Sermon preached by Timothy J. Patterson
Thomas Troeger points out that, in the Book of Genesis, in the story of creation, “in the beginning,” God’s creative Word hammered out orderly and clearly defined boundaries: heaven and earth, day and night, land and sea. God’s Word established order over chaos. And creation was generally perceived to be secure and dependable. But here in our Gospel reading on the first Sunday in Advent, in the beginning of a brand new liturgical year, Luke’s apocalyptic vision seems to shift the whole process into reverse. It is like the process of creation, but in reverse. Suddenly, everything solid starts coming loose. It’s like the same movie running backwards. Signs “appear in the sun, the moon, and the stars.” Chaos, that monster of the deep, tamed in Genesis by God’s Word, chaos is now stirring to life again in the “roaring of the seas and in the waves.” The nations are “distressed” and “confused” by this deeply unsettling cosmic commotion. Instead of the order and delight of Genesis, there is now pervasive “fear and foreboding.” Not even the changeless realms above our earthly home are secure, for even “the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” Suddenly, everything solid seems to be coming loose. (Troeger, paraphrase)
Can you relate to the feeling that everything solid seems to be coming loose? I’ll bet that since the near collapse of our entire financial system, some of us can. Indeed, apparently there are quite a few people who are worrying about the world literally coming to an end in the year 2012. Bummer, Gail Collins says, I thought we’d gotten over all that with the Y2K thing in 2000. Apparently not. The question of whether the End of Time will arrive during the holiday shopping season three years hence is already the subject of a veritable library of books. I understand there are now almost 600,000 web sites specifically devoted to worrying about all this. As Collins suggests, all this anxiety seems to be the fault of the ancient Mayan calendar, the prophecies of Nostradamus, angst on the left about global warming and angst on the right about the election of Barack Obama. Or the health care bill. Or government bailouts. Or the repositioning of “In God We Trust” on the nation’s coinage.(1)
Whatever the causes, there seems to be an unusually high level of apocalyptic anxiety free-floating through the human psyche right now. Hollywood is unleashing a whole raft of movies about humanity teetering on the edge of extinction. Coming soon to a theater near you are: “The Road,” in which the actor Viggo Mortensen struggles across a desolate landscape after a mysterious cataclysmic event; and “The Book of Eli,” in which Denzel Washington guards a book that could save post-apocalyptic humanity from the evil Gary Oldman. And currently showing in theaters is the movie “2012.” Some of you may have seen it. In “2012," a G-8 Summit convenes to discuss the fact that “the world as we know it will soon come to an end.” The characters in this film who are best prepared for the planetary calamity are the ones who had been consulting the ancient Mayan calendar, which runs through a little more than five thousand years and then suddenly comes to a screeching halt on December 21, 2012. Now, some believe that for the Mayans, this was just the end of one cycle, like completing a really long year, and that if they’d been able to hang around for a few more centuries they’d simply have issued the new, post-2012 edition of this calendar, mapping out the next long cycle of the human journey. But others see far more dire forces at work - and prophesy complete doom and destruction - the end of the world. In the film “2012,” the very crust of the earth starts lurching and bouncing around like Tom DeLay in that cha-cha competition on “Dancing with the Stars,” which may, in fact, be a sign of the end of the world.(1)
Personally, I am kind of in the middle. As I have said many times before, I really do believe that, in this generation, we are living on a hinge of history - a significant turning point in the evolution of human consciousness the likes of which we have not seen in, coincidentally, something like 5,000 years. That we are currently facing a constellation and convergence of problems that, in the words of Albert Einstein, cannot be solved by the same level of consciousness that created them. And that, collectively, the human species will either heed the spiritual teachings of the world’s great religions, make that shift of consciousness and actualize the higher capacities of our human nature, or we will indeed be facing a very bleak and increasingly treacherous future. I really do believe that - and I believe that basic framework is consistent with the witness of Scripture. However, I am not willing to put all my money on a specific date - like December 21, 2012. Now, if it does turn out to be December 21, three years from now, the good news for me would be: one less Christmas sermon to write. The bad news would be that, knowing me, I would hedge my bets and write it anyway - whether I got to preach it or not. Plus, of course, the end of the world.
