Word to the Wise
Thursday, December 6, 2012 - 1st Week of Advent - Thurs
[Isa 26:1-6 and Matt 7:21, 24-27]Trust in the Lord forever! For the Lord is an eternal Rock. [Isaiah] Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. [Matthew]
In areas where natural events like hurricanes or earthquakes are always possible, communities now demand that all buildings meet the requirements of a code of construction! At present I am preaching at a parish on the Atlantic coast of Florida! Their vulnerability was amply demonstrated when Hurricane Andrew struck in 1992! Folks in New Orleans and on the Gulf Coast know well the devastation that can occur from experiences such as Hurricanes Camille, Katrina, Rita, Ike..... I was in Oakland, CA, in 1989, when the Loma Prieta earthquake (6.9) occurred, and learned what can happen even to buildings that are accustomed to an occasional "bump." A portion of the Bay Bridge and other sections of the interstate were broken like they were made of cake icing! The recent devastation in the New Jersey/New York area from Hurricane Sandy should be fresh in our minds as well. So, Jesus' warning about listening to his words and acting on them are no mere abstraction.
Ultimately, the buildings are rebuilt and the power is restored, but the human cost takes longer to heal. Some people "lost everything." I don't know how anyone without faith can survive a great natural disaster like a hurricane or earthquake or forest fire, or the great personal loss of the death of a child or any loved one or a life-threatening illness without the rock of faith. These losses are magnified when a big holiday period comes soon after. In the parish mission I am currently preaching, I am emphasizing "Advent Discipleship" to the people who come. The onslaught of "holiday shopping and cheer" pushes the Christmas crib off to the mantlepiece (if there still is one, for many in the Northeast) and away from all the gifts. Attention to those for whom God's promise is unknown or forgotten can bring tremendous healing. We can put "skin on" the meaning of this promise and its fulfillment in the birth of Christ. We don't necessarily have to go to the scene of the distant disaster (although we can contribute to efforts to help) when we know there are personal disasters nearby that we can respond to. We can share the rock of our faith in the way we care for others this Advent. AMEN