Advent

November 29, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Isaiah 11:1-10

The wolf shall live with the lamb,
   the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
   and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze,
   their young shall lie down together;
   and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
   and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy
   on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
   as the waters cover the sea.

On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious. –Isaiah 11:6-10

I watched a segment of a TV program recently that showed natural enemy animals living together without harming each other. That phenomenon happened because they had been raised together and had enough food, shelter, and care. I would add love to that list because of the behavior of their caretakers. There is a lesson for us humans in this story. If we humans ensure that all people have enough food, shelter, and care our crime level will dissipate. Making sure that all children grew up in a loving atmosphere and experience love throughout their lives would help too.

I know of a program for the mentally ill homeless that starts the program by placing the persons in a fully furnished apartment supplied with the necessities of life, clothing, food, soap, etc. They provide close, supportive care. It is amazing how the formerly homeless person adapts to having enough and regaining their self-worth, which allows them to respond to treatment. Can you imagine living on the streets, never knowing from where your next meal will come, and being avoided by others as they pass you on the street? Can you imagine moving from that to an apartment of your own with a door that locks, a clean bathroom, and a kitchen fully stocked?

I drove into the Walmart parking lot yesterday. Just as I stopped and opened the door of my car, I heard the noise of a five-alarm fire to my west. The first thought that flew through my mind was, is there a mass shooting going on here? Everything seemed all right so I went about my shopping and there was no problem there. I learned on the news that evening that a fire in the kitchen of a restaurant in a large nearby shopping mall had caused a massive response because of the danger if the fire got out of control at that location. I did not like learning that the fear of mass shootings is now buried in my memory banks. My reaction resulted in the fact that three mass killings had happened in grocery stores across the country in just a few months. It is time we understand that taking care of others is one of our prime directives from Christ and it also protects the innocents caught in the crossfire.

Prayer: Lord, guide us in spreading your love throughout the world to all people so that everyone has enough of everything required for a healthy life.  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.