the Second Wednesday of Advent
Scripture Reading for Today:
Isaiah 35:3-7
3 Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; 4 say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” 5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6 Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. 7 The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
Psalm 126
A song of ascents.1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” 3 The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced. 4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb. 5 May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. 6 Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
Luke 7:18-30
18 John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, 19 he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” 20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’” 21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 23 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” 24 After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? 25 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. 26 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is the one about whom it is written: “‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ 28 I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” 29 (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. 30 But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)
NIV
The Hope of Healing
Dawn Berkelaar lives in Hamilton, Ontario with her husband Edward and their four children. She is a scientist, editor, writer, teacher and homemaker.
In mid-September, I started a 100-Day Dress Challenge, which means I have worn the very same dress every day for two and a half months. Sounds a little crazy, doesn’t it? Maybe it is, but it has also been freeing; decision fatigue is a real thing, and I experience less of it when I have fewer decisions in the morning related to what I wear.
My dress contains mostly merino wool, which has many wonderful properties. It is not itchy, despite wool’s reputation in that regard. Wool helps regulate temperature and wicks moisture away from the skin, making it comfortable to wear. Most remarkably, wool resists picking up odours, so items made of wool need to be washed much less often than other garments.
Before this dress challenge, I hadn’t thought too much about how clothing is made. I decided to do some research to learn what was the best kind of fabric, especially in terms of sustainability. It opened quite a can of worms! The clothing industry has a huge environmental footprint, and every kind of fabric has pros and cons.[1]
This leads me to the biggest tension I find myself experiencing these days: every purchase we make has positive and negative implications, not only for us but also for the people who produce the items and for the rest of creation. And frankly, there seem to be so many more negative implications than positive ones.
Along related lines, I experience tension every year over buying Christmas gifts. I want loved ones to feel appreciated. However, I and my family members--immediate and extended--all have more than enough stuff. When giving a gift adds to the burden of stuff, is it time to stop?
I have often been encouraged by a quote attributed to Mother Teresa: “We are not called to be successful. We are called to be faithful.” Lately I wonder what it even means to be faithful in the purchases that we make, when every single choice seems to have at least as many ‘cons’ as it does ‘pros.’ Creation is groaning under the weight of our consumption. It is true that when we know better, we can do better--but our “better” is still broken.
In today’s lectionary readings, the Old Testament passage comes from Isaiah 35. Verses 3 and 4 read, “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”
I don’t particularly like reading that bit about vengeance and divine retribution, but I do take heart at the reminder that God will come. The passage continues with a declaration that, when God comes, he will open the eyes of the blind, unstop the ears of the deaf, make the lame leap like a deer, and make the mute shout for joy. In Luke 7, we read about a fulfillment of that prophecy. When questioned by John’s disciples, Jesus told them to tell John, “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” Those were remarkable acts of healing. They give me confidence that Jesus is able, too, to cure us from our apathy, laziness, and complacency.
God’s coming is good news for all of creation, not only for people. Isaiah 35 concludes, “Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.” There is hope for all parts of this beat-up but beloved world.
My 100-Day Dress Challenge ends right before Christmas. During Advent, as we wait for the celebration of Christ’s birth, I am praying for a spirit that is content with enough rather than one that accepts excess as the norm. Satisfaction and fulfillment can’t be purchased. They are found in Jesus, the one who can heal us and satisfy our thirst. Come, Lord Jesus!
[1] Read about some of them in recent Instagram posts at instagram.com/drberkelaar
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