Rooted in wilderness

Here we are in the second week of Advent. As I have said before Advent is more than a time of preparation the coming of Christ at Christmas. Advent is more fully seen as a time of preparing for and celebrating the coming of Christ in history (Christmas) mystery (now) and in majesty (when God’s will be finally done on earth as in heaven). All of which makes me wonder why God sent Jesus the Christ/Messiah in the first place, and what that means for how I look for Christ in mystery and majesty now? How we answer that will shape what the hope, peace, joy and love we look for and celebrate at Advent means for us. How would you answer that?

Like every second week in Advent, we get to listen to John the Baptist, this time Matthew’s version. A prophetic Elijah figure, who if we believe Luke spurns his place in the temple and returns to the wilderness. It is here that Abraham and his family covenanted with God to be God’s people through whom humanity and all creation is restored. The wilderness is where Israel’s identity was forged in during the Exodus, and from the wilderness came the voice urgently calling to prepare, heralding a return from exile. John stands in the wilderness as a reminder that here was the root of Israel’s true identity as the people of God. Jesus will follow John and spent 40 days in this wilderness having his identity tested and forged as he prepared for all that lay ahead.

And from that prophetic mouth comes the call to repent – to acknowledge how they had colluded with all that has led to oppression, violence, poverty, and whole communities being treated as undeserving of God’s compassion and life; and to re-root their identity in wilderness and radically transform the way they see themselves and God’s place in the world.

Listening to John I wonder what I base my identity on. What role does the wilderness story play for me? What other places do we plant our roots of self-understanding as church? As we continue in Advent I hear John ask what are the ways we collude with the powers that deprive others of life?

During this week I invite you to take time at the end of each day to give thanks for ways God brought peace and hope into your day,  and to reflect on the roots that might help you to live peace.