An Advent Reflection. 12/7/2014 Rev. Mike Rayson 2 Peter 3:8-10 NRSV. “But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed”. The season of Advent is one of expectation. We expect and prepare to receive the Christ Child, born in Bethlehem… and we expect and prepare to receive the Christ who is coming again. When the Nazi forces of Germany had been declared defeated on May 8 1945, hostilities were not yet over. The allies continued to drive and chase Hitler’s troops back through Europe. It wasn’t until September 2 of that same year that the war was finally over. During those 4 months, Hitler did as much damage as he could whilst retreating. The death camps still under Nazi control operated the ovens day and night, systematically murdering the Jews and others who had fallen afoul of Hitler’s Third Reich on a brutal schedule. The war was over, but the fighting continued. The enemy had been defeated, but the enemy was doing all it could to inflict the most destruction it could possibly exact. It was during this time that Dietrich Boenhoffer, the well known German theologian, was also put to death – days before the camp he was held in was liberated by allied forces. In many ways, we live between the now but not yet. The enemy is defeated. But still we see the effects of evil in our world. Hunger, poverty, hatred, racism, classism… these things have been overcome in Jesus name, but they still exist. We wait for the day when there will be war no more, and God’s holy “all things new” will be the mark of the new heavens and earth. As we wait in the waiting between the manger and the coming again of Christ, let us embody the spirit of he who overcame by being overcomers. Bob Marley said it best… https://youtube/watch?v=4XHEPoMNP0I “Until the philosophy which hold one race superior and another inferior Is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned Everywhere is war, me say war We dont need no more trouble We dont need no more trouble What we need is love To guide and protect us on”
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 18:00:00 +0000
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