd Day of Christmas

December 28th is the 3rd day of Christmas, traditionally the date in the churches of the West for Holy Innocents' Day remembering the massacre of the children of Bethlehem as Herod sought the infant Jesus. It's the story of a flight in the night away from persecution, the slaughter of children, and the first years of the Holy Family's life as political refugees.

We love to add cute details to the story of Jesus' birth - a stable full of furry animals, stories of the magi's long journey, a grumpy shepherd's conversion. We try to make the story of Jesus' birth normal, safe, and comfortable. It wasn't. And the Gospel writers, in both accounts, go out of their way to show Jesus as an outsider, a usurper of the worldly powers, and the ultimate sign of the turning of the tables.

As we return to our daily work, clear out space in our homes for received gifts, and recover from too many leftover cookies, may we be mindful of the homeless, the refugee, the persecuted, and the martyrs to violence that still live and suffer in the world today. Jesus not only came for them, but as one of them.

Advent Musings #2 - Patience

Scripture:             James 5:7-10

Hashtag theme:    #Patience

When you visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC, you are confronted by the stalwart image of Dr. King standing as immovable as the mountain and as certain as the granite from which he was formed. The National Park Service describes “the striking likeness of Dr. King captured… in a moment of reflective thought, determined and resolute.” The name of that statue borrows from his own words “With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.” Few people in our modern day so aptly embody James’ direction, “Brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of patient resolve and steadfastness.”

We are mercurial people, flowing this way and that on our own fancies and whims. Today’s news points us to the cause of the week, only to be forgotten when the next crisis flares up. My Facebook feed is amazing clear of safety pins, bleu, blanc, rouge, or rainbow filters. We are eager to express outrage, and reluctant to patiently wait for resolution or to work diligently for justice.

We need to find the solid ground where we can plant our feet, look the forces that rule this world in the eye with resolve, and say, “No more.” We do so not as social justice warriors, or cause celebre activists, but as faithful Christians looking for the coming of Christ. So examine again the prophets who spoke the name of the Lord. Ancient prophets, like Micah and Isaiah, with strong words of justice and mercy. Modern prophets like Desmond Tutu and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who call us to work against tyranny and for freedom for all God’s children. And like them, and Rev. Dr. King, we too can stand on the solid rock of Christ, and with patient resolve and steadfastness, anticipate and embody his Kingdom come.

Prayer:

God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou who hast brought us thus far on the way; thou who hast by thy might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path we pray. Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee; lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee; shadowed beneath thy hand, may we forever stand, true to our God, true to our native land. (Lift Every Voice and Sing, stanza 3, James Weldon Johnson, 1921)

Advent leftovers

As I put together the Advent Devotional for our college (more life updates later), I sometimes write pieces that cover for late submissions. Sometimes they still come through and my piece gets laid aside. I decided to post them here this year for anyone interested.

Scripture: Genesis 9:12-17 

When I think about God’s promises, I usually spend time reflecting on those that involve me or those near me; promises of faith, hope, and love; promises of endurance, peace, and patience; promises of mercy, grace, and salvation. But every now and then, I remember that God makes covenant commitments not just to me, or to believers only, but to all those on earth. The promises of the Creator extend to all creation.

After Noah’s flood, God makes a new covenant to all of the creatures on earth, which is kind of mind blowing. God, Creator of the Universe, “will remember the covenant between me and you and every living being among all the creatures.” And his promise is through and with Noah to them. Man has a part in this covenant of God with the rest of the planet. God cares for all of creation. Every. Living. Being.

Do I? Can I?

If God has made a covenant not just with all the life on earth, shouldn’t I take care of it, too? What does God’s covenant with creation say about care for the environment? What does God’s promise mean to how we look at the nameless masses of our brothers and sisters that suffer in poverty? How, during this season of renewal, can we see all of life through God’s eyes – as part of the gift and wonder of God’s handiwork? When Christ returns triumphant, what will he think of what we’ve done with the lives entrusted to us?

Prayer:

God of the sparrow and whale and locust and all humanity, give us new eyes to see the miracle and wonder of life teeming across the face of your world. May each life, every living being, be precious in its own way. Push and prod us to be stewards and caretakers of your creation. Amen.