Sunday December 5, 2004AD
Second Sunday of Advent
Snap Out of It
John the Baptist’s relevance is now more timely than ever. He was a strange figure, but he knew what God wanted to said – and he tried to say it.
Basically, he challenged the people to snap out of it, to wake up and smell the coffee and to get the lead out, when necessary. He saw that the world has tuned out the Presence of the Transcendent in their lives.
The interesting item that bible scholars have noticed from the beginning is that it was the people who bothered to go out into the wilderness to listen to the eccentric prophet that he called, “the brood of vipers”, but, at least, they bothered to go to listen.
Not so long ago, someone said that when Jesus spoke His parable of the guests invited to the wedding banquet, all the excuses that were offered by those declining the invite sound perfectly normal and typical. One man bought a field, another, some oxen, another was on his honeymoon. Yet, the Host of the banquet was annoyed because sometimes, legitimate excuses can get get in the way of what one needs to do. It is a temptation to which many of us succumb. Our lives become self-absorbed and we lose sight of what is ultimately most important. Our lives become so goal-oriented (legitimate goals) that we lost sense of priorities. Sometimes, we indulge a senseless sense of urgency that we lose sight of what is truly important.
Isaiah speaks of a king (in David’s dynasty) who would live with the “fear of the Lord.” (Again, the prophet is not speaking about terror of the Lord, but awe of the Lord, viz., that God’s Centrality in reality be recognized and acknowledged by the way people lived.) The Davidic dynasty, by and large, was a disappointment. Still, the prophet’s Words were seen fulfilled in Another descendent of David, one Jesus of Nazareth. Through His Incarnation and His death and Resurrection, we share in the Gift of the Fear of the Lord. Followers of Christ Jesus believe that since God is everywhere now, and we are somewhere now, then, God is in us now and we are in God now. (Think about it!!) Awesome, isn’t it?
Our realization of the Divine Presence within us makes every moment an Advent moment. God is as near as our realization that God is already here in the deepest part of our being. In a sense, every day, is an Advent day. Jesus wants us to live faithfully, expectantly, patiently and longingly for the Coming of God (already Present, although when we do, God comes again.
People get caught up in culture and lose sight of what is important. For many, their jobs (if they are secure enough within them) and the media (which never fails to de-construct family and church) are taken seriously.
