SATURDAY Isa 42:1-4
• “He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” Does the way God goes about changing our broken world ever feel too slow or weak to you? Do you wonder at times why God doesn’t simply write the divine laws in the clouds, or send a plague to wipe out all human traffickers or predatory loan sharks? In what quiet, loving, and effective ways can you join in God’s movement to transform our world for the better?
Today’s reflection by Chris Bishop
As we read today’s scripture we hear yet again about the suffering servant that will come to bring restoration and justice to the land. It is an easy thing to picture the sweet baby Jesus bringing about this kind of peaceful change. But the image becomes harder to tolerate as we fast forward and are reminded of the brutal and humiliating cross that is in the Christ child’s future. Jesus even restores the ear of the man who has been tasked with arresting him after peter raises a sword and cuts it off. It is a counter cultural way of bringing about change, but I find my self thinking, “God, can we pick up the pace just a little bit?” There are times where waiting on God feels like getting in the slow checkout line at the grocery (will the ice cream melt even before your get out of the store…)
It would be easier to wave a magic wand and make things all better, but that would do funny things to our understanding of free will. Yes there could be a war, but a war for peace (real peace) doesn’t seem to add up. And so we wait on God, on the coming of the Christ child, to slowly work on our hearts. Turing them from calloused and hard to tender and full of grace. During this advent season I am trying to bring about this transformation to remember to take time and listen to what those around me are really saying. I am trying to intentionally listen so that I might faithfully respond.
How are you joining in the transformation?