After a long break from writing a message, I start with a lament for some of the tragic events last weekend. I lament the incident in Raleigh Christmas Parade where an 11-year-old girl was killed. I also lament the deathly Colorado Springs Shooting in which 5 people were killed. I pray for the families and the communities affected by these incidents that they may experience comfort and strength as they mourn these losses. Finally, I lament that a 22-year-old man had so much hatred in his heart that he felt led to kill and hurt so many people.
Acts of violence are symptoms of a hurting world in need of God’s hope. Our world needs signs of hope, and as the body of Christ, we are called to be those signs for the world. We cannot afford to waste time in theological disagreements that often lead us to judge and hurt one another. We are not judges (thanks be to God); we should not spend our time trying to figure out who is in and who is out and imposing our convictions on one another.
I choose love instead of hatred. I choose grace instead of judgement. I choose inclusion instead of exclusion. I choose a table that gets bigger instead of shorter. Advent is a season that reminds us that in Christ, there is always new beginnings. Advent is a season to pause, reset ourselves, and renew our faith in Christ. The renewal comes when we let the redeeming power of Jesus work in our lives freely.
Advent is a season to let go of our sinful ways in preparation to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the world’s savior. Advent is a season to challenge ourselves and grow in our capacity to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. What makes you uncomfortable? What if these uncomfortable places are opportunities to experience renewal?
Advent is a season to grow in our love and knowledge of God. I am convinced that as we push ourselves to learn more from the diversity of God’s creation is when we experience significant growth and transformation in our walk with Jesus.
Therefore, as you adopt an Advent posture, I invite you to look at the diverse beauty of God’s creation and ask yourselves what you can learn from it? This Advent, go and worship at another Church where you might be the minority, where they don’t speak the language you speak. Go and eat food you have never tried before. Read an article or a book from minoritized voices. Invite minoritized voices to preach or teach at your church. Let God surprise you again with the gift of finding Jesus in the most unexpected places.
O God who has created the great biodiversity of life, we celebrate that you have made all things well. You created life to weave together in harmonic symbiosis and called it good. Though we are created in your image, we repent that we humans have often rebelled against your design. We have caused species to go extinct. We do not love and care for human life as we ought.
May the power of the Spirit fill us to respect, care for, and nurture all life to thrive. May we see an end to harm as we come into alignment with your will. May we love and cherish all life forms, including people celebrating enthusiastically the diversity of skin colors, ethnicities, sexual expressions, ability, and neurodiversity. Where we see another in pain, may we come alongside and help ease the pain. May we be just, merciful, and humble like Jesus. Amen. Written by Rev. Sung Moy. Used with permission