You see, the problem with making definitive claims and assigning specific dates for the end of the age is that, from the time of Jesus down through the centuries, in every generation there have been Christians who thought that they were seeing in eclipses or comets or raging storms or earthquakes or wars or severe international problems, the very signs of which Jesus spoke. And, as it turns out, they have all been wrong. They have all been wrong in interpreting such things as the definitive signs of the Lord’s final coming. It is not wrong, however, to reflect and wonder about the meaning of events and to see in them signs of the Lord’s present Advent - God’s coming into the present moment of our experience. Because, between his first coming in Bethlehem and his final coming in glory at the end of history, he is continually coming into our world and into our lives in ways both large and small.(2) And apparently he comes most vividly in times of instability, turmoil and transition, such as Jesus was living in then, such as we are living in right now.
Now, when it seems like everything solid is coming loose, what is the most natural and predictable human reaction? Anxiety and worry. Fear and foreboding as the Scripture says. And we certainly see a lot of that kind of negative energy - the energies of anxiety, fear, political paranoia, anger and blame swirling around in our world today. But how different is the response that Jesus urges upon those who would follow him. Stay awake, alert and aware, he says in such times of turmoil and transition. And, “when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” What an astonishing word of faith - faith that whatever the future may hold, our future is safely in the hands of God. Jesus calls his faithful followers to respond not with anxiety but with hope, for, whenever it does occur, the coming of the Son of Man in glory will bring salvation to the whole earth. In Jesus’ vision, the cosmic order will indeed convulse at his return, but these signs are convulsions leading to a new birth. A new order, a new creation under the complete rule of God will emerge. It will, indeed, one day come, this is the promise of scripture. And thus, for followers of Jesus, the end of the age is not to be viewed as a catastrophe of terrible doom - but as the fulfillment of God’s purpose - the world’s liberation from evil, the healing of human suffering, the reign of compassion and peace in the kingdom of God, and the restoration of the entire cosmos.
Yes, we are currently living in a time of instability, turmoil and transition. Is this just another moment in history, leading us into the next chapter of our human journey on earth? Probably so. Could this be, as some believe,“the end of the world as we know it”? Probably not. But, the truth is, we really do not and cannot know. According to Jesus himself, no one can know the day or the hour. But, however you or I might read “the signs of the times” - whatever is going on in our in our life and in our world today, the message of Scripture, the message of our faith remains the same. Be prepared, watch, wait, stay alert, stay awake and aware enough to recognize and trust God’s presence in whatever is unfolding. The message of Scripture is this: do not allow yourself to get sucked into the downward spiral. This is the Word of the Lord - at least my translation. Do not get sucked into the downward spiral of fear and foreboding, anxiety and blame. Instead, anchor your life in faith. Anchor your heart in your faith. And faith projected against the horizon of the future is called hope. And hope is what Advent is all about. Whatever the future may bring, our future is in God’s hands. And so, according to Jesus, even and especially times of instability, turmoil and transition, such times are to be seen as a sign, like green leaves on the fig tree, a sign that the Kingdom of God is near. And recognizing the signs of God’s light even in the darkness is what this season of Advent is all about.
So, I would like to briefly commend to you three practices for this Advent season. Three spiritual practices to help us stay awake and spiritually alert during a time when for a whole host of reasons, we may feel pulled this way and that. Three practices to help us to stay present - and to recognize the signs of God’s light even in the darkness.
