Word to the Wise
Sunday, December 9, 2007 - Second Sunday of Advent
[Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-9; Matthew 3:1-12]Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!
Can we see ourselves in that crowd, watching John the Baptist yell at the Pharisees and Sadducees? Would we be saying, "Sock it to 'em, Johnny?" What if he suddenly turned and looked US in the eye and pointed his finger and yelled: REPENT!? Would we say, "Who? ME?" Gulp! I mean, really! Repentance is for bad sinners, isn't it? Who the heck is HE to be telling ME to repent? The very idea!!!!! Yes, THE very idea! Advent is for more than Christmas shopping (although that could lead to loss of religion for sure!). In fact, it's not for Christmas shopping at all! It is a time of preparation and repentance! Repentance means more than "soul searching." It means action - conversion manifested in conduct! Isaiah's vision of the perfect leader (king) would certainly demand such a repentance from the current crop of world leaders! But before we can point the finger at them we need to point the finger at ourselves. Although we can give intellectual assent to the thought that the best gifts at Christmas aren't under the tree, these gifts won't exist at all (love, reconciliation, peace, family) without an eager willingness to take a long loving and real look at our own lives. AMEN