"People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world..."
Now more than ever we need the strength to "abound in love for all" while we pray and live - on this first Sunday of Advent when we remember the promise of Jesus to return and heal us all.
In honor of the Christians still living in the Holy Land amidst “fear and foreboding” I reflect on the Scriptures assigned for today’s readings, the First Sunday of Advent: Jeremiah 33:14-16, Psalm 25:1-10, 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13, Luke 21:25-36
Each of these readings were written by God’s people to those from the Holy Land: Jeremiah the prophet speaking the truth to those in brutal exile; King David on the run in the hills escaping injustice; Apostle Paul imprisoned for preaching about King Jesus; Jesus writing about “what is coming upon the world” prior to his betrayal and execution on the cross.
I know we want peace on Earth and Christmas to be cheery and full of warm family-feels, but the reality of this world brims with chaos and despair for too many, especially Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land.
So when I read the Advent texts, I imagine standing in Bethlehem overlooking the hills where David roamed, walking the slopes of Jerusalem where Jeremiah was outcast, sitting on the broken steps of the Temple Mount where Paul preached about Jesus being sent by God, and praying in Nazareth where Jesus grew up and was first rejected.
Prophet Jeremiah preaches about God keeping his promises, especially to bring about “justice and righteousness in the land” that is occupied by violent empires. Please God, may it be so.
King David sings about trust and truth, mercy and humbleness, steadfast love and faithfulness while fleeing along rugged paths of the Judean hills…
Apostle Paul writes about joy and faith, love and holiness to his Christian brothers and sisters, from his filthy prison, to those getting impatient for Christ’s return: “abound in love for all” while you wait, including those who oppress you.
Christ Jesus invites his followers to stand strong amidst the “fear and foreboding” - for that is when you know God is near - so don’t waste your life or numb your heart with drink or ruin your life with worry - pray instead to have the strength you need to be alert, ready, hoping like Jeremiah, hiking like David, loving like Paul.
Advent (four Sundays) and Christmas (twelve days) are an invitation to pay attention to the world as it really is, to your life as it really is, and to what God has to say to us in this reality we experience through the raw and rugged life of Jesus in the Holy Land. Especially in solidarity with all the Christians there, whether their families have been living there for twenty centuries or five or one.
Out of all the readings for today, the one from the Apostle Paul resonated most deeply because of the dear friends I have there in Jerusalem, Jericho, Bethlehem, and beyond through the YMCA. I think of them and pray for them everyday - and all my friends:
How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you?
Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.
Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you.
And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you.
And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
[1 Thessalonians 3:9-13]
May you increase also in your love for one another and for all your friends, all your family, all you neighbors, all your enemies - strengthened with God’s power while also full of “fear and foreboding” - together we can support one another until Jesus returns.