First is the Practice of Gratitude - on a daily basis, because gratitude awakens the heart like nothing else. And so, the Practice of Gratitude is the doorway to “present joy.” We have just celebrated Thanksgiving - truly one of my favorite holidays, so simple and true. But, you know, like a lot of preachers, I used to stress the contrast between the sacred and secular calendars. Now, I am increasingly seeing how they can complement one another. The difference is that, for Christians, for us, Thanksgiving is not over. It’s not enough just to say a prayer, eat a big meal and then go back to sleep. Thanksgiving is just the beginning - a prelude to Advent, which is a season of spiritual practice to awaken our hearts so we will be truly ready to receive the ultimate gift of Divine Love Incarnate at Christmas. And gratitude is a practice that awakens the heart. As one preacher put it: “It comes so soon after our Thanksgiving, Advent does. For me, over the years, the two occasions have become almost one.: Thanksgiving for the goodness of creation and for all the blessings of life. Thanksgiving for the promise of God’s steadfast love and mercy.” And Thanksgiving for the ultimate gift of Divine Love Incarnate in the birth of Christ our Lord. Gratitude is the doorway to present joy. And the simplest way to practice it is what is known as the Daily Examen. It can be done at the table - at the blessing of a meal. Or just pausing at the end of each day, lighting a candle, pausing to give thanks to God for the blessings of this day, what was life-giving today, what was life draining? What gave me joy? What did I learn? What was most important? Families tonight will be making Advent wreaths and given a “Circles of Light” liturgy to practice gratitude together as a family on a daily basis through the season of Advent. And imagine how joyful Christmas will be this year after a season of daily practicing gratitude, which is the doorway to present joy.
The second spiritual practice I would like to recommend for the season of Advent is called “holy waiting.” It is very simple and practical. Because during this season, which for many is the busiest, most crowded and stressful time of year, whether you like it or not, you will indeed find yourself “waiting” for many things. Over the next four weeks, between now and Christmas, I am suggesting that every time you do find yourself waiting - waiting in line at the store or a bank, waiting in the car for the light to change or for traffic to move, waiting on the telephone for a human voice, waiting for the computer to do something more quickly, waiting for someone who is late, waiting for a child you love - whatever you are waiting for, instead of making it a time of frustration, impatience, irritation or stress, use that time as an opportunity to practice the “holy waiting” that Advent is about. You’re going to be there anyway, right? Take a deep breath, let go of your anxious agenda for a moment, be thankful for that moment of waiting, and use it as an opportunity to remember, to be awake, aware, open and present to God. And over these next four weeks, see if those little moments of “holy waiting” don’t become little doorways through which the virtue of patience can come more fully into your life - and little doorways through which the peace of Christ can come more fully into your life during this holy season.
Finally, the third spiritual practice I would like to recommend. First, the practice of gratitude, which is the doorway to present joy. Second, the practice of holy waiting, which is the doorway to patience and peace. Third, the practice of loving now. If you’re going to love someone, do it today, do it this week. Love them now. I’ll never forget the story Will Willimon told about a woman and her husband who came to visit Duke Chapel soon after he became Chaplain there. It was during Advent, a few weeks before Christmas, after the Sunday service, they were walking around, admiring the beautiful stained glass and carvings in that magnificent Chapel. Suddenly her husband slumped to the floor. The woman cried out. The emergency team from Duke Hospital came almost immediately - but not soon enough. Later, the woman said they had just moved here to enjoy an early retirement together. She went in to see the Duke Chapel. She came out a widow. At the funeral service for her beloved husband, the woman gave Willimon a simple message to be delivered, from her, to the congregation. Her message was: “If you’re going to love somebody, do it today.” If you are going to bless someone, do it today. If you are going to thank someone, to let them know that they are special, that their life has touched yours and you are grateful for them, do it today. This is the third practice I am recommending for this Advent season, in the year of our Lord, 2009. If you’re going to love somebody, love now. For now is the doorway to the kingdom of God. And your heart is the doorway to the kingdom of Heaven. Love now.
And so, during this season of Advent, I invite you on a daily basis to practice gratitude, giving thanks to God in all things, to practice patience and peace through “holy waitng” and to love now. Do this, and whatever the future may hold, I believe you will find that the kingdom of God has indeed come near.
1. Adapted, from Gail Collins’ column “Once Again, Into the Apocalypse”
2. J. Harold McKeithen, paraphrase