Some years ago, I was at a barber shop one Saturday waiting my turn. There was also a young mother with two small boys, hoping the same. The younger child, perhaps a year and a half old, did not put up any resistance. He was in and out of that chair without incident. The older child, who was closer to three, was a nightmare. He ran from his mother and under the coat rack and some chairs. And he was not about to give up the fight anytime soon. The poor mother, patient beyond understanding, pleaded with her child. “It won’t hurt. And you’ll look good for when grandma and grandpa come to visit.”
“I don’t want a haircut.” At first I smiled. But I don’t do cute.
This continued as I watched, equally amused and annoyed. After a few more minutes of this nonsense, I was ready to charge into the coat rack and retrieve the child whether he liked it or not. Or they should just all go home and come back another day. There were other people waiting. And this sideshow was holding everyone up.
Then the mother, wise beyond her years, pulled out her big guns. “If you get a haircut, we’re going to the toy store. Or we go straight home.”
“I don’t want a haircut.”
“Then you don’t want to go to the toy store.”
“I want to go to the toy store.”
“Then you want a haircut.”
“Okay.” And with that he walked to the chair like he had just won the lottery. Everyone in the waiting area breathed a sigh of relief and I was particularly grateful that blood was not shed that day.
Promises, promises. Most of us think we’re smart enough to know when a promise is just a load of hot air. We learn as children to distinguish one from the other. Either that child in the barber shop was lured by a false promise, or he knew his mother well enough to trust she was speaking the truth. The faith we place today in a promise will depend on whether or not past promises were fulfilled to our satisfaction. And the fulfillment of each promise becomes the foundation of trust in promises yet to come.
Today we light the first candle of the Advent Wreath. It marks the beginning of a new church year that acknowledges God’s role in our lives and in human history. To many people the meaning of this flame is lost to the frenzy that often accompanies this season of holiday shopping, of gift-giving and gift-expecting, of polite and empty wishes, of sparkling gift wrap and twinkling lights, of seasonal gestures of welcome and compassion. But to those who stop to ponder the meaning of this sign, it is a single flame that burns bravely against the darkness, a single flame that carries the hopes of ages past and generations long gone. The darkness around us hints at despair and poverty and loneliness and shame. The flame is a sign of hope that a promise once spoken is not forgotten but will soon come to pass. Either we have been lured by a false promise, or we know our God well enough to trust he speaks the truth.
Scriptures today are littered with promises. The prophet Jeremiah recalls God’s promise to Israel, that from the line of David will rise One who is to bring safety and security to all in the land. His name is “the Lord our Justice.” We believe that when the Son of God was born in Bethlehem two thousand years ago, God fulfilled this promise to his people. Jesus paid the price of freedom from our slavery to sin. With the flame that marks this First Sunday of Advent, we recall God’s promise to restore us to his friendship. This promise is fulfilled in Jesus Christ who extends us forgiveness and reconciliation while we yet struggle with selfishness, pride, and our inordinate desires. Who of us has not known darkness in our lives? And who of us has not known God’s compassion? So why do we hesitate?
Paul encourages the Thessalonians to be blameless and holy before God as they await the coming of the Lord with all the holy ones. “Conduct yourselves to please God—and as you are conducting yourselves—you do so even more.” If we believe that God is faithful to the promises he made to our ancestors, we can trust God’s justice. We must remain steadfast in hope, living in unwavering witness to the faithfulness of our God. With the flame that marks this First Sunday of Advent, we recall the promise made in Jesus Christ to bring us safely home to the Father. Those who have gone ahead of us in death now enjoy the reward prepared for them. We who remain must face our challenges with courage and confidence in the power of our God until we are united with our loved ones in the eternal kingdom.
Luke also paints a striking image for us. Jesus speaks of signs, terrible and frightening events in heaven and on earth. “On earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. … That day will catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray.” Scripture scholars point to similarities with the visions of Daniel and the book of Revelation. They point to the end time. But to the Christian community for whom Luke was writing, it is hope in the midst of persecution. The upheaval of their time was the period of trial Jesus promised his disciples. The time of redemption is close, when the Lord will gather all who have kept the faith. It is a time of hope for those who are weary and overcome with fear. With the flame that marks this First Sunday of Advent, we recall the promise God made in Jesus Christ to reward with victory those who are faithful. It is a single flame that stands against the darkness of night, a flame of hope to remind us that God is faithful. We are witnesses to God’s faithfulness through the ages in the lives of the patriarchs, the prophets, and the saints of old. Even now we witness God’s faithfulness in our own lives through the mercy and kindness we encounter in the sacraments and with one another who belong to Christ’s body, the church. We witness the fulfillment of God’s promise of salvation for all who have gone ahead of us marked with the sign of faith. We ask God who is faithful to strengthen our weak faith. We know our God well. We trust God speaks truth. God is always faithful. And every time we light the Advent Wreath this holy season we are reminded that God is faithful to his people and to the promises he has spoken. His name is “the Lord our Justice.”
Rolo B Castillo © 2024