The Lord Is in Your Midst

I’ve always enjoyed the “Where’s Waldo?” pictures. I usually can identify Waldo, but sometimes I can’t. Four or five years ago, the Jr.Hi class at our church had a similar calendar, “Jesus in a Crowd”. Sometimes I could pick out Jesus, but sometimes there were several candidates! Sometimes I just didn’t know where Jesus was… Scriptures for this Third weekend in Advent point to where God might be, but they acknowledge that there’s always an identity problem. Those who hear these lessons join the rest of the weary world to hear the angels sing…

ZEPHANIAH (yes, that’s in the Old Testament, keep looking!) 3:14-20 speaks for God (pro-phet) in a frenzy of exultation: God will renew Israel in holy love, will remove disaster and deal with the oppressors. “And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth.” “Biblical thought always understands hope as the expectation of a good future which rests on God’s promise.” (Jurgen Moltmann in DICTIONARY of CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY) Here is an antidote for our fears of defeat and isolation, of insignificance and social poverty.

PHILIPPIANS 4:4-7 also tells the waiting, perhaps despondent, hearer that “the Lord is near.” We rejoice in not what we can see, but in that which we EXPECT God is doing in and around us, even now! Can we live in peace, even when society with all its -isms comes crashing around our shoulders? These Advent scriptures can give strong solace to those of us who despair that God is no longer to be found.

The Gospel reading is from LUKE 3:7-18, more about the activity of John the Baptizer bearing the light of Jesus to his neighborhood. “…one who is more powerful than I is coming…” We do well, says John, not to ignore the strength of the Coming One who may pollard our sacred trees and winnow the grain from the chaff! What shall we do? Treat others honestly and fairly, keep no more than we need. Those marked by baptism are expected to look forward to the presence of God to be seen all around, and most especially to show the Light through their loving actions.

Deborah A. Block reminds us that prophets “see God where nobody else would guess that God is present.” (FEASTING on the WORD, C 1:52) A story tells about a monastery which owned a retreat-shed in a far corner of its property. Nonetheless, the Abbott would often go there for solitary prayer and bemoan the declining number of monks. The village Rabbi also would occasionally make retreat there. One fine day, their paths crossed. “Ah, I’ve been waiting for you,” said the rabbi, “God has told me that the Messiah is in one of you!” The Abbott hurried back to his monks, and told them that the rabbi says “the Messiah is in one of you!” And a marvelous transformation occurred: each monk looked for and expected to find the Messiah in his neighbor. Soon the word of their spirituality and charity spread far and wide–and the few monks became many, much to the delight of the Abbott…

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

You’re invited to join me in watching for the Messiah, every Tuesday at horacebrownking.com