Sunday, December 8, 2013

2nd Advent 2013, Gentle Kindliness

2nd Advent
Philippians 4:1, 4:4-9

Therefore my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown of glory, stand firm in the power of the Lord.

Rejoice in the nearness of the Lord at all times! And I say it again: Rejoice!
Let a gentle kindliness be evident toward all human beings you encounter. The Lord is near! Let not worry have power over you; let your concerns in all things be known to God by sending your supplication and prayer upward in thankful thoughts. And the peace of God, which transcends anything that the intellect can grasp, will keep your hearts and thoughts safe in the Being of Christ….

And lastly dear brothers I say to you:
all that is true,
all that is worthy of reverence,
all that is good and holy,
all that is lovely to look at and beautiful to hear,
all that has virtue and deserves praise:

let these be the content of your conversations and thoughts. All that you have had handed on to you, what you have heard from me and seen in me—put all this into practice; then the God of Peace will be with you!

2nd Advent Sunday
December 8, 2013
Philippians 4:1, 4:4 – 9

The reading today encourages us to rejoice in the nearness of the Lord. It can be hard to sense His approach, His presence in these troubled times. Yet somehow we are to find Him. There is an old story on this theme.

Once a synagogue had fallen on hard times. Only five members were left, all over 60 years old. In the mountains nearby there lived a retired rabbi. It occurred to the five to ask the rabbi if he could offer any advice that might save the group. One of the members and the rabbi spoke at length but when asked for advice, the rabbi simply responded by saying, "I have no advice to give. The only thing I can tell you is, the messiah is one of you." This member, returning, told the four members what the rabbi had said. 
In the months that followed, the old members pondered the words of the rabbi. "The Messiah is one of us?" they each asked themselves. As they thought about this possibility, they all began to treat each other with extraordinary respect on the off-chance that, one among them might be the Messiah ... and on the off-chance that each member himself might be the Messiah, they also began to treat themselves with extraordinary care. As time went by, people visiting the synagogue noticed the aura of respect and gentle kindness that surrounded the five old members of the small group. Hardly knowing why, more people began to come back to worship at the old synagogue. They began to bring their friends, and their friends brought more friends. 
Within a few years, the small group had once again become a thriving congregation, thanks to the rabbi's gift![1] 

We are in fact, each and every one of us Messiahs, Anointed Ones of God. The Lord is as near as our neighbor, as near as our own heart. Therefore we will 'Let a gentle kindliness be evident toward all human beings we encounter. The Lord is near…. and the God of peace will be with us.'




[1] The Rabbi's Gift, author unknown. There are several versions of this story. One was published by M. Scott Peck in A Different Drummer. This Jewish version is  available on http://www.community4me.com/rabbisgift.html

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