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2 Advent C
Baruch 5:1-9 Camping Out In A Wadi Our Psalm for today contains one of my favorite prayers: “Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses of the Negev.” (Psalm 126:5) “Negev” simply means “south.” We live in the “Negev” of the United States of America. But if you lived in Israel, “Negev” would take on a whole different connotation. The people who live there think “desert.” The Negev desert takes up most of the southern half of the country of Israel. The Patriarchs - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - tended their flocks and herds there. The Bedouins still tend their flocks there. Annual rainfall in the Negev is between two and twelve inches per year. But when it rains, it pours. Then life is restored and there is plenty of water for everyone – at least for a time. In that area of the world they have watercourses called “wadis” that are dry except for the times that it rains. Then, there is danger of flooding. Carry your own water if you go hiking out there. Don’t camp out in a wadi. You might wake up swimming or floating downstream. Travel advisories for the Negev say that hikers are to register with the nearest police station before traipsing off because “flash floods are likely to happen if it rains.” Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses of the Negev. The people who prayed this prayer were hungry and thirsty for the Day of the Lord to come and make their lives whole again. John the Baptizer was telling his audience that everyone would see God’s salvation, if only they would prepare the way for it. The prophetic voices all agreed that when the “Day of the Lord” came, life on this planet would be restored to its fullness that God intended in the first place. At various times in history, this seems to have happened. When the Jewish people returned from their Babylonian exile in approximately 538 B.C., their joy spilled over into this Psalm. Their public acts of praise gave credit to Almighty God for bringing them back. They had gone out into exile weeping, carrying the seeds of their faith. They had come back with joy. God had smiled on them for sure. If we look closely at our scriptures for today, we will see that the restoration of all things comes to each generation as a work in progress. Yes, I believe that at some future point Jesus Christ will return in power and great glory to judge the living and the dead. But for now, I want to work hand in hand with God so that I may participate in the good work he has begun among us. Paul and Timothy were doing this, and so was John the Baptizer. John was cooperating with God in ushering in the Day of the Lord in his own time, in which the Messiah would truly come among his people. John’s voice has a prophetic echo to it. Notice that he fits the definition of a true prophet, just like the Old Testament prophets. Here is one way you can tell: our text says that “the word of God came to John . . .” Old Testament prophets are frequently described as less than enthusiastic to proclaim God’s word. It is often said of them in scripture that “The word of the Lord happened to . . .” fill in the blank. As some very sad point in the history of Israel, the prophetic voices fell silent. The watercourses went dry. The Prophet Malachi is the last voice we hear from the Old Testament. The people were camping out in a wadi and didn’t even know it. Approximately four hundred years later, John the Baptizer burst onto the scene. The people of Israel were as thirsty and dry as those watercourses with no rain. John proclaimed that repentance for the forgiveness of sins would bring down God’s blessings like rain on a dry wadi. His message about preparing the way of the Lord is reminiscent of Baruch’s message about leveling out the pathway for the returning exiles. This would have been a royal road prepared for kings. John the Baptizer was definitely preparing God’s people to receive their king. They were waiting for the first coming of the Messiah. We are waiting for the second coming of the Messiah. We have been told that his second coming will usher in the end of the age. So here we are two thousand years later still walking around wondering when the end of time will come. Whatever shall we do to fill our days until we see the salvation of God? I have a few suggestions, shamelessly borrowed from “Trinity News” – the magazine from Trinity Church St. Paul’s Chapel on Wall Street in New York. This article, written by seminarian Lindsay Lunnum, is entitled, “Ten things to do while waiting for the second coming.” I will embellish on a few of her suggestions. First, Lunnum says, take a pilgrimage. Figure out what would be a meaningful trip, and prayerfully, intentionally take it. You don’t have to go to the holy land to do this. Your pilgrimage might lead you to your birthplace or to a cathedral you always wanted to visit. Plant a tree. This is one way of doing something that will live beyond your own lifetime. This is also a way to participate in helping God take care of our planet. Tithe. Yes. I said the “T” word. Tithing is an ancient way of honoring God with our substance. It is one way of saying “I love you” to God and showing that we trust him. Join life. Pray and stay in conversation with God and with your fellow human beings. Eat ice cream. It makes you feel better and it helps the Dairy Farmers of America. Sing in the shower and sing in church. Look beyond the soup kitchen to the social ills that cause people to need one. Try to do something about that. If you don’t like the way your city or county is being managed, run for public office and try to make a difference. Reconcile with estranged friends and relatives – this is a give and take situation. Call up someone who has been avoiding you, or whom you have been avoiding, and try to make amends. This doesn’t mean you will become best chums. This is designed to remove any root of bitterness from your life. Finally, Ms. Lunnum says, “Waiting for the Second Coming shouldn’t be about cowering in fear of a terrifying future event. If we love God, we trust God. Enjoy one another in the world, while we’re here.” When we come to this altar, we receive all of God that God is offering right now. We take God’s very life into our own life, which gives us strength to work and to wait. We never know what will happen as we wait for Jesus to come. Camping out in a wadi isn’t safe, and yet we pray: Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses of the Negev. Amen.
On the grounds of Honey Creek
The Rev. Linda McCloud, Pastor |
