Advent 2019: John

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."  This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'"  Matthew 3:2-3

In We Make the Road by Walking, Brian McLaren explains that “repent” means “rethink everything.”  For sure that fits with our traditional image of John!  He was dressed in animal skins and eating locust—not someone who conformed to society’s expectations but instead a person who rethought everything, down to his clothing and food choices.

Advent is a good time to rethink everything, or a few things, or maybe just one thing.  Is it time to rethink how many articles of clothing we really need or how much food we waste? Is it time to rethink how our word choices can wound another person? Maybe it’s time to rethink where we spend our time—in front of a screen or face-to-face with real people? Eating in a fancy restaurant or cleaning up after a community meal in the church basement?  Lamenting how far away our children/friends/siblings have moved or arranging to visit them?

Or maybe this is the time to rethink not just our personal choices but society in general. Let’s rethink public transportation, affordable housing, food availability. Let’s rethink structural racism and misogyny. And then let’s clear the way for the kingdom of heaven, which has come near.

Prayer: Dear Lord, we repent. We turn back to you. We rethink everything in the light of your love and grace and forgiveness. Give us strength to rethink everything and then to make the changes that need to be made. Amen.