A reflection Luke 3: 2-6: Sunday, 10 December 2006
The second Sunday of Advent is the Sunday for Peace, and you might be forgiven for wondering just how today’s bible readings talk to us about peace. Well, they don’t – at least, not directly. What they do talk to us about is “change”.
Malachi is about change. John the Baptiser is about change.
In the Hebrew Scriptures, we hear the prophet ask:
“Who can endure the day of God’s coming, and who can stand when God appears?”
And God speaks:
“I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me.”
But the Holy One is not really interested in judgment; what is really desired is change:
“Return to me, and I will return to you.”
God’s desire is for reconciliation:
“[You will] be mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “my special possession on the day when I act, and I will spare [you] as parents spare their children.”
When we’re thinking about peace, then the list of accusations against God’s people is interesting: adulterers, liars, oppressors, the arrogant – all of these people who destroy peace. And peace cannot be possible without change, the opportunity for change which God holds out to all.
And this is a central theme in the life and work of John who went around baptising. What was baptism for John?
“basically the rite functioned as an expression of willingness to change and be prepared for change by receiving divine forgiveness. Baptism is submission to this new initiative. It is not simply change of the individual, but change of the individual in readiness for change of the world. Change of the world means transformation, liberation, freedom, salvation.
Bill Loader
The Chinese philosopher Lao-tse says exactly this:
"If there is to be peace in the world,
There must be peace in the nations.
If there is to be peace in the nations,
There must be peace in the cities.
If there is to be peace in the cities,
There must be peace between neighbours.
If there is to be peace between neighbours,
There must be peace in the home.
If there is to be peace in the home,
There must be peace in the heart."
Christ coming to us at Christmas – this Christmas, every Christmas – is to draw us into the process of change, to draw us towards peace with ourselves, peace with those we love and with those we hate, to draw us towards peace in the world, to draw us towards the peace of the kingdom of God. And that peace begins here.
A prayer by Thom Shuman, a prayer for peace:
“but you come”
if you came
with a fistful of anger,
who could endure?
but you come
with open hands,
eager to grasp our own
in love.
if you came
with the fire of judgment,
who could endure?
but you come
with the light of grace
to show us the way.
if you came
hardened against our sin,
who could endure?
but you come
holding us in your heart,
so we might have life,
if you came
bearing bad news,
we might be able to handle it . . .
but can we endure
the gift
of good news?
even so,
come, Lord Jesus,
come.
(c) Thom M. Shuman
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