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
December 6, 2015
Philippians 4:1, 4:4-9
There is an old fable
about a contest between the sun and the wind, over which of them could take off
the cloak of a traveler on the road. The
wind blew, and blew harder, but the man just pulled his cloak tighter. When it
was the sun’s turn, he shone warmer and warmer, until the man took off the
cloak himself.
A steady warmth and
gentleness often achieve more than forceful bluster. Gentleness lowers
defenses. It leaves others free.
We are in the time when Christ is approaching human
souls. He is like the sun – gentle and warm, encouraging. We can lower the
cloak of our defenses and take in his light and warmth. And we can in turn
kindly radiate them out to others. He is the source; we are the means, the
channels. So in the words of Paul:
Let a gentle kindliness be
evident toward all human beings you encounter. The Lord is near!
