The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
Many peoples shall come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
— Isaiah 2:1-4
I remember so many Christmas Eve/Christmas mornings, tossing and turning until 7:00am finally arrived. I was so excited, and yet, I had to wait. To be fair, mostly it was the anticipation of new toys, even as I knew there were so many I already had. When my kids were little, the anticipation was different. I wanted to see the glow on their faces, the joy and energy. Still, I had to wait. Waiting is hard.
These days, I feel that sense of waiting differently still. Sure, I am waiting for Christmas morning — did I mention we have the cutest little girl to see this year? Even so, as much as anything, I am waiting for these vaccines to start. We feel so close, and yet, so far from the end of this long journey. Waiting is hard.
In so many ways, Advent is about waiting. Not for Christmas morning, not even for a vaccine. Instead, this is our time of waiting for the dream of God to come to fulfillment. Recently, I came across this video. The song is entitled, “One Day.” It is a mass “choir” of people from the Middle East; Muslims, Jews, and Christians, singing in English, Hebrew, and Aramaic. For me it embodies this longing in our souls for what can be. I offer it today, at the beginning this Advent waiting. I hope it fills you with the hope and longing of the gospel.
God of hope and promise, you have set in our hearts the dream of life. Grant that our hearts may beat with the rhythm of your Spirit and that we may step confidently toward your possibilities. In the name of Christ, who brings all hopes to life. Amen. Pastor Tom Greener