“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits that befit repentance.”
-John Baptist
I have always wanted to send Christmas cards with John Baptist’s warning on them. Alas, some fear of the possible responses has prevented me from doing that.
We hear these words…we heard them Sunday…every year. They should cause us some pause as we all rush toward the Feast of the Incarnation, celebrating it before it actually does happen and then letting it drop like a hot potato on the 26th of December…at the very beginning of Christmastide.
Older members of Saint Thomas the Apostle will recall my severe attitude about the proper observance of Advent. I turned down more invitations to “Christmas parties” in Advent than I can recall. If I went, I insisted that they were “Advent” parties and all the red and green decorations were premature at best. Eventually, folk stopped inviting me…Scrooge really is not welcome. I even refused to attend a Diocesan Clergy Christmas Party in Advent one year due to my strict observance of Advent…Mrs. Stanton was not impressed, as I recall.
Part of my strict observance of Advent comes from my “listening” to what John Baptist says. This Church season is a season of preparation for something that is coming, but is not yet here. We do not prepare well by jumping the gun.
Advent asks us to slow down, to rest in silence awaiting the Great Mystery of the Incarnation, to hold off on “celebrations,” to spend some serious time contemplating what God’s Advent among us actually means. Sadly, most folk are so worn out by Christmas that all they want to do is remove all the premature decorations and throw out the Christmas Tree, to get their house back in order.
But, “getting our houses back in order,” actually defines Advent. This Church Season invites us to get our houses back in order. We are being asked by John Baptist to “bear fruit that befits repentance.” We are being asked to “turn” as the Rector reminded us in Sunday’s sermon…but turning means that we have to know from what we are turning and to what we are turning. We are actually being asked to repent…to turn again to God…and to steady our vision on the God who comes among us.
There is still time left in Advent for you to give “turning” a try. What is it that you do look at in life? To what do you give your life? Are you spending your life in service to others or not? This Christian life we are all involved in demands that we are serious about God and God’s purposes. Even if you are surrounded by red and green decorations at this point you can still pause and point your gaze toward the Coming God. Turn away from your distractions, dear friends in Christ and Thomas. Turn to God and sit and gaze upon the One who comes to give us Life and Joy and Light. Observe Advent so that you may rejoice in Christmastide when it does come.
With Love to all of you,
Scrooge
