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| Icon of John the Baptist |
A message inspired by Isaiah 40 and Mark 1 (lectionary readings for Sunday, Advent 2, December 7, 2014).
A voice cries out.
Prepare yourselves. God’s arrival
is imminent, near. God is about to
invade the earth. His invasion will
change everything. God’s coming will
surprise us, even though it is coming in the nick of time, at the right time,
when needed the most, when the crisis is at its most serious. Today we hear from two prophets. The prophets’ voices announce that the day
has come. Because the prophet has a
divine Word, pointing us to God’s activity among us and for us. The prophet is not a predictor. We are interpreters. We tell the truth when people have abandoned
faith and hope and taken matters into their own hands. After a long wait, a period of silence, several
generations in exile and captivity---God comes to rescue and liberate and
redeem Israel. This is the story we hear
in Advent. From Isaiah to John, the
fulfillment of hope in a divine promise begins…
Today is Pearl Harbor day—a date which will live in
infamy. 73 years ago today, Japanese
aircraft attacked the American Navy base on Oahu. From Malaya to Midway Islands, the Pacific
was under a surprise attack by Japan. It
signaled the beginning of U.S. engagement in World War II. 500,000 American soldiers, sailors, pilots,
and Marines died over the next 4 years.
The global political and economic landscape was forever changed. All
told, over 52 million people were killed in the war. From 1946 to 1964, there were a total of 74
million American births. Called the baby
boom. You were born at the end of WWII. You brought the world rock and roll; computers;
Bill Clinton; the Fonz; Elvis; hippies; Coca-Cola;
Mary Tyler Moore; Star Wars; outer space; Oprah; the environmental movement; divorce;
church camps and youth groups; Civil Rights; health care; the cold war;
Vietnam; Steve Jobs and Bill Gates; globalization; The Muppets; feminism;
Levis; I could go on. Post-war boomers
have had a major impact on American life. The last 3 presidents were baby boomers.
I suspect the next one or two could be.
Retiring in droves; raising grandkids; boomers are between ages 50 and
68 years old. They preside over a lot of money and power—most if it really.
They are the me generation. They have accumulated wealth and will eat up
social security. They left church. Found Yoga and yogurt and other things to
do. They are the last generation who
will care about church buildings and organs and stained glass and pews and
hymnals. Because they have witnessed
massive cultural shifts in every aspect of American life. They have participated in change and resisted
it. This last half century has brought tremendous
change and technology we could not have imagined. We fancy ourselves more independent and more
capable than ever before. Masters of our
own domain. Rulers. Problem solvers. We have survived the threat of mutual destruction
by nukes; only to be threatened by terrorists who behead. John the Baptist will
be beheaded because of his voice crying out in the wilderness. We are in the wilderness too. In exile.
Lost. Adrift. Afraid.
We can’t buy our way out of it or fix it. Science and technology will
not save us. Our government and our
military cannot keep us safe and provide for our needs equally and fairly. You know it.
You know we are in crisis on so many levels. Wealthiest nation on earth with hungry
children and the largest prison population.
Race relations and class relations and how we treat aliens and refugees
and immigrants are all in question right now.
Cities are erupting in protests.
A crisis of biblical proportions is occurring and we cannot remain neutral,
uninvolved, and unconcerned. Who dares
to cry out gospel truth in this selfish and frightened and wealthy
generation?
Nearly two hundred years passed between Isaiah
chapter 39 and chapter 40. The first 39
chapters speak to Israel’s poltical and social realities of the 8th century
BC, around 740 BC. Chapter 40 to 55 were
written during the period known as the Babylonian exile. Ancient Jews assembled
these anachonristic writings into a single text called “Isaiah” But, between first Isaiah and 2nd
Isaiah, there was nearly 200 years of divine silence. And the first word, the new word that is
spoken in chapter 40 is “Comfort, comfort my people.” It is a word of promise; Israel has paid for
her sins and will be liberated from captivity, forgiven, and restored. The prophet
interprets current events. And this
chapter tells us about the end of the Babylonian exile. Despite the inconstancy of the people, God is
faithful. Despite their weaknesses and
vulnerability, God is strong and will strengthen them like a shepherd leads the
sheep. Therefore, as they travel along
the God’s homeward highway they are all called to shout out; “Here is your God.” The relationship between God and His sheep is
beginning again. After an age of
suffering. God comes and sets them free.
The prophet announces a new beginning. The beginning of the good news is John the
Baptist. The wilderness prophet. Paying homage to his ancestors. His food and clothing, a reminder that he
belongs to the earth, lives close to the ground, and resembles the prophets of
old—pointing ahead to God’s promised future. He has abandoned the world and its
comforts. He is an ancient-looking
creature with a future-oriented message and a powerful voice. He is sent to enact a journey in the Judean
hills, across the Jordan. His baptism is
about an end to the way of sin and the beginning of the way of life. It is a ritual coming out, a drowning in and
rising up. It is Noah’s ark and Moses’
sea and Joshua entering the promised land by crossing that same river. And yet, John points beyond himself. This is
not John’s religion or John’s gathering.
It is not a personality cult. God
is about to act. To come. To arrive. In
the heart of a man. A leader. A prophet.
A Savior.
The prophets remind us that our voices matter; our
voices are desperately needed in a world that is often silent in the face of
destructive evil and wicked injustices.
Our voices matter when despair threatens to destroy people, communities,
nations. Our voices matter when abuse
and shame and pain and violence and prejudice devour our attention and overwhelm
our senses. Our voices matter when the
truth is drowned out by the noise. Our world
is noisy. What we need is not more
noise. But a voice to cut through it. A
voice that announces the coming of the Christ, the King, the Savior. A voice that says, “You are not alone. I am
with you.” Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in PA is a ministry of our church that recognizes that a Lutheran voice in public debate and conversation is an important voice, because we are not politically one-sided and we are theologically concerned about the poor, the disenfranchised, and the vulnerable. We speak for and with those whose voices are silenced by more powerful voices.
Two 20th century prophets speak to
us: “Silence in the face of evil is
itself evil; God will not hold us guiltless.
Not to speak is to speak. Not to
act is to act.” Bonhoeffer. King, “History
will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social
transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people but the appalling silence
of the good people.” May we lift up our voices and announce, “Here is our God.” He has come to save us. Amen.
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