Advent

November 25, 2022

Scripture Reading: Romans 13:11-14
Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

During the run-up to the election, we were barraged with advertisements that were described as being provided by “dark” money. Ads with mean-spirited pictures wrapped in dark fog seemed to pick a small bit of out-of-context truth and shape it into some force that would purportedly end the world as we know it if we allowed it to prosper through the leadership of a specified candidate. I received between ten to 20 text messages every day asking for donations to support candidates as they try to fight back from the condescending ads. I wondered where they got my phone number. It irks me to know that our government cannot keep track of children who have crossed legally into the US when my personal information was spread helter-skelter among candidates across the country. If we get nothing else done before the next election, we must pass legislation that at least requires the “dark” money donors to be identified.

Paul’s comments above, however, are not targeted at our nation. They are targeted at us. Whether we like it or not our government reflects “We the People.” It is our bigotry, greed, and lust for power that provide the steam for candidates’ ads. We must wake from sleep lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

This week the Oklahoma City Council considered rule changes regarding the homeless people on our streets. The proposal was very detrimental to them. Forty citizens attended that meeting to speak against the measure, which failed. They wore the armor of light.

Prayer: Lord, help us examine ourselves to see if we reflect your love in our civic responsibilities and create clean hearts and right spirits* in us enabling us to shine your light through our communities, our nation, and the world.  Amen.

*Derived from Psalm 51:10

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.