Sitting in the Dark

3rd Sunday in Advent, Year C
Texts: Zeph 3.14-20; Phil 4.4-7; Lk 3.7-18

I don’t know about y’all, but if this is the good news, I sure don’t want to hear the bad news. This sounds like a good old Jonathan-Edwards, fire-and-brimstone sermon, doesn’t it? “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath that is to come?” I have to laugh that, when this text was chosen for the Third Sunday in Advent, we were still using a pink candle on the Advent wreath to symbolize Joy. “Rejoice, you brood of vipers! The ax is lying at the root of the tree, just for you! Hooray!”

The Death of Hope

2nd Sunday in Advent, Year C
Texts: Jer 33.14-16; 1 Thess 3.9-13; Lk 21.25-36

During Advent, we talk a lot about hope. That’s what the season is about, right—hope? Hope for the return of Christ, hope for the future of our species and our planet, hope for the return of light and the forgiveness of sin and the end of death. Hope for the healing of the nations and of the world. We remind ourselves that, just as we know Christmas is coming at the end of the month, the days are surely coming when Jesus will return and establish God’s reign of peace and justice over all the earth.  But what are we to do when that thing for which we are hoping seems to be so far off?

Spirit of Fire, Spirit of Justice

Day of Pentecost, Year A
Text: Acts 2.1-21; Jn 20.19-23

On Pentecost, we remember John the Baptist’s promise in St. Luke’s gospel account: “One who is more powerful than I is coming. I baptize with water; he will baptize with the Holy Spirit, and with fire.” Today we celebrate the coming of that Spirit and the fire that accompanied her. This is an important holiday for the Church; just as Christmas celebrates the incarnation and Easter celebrates the resurrection, so Pentecost celebrates the pouring out of God’s Spirit on the Church, on us. And yet, on this holiday, I don’t feel like celebrating.

In addition to the gruesome milestone of 100,000 COVID deaths in the United States that we saw this week, we also saw the death of George Floyd: yet another unarmed person of color who has died while in the custody of those who have been sworn to serve and protect. George was arrested by Minneapolis Police officers for allegedly using a counterfeit bill to buy cigarettes. While handcuffed, an officer knelt on his neck for 8 minutes and 49 seconds, even as he begged for breath, even after he became unresponsive.