Waiting for the Light to Shine

 Waiting for the Light to Shine

Psalm 80, selected verses; Luke 1:67-79

A meditation delivered electronically by Rev. Dr. Randy K. Hammer - Nov. 29, 2020            

Who of us has not longed for a better day?  Who of us has not hoped that things would get better?  Who of us has not waited in anticipation for things to turn around?  Who of us has not strained to see light at the end of a dark tunnel of life?

For centuries, the Jewish people longed and hoped and waited for God – through a deliverer – to come and save them from the oppression, injustices, and indignities that plagued them.  The times often grew very dark and seemingly hope-less.  More than once their little nation had been overrun by foreign powers much stronger than they.  More than once they had seen their religious center and religious practices desecrated.  More than once they had been forced to bow down to a world power that exacted tribute from them.  More than once they had seen their sons killed in the streets for rising up in protest against their oppressors.  They longed, hoped, waited, and strained to see the light of God’s favor shine down upon them.

And so, we see in Psalm 80 that was read the plea to God, “come and save us” (80:2).  And three times in the psalm we find the petition, “make your face shine on us” (3,7,19).  Translated that phrase means, “show your mercy and kindness” or “be kind and gracious to us.”

Yes, during dark times, God’s people have longed and waited, hoped and strained to see God’s favor, mercy, and kindness shining down upon them.

Such was the situation in the first-century BCE before Jesus was born.  The Jewish people found themselves in the dark shadow of the oppressive mighty Roman Empire.  They longed, prayed, hoped, and anticipated one who God would send to deliver them.

So, as Christians prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, it is not surprising then that the cycle of the Church liturgical calendar begins in the spirit of longing, waiting, and hope.  And in the passage read from Luke, we hear Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, echoing the ancient longing of his people for the light of God’s mercy to shine upon those living in darkness.

In one sense of the term, the season of Advent might be compared to the time of pregnancy prior to the birth.  It is a time of longing, waiting, hoping, and anticipation. Advent holds out to us the promise of joy, but it a joy that is not yet, a joy that is tempered with restraint, the reality that joy is still in the making.

 Advent is the season that acknowledges that all is not right with the world, but bids us to long, hope, and look ahead when things will be more what they should be: when oppressions will cease, justice will prevail, and peace will reign in our streets and wider world.

Advent is the season that acknowledges the darkness of our world, but in hope bids us to strain to see the light of the dawn of a better day.

Advent is the season that holds out love as the gold standard to work toward, but reminds us that we are not yet there.

And so, such is why we begin the season of Advent with the somber hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” whose words include:

O come, thou Day-spring, come and cheer Our spirits by thine advent here;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

O come, Desire of nations, bind All peoples in one heart and mind;

Bid envy, strife and quarrels cease; Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.

You know where we find ourselves today – immersed in darkness all around us, in different ways.  As much as we would like for it to be so, all is not right with our world.  Peace does not reign.  Love is far from perfect.  Joy is not complete.  But Advent is the season that bids us to hope and commit ourselves to work for greater peace, love, and joy in our lives, our community, and our wider world. 

As Norman Cousins reminds us, “The capacity for hope is the most significant fact in life.”  We can live without a lot of things in life.  But one thing it is almost impossible to live without is hope.  And sometimes hope is the last thing people have to hold onto in life.

But hope is also something that is best held in common with others.  Hope is the strongest when we join with others and hope together, in beloved community.  That’s the way it was the Jewish people of old; that’s the way it is with us who are connected in the beloved community of this United Church. 

And so, today we together commence the season when we hope, we long, we wait, we anticipate, we work for, and we watch for God’s Light to shine upon us.  Amen.