Advent

December 23, 2022

Scripture:

Hebrews 1:1-4, (5-12)

For to which of the angels did God ever say,
‘You are my Son;
   today I have begotten you’?
Or again,
‘I will be his Father,
   and he will be my Son’?
And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
‘Let all God’s angels worship him.’
Of the angels he says,
‘He makes his angels winds,
   and his servants flames of fire.’
But of the Son he says,
‘Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever,
   and the righteous sceptre is the sceptre of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
   with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.’
And,
‘In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth,
   and the heavens are the work of your hands;
they will perish, but you remain;
   they will all wear out like clothing;
like a cloak you will roll them up,
   and like clothing they will be changed.
But you are the same,
   and your years will never end.’ –Hebrews 1:5-12

As freezing Siberian weather descends on us, we continue to deny climate change occurring all around us whether of human origin or not. I read with trepidation these lines from the above scripture,

‘In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth,
   and the heavens are the work of your hands;
they will perish, but you remain;
   they will all wear out like clothing;
like a cloak you will roll them up,
   and like clothing they will be changed

I suppose it should not bother me since I accept that we humans perish and wear out. We still try to take care of ourselves and live as long and vital life as possible. Many of us have designated the donation of our organs to extend the life of others.  Caring for the earth is part of caring for ourselves.

The poet indicates that while the earth will wear out it will also be changed. My mother never, ever wasted anything. When our clothing wore out to the point it was no longer fit to wear, she carefully examined each garment and found the pieces of cloth that were not worn, clipped them out, and used them to make quilts

God created the earth and all that is on it including humans to flourish and care for one another. We should not take that responsibility lightly as we sojourn with God in the world we know today as we await our future with God.

Prayer: Creator God, open our hearts and mines to finding the ways in which we can care for your creation including each of us. 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.