HOMILY – 2^ND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

FURMAN UNIVERSITY – 8:30PM

GREENVILLE, SC – DECEMBER 10, 2006

May the Lord for whom we wait give us His peace.

Time away, in prison, politics.

Time away.  The Jews in exile from Jerusalem hear that the exile is now over.  The prophet Baruch announces, “Up Jerusalem…God will bring them back to you.”  The People believed their sins had caused the flight from their homeland and the coming of the Babylonians who took their city.  They fled half driven, half convinced that they deserved it.  Formerly guilty of sin, now, with hearts refined, tuned to the things of God, they are ready to return to the holy city.

You and I may be in exile too.  An exile we make happen and feel we deserve.  Sometimes life gets so tiring, so disappointing that we fall, we snap at people, we actually trump people, but out of fear and anger.  We too may be exiled, getting further and further away from friendships, family. 

Hear this new and eternal Jerusalem (that’s you) “Take off your robe of penance and mourning.  Put on the splendor of God.  See your children gathered from the East and the West.”  These “children” could be the thoughts we once had, the time we took, dreams that were more noble, more hopeful.  See them come back.

Perhaps the exile we need is a retreat.  Maybe just an afternoon, a day to stop and welcome your truer self back, that you we all miss.  Then, time away, exile is over.

In prison.  Paul writes these beautiful words from jail.  I would write, “Get me outta here!  Can you send me some candy, magazines, a file?”  Not Paul.  He writes, “I pray always with joy in my every prayer for all of you.  May your love increase.”

Paul is a piece of work.  Now that he has a personal experience of Jesus, all he wants is that we might come to know Him too.  He literally doesn’t care a thing about himself.   He is the apostle to the non-religious people, in jail for it, and loving through it all.

Politics.  Tiberius Caesar reigning, Pilate as governor, Herod, Lysanias and Phillip Tetrarchs, Annas and Ciaphas high priests,….. and the Word of God comes to John instead.  The whole Roman world, everyone in power listed, and yet unlisted.

Why does God avoid the power schemes?  Why does Luke show this contrast?

It seems that every lofty mountain will be made low, age-old depths filled to level ground so that the justice of God will prevail.  And what is that justice?  That people do right, act justly, and walk humbly with God.  Perhaps there was a small chance of that justice coming from the positioned and powerful of that day.

And today?  Where is virtue found?  The custodian of the residence hall who returns money found while sweeping, the cashier at Family Dollar who says, “You gave me too much,” and in the teacher who accepts half of what she deserves in pay because she “believes in the children” and in the nurse who handles bed pans. 

We exiles hear God say, “Come nearer, come home.”  We listen and watch for an Advent voice crying out on the wilderness, it may not be from power except the power of truth.  We pray for our leaders and assist them best by lives of virtue. 

Like a sweeper, a cashier, a teacher or a nurse we are in this for love,

preparing the way of the Lord by passionate principle and personal presentation.