Heed the Messengers
Many of you are aware of my love of Advent. This season is unlike any other and it has the dual nature of reminding us of Jesus’ first coming and pointing us to his second. Another great gift of this holy season is the collects that we pray on Sundays. The one we heard yesterday in Church was this:
“Merciful God, who sent your messengers, the prophets, to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen” (Collect for the Second Sunday of Advent, “The Book of Common Prayer”).
The prophets were strange figures: people who said tough things but the right things. They were not outsiders, but rather, lived within the community. That is what made their words so unsettling to those who heard them. It’s hard to dismiss someone within your ranks because you know they have skin in the game — they are one of your own.
Because this is the time of year in which we frantically run to attend different events and shop for presents in preparation for Christmas, maybe we need the prophet’s voice more than ever. This is not merely a season to make us feel good, but one that calls us to be attentive.
Paul reminds us to be sober and keep awake because we do not know the day or hour that Jesus will arrive (1 Thessalonians 5). There is no way that this message will be on a Christmas card, but it is an important aspect of Advent.
Prophets don’t come around much these days, but we may see their presence in those who are on the margin. Honestly, this may be the time to slow down and listen to their voice. We may need to encounter people like John the Baptist, who point us to the coming of the Messiah, not only because he is the Savior of the world, but also the Savior of us. He wants to transform our very own hearts. We need to hear the prophet’s unsettling call for repentance, renewal, and redemption. Because if we’re honest with ourselves, we need that in every season of our life, even in the days leading up to Christmas.
