Signs signs, everywhere signs[1]
. . .
How do you know if the weather will be
calm or stormy when you’re at sea?
My Navy veteran Daddy taught me this sign: “Red sky in the morning, sailor take
warning, red sky at night, sailor’s delight.”
How do you know if that pretty-colored
snake is poisonous?
A friend at my 1st job taught me this
sign: “Red on yellow kills a
fella. Red on black, venom lack.”
So above is the poisonous coral snake, but below is the non-poisonous King snake.
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkb2OCvJ4GGXkuOc7weRUsHAkzqfX6vqWfcY33DAN2HfOFCbeV2zIlzcDRMsWquMIB3Iy3_pi7K9w2i1XALr6SS8utETEZKDF2L_zvotRYIqSEzdQDN47Py_Bs3mWGU3H6mLD5JZx9RWw/s1600/3075709444_cd72e1c2b8.jpg
How do you know if we’ve experienced our
last freeze? When we were living in central Texas, Kevin taught me this sign: When the pecan trees begin to bud,
there will be no more freezes.
Signs,
signs, everywhere signs. . . Today’s gospel reading takes place amidst a
discussion between Jesus and the group gathered around him. Traveling from Galilee, he’s finally
arrived in Jerusalem and like all pious Jews, he has made his way to the temple. Walking among the columns in the inner
courtyard, Jesus says, “These columns will someday be torn down.” What? The temple, the sign of God’s presence among the Jews, will
be destroyed . . . again? Using
apocalyptic language, Jesus connects the temple destruction with the coming of
the Son of Man—God’s anointed. For
the Jews in Jesus’ day, the temple symbolized the abiding presence of the Holy
One of Israel. But in his life,
Jesus demonstrated God’s abiding presence in his ministry of healing, feeding,
teaching, and welcoming. The old
symbol of God’s presence—the temple building—will be torn down. The new symbol of God’s presence will
continue in the ministry of Jesus’ disciples and later in the ministry of the
church birthed by the Holy Spirit. The new temples of God will be humans filled
with the love of Christ empowered by the Holy spirit. Dots of light in the darkness, shining beacons of hope,
Christ’s followers, Christ’s church will be evidence of God’s presence. Christ’s followers, Christ’s church
will be agents of God’s reign breaking in to the here and now.
Jesus
tells his followers that when the Son of Man comes in all his glory, God’s
presence will be fully realized. The
Son of Man, this righteous branch, will establish, over all the earth, God’s justice—not Caesar’s justice—a system
of oppression. The Son of Man will
come in all his glory and usher in a rule of God’s righteousness—not Caesar’s rule, a rule of domination.
How will we know? The disciples ask. And Jesus replies—look for the signs.
In
the season of Advent, we look for signs.
We watch and wait for the comings of Christ—Christ the newborn, Christ
the human one, Christ the one whose life is a blueprint for being God’s agent
of love and reconciliation. In the
season of Advent, we watch and wait for the comings of Christ—Christ the King
who will rule over all of God’s creation with justice and righteousness for everyone.
In
the season of Advent, watching and waiting for the comings of Christ, we look
for signs of God’s reign. While we
anticipate the future—God’s once and for all victory over any forces of evil,
over all systems of oppression, and over anything that destroys, we focus on
the here and now. We look for
signs of God’s love and grace overcoming sickness, separation, and sorrow in
the present. We look for signs of
Emmanuel—God with us.
Perhaps
we can prepare ourselves to see these signs if we spend some time each day
reading, reflecting, praying together—focusing on God’s love made real to us
through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. Perhaps our families with children
could use the All Paths Lead to Bethlehem[2]
book I shared with you last year, re-reading it with your children—a page a
day.
Perhaps adults, couples, families without
children at home, might use another Advent devotional to guide our anticipation
of the comings of Christ. I have
several of these[3] to share.
I
have already seen signs of Emmanuel—God with us. Late afternoon—the Friday after Thanksgiving, I was greeted
at the east door of Walmart by LuAnne and her 3 grandchildren. With big smiles, warm voices, and eager
ringing, they were participating in God’s reign of justice breaking in to the
here and now. They were inviting
all of us coming into and going out of Walmart to give to the Salvation Army—to
help shelter people who are homeless.
I couldn’t help but think of the others from this congregation who already
had and who will be ringing that same bell.
I
have already seen signs of Emmanuel—God with us. Look at our mitten tree—decorated
with hats and scarves, gloves and mittens and socks. You are participating in God’s reign of righteousness
breaking in to the here and now—warming those who are cold.
I
have already seen signs of Emmanuel—God with us. Our elementary Sunday School class has adopted 2 angels from
Cops for Tots. They are planning
to be part of God’s reign of love breaking in to the here and now as they
provide Christmas gifts to 2 children and youth.
In
this season of Advent, may we watch and wait, prayerfully preparing ourselves
for the comings of Christ. In this
season of Advent, may we not only look
for signs of Emmanuel—God with us—but may we also be signs of God’s reign breaking in to the here and now. May we provide
food, clothing, & shelter; may we offer healing; may we ask for and extend
forgiveness; may we work for peace and justice. May we be signs of God’s
promise fulfilled. May we remember
that as temples of God, wherever we go, God’s presence goes with us.
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