Last week I was at a symposium event. It was very good, as it involved a lot of talking! I really like to talk and to listen to others. This made for a really good time. After one long discussion one man said it all boiled down to four words. This changed the conversation and just in the simplicity of these words everything we had been discussing was summed up. The words and the discussion aren’t relevant for this, but I really liked this approach and so as I looked at the readings for this coming Sunday I tried to sum them up in words. I did, and they are distress, hope, waiting and joy.
They all sound like good Advent words to me. In the reading from Isaiah (35:1-10) we read of the picture of a perfect place. A world where everything will be better. In the first verse we read of the desert rejoicing and blossoming. I have been to the holy land and seen a little of a desert and I have to say picturing anything sprouting and growing seems rather unlikely. The idea straight away in the reading is that what seems incredibly unlikely can really happen. There is hope here, things will be better and not just that but there will be joy. Brilliant. It all sounds perfect.
In the reading, Isaiah was prophesying to people who had been exiled from their homes. He was saying that things would really improve and that what happens here is nothing compared to how heaven will be. I particularly like verse eight which talks of there being a highway and it will be called the holy way. This sounds rather lovely. I really like words and images, so the idea of a holy way sounds great. Not only this but on this holy way there would be no distress or people being pushed out.
I have a rather lovely opportunity next as there is an option in our readings. I could write about the Magnificat (Luke 1:47-55) or I could choose the Psalm (146:5-10). I have nothing against the Psalm, but Mary’s song is so perfect that I can’t resist commenting on it.
I love picturing Mary being shocked by the visit of the angel Gabriel and this is added to by his news that she was going to have a child, who will be the Son of God. To be honest I imagine so many questions. I think I would start with how? what ? Are you serious? Have I fallen asleep? Mary responded with Hannah’s song (1 Sam.2:1-11) and added in extras. This means that what Mary prayed is almost a manifesto of what Jesus would do. How God would change the world as He became one of us!
It is incredible and it talks of distress turning to joy, of waiting not only for freedom from exile, as seen with Isaiah, but a promise that there will be joy. Distress turned to joy, hope for the future and of course waiting for God’s perfect world to happen.
I am rubbish at waiting which is why I am so pleased that we get glimpses from our readings of how things will be. Waiting is a real pain but waiting in hope of distress turning to joy, and now of course for the holy way highway (Isa. 35:8) sounds great.
‘My soul magnifies, the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.’ (Luke 1:47). May this always be my cry, even when I am fed up with waiting.
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