O Emmanuel, Come!

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Acts of the Apostles, Advent, Christmas, fulfillment, God with us, Jesus Christ, O Come O Come Emanuel, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

One might call the hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” the theme song of Advent since it is sung throughout the season of Advent in almost any Christian Church. Perhaps not everyone knows all seven verses or that the lyrics come from these symbolic titles we have been considering for the past week. Today, however, we are in familiar territory. Many of us know that Emmanuel means “God with us.”

What a concept! What an astounding theological truth! Do we really believe that God is, in fact, in our midst? This is the central Christian message: that God “is not far from any one of us.” It is in Jesus, the Christ who has come and is always coming to us, that “we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:16-34) He does not come with fanfare and there is often little notice paid, but come he will to us who long for his presence. So let us be prepared.

And let us pray: “Come, the fulfillment of every longing, like the child’s wildest Christmas dream realized. Alert us to your quiet, attune us to your silences, show us your hidden ways. Emmanuel, come!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Zeal Quotient

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Advent, Christmas, faith traditions, holy work, Isaiah, Jesus Christ, light, Nativity, Peace, Prince of Peace, universal love, zeal

The prophet Isaiah has had a lot to say during the season of Advent and today, when Christians celebrate the feast of the Nativity of Jesus the Christ, there are four different possibilities from the Roman Catholic lectionary for reflection on those prophecies. Whether from the vigil Mass, the Mass during the night, at dawn or during the day today, this prolific book of the Hebrew Scriptures is a call to attention, recognition and renewal in God’s love. My favorite is always IS 9:1-6, which speaks of the light seen by the people who have been walking in darkness. I should remember to read it more often for the sheer poetry of it. This morning two things stand out.

1. For a child is born to us…They name him Wonder Counselor…Prince of Peace…I have received news of four new babies recently with names I had never or rarely heard before. I have saved the texts with pictures of these wise-looking beings shining out from my phone. I look at and share them often to the delight of everyone. They are unspoiled as yet by this world’s dangers and woes and it is my prayer that they will be instruments of peace and love as they grow.
2. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will do this! Zeal is such an active word and although I am reminded by this last line of the quoted text that it is God’s work to bring the peace of Isaiah’s vision, it seems so contagious as to be irrepressible – flowing out to “infect” all those who catch its meaning. Here are some dictionary synonyms for the word zeal: passion, ardor, love, fervor, fire, avidity, devotion, enthusiasm, eagerness, keenness, appetite, relish, gusto, vigor, energy, intensity… How is it possible that those who experience God’s zeal for this world’s ongoing creation would be able to remain indifferent to the ongoing achievement of God’s task?

So on we go. Basking in whatever the celebrations of our faith traditions bring to us during this holiday season, may we be renewed in optimism and hope for our world and confident that we are equal to the task of peace and universal love if we are willing to join with all others in this holy and essential work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deeper Joy

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Christ, God, Gospel of John, Jesu, Jesus Christ, John, John the Evangelist, New Testament, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, word of life

The three New Testament letters attributed to John the Evangelist reflect the perspective of John’s gospel, giving us a picture of Christ as the Eternal Word of God, spoken for our benefit. These later writings have nothing in them of the poor conditions of the birth of Jesus about which we have been talking and singing these past days. Actually, there is no birth narrative at all. John is inspired by Greek philosophy and speaks more of the divine nature than the humanity of Jesus. And yet, this morning in the beginning of John’s first letter we read a profound testimony to the kindness of our God who came to us in human form. I suggest it as a text for today as we allow our senses of hearing, sight and touch to speak to us of God.

Beloved, what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life – for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible to us. What we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.