December 3, 2006

Having Eyes to See

by Julianne Stokstad

Today we begin our Advent journey to Bethlehem, to Christmas. For me, it wasn't always like this. Advent was not a part of my life until Bob and I moved to Denmark the year after we were married. Advent was a big part of Danish culture, a happy and bright time of anticipation, parties and light in the long dark winter nights. There were Advent calendars with chocolate and even little presents and Advent wreaths and candles. We both clearly remember going to a picturesque Danish country church one Sunday morning in December and hearing the minister say "Jul er ikke marzipan y legetog." We didn't understand much of the rest, but the tone of voice told it. Now I'm preaching that same message.

In the church, we mark the four Sundays before Christmas as Advent, a time of waiting and preparation. The word Advent means coming or appearance. We are waiting and watching for signs of the appearance of the Divine in human form with the birth of Jesus. But that happened so many centuries ago. If Christmas is to be more than an historical or commercial celebration, then we must watch and wait and expect the appearance of the Divine right here in our lives. Do you believe that could happen? I believe there is a spark of God in each and every person if we have the eyes to see.

Seeing God's presence in our world can be difficult. There is so much pain, so much hate and violence. Our human addiction to revenge and retaliation and war seem endless. We seem to spend much of our collective energy being afraid and protecting ourselves from the others, whoever they are who might harm us.

Our lectionary scripture today, chosen because it is the same one Christian churches all over the world are reading, presents a strong challenge on many levels. Its prophetic vision and apocalyptic language of signs of the coming of "the Son of Man" make many nervous because it sounds like Second Coming language. By Second Coming I refer to the Fundamentalist Christian concept that Jesus will come again to take up the born-again righteous Christians to live forever with him in heaven while the rest of us presumably burn forever in hell. This concept has been popularized particularly in the last ten years in the Left Behind series is based mostly on the Book of Revelation in the New Testament and Daniel in the Hebrew Bible. But this whole theology is not old. It arose in the nineteenth century in England and then spread to the United States. It is bad theology; a theology of despair not hope and I reject it.

I reject it for a number of reasons. Isn't Christmas, the birth of Jesus, the opposite of despair? It is the very birth of hope! All of us can see God's light in the bright eyes and smile of a baby. As the Bible tells us Jesus is God's child and as he grew in Spirit and love, he began to reflect God's healing love and teach others how they too could know God and God's love and healing, even living in terrible times of violence and occupation. Jesus brought hope, not despair to all who received his message.

The parable about the fig tree Jesus told in today's scripture tells us to look carefully in the natural world. There we see cycles, like the repeating pattern of the seasons. There we see relationships and we see how everything is connected. As we watch, we see the unfolding of how all things work together. There we see how nature responds, and can heal given half a chance.

If we look to the early Christian communities, to the letters of Paul and others in the Bible, we learn how they lived, loving and sharing with each other, how they cared for the poor and the prisoners, using love to make the world a better place.

Historically the denominations that made up the UCC were a part of the Social Gospel tradition. The view was that Christ could not come again until we humans rid ourselves of social evils and war by human effort. They applied Christian principles to social problems such as poverty and oppression, working to make the world a better place. In working to help make earth more like the Kingdom of God, they understood that Christ came not to destroy the world, but to bring God's healing.

Jesus promised his followers he would return. Christ will come again is a basic Christian understanding. Today's scripture tells us that. But how will that be? Early Christians waited for his bodily return, but it didn't happen. Some are still waiting for Jesus to come sailing in on a cloud to rescue them. But the Bible describes lots of ways we can experience God coming to us (the Christ)-dreams, visions, other people, in nature. The Gospel of John tells us he is with us already in the form of the Holy Spirit. Do you anticipate that Christ will come again to you this Christmas? Is that your hope as you plan get togethers and buy presents for those you love?

One of my greatest joys is to see scriptural events turning up in lives. Very recently one of our church members had such an experience. She said I could share this with you. As you know, Louise Jones recently has requested prayers for a possible recurrence of cancer. She learned recently that the cancer markers in her blood had gone from 3 or 4 to around 30. Her doctor was concerned enough to send her for a CAT scan. Before the test, Louise was understandably extremely concerned, freaked is a better word. Sometimes her fears rose up like angry dragons consuming her and causing her to shake in distress of what might be.

In her words. "My doctor's secretary called yesterday to say the doctor w/b back Monday. At first I thought that would make a looong four days. Then I was happy because I felt I'd be more in charge by then. Gotta relate this -later in the day, I was at the computer, and took glasses off to rub eyes and fell asleep. I woke suddenly and couldn't read the words on screen, the screen was bright but words were all just streaks- probably fell asleep with palms slightly pressed over eyes. Anyway, I literally screamed, "Oh God, NO!!! Please help my eyes!!! Please help me!!!!! (As a chronic chicken, blindness has always topped my panic list) And the words began to form again- which they probably would have anyway once the pressure lightened. But what it did was immediately put my problem in perspective - as opposed to blindness, I would, if necessary, have many choices and most probably lots of time to seek healing. I felt so relaxed and calm after that. I do believe it was God's message to "Lean not into my own understandings." and the result of all the prayers toward me.

When she emailed this to me, I said, wow, this is exactly what the scripture says. In the most terrible times, when fear overcomes and we have no idea what to do, that is when the peace of Christ --- the "son of Man"---can come bringing us perspective and redemption. Watching for that break-through time, the time when all seems lost, the time when one does not know what to do, that is the time when we are open to God breaking through to us that is what the last part of the scripture is about. Watch with hope and anticipation. Because this can happen to all of us, it is important for us to hear the scripture and see the possibility of God's loving, healing, creation and peace can come into us. And the most remarkable and wonderful thing is that this isn't only for individuals, but also for communities.

The question is how are we going to live? Are we going to live in a theology of despair and fear, hoarding our resources, hiding our very true selves? Are we going to build bigger walls and have more powerful weapons to protect ourselves? Or are we going to live trusting God's promises and live with hope and anticipation of God's very self breaking through in our lives individually and collectively? The early Christians nurtured community. They broke bread together and through that shared not only their worldly possessions but also supported each other in their spiritual seeking.

It is our job now to keeping vigil to watch for signs of Christ's coming to us.

For as a saint said, what does it matter that Jesus was born two thousand years ago, if Jesus doesn't come to us now. I believe each of us can express the Divine in us, as we are enlivened with God's spirit. The same Spirit of God that was in Jesus and that empowered his life and teachings can come to us.

This is the time to watch. Keep your eyes open. You never know when God will break through and do you want to miss it? Amen.