Advent Reflections, week two

As we continue in our Advent pilgrimage, we pause in anticipation of the birth of Christ.  

Each week, a reflection will be sent out (and posted on Facebook) that was written by one of our Worship & Music Committee members.  We thanks Michael Boyd for this week's reflection

Also, you are invited to offer your own reflections, photos, etc. on the "word of the day" during this month.  Here are this week's words:

8) Light

9) Rejoice

10) Peace

11) Good News

12) Believe

13) Prayer

14) Justice

Advent Reflection

[Read John 1:1-28]

As some of Trinity’s adults have met for Faith Formation Class in recent weeks to study and 
reflect on Marcus Borg’s book, “The Heart of Christianity,” participants have stated again and 
again how meaningful our small group conversation time has been.  Many of us also found 
some of the content of Borg’s thoughts quite challenging. Among other things, Borg spoke 
of a different way of biblical understanding. It is one that moves away from literalism and 
more towards a metaphorical method of understanding Scripture's meaning (metaphor
 merely being defined as, “a way of seeing”) - and this is true even for entire Bible
 narratives.

In this week’s text in John 1 (verses 1-28) for example, we hear of one named John who 
came to testify concerning “the light” (here referring to Jesus) for the purpose that all 
might believe through him (Jesus). While all of us are very able to see the Bible writer’s 
use of metaphor as John’s gospel writer describes Jesus as the coming “light” of the 
world, it is harder for us to take this entire story as one big metaphor. Were we able 
to do that, however, the greater  truth we would see beyond the story characters 
(John, Jesus, the Pharisees, etc.) and their interactions  is that the writer wants us 
readers to trust in God as we say “yes” to the way of living Jesus models  for us. 
We are to respond to who Jesus is by loving God in a similar way as Jesus, and to then
 go  out into the world and live lives in ways reflective of our love for the things that 
God loves.

As we all know, this is much easier said than done, especially when we reflect on all that 
follows Jesus’ amazing proclamations and ministry, namely, his being willing to be put 
to death because he stood against the state and religious leaders of his day and time. 
Not being content  with the status quo, Jesus instead seeks justice that neither leaders 
nor rulers want any part of. We are to note however, that those who have need do see 
and do welcome what Jesus offers. 

So rather than seeing Jesus as merely suffering and dying for our sins so we could go to 
heaven one day after we die, this narrative, like most biblical narratives, is instead much 
more about seeing in Jesus qualities and characteristics that help us see a glimpse of who 
God is. The end purpose of  this is so that we might be more deeply relating to God and 
all that is, while also looking for  personal transformation in this life. We are to seek to know 
God and to love the things that God loves.

And so in our text, John (the Baptist) is seen as in no way equal to Jesus, but instead telling 
of one coming who is full of “grace upon grace.” He is the One that demands we “make 
straight the way of the Lord.”

What this says to me is that in this season of Advent we are to continue to seek to know 
who Jesus is, and to then tell truthfully by our living and dying of God’s great love within 
and among us (the Word made flesh that now resides within us). When we live in such a 
self-sacrificing manner, and when we  love as Jesus loves, we are living in a way that truly 
honors the one whose thongs on his sandals we [too] are not worthy to untie. 

Will you pray with me that we might love God and others more fully and faithfully as we 
anticipate the  birth of Immanuel (God-with-us)?

Amen.