Advent
December 2, 2020
Scripture Reading:
Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
Lord, you were favorable to your land;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people;
you pardoned all their sin.
Selah
Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people,
to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.
Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
and righteousness will look down from the sky.
The Lord will give what is good,
and our land will yield its increase.
Righteousness will go before him,
and will make a path for his steps.
Why is it so hard to do what is right? Why do we define what is right only as it applies to what is advantageous to self? I love that phrase righteousness and peace will kiss each other. God’s righteousness is the cornerstone of our way of being. God’s righteousness entails steadfast love and faithfulness. God’s righteousness demands that our righteousness considers the wellbeing of others.
We have learned a lot about ourselves amid responding to the COVID pandemic. We do consider ourselves to be privileged people. As a result, we ended up having the worst outcomes of the pandemic than any other industrialized nation in the world. I shall never forget almost 40 years ago when my boss, whom I highly respected, was diagnosed with HIV. It was the early years of that epidemic, and such a diagnosis was often a death sentence. Indeed, it was for him. As we prepared for his return to work and were concerned about staff responses, we held staff meetings where medical professionals explained how the disease was spread and that we were not in danger. I spoke to every one of my staff afterward. To a person except for one, the response was the same. They all were only concerned about the one who was sick, and many mentioned praying for him. The one exception informed me that the medical staff did not know what they were saying. That HIV could be carried through the air. I asked her how I could help her feel more comfortable about his returning if she feared she would catch the disease. And she responded that she was the apple of God’s eye. God was protecting her from HIV. It was the rest of us that needed to worry. I said OK, and she left my office. That conversation left a lasting impression on me. All God’s children are the apple of his eye, and our faithfulness to God is drawn from his unconditional love, which we are called to emulate.
Prayer: God, forgive us when we drift away from your love to the extent that we do not love one another as you would have us to love. Amen.
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.