Blue Advent - ADVENT 3
“Prepare ye the way of the LORD!” (Isaiah 40:3)
“He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.” (Luke 1:52)
I’m not sure if I'm in the mood for Advent Reflections this year – at least not for praising Advent as a time of waiting. While people in MCC and all over the earth (and earth herself) truly long for changes, I’m not sure if waiting still is the appropriate approach.
Did waiting bring the right to vote for women? Did waiting stop the violence of surgeries on intersexed children? Did waiting result in getting a seat of choice offered to Rosa Parks? Did waiting result in economies becoming sustainable?
To me, Advent this year is rather about preparing a way. And “preparing a way” is far from waiting humbly. “Preparing a way” is hard work. Imagine building a road: On the one hand, you have to bring in resources - material, knowledge, tools, time. On the other hand, you have to remove what has grown there for long – colonialism, habits, policies. And the whole process is dusty, dirty, loud and effortful. Not really the glitter and glimmer of peaceful and mindful advent reflections.
With Mary, the bearer of hope was a young woman. In her times, she embodied the opposite of those with voice and vote in the religious world. It’s telling that it took someone outside of the system to bring the new. Advent is not about quietly waiting until those who have power and position are willing to change. Nor did Mary have to become like them in order to bring the new. Change was possible without having to adopt accustomed ways of education, payment and titles. Advent is not about graciously inviting new people to assimilate into existing structures, Advent is about preparing to do things in new ways.
Advent is the promise that the new is to come. Advent is not an excuse to let people wait. Advent is a Call to Action.
God bless you, MCCers around the globe, as you are preparing new ways!
PRAYER SUBMITTED BY:
REV. ELDER INES-PAUL BAUMANN
MCC Council of Elders
