Preparing the way

Minister Sharon McRann

The theme for the second Sunday of Advent is ‘Peace’. What usually comes to your mind when you think of the word ‘peace?’ One thing that comes to mind first perhaps is the absence of war ... peace among the nations. And sometimes when life becomes overwhelming, we say, “Just give me some peace and quiet.” There is a song that we sing in the United Church called ‘How Deep the Peace’. In it the words peace and confidence are used in the same context ... if we experience peace we will know confidence. Think about it! If we have peace-filled hearts, we have confidence that things will be OK. Of course, faith has a lot to do with that! The song says our peace and confidence are the result of our wrongs being forgiven. Forgiven by whom? Forgiven by God? Forgiven by others? Both? And deep peace and confidence are the result of hearts that are healed. How does healing of heart occur? I believe that one of our essential tasks as Christians and human beings is spoken by John the Baptist when he tells us that God says, “Comfort my people ... comfort them. Encourage the people. Tell them they have suffered long enough and their sins are forgiven.” He says, “Clear the way; fill the valleys and level the mountains ... make the way smooth.” I have a strong conviction that the better we feel about ourselves, the harder we will try to be better people. Think about it - wholeness, peace, contentment and confidence come from feeling good about ourselves. If we can help others, or make the way smooth so that others can feel good about themselves, we will be instrumental in bringing peace to the world. What happens when people don’t feel good about themselves? People tend to engage in self loathing or self-hatred; they become depressed, they’re fearful of what others might think, or how they might look. They take others’ troubles upon themselves. They worry needlessly about many everyday, mundane things. People need comfort in lots of areas. People are afraid of being alone, of not being loved, of not being worthy. They’re afraid of being taken advantage of. John the Baptist says to, “Get the road ready for the Lord (prepare the way); make a straight path for him to travel!” “Turn away from your sins and be baptized...” or be made clean. We’re not called to think of ourselves as lowly little worms or as terrible sinners who cannot or will not change. Rather, we are called to repent and then turn away from our wrongdoings. Repentance is life-giving. What is it that we are preparing for? I think perhaps it is change This season is a very anxious time for families. Can my family come home? Will my family be safe? Will I see my family? Christmas is often a tense time. We want to make it perfect. Sometimes, families and branches of families and children and parents collide. If we really take it seriously, Advent is a scary time, like being pregnant. There’s so much change involved and there’s fear of what that change is going to mean to one’s life. We can’t anticipate all of what that new life will bring. In a sense, Jesus is the new life in God, the change, that’s being born into the world at Christmas ... and we are a part of it! We, in this Advent time - this time of waiting - need to make ready for the birth of Christ. By our repentance we are freed from the past and can take this birth seriously. Why do we need this Christ? We need the hope that Christ brings to our weary world - hope that it indeed can be transformed. We live in a world of turmoil and despair, of violence and hatred, of selfishness and greed. We also live in a world of infinite promise and potential: where every village could have clean drinking water, where our global village would be freed from wars because weapons of mass destruction, in fact all weapons, would no longer be tolerated, where all children could enjoy the basic necessities of life - food, health, education, and love. Come, let us prepare the way of our God!