1st Advent
Luke 21:25-36
And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars;
and upon the earth, the
And when these things begin to
happen, stand upright and lift up [raise] your soul to the spirit, for your
deliverance draws near.
And he gave them a comparison, saying, ‘Observe
[behold] the fig tree and all the trees when they burst into leaf. Seeing this,
you know yourselves that summer is near. So also when you see these things
happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
Amen, the truth I say to you: this present age of
Man’s being shall not pass away until all has happened.
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will
never pass away.
Guard yourselves lest the perceptive power of your
hearts be smothered by excess of food and drink and by over-concern with the
cares and worries of life, and the light of these spirit events break upon you
suddenly like a snare…for it will come upon all who dwell upon the face of the
whole earth. So be awake in the spirit at all times, praying, so that you may
have the strength to live through all these things that are about to take
place, and to stand before the Son of Man.
1st Advent Sunday
Luke 21: 25
-36
A woman who is about to give birth is racked with pain. Wave
after wave of contraction sweeps over her, for giving birth is hard labor. It
requires endurance and strength. But at the end she and all around her
experience the radiant wonder that a tiny human being, surrounded by angels,
has arrived on earth.
Today’s reading is a description of the birth pangs of
humanity; constriction, anxiety, and doubt wash over us as world events, earth
events, sweep over us. They require our strength and endurance. For the outcome
is the birth of the Son of Man.
They also require our wakefulness. For this birth is not a
physical one. It happens rather in the realm of life that permeates both us and
our earth. It happens within perceptive human souls. To perceive this birth, we
struggle to stay awake amid the excesses of the season. We are surrounded by
angels.
Many are the human beings who, in their hour of extreme
need, have raised their souls to the spirit in prayer. And in their soul is
born the power and radiance of a paradoxical peace. A calm settles over them,
and they feel the nearness of God. They are surrounded by angels.
As David Whyte remarks:
These are hard paths we
tread
…..
I know that …
 |
| Sulamith Wulfing |
storms break over,
…and you will not move
while the voice all around
tears the air
and fills the sky with jagged
light.
But sometimes unawares
those sounds seem to descend
as if kneeling down into you
and you listen strangely caught
as the terrible voice moving closer
halts,
and in the silence
now arriving
whispers
Get up, I depend
on you utterly.
Everything you need
you had
the moment before
you were born.[1]
