20201220 Prepare ye the way for the Lord¶
1. The space we are in - don't burn the ships¶
a. Plagues and diseases are a natural (or unnatural) part of our history¶
I have been so disappointed with the significant rise in COVID cases over these past few days. I was just feeling a sense of ease and a sense that we were working together to tame this beast. And it has been so frustrating that we have had to drastically adjust Christmas arrangements, go back to not meeting with friends, and cancel the housewarming for our new house. And we know that these are minor frustrations and hardship compared to what some folk are going through.
But one thing I did not know is that pandemics and epidemics have been happening throughout history. The Spanish Flu, smallpox, the black plague and a few other big ones have been a huge part of history ever since we started farming with animals. Almost every 100 years. If you are at all interested in why and how this sort of thing works, I recommend the book “Germs, guns and steel” by Jared Diamond, very interesting.
b. Epidemics and pandemics change our mental state¶
What is so hectic about these outbreaks (apart from the sickness and death) is how much pressure they put on the human psyche and most social structures. The black plague in Europe had a mortality rate of 1 in 2 people (COVID is 1 in 50) and 30-40% of Europe perished in that outbreak. It got so hectic, that at harbours, if incoming ships were seen to have even one infected person they would burn the whole ship. They had to go through extreme social distancing measures in order to survive these outbreaks. Imagine living with that? Well, we can begin to imagine. And I am not bringing this up to try and belittle what is happening now. COVID is a dreadful, dreadful virus. I want us to truly understand that we are going through a global pandemic, historical.
c. Effects on community, familial and personal health¶
These kinds of events really affect not only our physical health, but our mental health, our social health and our financial health. So the first point that I would like to consider this morning, before we enter into scripture is 1. What space do find yourself in?. How has this pandemic (which is historical in magnitude) affected you? Because what the history books show, is that these epidemics and pandemics have huge psychological effects on us. There are multiple articles online (and I am sure that studies will follow) about how COVID has affected the relationship between spouses, our lack of motivation, covid burn out, anxiety, lack of exercise and the falling apart of projects. Have you been fighting more at home? Have you been feeling lost? Have your aspirations withered away? I have seen so many people, myself included, not giving themselves grace in this moment in history.
These feelings of failure, regardless of the truth they may hold, are not experienced in isolation. You are not a failure because of them. I really don't want one to think that you are suffering and stressed and at your wits end, while everyone else is living their best life. Are you struggling by yourself or sharing your burdens? I am beautifully reminded of Trevor Hudson’s observation which Michael has used often in his sermons, that next to each person there is a pool of tears. I take comfort in knowing that I am not alone in this. I take strength from that. That no matter the person I talk to, my pain will be heard. My pain will be known. My pain will be felt. So what space do you find yourself in? Don't be scared to listen to your gut, to your spirit and voice what's going on inside. It’s hard. Let us name it and share it.
2. Life is hard, circumstances don't dictate our approach - find life where you are¶
a. What does it mean to live a Christian life in these times?¶
So this is the starting point for today, that the current space we are in can be very difficult. The second point, which may seem contrary to the first point, is that no matter where we are or what we are going through, we can always 2. Find life where we are at.
I don't know about you, but life was tough before COVID. Bills, health issues, 100 children to manage at school, new responsibilities, then COVID came and multiplied all that by 50. And then not only did I feel the effects on my life, but I also felt helpless to help others. What does it mean to be a Christian during COVID? How do we help others if we cant be with them? I would ask what could God do with me if I can barely keep my household in order? But should we be asking this? Or would God want us regroup and regather?
But the thing is, life will always be hard. We will always experience deaths and pains and hardship. Whether it is COVID or not. And this is much easier said than done, but the circumstances which we find ourselves in does not have to dictate our response to the circumstances.
b. Look to the strength of Mary¶
This is something which we see in Mary’s response to the archangel Gabriel. Until recently, I always used to think of Mary as a 35 year old woman who was asked by God to take on the blessing that it would be to bring the son of God into the world. An honour, a gift. But the more I learnt about the culture of the age, it wasn't as simple as that. Mary would have only been 12 or 13 at the time, poor and not yet married. And in a culture where they stoned women for adultery, being impregnated by the spirit of God is not necessarily the most believable story. I mean, we know today the pain today that some homosexual people in central and northern africa have to face. We know what this kind of life could be like. The amount of pain she would have to endure from her family and to-be fiance, and even the community. It was a deadly ask by God. Can you imagine being a fly on the wall during that conversation with Joseph?
