Micah 7:1-7 (CEB)
I don't know if we know how to lament properly. We have lots of examples of it in the Bible, but it is almost as if we ignore the art of lamenting in our daily life. Sometimes, its just good to let it out, before we run out of rose colored glasses and slip into full on despair. For instance, I can't watch the news these days because it makes me so sad. And sometimes I feel trapped into thinking I have no outlet for that sadness. I am so saddened that this Black Friday broke the record of every previous Black Friday. I am so sad to see people participating in Cyber Monday, a fictitious thing to dupe people into spending more money. I am so sad that friends of mine camped out and went to Wal-Mart, which is the prime example of our country worshiping bigness that is sucking the soul of our smallness. I am sad that our country packed stores to buy things we don't need at the expense of the environment and the poor who truly need our help.
But, like Micah, my lament only starts that way. in 7:1 of the Common English Bible it reads, "I am doomed." It feels that way. That the entire world is falling in and crushing us, and we don't know our escape. And in our sadness, we realize our own complicity in the damage that is being done! But remember, we are lamenting here. Its good to see and say these things. Because in our lament, we finally get to verse 7:7 (CEB) "But me! I will keep watch for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me." When we stare into the darkness of our lament, we are more readily able to see the light shine through. Patagonia does a campaign that says, "Do not buy this jacket." People sit out. We are making our own Christmas gifts, and are finding joy in it.
Lamenting doesn't mean we walk around sad all the time. Lamenting means that we are honest. And if we are also honest about our faith; lament can produce a powerful change of heart.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Watch Out
Yesterday I preached on the Scripture Mark 13: 24-37. This is known as part of the "mini-apocalypse" of Mark, and a Scripture I have avoided for years. Because I've always been afraid of the apocalypse and what it might mean. I know there are some out there who embrace it wholeheartedly, but I'm not one of them. I've been told we should wait expectantly for Christ to return and all things will pass away, but I'm having a pretty good time watching my kids grow, and I really want to coach their soccer teams, and I want more time with those I love. So I struggle. Yes, I want Christ to return and make all of the pain and tears to go away, but I don't want life to end.
So as I was reading in Mark, it began to make sense. The metaphor Jesus uses is the fig tree budding. That is a sign of new life, not a sign that is normally associated with the apocalypse. And I love signs of new life. If it is someone learning and their mind becoming active, that is a sign of new life. Green grass poking through. Its one reason why the season of spring is so appealing, because new life is all around us.
But here in Advent, that is hard to find. As people pepper-spray one another to get the best deals at Wal-Mart, everyone's anxiety level and blood pressure rise with the coming of the Christmas season. Politics are heating up and will only become more vicious. Where are the signs of new life?
There is a reason Christmas is in winter. Because it is dark in winter, and the light of the world is coming. If there is already light everywhere, a new light doesn't make that much of a difference. It would be like if you turned on a flashlight outside during the day, it wouldn't help you see any better. But that is exactly what Christ is, a light. And a light shines brightest in the darkest places. Our darkness of despair was so tremendous. Kind of like the darkness and deadness of winter. But Christ breaks through. And there are still more dark places in the world, and Christ's light will break through there too.
In the CEB, verse 33 in chapter 13 of Mark says, "Watch Out! Stay Alert!" This isn't a call for vigilance, it is a call to keep your eyes open for the light of the world to shine in the darkest corners. You may be the one that carries that light there. You may be the one who notices. But all of our lives should point to the signs of new life, and say, Come, Lord Jesus, Come. Bring your light, because sometimes we can barely see.
So as I was reading in Mark, it began to make sense. The metaphor Jesus uses is the fig tree budding. That is a sign of new life, not a sign that is normally associated with the apocalypse. And I love signs of new life. If it is someone learning and their mind becoming active, that is a sign of new life. Green grass poking through. Its one reason why the season of spring is so appealing, because new life is all around us.
But here in Advent, that is hard to find. As people pepper-spray one another to get the best deals at Wal-Mart, everyone's anxiety level and blood pressure rise with the coming of the Christmas season. Politics are heating up and will only become more vicious. Where are the signs of new life?
There is a reason Christmas is in winter. Because it is dark in winter, and the light of the world is coming. If there is already light everywhere, a new light doesn't make that much of a difference. It would be like if you turned on a flashlight outside during the day, it wouldn't help you see any better. But that is exactly what Christ is, a light. And a light shines brightest in the darkest places. Our darkness of despair was so tremendous. Kind of like the darkness and deadness of winter. But Christ breaks through. And there are still more dark places in the world, and Christ's light will break through there too.
In the CEB, verse 33 in chapter 13 of Mark says, "Watch Out! Stay Alert!" This isn't a call for vigilance, it is a call to keep your eyes open for the light of the world to shine in the darkest corners. You may be the one that carries that light there. You may be the one who notices. But all of our lives should point to the signs of new life, and say, Come, Lord Jesus, Come. Bring your light, because sometimes we can barely see.
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