Friday, December 31, 2021

People of Promise, Hope, Light



Birthed in a stable, 
the mark of humility. 

Revealed first to shepherds, 
no hint of hierarchy. 

Yet extraordinary! 

God comes before us 
as an infant, 
that we would be 
people of promise, 
people of hope. 


Born beneath a star 
that we would be 
His wayfinders, 
God’s people of light. 


In a New Year
as our world groans 
for God’s restoration, 
how will this wayfinder 
humbly carry the promise, 
the hope, the light? 

Amen.

Artwork credits: top, middle, bottom

Saturday, December 18, 2021

Peace, Good Will Toward Men


“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” 
(Luke 2:14 KJV) 


Can I help to transform that proclamation of Jesus’ birth into reality? How can I live it? Isaiah 2 was in my Advent reading with this most famous prophecy about peace on earth: 

They will beat their swords into plowshares
    
and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation will not take up sword against nation,
    
nor will they train for war anymore. 

Again, how do we make that our reality? How do we live that? We pray! 


Lord Christ, 

Isaiah is disturbing my holiday card Advent with God’s ideal, God’s path. It’s jarring, challenging.

Something to ponder about the last days, where Jesus leads us. 

It will be universal, inclusive: All nations. Many peoples. 

It will be free of coercion and conflict: Swords are converted to plows, spears become pruning tools, repurposed for cultivation and growth. 

Today, I declare a cease fire in the culture war. I pledge to disarm my social media. And I pray that we will lay down our weapons - figuratively, literally. 

Let us walk in the light of the Lord. 

Amen.