Fourth Thursday of Advent
Scripture Reading for Today:
Revolution of Hope
Despite the backdrop of injustice, the broken, decay, unlikely and at times discouraging spaces the people find themselves in, the prophets echo the sentiment of Isaiah 9 more often than we may recall: “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness a light will shine.” This promise of light, in the midst of a world full of disorder, can seem to be nothing more than an empty promise from an apathetic God. Specifically when the light is defined as “breaking the yoke of slavery” and “breaking the oppressor’s rod” and coming in the form of a child.
For all intents and purposes, this promise is as good as empty… the evidence was all around them, the evidence is all around us as injustice rises to the surface over and over again.
2020 will be noted as a year where the reality of injustice rose to the surface of our conscience, yet again. Even on Christmas Eve, we can recall some of the names, faces and events that reminded the world that all is not well. We were reintroduced to the stories of racial injustice, as the world shuddered at the death, verbal violence and demeaning attitudes that black, brown and indigenous persons encounter on a regular basis. The lockdown of cities and provinces immediately elevated the socio-economic divide as some made billions, while others found themselves stranded and food insecure. The rise of opioid use, mental health challenges and hopelessness rose alongside increased death rates, the rage for “rights” and the resistance to minuscule inconveniences such as masks and delayed haircuts. In the midst of the injustices led by white supremacy, the privilege of wealth and the striking challenges of COVID response and care disparities all of it was laid at the feet of the church. The world watched and wondered how the most “holy” respond to the actual versus perceived inequities in the world. The varied response of churches left many disappointed. For some, it was the church’s reaction to short term closures or lack of response to racial inequity that let them down. Others were simply reminded yet again that the injustice in the world reverberates in the church as the powerless, marginalized, weary and broken are often left on the sidelines. The least of these, left wondering if the church, as it is, how it is reformed, and even how it is reimagined holds space enough for them.
Some have said no, and justifiably walked away. Others remain a part of that which is both troublesome and beautiful. They still find a means to stay connected to the church and the possibilities held within her.
As we come to the end of Advent and approach the main event of Christmas Day, there is no clearer aspect of the church calendar that better defines the possibility of beauty emerging from our churches as the stories and truths laced into the message of the incarnation. Both the church in its prophetic and realized form somehow gives us the courage to stand among and within that which appears to be broken, decaying, unlikely and at times discouraging with some form of hope.
Hope in the midst of injustice…a theme scripture knows all too well.
It is often difficult to remember that during the times of the prophets as they announced a Saviour was coming, that a Messiah would arise; the people were inundated and surrounded by injustice. They were struggling to figure out if God was for them or against them, if he was bearing witness to their pain and unrest, if their enemies would be conquered. Yes, there were high moments of celebration but more often than not the reader is invited into their sorrow, defeat, failure and upheaval. The situation surrounding the birth of Christ is no different. Injustice flows through the streets of Israel as their country has been occupied and their people are being unjustly burdened by a foreign nation and by foreign kings. As we wander through scripture we see that what the named and nameless characters experience as the weight of injustice is not decades, not centuries but millennia. For thousands of years their pursuit for justice ebbs and flows, rises and falls, defeats and conquers.
So, where is the hope?
When I consider the trajectory of the church and the work before us the question of hope is not remiss, yet it misses the correlation that our hope for better, our hope in justice work, our hope in the pursuit of equity, our hope in solidarity with the oppressed and the marginalized is not found in a specific place, rather it is found in a specific person.
When I flounder to find the promised hope, the promised light I simply point people to the teachings and person of Jesus. It is here that I am reminded that Jesus doesn’t just usher in the light, rather He IS the Light. Jesus doesn’t simply offer hope, rather He is our hope.
The arrival of God in human form was the beginning of a revolution. A revolution that was about small and non-descript things such as stables, shepherds and a strange star in the sky. A revolution that began in places where no one would suspect, where no one would look. A revolution that embodies the tenets of hope, even in the midst of the broken, decaying, unlikely and discouraging. This hope is not simply because of one Christmas Day, because of one sermon, one teacher, or even because God came to dwell among us. The hope is present because God came to dwell among us, and his words, teaching and Spirit became embodied into 12, 70, 120, 5000 and now millions of followers, millions of disciples over thousands of years. Each one infused with a message, infused with a mission: to participate in God’s will being done on earth as it is in heaven.
But here is the key — hope falters and fails when we simply watch and wait for it to appear. Yes, Jesus can dramatically infuse himself in supernatural ways, yet more often than not he acts through and because of the participation of his people. To participate, that is the key. We are not called to a mission of simply watching, waiting or wishing for hope to come to life rather we are called to participate, as ones who have embraced, known and delighted in hopes emergence.
We are invited to participate in and with hope as an act of revolution.
When participatory hope becomes our stance we no longer dare to question if racial justice, if socio-economic justice, if gender-based justice, if environmental justice, if human justice is a part of our calling or if it is a part of our mission. Instead, we simply lean back into the prophets, we lean back into the words of Isaiah and others and remind ourselves that light was always intended to disrupt the darkness; freedom was always intended to break the shackles; oppression and oppressors were always slated to be defeated. Injustice disrupted, broken and defeated because of Jesus, but also because of how you and I participate in the same story and work that Jesus began.
My prayer this Christmas Eve as we celebrate the emergence of a revolution of hope, justice and love is that we, the church, will live as ones who are called to be revolutionary.
Imagine the church, in all its forms, living out this revolution of hope; living as ones called to be revolutionary:
Tearing down white supremacy
Building up the marginalized and maligned
Standing against abuses of power
Inviting the marginalized to the center
Resisting homogeneity
Embracing Diversity
Preaching the Kingdom
Participating in its work
For those who have found themselves wondering if God is unconcerned with the injustice that we all bear witness to and times participate in. For those who have fought for equity in all spheres, for those who are weary in the fight, for those who are nearing the end of hope I pray that you don’t lose sight of the mission. I pray that you don’t lose sight of the revolution; that you don’t lose sight of Jesus — our light and our hope.
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