This is context inside which she takes on the task. And in the verses that follow todays text, we hear Mary sing these words: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for God has looked with favor on the lowliness of the Almighty’s servant”. And she goes on to describe a world of justice to be brought in through Christ. This models trust, this models relationship. These are not the words of a defeated woman. Considering her circumstances. Mary knows that she is seen by God she knows that “God is with me and God is for me”.
c. What are the decisions that we are making?¶
How have we navigated our days during this season? Have we given up on trying? Have we repeated that line “what could God do with me if I can barely keep my household in order?”. God meets us where we are at, with how we feel right now, we do not need to try and be anything else in Gods presence. We can find life (and we often do) amidst hardship. Let us be encouraged by Mary’s response to the angel. The moment we wait for life to begin in the future, when our troubles have passed, this is when we become tired. Find life where you are. It is a difficult idea to practice.
3. The seasons of life - taking stock seasonally¶
a. We live seasonal lives for a reason¶
One concept which I have grown to appreciate over the years is from the book of Ecclesiastes 3.1-8 is the idea that our lives are made up of seasons, “A time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest.” It is goes on to describe many of the seasons we walk through in life. Because we cannot operate at 100% on one thing ALL the time. Our lives are cyclical, filled with ebbs and flows. This has been a helpful analogy for me to understand how our mind, spirit and body move between cycles of work and rest, reflection and action, planting and harvesting. And if we try and go against these natural cycles we can tire ourselves out. In our Old Testament passage today David had just gone through a long time of running from Saul, moving through battles, hiding in caves. It is the world’s most dramatic game of cat and mouse where even though David has a chance to kill Saul he doesn’t. Eventually Saul dies and David is made king. He triumphantly returns the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. This artefact is considered the place where God lives amongst His people. This is where our reading takes off and we read that only when David is rested, did he have the vision to want to build a temple for God. These cycles are important.
b. Christmas is the season of renewal.¶
Christian calendar.png The church calendar reflects these cycles show church calendar that we go through every year. Our year is not linear but cyclical. We start in advent, moving through Christmas and entering into easter and the rest of the year. Every year we celebrate these cycles of life, death and the conquering of death. These cycles are old, ancient cycles that exist in every culture today. It is really useful to understand them.
This part of the cycle, advent and Christmas is a season where in our preparation for the coming of the lord, we take stock, reset, connect with family and breathe in the new life that Christ offers. We can do this each year because trust, as Mary did, that Christ is a rock upon which we can always rest. In both passages we hear the promise that David’s kingdom shall be made sure forever before God and that Christ inherits that promise.
c. Taking stock¶
So my last point for this morning is that this current season of advent and Christmas is the season for us to 3. Take stock of what is important in our lives. Let us take a look at how we are spending our time. Every year or so I always try write out the five areas in my life which I think are the most important now. These have always changed slowly over the years. And they are normally some variation of my spiritual health, family time, physical health, challenging myself intellectually (studying of some sort) and adventure. I then ask myself if these areas are important, what would I want to be doing in these areas daily? Or weekly? Or monthly? And I actually write out some form of grid. This form of taking stock is a spiritual exercise of taking stock, remembering what is important, being intentional with God, family and self.
csp_rocksandsand.png A great visual representation of this concept is that of a mason jar. The jar represents the time we have in our lives. Then there are three components, big rocks, pebbles and sand. The big rocks represent that which is most important to us. Family, health, faith. The pebbles are other important things that we may have to do in our lives. Buying groceries, managing our finances, keeping our homes safe and clean. The sand represents all the time wasters in our lives. Overuse of social media, choosing the right cake for our work function, gossiping at a braai. On the left we see what happens if we put fill our lives with sand first and then try to fit in the pebbles and lastly the big rocks. We soon run out of space for the big rocks. On the right, we see that if we put the big rocks in first, the pebbles and the sand easily fit around them.
What are your big rocks that are important to you? How are you wanting to spend your time in the new year? What is God calling you to focus on?
So in summary, remember we are in a global pandemic, what space are you in? Name it, share the burden. Pandemics deeply effect the human psyche. With God, we can always find life where we are at now, waiting for some future time will always make us tired. And advent is season of taking stock and regrouping for the new year to come.
Let us pray.
One Liner¶
Find life where you are