What is your hope for the future?
The prophet Baruch knows that the people of Israel have been traumatized by their exile in Babylon, and so he offers them a beautiful poem of consolation filled with hope for the future: take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God forever, he tells them. Though they may be wallowing in their grief and pain, the people are called to look not to the past, but to the future – to what God is going to do in their lives: God has commanded that every lofty mountain be made low, and that the age-old depths and gorges be filled to level ground, creating a path along which the remnant that has been faithful to the covenant may return. In this future vision, God is leading Israel in joy! Once the people return from exile, Psalm 126 reminds us, they will recognize that The Lord has done great things for us, and be grateful for their return home though they know much work remains to be done to restore their homeland.
In Jesus’ time, Luke’s Gospel tells us, it is once again God who clears the way, creating a path back to relationship: Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low, John the Baptist assures the people, calling them to a baptism of repentance, that they might participate in preparing the way of the Lord. Through repentance, the people seek release from all that stands in the way of their path to God. The Philippians understood the importance of participating in God’s action through partnership for the gospel; Paul knows that they understand the love that is theirs and have given their hearts over to the work so that their love may increase ever more and more. If love is the vehicle by which we perceive the world, then love helps us to discern what is valuable and what is not, and all of our decisions are made out of love of other.
Why are we here? Are we ready to repent, ready to change? We follow Jesus knowing that he prepares the way to God for us, and we also know that ongoing work will be necessary: the work of growth and change and conversion… until we get to the point where we have no perception save that which love gives us. Our participation in the promise is based on our ability to embrace the love that defines it. When we live in the context of this love and that loves drives our lives, we too may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness, ready to see the salvation of God.
This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com
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