This Sunday we celebrate the 3rd Sunday of Advent, traditionally known as Rejoice Sunday. In comparison to the more somber readings of the past two Sundays, these readings are filled with hope. At this darkest time of year, with the world reeling from another variant of Covid-19, the political disruption and violence in our nation, as more and more facts are being revealed about the January 6th insurrection, the rise of murder and and other acts of violence in our communities, we are in desperate need for hope.
Zephaniah and Paul remind us in their readings (Zep 3:14-18a and Phil 4:4-7), that, in the midst of the violence in our fractured society, as much as we may think that God has abandoned us, and we may feel like throwing our hands up in despair, we must instead find joy. God is always present to us. This is a theme that is repeated throughout scripture, e.g. Psalm 23. Through all the difficulty, through all the hardships, terrors, violence, and illness, God is always present to us. We do not journey through the darkness and danger in our lives alone. Our God always walks with us. The Incarnation of Jesus is in itself that God loved us so much so as to be one with us. In my own life, facing another surgery with all its discomforts and challenges, I am feeling exasperated, frightened, despondent, and angry. However, my faith tells me that I will not face this alone. God is with me through it all, and it is to this hope and knowledge to which I cling.
The message of John the Baptist in Luke’s account tells us that in order for us to see the presence of Christ in our lives, we need to shuck off all that encumbers us from realizing his presence. For the tax collectors it was to not cheat people for their own gain, for soldiers, it was to stop extorting people, or accusing them falsely of crimes. As we reflect on our own lives, the question we need to ask ourselves is what is it in our lives that prevents us from feeling the joy of Christ’s presence? Whatever it might be, the time has come for us to jettison whatever it is, out of our lives. In doing this, we will not only feel the joy of Christ in our lives, but that joy will be revealed to all we encounter.
