God still comes
Advent 4: 23rd December, 2001
Fr John Davis, Vicar of St Peter's Eastern Hill
Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him
Emmanuel, which means, "God is with us". (Mtt 1:23)
In this season of Advent we have followed through a train of thought. We
have noted promised new beginnings, we have been called to prepare, we have
been told who and what to prepare for and now today we are reminded of how it
happened and with whom. The fourth Sunday of Advent gives due prominence to
Mary and Joseph. Matthew is particularly keen to stress the connection right
back to David that is there in Joseph, the one betrothed to Mary. We are on
familiar ground; the festival is very close.
There really is something to be said for the cycle, the recurring pattern
of the Church year that is ours to follow in this tradition. No matter what
has gone before, it all comes round again. There is always the opportunity to
start afresh. There is always the renewed chance to make things better, get
things right. At the centre is the sense and the reality of relationship with
God in this Jesus to be born of Mary; the one who saves us from our sins we
are reminded, the one who will give shape and meaning to "God is with us".
There really is something to be said for it because such a pattern of process
and practice and grateful understanding is so clearly necessary. If there were
only to be one chance, how many of us would be ready and able to take it?
The story of Advent is the story of God being there for us, again and
again. The cycle unfolds, the history is told, mistakes and blunders are
made, horrible things done, things left undone, choices are made and sometimes
choices are regretted. God is disregarded, seemingly better options are on
offer. Still God is there, coming again into the cycle and pattern of our
lives. This Advent season of preparation, which has a penitential edge, is
here to lead us yet again into our celebration of "God is with us". God still
comes. God is here for us, again and again.
In so many ways, this has not been a good year. How sad our world is.
How appalling have been some of the events we have seen unfolding before
our eyes on our television screens. How uncertain are the employment and
economic prospects for so many. How unhappy many individuals seem to be.
How disturbing and distressing it is to see some of our leaders caught in
controversy and argument. How sad it is that in so many cases still, the lot
of the weak and the vulnerable is so bitterly difficult. How disappointing it
is to consider how things might be and are not. Yes, this has been a very
difficult year. It would be good to think that better times are ahead: that
new beginnings are yet possible; that the hope that is already within us has
yet more life – that, in terms of the Advent promise, there are yet new
beginnings in store for us, as individuals and as a community.
But even as we have this new year hope, we have pressing issues of the
moment that are distressing. It is indeed hard to watch the unfolding of
the matters relating to the Governor General – hard on many levels. We
here at St Peter's know him as a friend and a priest and bishop who has served
at this altar, an individual human just like us, and clearly at this time
under great personal stress. Our prayers go out for all involved. It is hard
too to acknowledge that our society, the Church included, has a less than
perfect record in dealing with longstanding issues of abuse of the weak and
vulnerable. These terrible things should not be happening. If the events of
the last decade or so have taught us anything, it should be that the processes
and protocols for promptly dealing with such matters must be clear and open,
just and effective. And meanwhile the press seems to be having a field day.
But while The Age chose to lead their Saturday editorial with the headline
"Dr Hollingworth's moment of decision", at least The Australian (and probably therefore James Murray) takes up another fairly obvious theme for this time,
or at least next Sunday – "Story of a refugee family still resonates".
One of the biggest continuing issues facing every developed society and ours
today also is, as we know so well, part of the story of the Scriptures. As
the editorial concludes:
At this time of the year...there is an almost universal attempt to show
goodwill and to encourage a sense of community – regardless of the
attitude towards the keeping or ignoring of Christmas. The flight of the
Holy Family into Egypt can be an enduring reminder of the plight of the
persecuted, and our duty to reach out to our fellow human beings who seek refuge.
This raises the interesting and challenging question of just how far, if at
all, our Christian faith and response to Christian teaching actually impinges
on our attitude to the challenges and confronting events of our day to day
lives. At least one prominent surveyor of our opinions and attitudes considers
that it impinges very little. Hugh Mackay's Age opinion piece yesterday was
headed "So you think this is a Christian country? Think again". The crunch
in this article came after a detailed reference to the parable of the Good
Samaritan, noting that for Jesus loving your neighbour was a cardinal virtue,
'especially when your neighbour is a different from you as can be imagined'.
He concludes:
No one is compelled to embrace the messages embedded in the teachings of Jesus,
of course, but it's pretty weird to sing carols that eulogise his birth, or
to claim some affiliation with Christianity, if we utterly reject the values
he stood for.... To judge from our attitude to refugees, we are comfortably
insulated from any religious impulses – Christian or otherwise – by
our shameful self-interest.
Everyone is talking about these issues. What are the values and priorities
and concerns that we are bringing to bear in how we talk and how we respond?
If it is Christian that we would claim or want to be, is this evident? We
are challenged to think again of some of those well-known parables,
particularly those in Luke, which so brilliantly capture the human condition,
and human frailty. We are challenged again to consider the Lord's definitive
summary of the Law – traditionally read at the beginning of each offering
of the Eucharist – love God, love neighbour as yourself. This he says is
how to shape your living and your believing if you would be my disciples. And
we are challenged again to consider the fruit of the Spirit, listed by Paul
in Galatians 5, those characteristics of the Christian person and indeed the
Christian community, so much to be honoured and cherished and sought for:
"Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness
and self-control." (Gal 5:22) Paul says that our living and our believing will
see these qualities issuing forth and shared.
Advent reminds us of the new starts that are ours for the taking. It
reminds us that our spirits and our hearts need to prepare and be prepared.
The gift that is available is God with us. The prophets spoke the promise,
Mary made it possible, and God still comes. Can it make a difference?
Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall
name him Emmanuel, which means, "God is with us".
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