Devotion - Tuesday, December 4

On Sunday mornings, we make use of the "Sundays and Seasons" worship aids.  This includes the prayer petitions, for The Prayer of the Church.  This past week, there was a petition for "nations of the world experiencing distress."  There was the encouragement to name such countries.  In preparing the assisting minister at the 11:00 service for this petition, he replied, "I am going to need more sheets of paper, if you want me to list them all."

It may be that electronic media and the ability to travel quickly to any region of the world means that we are more aware that we once were.  Or, it could be that there are more and more societies and civilizations in upheaval.  There is distress among the nations.

The prophet Isaiah spoke of distress among the countries.  He wrote of the causes of these hardships; he also wrote of how God might guide the people through them.

Isaiah writes:  "Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness."  Justice - righteousness.  These are attributes which never cease to reveal God's hope and promise.

Those parts of the world where uprisings and conflicts are found might be quietened with a good dose of justice.  Yes, it is true, justice can sometimes be politicized.  But we know what is fair; there is a reluctance to move there when it costs me something.  Here is where righteousness compliments justice - if I am righteous in my own life, then justice becomes personal and I begin to consider what is the right and proper thing for me to do.

The Advent we seek is more than a personal gift; it is an event for the whole of creation.  The heavens announce the birth of Messiah.  Our preparations and our celebrations need to include such a cosmic understanding of what it means to welcome the Christ child - not merely into our hearts, but into our world.