PASTORAL REFLECTIONS (DECEMBER)
 
Within the texts of Advent is a passionate, stormy young man living a minimalist life near a river. His name was Yochannon (Aramaic for ‘John.’). His father, Zechariah, was part of the priestly class; his mother, Elizabeth, too. They must have had high hopes their son would trumpet in the new age of God within the priestly system. Prophecy had long quivered with hope that some day the Lord would forge a new highway for Israel adrift without a compass and suffering from spiritual lethargy. So Zechariah and Elizabeth must have been disappointed when they learned that their son was ranting in the woods in hand-me-down clothes, subsisting on insects and calling temple people a “brood of vipers.”
 
When we read about John in the Advent texts, we may be somewhat dulled. John’s message seems joyless, a wet blanket of doom and gloom. It feels more like Lent! Who cares about the finger pointing, threats and fire and brimstone? After all, it’s Christmas!
A crusty old man in a former parish ranted during Advent on year, “It’s Christmas, Ron, let’s sing the damn Christmas carols!”
 
Advent is a gentle restraint holds off a bit the glitter and glitz. The nostalgia rush will get to me soon enough. I’ll get out my “Polar Express” DVD for the annual misty-eyed viewing the little boy and the Christmas bell. I won’t be thinking of John the Baptist and his moral outrage along the river.
 
Yet, Advent reminds me (as does “Polar Express”) that we’re all “longing” for something. Christmas doesn’t necessarily satisfy that. We put it a way too quickly to remember what we longed for! The quivering hope of Advent asks me: what in me needs to be hollowed out, focused on, sifted and stirred up, shaken loose, challenged, and maybe thrown out? Advent has the ‘cleansing’ appeal of making room for things of the Spirit, thoughts and dreams that matter, hopes to be revisited, relationships needing crisping up, and maybe provoking the thought: what could it mean that Love is a guest in my life this year? That’s a powerful question all year long.
 
Pastor Ron